July 2024. Steve and I are cruising on the Norwegian Getaway, a Breakaway class ship by Norwegian Cruise Line or NCL. Interestingly, our stay on board happened shortly after the Getaway paid a visit to the dry dock for some refurbishments. The route? Piraeus, which is the port of Athens in Greece; followed by Mykonos; two days in Istanbul in Turkey or Türkiye; then Kusadasi or Kuşadası for Ephesus; Rhodes; Santorini (Thira or Thera) and back to Piraeus. Oddly enough, the itinerary offered no sea days. 

First, I must start with a note. We booked this cruise on 21 June 2023 when Steve and I were in Rotterdam for my birthday. We cruised between 14 and 21 July 2024. I al writing this blog post on 27 July 2024. In 2023, we booked a ‘Spa Balcony Stateroom‘, categorised as B9. The ‘Spa Balcony Stateroom’ is a regular Balcony Stateroom, located near and giving access to the wellness area called Mandara Spa. 

The Freestyle Travelers write: “As of October 2, 2023 Norwegian Cruise Line has recategorised the B9 Spa Balconies to standard balcony staterooms. This category of stateroom no longer exists.” And indeed, as I am writing this, the ‘Spa Balcony Stateroom’ offer has disappeared.  

But I am reviewing this stateroom and product as we experienced it. Because I’m confident you can ‘create’ this yourself. 

Spa Balcony Stateroom technical sheet

Cruiseline.com provides a technical sheet.  

Size: 16.25 m² or 175 square feet. The balcony is almost 3 m² or 32 square feet. 

Occupancy: The Balcony Stateroom can host up to three people. 

Amenities: 

• Two lower beds that convert to to a queen-size bed with pillow top mattress.
• A sofa bed.
• Ample storage.
• A 66 cm or 26 inch flat-screen TV.
• Private bathroom with shower and shaving bar for the legs. 
• Built-in sink and vanity balcony.
• A safe.

Spa balcony staterooms also have easy access to the adjacent Mandara Spa and fitness center and complimentary access to the Thermal Spa Suites during regular spa hours. Guests under 18 are not allowed in the thermal suites.

The Balcony Stateroom

American cruise lines call a cabin stateroom. As you can see on the photos, the stateroom is quite roomy. Apart from the listed amenities, the desk is noteworthy. I love a desk in a room, but I didn’t use it. I brought my laptop but didn’t use it once.

There are several power outlets. European (continental, not UK) and American style. At each side of the bed – or at each bed, as we had the bed separated – there are to USB outlets: an USB-A and an USB-C. This is great. I could charge my iPhone with the USB-C and my watch using the USB-A. 

The balcony is not so large, but features two chairs and a low table. I love a balcony on a cruise and I don’t want to go ‘below’ that level. A balcony offers fresh air and a quiet spot to read or sleep in the open. 

Our room was cleaned once a day and we did not get towel animals. I can live without them.

The bathroom

The bathroom is sizable and practical, whit a big mirror and great light. The sink faucet is a bit odd, as it was hard to get cold water. Yes, you read that right.

The shower is good and quite spacious and the water pressor is pretty decent. 

The soaps and shampoos are generic and the dispensers offer some slogans.

The Mandara Spa  & Thermal Spa Suites

I guess ‘Mandara Spa’ refers to the totality of the wellness area: the Thermal Spa suites, plus the beauty therapy area and barbershop. 

“The passage toward ultimate relaxation our Thermal Suite is based on the concept of Turkish baths, where friends and family spent the day relaxing. The heat and cleansing therapies of our Thermal Suite experience include heated ceramic lounge chairs, a Thalasso Therapy Pool, hot tubs, steam room, sauna, and tropical rain showers. Different herbal steam and sauna grottos cleanse the body with gentle heat whilst a therapeutic heated-water pool bubbling effect will wash away stiff and sore joints. Take a dip in the Vitality Pool or enjoy a warm waterfall cascading onto your shoulders. Heated chaise lounges and tropical shower features make this both a relaxing and cleansing experience”, Norwegian says.

The Thermal Spa Suite are accessible after you give your cruise card to the attendant. A corridor then leads you to the changerooms or locker rooms.

The locker room is large. There are heaps of towels and robes available. There are lockers (which I never got a knack on on how to lock properly), but also toilets, three showers, a vanity area. Shower caps, hair dryers and ear buds are provided.

The actual thermal spa area is completely indoor. There are many sun beds and  heated stone beds. 

There is a ‘pool’, which is heated. So it’s not a pool for swimming, but to push one of the many buttons which will activate one or more of the many jet streams. 

Even if the whole pool is basically a big whirlpool facility, there’s an actual whirlpool. That whirlpool is not hotter than the rest.

I enjoyed this pool and its stimulating jets every day.

Hot stuff

Besides the pool, there are two classic saunas, one less hot than the other. There’s also a steam room and a salt room. Steve enjoyed these every day. He’s less a pool person. 

Refreshments

The area includes refreshment: two flavours of infused water. The falouvors varied: lemon, orange, 

Underused

An attendant told us the Thermal Spa Suites are capped to 120 people. It’s not clear she meant as a whole or simultaneously.  

But it was always (almost) empty. We’ve never had more than ten people at the same time. But signs say not to keep the heated beds more than 30 minutes and the amount of towels and cardboard cups scream big crowds. 

I’m guessing this was cruise specific. Our cruise offered no sea days and a heavy schedule. So I’m guessing not many people chose to pay for the spa.

That was good news for us. We spent many hours there napping, getting wet and sweaty, reading and scrolling on Instagram (me at least).

So?

The combination balcony stateroom and spa access was a successful one. 

Norwegian doesn’t offer an adultus-only inside and thus airconditioned pool area such as the Solarium on Royal Caribbean‘s Serenade of the Seas or the Hollywood Pool and Hollywood Conservatory on Princess Cruises‘ Majestic Princess. 

So a quiet, children-free area such as the Mandara Spa was more than welcome. 

2024 Athens – Mykonos – Istanbul – Kusadasi – Rhodes – Santorini – Athens Cruise on the Norwegian Getaway

1. Flying Airbus A320neo with Aegean Airlines from Brussels to Athens return.
2. REVIEW | Athenarum Portus Life & Style Hotel in Piraeus.
3. GREECE | A modest exploration of Piraeus.
4. NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE | Before you sail, online check-in and Embarkation Day.
5. GREECE | Mykonos ft Archaeological Museum, the Windmills and massive crowds.