ON BOARD THE NORWEGIAN ESCAPE — It’s the coolest new attraction at sea. Literally.
The new Norwegian Cruise Line ship debuting this weekend in Europe is home to a super-chilled “snow room” that is the first of its kind on a mass-market cruise ship catering to North Americans.
The frosty spa retreat on the Norwegian Escape is kept at a nippy 14 degrees Fahrenheit and boasts flurries of powdery snow descending from the ceiling. It’s part of a sprawling thermal suite within the ship’s Mandara Spa.
“It’s very good for aches and pains,” says Courtney Neumann, the spa manager on the Norwegian Escape, who recommends lounging in the thermal suite’s super-heated sauna before entering the snow room. “The idea is to go from hot to cold, which makes your blood vessels constrict and dilate, which is extremely good for your immune system and blood circulation.”