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I love a cruise ship thermal spa.
This is not breaking news around here. 😂
Give me a heated lounger, a quiet corner, and absolutely nowhere I'm required to be for the next several hours and I am a very happy girl.
I spend enough time in cruise spas that I have an entire Cruise Spa Guide devoted to my thermal suite reviews, spa deals, treatments and general spa obsession.
But on my last cruise, we accidentally discovered something that made one of my favorite cruise experiences even better.
Face masks.
I brought a pack with us thinking we might do a little spa day.
Nope.
We did a mask basically every day.
My mom was in. Mary was in. Obviously, I was in.
My dad?
Hard no.
What's up, Dad? 😂
By the end of the cruise we'd gone through the entire pack, and now apparently my cruise thermal spa packing list requires enough skincare products for a small spa.
I'm leaning into it.
🚢 Before We Get to the Spa...
If you're wondering how I'm cruising often enough that I apparently need a dedicated cruise face-mask supply, I have an entire page devoted to the tools I use when I'm booking cruises.
That's where I keep the cruise-booking resources I actually use and recommend, including the booking and comparison tools I check when I'm planning a cruise.
Now, back to the important business.
Building the towel nest.
My Lazy Girl Thermal Spa Routine
My thermal spa routine is really quite sophisticated.
First, I gather approximately 3 towels.
Then I arrange those towels on a heated lounger until I have created what can only be described as a towel nest.
Water bottle within reach.
Face mask on.
Earbuds in.
Phone or book nearby.
Cute swimsuit because naturally I need to look cute while doing absolutely nothing.
And that, my friends, is the kind of cruising I excel at.
If you've never experienced a thermal suite and you're wondering what exactly I'm carrying on about, start with my Complete Cruise Thermal Spa Guide. It explains what a thermal spa is and what you may find inside one.
1. First Things First: Build the Towel Nest
You could grab one towel.
I don't understand why you would, but you could.
I like to be COMFORTABLE.
I'm on vacation. I'm in the thermal spa. I've got nowhere to go.
I'm building a nest.
Grab the towels. Get situated. This is your home now.
2. Bring a Water Bottle
This isn't glamorous, but it's always part of my spa setup.
Once I've achieved peak towel-nest status, I don't particularly want to get back up.
So the water bottle stays right next to me.
Lazy Girl efficiency.
My water bottle comes everywhere with me. I use my HydroJug because apparently even my hydration needs to match the spa-day aesthetic. 😂
→ Shop my HydroJug
3. The Face Masks Changed Everything
This was the surprise hit.
We brought LANEIGE Cream Skin Milky Hydration Sheet Masks with Ceramides & Peptides on the last cruise, and we went through the whole pack.
THE WHOLE PACK.
There's something about sitting on a heated lounger with a mask on that makes the thermal spa feel even more indulgent.
Did we need face masks to enjoy it?
Of course not.
Did they make it more fun?
One hundred percent.
That's all the justification I require.
Mom approved.
Mary approved.
I approved.
Dad continues to be a disappointment in the face-mask department.
We'll work on him.
4. Apparently I'm Going All In for the Next Cruises
Now, a normal person might come home after going through an entire pack of face masks and think:
Wow. We used a lot of face masks.
I came home and thought:
We did not bring enough face masks.
So I've already started stocking up for my upcoming cruises.
Here's what's going in the suitcase:
Dr. Jart+ Assorted 10 Mask Mega Haul Holiday Gift Set
Ten masks?
Now we're talking.
SEPHORA COLLECTION Holy Sheet! Mask Set
Because obviously I needed another entire set.
SEPHORA COLLECTION Nourishing & Repairing Foot Masks
Why should my face get all the attention?
If I'm going to sit around doing nothing, I might as well multitask.
And then I took this operation one step further.
5. We're Taking Spa Night Back to the Cabin
I also ordered Elemis Superfood Facial products for us to use at night.
Elemis and Princess spa days already go together in my brain, so apparently we're just extending the spa situation into the evening now.
My plan looks something like this:
Thermal spa → towel nest → face mask → dinner → Elemis → bed.
I've apparently decided that our cruise is going to be one long floating spa retreat.
And honestly?
I AM WORTH IT. 😂
That may officially be my new spa philosophy.
And if you're a fellow Princess spa person, I have an entire Princess Lotus Spa & Thermal Suite Guide devoted to the spa and Enclave.
6. Yes, I Bring a Cute Swimsuit
Do you technically need a cute swimsuit to lie on a heated lounger?
No.
Do I believe a cute swimsuit contributes to my overall enjoyment?
Yes. Yes, I do.
I'm not even going to pretend otherwise.
If I'm going to be wandering between the pool, steam rooms and heated loungers, I'm bringing a swimsuit I actually feel good in.
Consider it part of the experience.
Cute Cruise Swimwear
Because yes, I believe you should look cute while doing absolutely nothing. 💗
7. And Don't Forget the Earbuds
This may be one of my most important Lazy Girl thermal spa essentials.
Earbuds.
Thermal spas tend to be quiet.
Which also means voices can CARRY.
Sometimes people don't realize quite how much their conversation is traveling across the room.
And listen.
I'm not going to spend my spa day getting annoyed at people.
I'm also not letting someone else's conversation kill my vibe.
So...
Earbuds in. Problem solved.
I'll listen to something, play around on my phone, read a book or just completely zone out.
Crisis avoided.
My peaceful little towel nest remains peaceful.
My Lazy Girl Thermal Spa Packing List
Here's what actually goes into my spa-day setup:
Cute swimsuit
Water bottle
Face masks
Foot masks
Earbuds
Phone or book
Plenty of towels
Absolutely nothing pressing on my schedule
And perhaps most importantly:
The willingness to stay there for a ridiculously long time.
If you're headed to Princess specifically, I have a separate Princess Lotus Spa Packing List with the basics I bring for an Enclave day.
My Lazy Girl Thermal Spa Favorites 💗
Face masks, spa-day extras, and the little things I bring to make my thermal spa time even better.
The Lazy Girl Rule: Bring the Things That Add Joy
Here's what I don't want this guide to become.
A list of things you supposedly have to buy before you can enjoy a cruise thermal spa.
You don't.
The thermal spa is already one of my favorite places on a cruise ship.
These are simply the little things I bring because they make something I already love even better.
And that fits my entire travel philosophy.
I don't need to spend money on everything.
I'd much rather save money on the things that don't matter much to me so I have room to spend it on the things that do.
Apparently...
face masks while lying on a heated lounger matter to me. 😂
I'm okay with that.
Wait...How Do I Cruise This Much?
If you're new around here, cruising isn't an occasional thing for me. My site is basically where points, miles, cruise deals, and my love of cruising all collide.
And if you're looking at all these cruises thinking, Julie, HOW are you doing this?, this is where I'd send you next:
👉 The Lazy Girl Beginner Guide to Points & Miles
I've been doing points and miles for more than 20 years, and that guide is designed to give beginners a simple place to start without turning travel rewards into another job.
Because I am firmly Team Make Travel Easier, not Team Spend Six Hours With a Spreadsheet.
And if you want the cruise side of the equation, you can also read my 15 Cruise Value Hacks, where I share the strategies I use to save on cruises.
My Perfect Cruise Spa Day
So if you're looking for me on a sea day, there's a pretty good chance you'll find me here:
Towel nest constructed.
Cute swimsuit on.
Water bottle nearby.
Face mask firmly attached.
Earbuds in.
Heated lounger warm.
Not a care in the world.
And Mary and Mom will probably be somewhere nearby looking equally ridiculous with masks on their faces.
Dad?
Probably somewhere wondering what happened to all the women he came on vacation with.
Dad, there's always a mask waiting for you.
Lazy Girl Approved 💗
You don't have to turn your cruise into a floating wellness retreat.
But...
You could.
And I am absolutely going to.
Because I am worth it.
Keep Cruising With Me 🚢
If towel nests, thermal spas, and face masks are your idea of a good cruise day, we're going to get along just fine.
👉 Start with my Complete Cruise Spa Guide for my thermal suite reviews, spa experiences and cruise spa content.
👉 See How I Book My Cruises for the cruise-booking tools and resources I use.
👉 New to Points & Miles? Start With My Lazy Girl Beginner Guide and I'll make it as painless as possible.
About the Author
Julie Davis is the creator of No Point Left Behind, where she shares real-world strategies for traveling more through points, miles, cruise deals and smart spending.
She's a frequent cruiser with a particular weakness for thermal spas, heated loungers and any excuse to turn a cruise day into a spa day. Her travel philosophy is simple: save where it doesn't matter so you have room to spend where it does.
Around here, that apparently includes bringing enough face masks onboard to open a small spa. 😂
👉 Explore more of Julie's cruise guides at No Point Left Behind
