Inappropriate behavior in Thermal Suite, Cloud 9 Spa. Is this normal?

[MargieWY]

Hi:

 

We have some friends that returned from the Carnival Magic last week. They were telling us about their vacation, but there was something that they shared with us which I felt I needed to check here on Cruise Critic.

 

They purchased a spa pass for a day to give it a try and see what the hype was about. They are not "spa" people so they have no clue if what they experienced was normal. My friend's husband was in a steam room alone when an older man (he said in his 70's) approached him and started chit chatting. The conversation progressed to the man asking my friend if he liked to steam in the nude, and if my friend minded if the old man steamed in the nude with him in the room. Needless to say, the conversation started to make my friend very uncomfortable. He told the old man as politely as possible to mind his business.

 

He then said that the man proceeded to stand up and walk over to my friend, and then he dropped his towel about a foot from him (basically with his private parts in my friend's face) and asked him if he ever "switched teams". My friend said that he would've punched the man if he hadn't been elderly, but that it took everything in his power not to do so. He let out a few expletives, got up and rushed out of the steam room and away from the spa as fast as he could.

 

Anyway, we were all wondering if this stuff happens often, or if this was a rare occurrence. We are not spa people either, so I have no idea if this is normal at spas. They were mortified about the incident but didn't report it, once again not knowing if this was normal.

 

Thanks for any input that you may provide.

[Dizzneefan]

I've only used the sauna a few times but nothing like that has ever happened to me. When I first read this my reaction would have been to report it but I don't know where it would have lead from there. Would I want to spend a lot of my vacation time filing a complaint that would probably result in being contacted for additional information? Would it be "easier" to just let it go? Not a comfortable situation in ANY case

[volmoma]

OMG!!! I agree with Dizzneefan. But I don't think my hubby would have been so understanding, 70 or not.

[NYcruzzer]

Hi:

 

We have some friends that returned from the Carnival Magic last week. They were telling us about their vacation, but there was something that they shared with us which I felt I needed to check here on Cruise Critic.

 

They purchased a spa pass for a day to give it a try and see what the hype was about. They are not "spa" people so they have no clue if what they experienced was normal. My friend's husband was in a steam room alone when an older man (he said in his 70's) approached him and started chit chatting. The conversation progressed to the man asking my friend if he liked to steam in the nude, and if my friend minded if the old man steamed in the nude with him in the room. Needless to say, the conversation started to make my friend very uncomfortable. He told the old man as politely as possible to mind his business.

 

He then said that the man proceeded to stand up and walk over to my friend, and then he dropped his towel about a foot from him (basically with his private parts in my friend's face) and asked him if he ever "switched teams". My friend said that he would've punched the man if he hadn't been elderly, but that it took everything in his power not to do so. He let out a few expletives, got up and rushed out of the steam room and away from the spa as fast as he could.

 

Anyway, we were all wondering if this stuff happens often, or if this was a rare occurrence. We are not spa people either, so I have no idea if this is normal at spas. They were mortified about the incident but didn't report it, once again not knowing if this was normal.

 

Thanks for any input that you may provide.

 

Sounds like a plot from a 70's porno

[volmoma]

Sounds like a plot from a 70's porno

 

 

Does it not......

[Hoosierpop]

This sounds like one of those stories from Penthouse letters.....I was in the spa in a cruise ship, when the weirdest thing happened......

Edited May 28, 2016 by Hoosierpop

[MargieWY]

Sounds like a plot from a 70's porno

 

LOL, doesn't it. That's the same exact thing we told our friends, but they swear it's the truth. They are not the kind of people to make stuff up like this.

 

Anyway, my friend is not what you would call "porn material", unless the standard is chubby and balding, LOL

[volmoma]

LOL, doesn't it. That's the same exact thing we told our friends, but they swear it's the truth. They are not the kind of people to make stuff up like this.

 

 

 

Anyway, my friend is not what you would call "porn material", unless the standard is chubby and balding, LOL

 

 

Love it!!! Hope his shock has worn off. I can only imagine the look on his face. [emoji15]

[NYcruzzer]

LOL, doesn't it. That's the same exact thing we told our friends, but they swear it's the truth. They are not the kind of people to make stuff up like this.

 

Anyway, my friend is not what you would call "porn material", unless the standard is chubby and balding, LOL

 

I believe him.. I guess that guy figured :"what happens on a ship...stays on a ship"

[joeyancho]

Sauna in the buff is not unusual. However you friend got hit on.

[e150club]

The older gent is going to say that to the wrong person one day. Bold move.

[gfountain1]

As a younger guy that frequents gym saunas and steam rooms, I will tell you that the older men in all of these establishments have no problem walking around with no towel. Its not uncommon to have naked men in an all male sauna/steam room. With that said, asking about team swaps and getting in my personal space with those wrinkly parts would probably be beyond my tolerance of gym/spa antics.

[tea4ular]

I struggle to believe it. The Cloud9 rooms (all of them) are co-ed and all connect and all have glass doors. While you might not be able to see into a steam room due to the fog on the glass doing something as described would be more than risky in quickly being seen. Sorry I'm a regular at Cloud9, we ALL know it's co-ed and we don't even "only" go in our towels. Bathing suits at minimum.

[cdamion]

I've absolutely never seen this in the Cloud 9 spa on the ships and never even on land. I would definitely have reported it or at least gotten my money back!

 

Those rooms are all pretty public and coed. It is not appropriate and I am not one to complain about others' behavior ever.

[Wanna_Cruize]

I had to look at the deck plans to be sure, but there are separate sauna rooms attached to each of the Men's & Women's locker rooms on the lower floor of the Spa area, and then the Co-Ed Sauna and Steam rooms inside the upper Cloud 9 Spa area (where the thalassotherapy pool is). Most of the ships have a sauna attached to each of the locker rooms in the spa/gym area. That is where this poor husband was 'propositioned'.

[Tapi]

I'm a regular at Cloud9, we ALL know it's co-ed and we don't even "only" go in our towels. Bathing suits at minimum.

 

 

I've been to spas on Carnival, Holland America and MSC and in my experience not all people wear bathing suits. We just returned from the MSC Divina and there was a lot of public nudity, more than I've seen on other cruise lines (probably because Europeans are more comfortable with nudity than Americans). The sauna and steam rooms were for women or men only, but all of them had clear glass doors that opened into a common relaxation room and a lot of people didn't have any problem walking completely naked through the common areas and from there to the dressing rooms.

 

I struggle to believe it.

 

I don't think that the story is far fetched. Although I've never experienced anything quite like what the OP described, I've seen some activity that looks a bit suspicious. Like walking into a room and there are only two people in there, but they are sitting next to each other in a corner that can't be seen from the outside. And as you walk in, they quickly adjust their towels and cover up. It seems like there's more than "relaxing" going on sometimes.

Edited May 28, 2016 by Tapi

[rkacruiser]

My experience on HAL, not Carnival, in saunas: Men who frequent such facilities often seem comfortable doing so in the nude. That makes me uncomfortable sitting there wearing my bathing suit. I don't stay long.

 

Such behavior that the OP described is unacceptable whether on land or on the sea. Reporting such behavior to Security would have probably resulted in a denial by the offender. And, what could Security do about such a denial?

 

In a steam room, because on HAL it is co-ed, people keep their swimwear on. But, where there are separate saunas in the Greenhouse Spa, as I have said, at least for the men, one's birthday suit is on display.

[bobsfamily]

I would suggest your friend, now home, does contact Carnival about this. It's very possible that the "old man" has does this before but gets away (a real shame) with it because of his age... but there might have been others that have reported him. If he is a frequent cruiser and does this often there should be other reports....

 

The few times I have used the spa there was a separate "steam/sauna" right off the men's changing room - small - that was men only. I assumed there was the same for women.... and then there was a large communal one.

Edited May 28, 2016 by bobsfamily

[Micahs Grandad]

I would have demanded a free cruise.

[KPfromCT]

Gross! Dirty old man. I definitely would have popped him in the face, regardless of his age. Nasty pig.

[bobsfamily]

I would have demanded a free cruise.

Maybe some stock? couple of thousand???

[CupcakeSusie]

Gross! Dirty old man. I definitely would have popped him in the face, regardless of his age. Nasty pig.

 

It wouldn't have been the face I popped him in ;)

 

OP's friend should have walked straight out and let the staff know, IMO.

[riclop]

That was a sicko. Should of been reported right away.

[DallasGuy75219]

Ladies, this is why your husband offers to go to the Spa to get cleaned up while you are in the cabin bathroom getting ready for dinner.

[Ready 2 Go]

I've seen people being very "inappropriate" in those nasty hot tubs on the ship. I believe your friends story is plausible.

 

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