A fine layer of salt coats my lips as I close my eyes and listen to hot, mineral-rich water streaming into the pool beside me. Mostly submerged in a large thermal pool, I’m positioned to benefit from powerful underwater jets working to melt the knots behind my shoulders. Across the wide stone wall at the far end of the pool, a recessed gas fireplace spreads warmth through the room while its flames flicker against the glass and dance on the water’s surface.
Tall, leafless birch trees stand at the room’s far end, mirrored across from one another and reaching toward the ceiling, reinforcing the illusion of bathing in a remote alpine forest lake. Nordic nature and design elements shape the atmosphere at the LivNordic Spa & Wellness aboard the elegant Viking Star, one of Viking’s ocean-going vessels.
The spa occupies the entire forward section of Deck One and provides one of the most memorable experiences I’ve had at sea. The thermal suite combines hot and cold areas with multihead showers that can deluge the entire body or focus on a single sore spot. Separate men’s and women’s dressing rooms each include showers, lockers, roomy sauna cabins and cold plunge pools. While both have their own relaxation areas, the firelit space by the pools is especially appealing.
From the corner of my eye I can see a grotto filled with snow and ice, its soft blue glow shining through glass opposite the large steam chamber. Between them lies a broad zone of heated stone beds, gently curved for comfort and inviting guests to lie back and unwind.
Having spent considerable time in Iceland and Scandinavia, I’m familiar with the Nordic bathing ritual of alternating hot and cold exposures to stimulate circulation, support immune function and promote muscle relaxation. Numerous studies back this centuries-old practice, showing how variations of temperature — ice, steam and thermal waters — can help ease arthritis, joint and muscle pain, benefit cardiovascular health and foster a general sense of well-being.
I’m here for that refreshed feeling. Even while I weigh the hot-versus-cold logic in my head, I hesitate to leave the cozy mineral pool and watch others move in and out of the snow grotto. Travel is about trying new things, though, so I reluctantly climb from the water and step into the icy cave.
The grotto’s ethereal blue light envelops me. My toes sink into soft snow and after an involuntary gasp I clear a spot on a stone bench set within the chamber. Snowflakes nestle into crevices and shelves in the lava rock walls. Four minutes, measured on the spa’s wall clock, pass quickly and I emerge with a surprising calmness and clarity.
Snow grotto © VIKING OCEAN CRUISES
The cold plunge makes the steam chamber that follows feel even more luxurious. I press my shoulders into the warm stone and let the heat seep in. The contrast is exquisite. For the next hour I follow a circuit through the suite, alternating between the hot pool, whirlpool or steam bath and the cold options of the snow grotto or a quick drenching from a bucket of ice water. A firm tug on the bucket’s chain releases a frigid cascade over my head and signals that it’s time to move to something warmer.
Between hot and cold sessions there’s room to relax: I wrap myself in a thick towel on a poolside lounger or stretch out on a heated stone bed with a pillow beneath my head. The rhythm of temperature contrast feels restorative, loosening muscles and sharpening the senses.
The next day I arrive early for a sauna session before my Swedish massage. I’d hesitated over treatment choices but ultimately opted to extend the Nordic theme. My therapist asks about tight spots and then delivers a deep-tissue interpretation of Swedish massage, using hands and forearms to roll and knead muscles in steady, rhythmic strokes that echo the gentle motion of the ship.
When her fingertips find the muscles under my shoulder blades she adds a quick tapping vibration that deepens the release. At the session’s end she encourages me to make extensive use of the thermal suite throughout the voyage, suggesting a routine of alternating steam baths and snow grotto visits for maximum benefit.
After the massage I head to the Wintergarden for afternoon tea. A string quartet plays as I enter and music drifts under a glass ceiling framed with a delicate lattice of Scandinavian woodwork, creating a serene space that feels like a nest suspended between sea and sky. A smiling server notes my tea choice and soon returns with a pot and a tiered stand of savory sandwiches, pretty cakes and warm scones — a perfect, gentle conclusion to a restorative day at sea.