Persian Garden V's Thermal Suite

[Lanwood]

2 Flag ships for the Australian Fleets. Each with a Thermal relaxation area. One is Celebrity Solstice's Persian Garden. The other is the Diamond Princess's Thermal suite. 2 similar experiences that I enjoy each day on my cruises as a must, but one definately prefered over the other. Here is my take (IMHO....)

 

Thermal Suite on Diamond Princess - A darker area (no windows) of Black and cream tiles with a Japanese theme throughout (all grand class ships I have been on have the same theme). About 6 Thermal ceramic beds, a Turkish steam bath, an aromatic steam bath, a gentle suana, tropical rain shower and a mist/fog shower. Relaxation music piped throughout.

 

Persian Garden on Celebrity Solstice - Brighter area with floor to ceiling windows. Aqua and white tiles through out. 8 Thermal ceramic beds, an aromatic suana, and steam room, tropical rain showers and mist showers. Relaxation music piped throughout.

 

Winner = Thermal suite.....here's why for me..

 

1. The darker themed/lit Thermal suite feels easier to unwind and relax than the brightly light (natural light) Persian garden.

2. The relaxation music in the Persian Garden was often overpowered by bands/music in nearby areas (assuming most likely the pool deck). The thermal suite does not have the same distraction when relaxing.

3. The position of the ceramic beds in the Persian garden has every man and his dog walking around you to get to the hot rooms. Compounded with the bright lighting, it can make one a little self conscious.

4. The Turkish bath in the Thermal suite is much hotter and steamier than the steam room in the Persian garden. The Turkish steam room also has separate ceramic cubicals for each guest, each with its on water hose to wash down, and a central fountain and multi faced ceramic sinks. The Persian steam room is a semi circular shared seating area only.

5. The aromatic steam room is also much hotter in the Thermal suite, and also comes with water hoses to wash down and a central fountain. The Persian garden is a semi circular shared seat.

6. A complimentary body scrub blend of your choice and loofa is provided for use in the Turkish Steam bath in the Thermal suite. Not provided in the Persian Garden.

7. The Thermal suite has 3 heated areas, the Persian garden (on Solstice) has 2.

8. The Thermal suite in conviently located so use of the Adults only lotus swimming pool and whirl pools can also be incorporated in the experience.

9. The change rooms for the Thermal suite (shared with the spa/gym) also has a hot sauna and a hotter steam bath. The Persian garden change rooms has a sauna only.

10. The Diamond Princess also has a second thermal suite type area at the rear of the shop called Izumi. A Japanese styled bath house containing saunas, spa and plunge pools, massaging water jets, outdoor padoda spa and relaxation area.

 

I'll always enjoy myself on either, but given the choice, one is definitely a clear winner over the other for me......

Edited November 4, 2014 by Lanwood

[cruisin-m]

Just got off Solstice and had a look at the Persian Garden on embarkation but didn't find it appealing to me, would rather relax out in the fresh air personally and the complimentary saunas in the change rooms were fine for me :) If I had an Aqua room I might have tried the steam room but definitely don't find these worth paying for, I'd rather spend my money treating myself in other ways.

 

The Persian Garden was 100 times better than the "thermal suite" on Pacific Pearl which only had a basic sauna and steam room with two heated tile loungers and a pass was $209 pp for the cruise.... yikes.

[Lanwood]

The Persian Garden was 100 times better than the "thermal suite" on Pacific Pearl which only had a basic sauna and steam room with two heated tile loungers and a pass was $209 pp for the cruise.... yikes.

 

Not cruised on a PO Aust as yet....

 

Yikes...sounds like an understatment. $209pp for that? how long was the cruise for....?

[3littlepigs]

We had access to the Persian Garden on Solstice recently and whilst it looks lovely and the warm tiled lounges are very nice, as it the panoramic sea view, the banging and crashing of the doors as people came and went was far from relaxing!

I definitely wouldn't pay for access.

[Lanwood]

, the banging and crashing of the doors as people came and went was far from relaxing!

 

I agree. I should have made that point 11.

[3littlepigs]

It was very disturbing, I would have thought it wouldn't be too difficult to put some kind of soft closing mechanism on the doors.

[Lanwood]

The best day spa I have been on at sea would be the "Canyon Ranch day spa" on the QM2.

 

The Solstice's day spa was changed to a "Canyon Ranch day spa" before our cruise. I was really looking forward to this, as one of the features offered by Canyon Ranch is both male and female therapists. But this wasn't honored on my recent cruise. The choice was on the forms (you tick which one) May have been too soon perhaps..?