Viking Star: The Spa Experience with a Snow Grotto

While there are many features that make the Viking Star distinctive, surely one of the foremost amenities is the LiV Nordic spa. The spa area is luxurious, well designed and available to all guests. Men and women’s locker rooms feature a dry sauna and a cold plunge pool. Individual lockers contain a robe, slippers, spa underwear (use is optional), a towel and a box for valuables. You lock this unit with your room key card.

In between the locker rooms is a common area with a generous-sized thermal pool (96 degrees), with another smaller hot tub adjoining (100 degrees). It has aeration jets for those who want to do some resistance swimming. There is also a large steam room and the “snow grotto – a chamber where snow actually falls from the ceiling and accumulates in drifts on the floor. If the snow is too much of a shock to your system after your heat soak, there is a shower where you can just dump a bucket of cold water over your head…literally.

According to the spa literature, this Scandinavian tradition of alternating heat and cold originated in Finland some years ago. The rationale is that “alternating hot and cold baths detoxes the body, relaxes tired muscles and boosts circulation.” Simply, the Nordic bathing ritual involves:

• Relax in the sauna
• Dip in the cold plunge
• Heat up in the sauna (or steam room) again
• Step into the snow grotto
• Repeat as many times as you like

In addition, the Viking Star offers a full fitness center, workout/yoga room and a hair and nail salon.

Better still, you do not have to be having a treatment to use these facilities. They are available to everyone at no additional charge.

The décor all over this vessel is distinctively Scandinavian, i.e. spare, minimalist, with light colors. You will not find lush green plants around the pool, but rather stark arrangements of tree limbs. Table decorations are of moss, lichen and ferns rather than florals. The “atrium” spans three levels in the middle of the ship, giving it an airy feel. While this is likely a departure from what many cruisers are used to, the overall effect is a calming, peaceful ambience likely to appeal to anyone seeking a relaxing voyage.

Cruises-N-More offers select benefits for our clients and is proud to be celebrating 18 years of dedicated service in the travel industry. To work with Cruises-N-More, a Travel Leaders Group President’s Club and Inner Circle top agency, please contact a Cruises-N-More cruise specialist at 800-733-2048 (toll-free USA/Canada), 0-808-189-1292 (toll-free U.K.), 800-076-002 (toll-free Australia) or +1-407-771-4454.