This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of my links, at no additional cost to you. I only share products and travel finds I personally use, love or would pack myself. This cruise was booked with my own Carnival casino offer, and all opinions are based on my personal experience.
I love a cruise ship spa, so putting me in a cabin practically around the corner from the thermal suite was probably asking for trouble.
On our Carnival Magic cruise, my bestie and I stayed in Cloud 9 Spa Interior Cabin 12012 on Deck 12, and spoiler alert: I loved this room.
I'm already perfectly happy sailing in an interior cabin, but add Cloud 9 Spa perks, upgraded bath products, an incredibly convenient location, and cruise-long thermal suite access? This cabin was very much my speed.
It didn't hurt that we booked it for only $359 per person thanks to a casino offer.
And considering the thermal suite would have cost us $149 per person separately, this turned out to be an incredible deal for us.
Let's get into what we loved, what surprised me, and the one slightly weird thing about staying this close to the spa.
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Our Carnival Magic Cloud 9 Spa Interior Cabin 12012
We stayed in Cabin 12012 on Deck 12, with our room set up with two twin beds.
My bestie and I were sharing the room, and I thought the layout worked really well for two people.
One detail I particularly liked was the closet location. Instead of taking up space in the main sleeping area, the closet was tucked into a little hallway beside the bathroom.
It sounds like a tiny thing, but I actually preferred having the closet out of the way. It kept the main cabin from feeling as cluttered.
And although I did not pull out a tape measure because I am not quite that dedicated to cabin research, our Cloud 9 interior seemed a tad larger than the regular interior cabins our friends were staying in.
Whether it actually was or just felt that way because of the layout, I'll take it.
A Small Cabin Detail I LOVED: USB and USB-C Charging
Can we please talk about outlets?
Because cruise cabin charging situations can occasionally turn into the Hunger Games.
Our bedside lamps had USB and USB-C charging, and both of us had charging available right beside our beds.
This is one of those tiny things that makes a surprisingly big difference when two people are sharing a cruise cabin.
No passing phones across the room.
No negotiating over who gets the good outlet.
Plug in the phone, turn on my Calm app and go to sleep.
Lazy Girl approved.
The Best Thing About an Interior Cabin? DARKNESS.
I know interior cabins aren't for everyone.
Some people absolutely need to wake up and see daylight.
I am not those people.
At home, I regularly get woken up by cats or my dog, so apparently my current definition of vacation luxury is a completely dark room where neither animals nor sunlight can find me.
And with two sea days on this cruise, I thoroughly enjoyed sleeping in.
Interior cabins get DARK.
Gloriously dark.
Lose-all-concept-of-time dark.
If sleeping late is part of your vacation plans, don't automatically dismiss an interior cabin.
What Comes With a Cloud 9 Spa Stateroom?
When we arrived, Carnival provided us with a card explaining the exclusive Cloud 9 Stateroom perks for the first two adult guests in the cabin.
On our sailing, the card listed:
Free cruise-long pass to the thermal suite
Free scrub kit with four scents to choose from
Two complimentary Pathway to Yoga or Pathway to Pilates fitness classes
Complimentary Body Composition Analysis
TIP: I'm including a photo of the actual Cloud 9 Spa benefits card from our sailing because cruise benefits can change. Always check the current inclusions for your particular sailing instead of assuming yours will be exactly the same.
The Biggest Benefit for Us: Thermal Suite Access
This is where the math gets very good.
Our Cloud 9 Spa interior cabin cost us:
$359 per person
We got that rate through a casino offer, so obviously your price may look completely different.
But here's what made our deal particularly good.
A cruise-long thermal suite pass would have cost us $149 each separately.
For two people, that's:
$149 × 2 = $298
We received $298 worth of thermal suite access based on what passes were selling for on our sailing, in addition to the other Cloud 9 benefits.
And I don't consider the thermal suite some little throwaway perk.
If you've spent any time on No Point Left Behind, you probably already know that I have a thing for cruise ship thermal spas. If there's a thermal suite on a ship, there's a very good chance I'm going to find my way into it.
You can read my full Carnival Magic Cloud 9 Spa review for a much deeper look at the actual spa and what I thought of the experience.
For me, this was real value.
The Location Was Possibly My Favorite Perk
Cabin 12012 was right around the corner from the main entrance to Cloud 9 Spa.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous. 😂
There's something wonderfully indulgent about having the spa essentially in your neighborhood for the week.
There was no trekking across the ship to get there. The spa was right around the corner.
And when you know you're going to use the thermal suite regularly, location matters.
This is one of the reasons I'd consider another spa cabin in the future. The Cloud 9 benefits are great, but staying steps away from the spa itself was a perk all on its own.
Elemis Products, Robes and Slippers
Another little upgrade we enjoyed was having Elemis products in the shower.
I loved those.
Our cabin also came with robes and slippers.
Did I use either of those?
Nope. 😂
But they were there if we wanted them.
And that's something I appreciate about reviewing cruise cabins after actually living in them. Not every listed "perk" matters equally.
For me, the thermal suite access mattered.
The Elemis products mattered.
Having the spa right around the corner mattered.
The robes and slippers? Nice to have, but not exactly what made me fall in love with this cabin.
We Basically Turned Our Cabin Into Spa Central
Apparently having Cloud 9 Spa right around the corner wasn't enough for us.
I had brought along a ridiculous assortment of face masks, eye masks, scrubs and other little spa treats, so we kept the whole spa theme going even when we were back in our cabin.
And we LOVED it.
There's something about spending part of the day in the thermal suite, coming back to Elemis products in the shower, and then breaking out another face mask before bed that made this inexpensive little interior cabin feel like our own mini spa retreat.
In fact, we loved our onboard spa nights so much that I'm already ordering more goodies from Sephora for my Star Princess sailing in December.
Because apparently I have now created another cruise-packing category for myself. 😂
Want to Create Your Own Cruise Spa Night?
Apparently, I now pack for the spa almost as seriously as I pack for the cruise.
I've put together a Thermal Spa ShopMy List with the masks, scrubs and other little spa goodies I like bringing onboard.
→ SHOP MY CRUISE THERMAL SPA FAVORITES
Affiliate link: I may earn a commission if you shop through my links, at no additional cost to you.
Was Our Cloud 9 Spa Cabin Quiet?
Here's the one thing I wasn't expecting.
For a cabin literally designed around relaxation, our particular cabin wasn't always completely quiet at night.
At times, I thought I could hear water sloshing around, and occasionally it sounded like carts moving somewhere nearby.
Was it terrible?
No.
Was it noticeable?
Yes.
And if you're an extremely light sleeper, it's something I think is worth knowing about Cabin 12012.
Luckily, I had earbuds with me.
I put them in, turned on my Calm app and didn't hear a thing after that.
Problem solved.
More importantly, the occasional nighttime noise wouldn't stop me from booking this cabin again.
Is a Carnival Magic Cloud 9 Spa Interior Worth the Extra Money?
For us? Absolutely.
But I wouldn't automatically say that about every sailing because prices can vary dramatically.
The first thing I'd look at is the price difference between a regular interior cabin and a Cloud 9 Spa interior.
Then I'd ask myself one very important question:
Would I Buy Thermal Suite Access Anyway?
If the answer is yes, that's where a Cloud 9 Spa cabin starts making a lot of sense.
On our sailing, two separate $149 thermal suite passes would have cost us $298 total.
That's a substantial benefit.
If you have zero intention of stepping inside the thermal suite, suddenly the math looks very different.
I wouldn't pay substantially more just because the word "spa" is attached to the cabin. I'd look at the actual price difference, what's included and how many of those benefits I'm realistically going to use.
Who I'd Recommend a Cloud 9 Spa Interior Cabin For
I'd especially consider one if:
You already plan to buy thermal suite access.
You genuinely enjoy using cruise ship spas.
You don't care about having a window or balcony.
You LOVE sleeping in a dark cabin.
Being close to the spa matters to you.
You'd take advantage of some of the additional Cloud 9 benefits.
The price difference between a standard interior and spa interior makes sense for your sailing.
Who Might Want to Skip It
I'd think twice if:
You need natural light in your cabin.
You're particularly sensitive to nighttime noise.
You don't plan to use the thermal suite.
A standard interior is dramatically cheaper.
This is definitely one of those cabins where the value depends on how you're going to cruise.
Would I Stay in Carnival Magic Cabin 12012 Again?
Yes.
Easy answer.
I loved our cabin.
I loved the layout.
I loved having two twin beds for our bestie cruise.
I loved the tucked-away closet area.
I loved having USB and USB-C charging right beside the beds.
I really loved the Elemis products.
I loved being right around the corner from Cloud 9 Spa.
And I REALLY loved having thermal suite access included with a cabin we scored for only $359 per person.
Even the occasional noise at night wouldn't keep me away. Earbuds + Calm app = problem solved.
This cabin also reminded me that a cruise experience doesn't necessarily have to be expensive to feel indulgent.
We booked a great casino deal, stayed in an interior cabin, took advantage of the included thermal suite access, brought some of our own spa goodies and had an absolute blast with it.
That's pretty much my favorite kind of travel: save where I can and spend on the things I actually enjoy.
If you're as spa-obsessed as I'm apparently becoming, you can find all of my ship-by-ship experiences in my Cruise Spa Hub.
But I'll happily admit that one of my favorite things about this cabin wasn't technically a Cloud 9 perk at all.
Two sea days, no cats, no dog, no sunlight waking me up, a thermal spa around the corner and a stash of face masks waiting back in the cabin?
Now THAT is a spa vacation.
Keep Reading: More Carnival Magic & Cruise Spa Reviews
Carnival Magic Cloud 9 Spa Review
Want to know what you're actually getting with that included thermal suite access? Read my full Carnival Magic Cloud 9 Spa review for my firsthand experience inside the spa.
My Fire & Ice Mani/Pedi on Carnival Magic
A windy day at Celebration Key sent me straight back to the spa, and honestly, it worked out pretty well. Read my Carnival Magic Fire & Ice mani/pedi review and see what I paid after spotting a price drop in the Carnival app.
Cruise Thermal Spas & Spa Reviews
Thermal suites have become one of my favorite things to try when I cruise. Visit my Cruise Spa Hub for more of my ship-by-ship spa experiences and reviews.
My Cruise Spa Favorites
Want to bring a little of the spa experience back to your cabin? Shop my Thermal Spa favorites on ShopMy, including masks, scrubs and other goodies I like packing for cruise spa nights.
About the Author
Hi, I'm Julie Davis, creator of No Point Left Behind. I travel frequently using a mix of points, miles, casino offers, travel credits and plain old deal hunting, and I share what those trips actually cost along the way.
My goal with No Point Left Behind is simple: travel smarter, use what you've got and spend your money on the parts of travel you actually enjoy.
