MSC Thermal Suite Explained: What Each Room Actually Does
By Jack Schaeffer
If you’ve never visited a thermal suite before, some of the amenities can sound a little confusing! What’s a Mediterranean bath? What exactly do you do in a salt room? And what’s the difference between a sauna and a steam room?
MSC Cruises offers thermal suites inside its MSC Aurea Spas, with a collection of hot, cold and relaxation experiences designed to help guests unwind.
The exact facilities vary by ship, but here’s what you can expect to find and what each one actually does.
What Is the MSC Thermal Suite?
The thermal suite, sometimes called the thermal area, is a section of the MSC Aurea Spa featuring saunas, steam rooms, relaxation areas and water-based experiences.
Unlike a traditional spa treatment, you don’t have a therapist guiding you through a session. Instead, you move between the different rooms and amenities at your own pace.
Some rooms are hot, others are cold, and a few are simply a place to relax!
MSC Thermal Suite Rooms and Amenities Explained
Not every MSC ship has the same facilities. Here’s a breakdown of the different experiences you may encounter.
| Amenity | What Is It? |
|---|---|
| Finnish Sauna | A traditional wooden sauna with hot, dry air. |
| Mediterranean Bath | A gentler heat experience, typically less intense than a Finnish sauna. |
| Steam Room | A warm room filled with humid steam, often with tiled seating. |
| Sensory Steam Bath | A steam room that may incorporate changing lights, scents or other sensory effects. |
| Salt Relaxation Room | A quiet room featuring salt-lined walls and comfortable loungers. |
| Snow Room | A chilled room designed to cool you down between heat experiences. |
| Ice Fall | An ice feature used to cool off after spending time in a sauna or steam room. |
| Experience Showers | Showers featuring different water temperatures, spray patterns, lighting or scents. |
| Kneipp Walk | A walking experience that alternates between warm and cold water. |
| Heated Loungers | Warm reclining chairs designed for resting between experiences. |
| Whirlpool | A warm-water pool or tub with bubbling jets, often with salt or mineral water. |
| Relaxation Room | A quiet space to lie back and unwind between treatments or heat experiences. |
Finnish Sauna vs. Mediterranean Bath
These two amenities might sound similar, but they offer different experiences.
A Finnish sauna uses high temperatures and relatively dry air. You’ll typically find wooden benches where you can sit and enjoy the heat.
A Mediterranean bath is generally a milder experience, making it a potentially more comfortable option for guests who find traditional saunas too intense.
If you’re new to thermal suites, starting with the gentler heat before trying the Finnish sauna may be a good approach.
What’s the Difference Between a Steam Room and a Sauna?
The biggest difference is humidity.
Saunas use mostly dry heat, while steam rooms are filled with warm, moist air. Steam rooms often feel more humid and may have tiled walls and benches instead of wood.
MSC also offers sensory steam baths on certain ships, which may combine steam with colored lighting or other relaxing effects.
What Do You Do in a Salt Room?
Salt rooms are among the more unusual thermal suite amenities.
These rooms feature walls or decorative elements made from salt, often accompanied by soft lighting and comfortable loungers.
There’s nothing complicated about using one. You simply sit or lie back and relax.
Salt rooms are believed to help with breathing, clear airways, and promote relaxation. The idea is that breathing in tiny salt particles may help loosen mucus and ease congestion. They're also a peaceful place to sit back, relax, and unwind.
What Are Snow Rooms and Ice Falls?
Some MSC thermal suites feature cold experiences designed to contrast with the heat of a sauna or steam room.
A snow room (or ice room on some ships) is a chilled environment where guests can briefly cool down. An ice fall is typically a feature providing ice that can be used to cool the skin.
You don’t have to use either one to enjoy the thermal suite. They’re optional experiences, and it’s perfectly fine to skip them.
What Is Inside the MSC Meraviglia Thermal Suite?
MSC Meraviglia has one of the more extensive thermal areas in the MSC fleet.
Located inside the MSC Aurea Spa on Deck 7, its published amenities include:
- Finnish sauna
- Mediterranean bath
- Dark and bright sensory steam baths
- Salt relaxation room
- Harmonic Vibes relaxation area
- Water Paradise shower experience
- Ice Fall
- Water benches
- Whirlpool
MSC Meraviglia is a particularly good ship for exploring different thermal experiences because there’s much more than a traditional sauna and steam room.
Keep in mind that individual facilities may occasionally be unavailable for maintenance.
Is the MSC Thermal Suite Included with Yacht Club?
Yes! Complimentary access to the thermal area is one of the benefits included with MSC Yacht Club.
Yacht Club guests receive unlimited thermal area access during their cruise, subject to the spa’s operating hours and reservation requirements.
Guests booked in the Aurea Experience also receive thermal area access.
Passengers staying in Bella or Fantastica accommodations can generally purchase thermal area access separately, subject to availability.
Massages, facials and other spa treatments are not included simply because you have thermal suite access. These services are booked and charged separately.
What to Expect on Your First Visit
If you’ve never visited a thermal suite before, there’s no need to feel intimidated. You don’t have to follow a complicated routine or try every room.
Here are a few tips:
- Make a reservation. MSC currently requires thermal area appointments, even when access is included in your cruise fare.
- Wear your swimsuit. Bring pool sandals or flip-flops and ask the spa staff about towels, lockers and changing facilities.
- Start somewhere comfortable. A relaxation room or gentler heat experience can be a good introduction.
- Take your time. Move between amenities at your own pace, taking breaks and drinking water.
- Don’t feel obligated to try everything. If you prefer spending your entire visit relaxing in a whirlpool or salt room, that’s completely fine.
If you’re sensitive to heat or have medical concerns, check with your healthcare professional before using hot or cold thermal experiences. MSC restricts thermal area access to guests aged 18 and older, and pregnant guests are not permitted to use its heat treatments.
Is the MSC Thermal Suite Worth Visiting?
If you’re staying in MSC Yacht Club or have booked the Aurea Experience, it’s definitely worth exploring the thermal suite since access is already included.
For guests purchasing access separately, the value depends on how much you enjoy saunas, steam rooms and quiet relaxation spaces.
The biggest advantage is having somewhere peaceful to escape the busy pool decks, particularly on sea days.
And if you’re new to thermal suites, don’t worry about knowing what every room does before you arrive. Part of the fun is exploring the different experiences and discovering which ones you enjoy most.