Cruise Ship Therapist

With the notion of wellness becoming a fundamental for many; the spa industry is, in turn, booming and there are numerous possible to work within this sector, with roles ranging from holistic therapist on a cruise ship to spa manager in a wellness centre.

As spa and beauty treatments are no longer an occasional luxury and now a part of a balanced lifestyle, with many of us also turning to holistic therapy over medicinal treatment, there has never been a more appropriate time to begin learning these lucrative skills.

Managerial roles within salons and spas are particularly sought after, allowing you to balance performing treatments with an administrative aspect of your role, amongst many other positional benefits.

Due to the nature of this career path, it is important that those working within spas and salons are aware of the health and safety procedures, as well as hygienic requirements and practical skills, before embarking on a role in this industry. The Beauty Academy offer a wide range of treatments to assist you in launching into this chosen career with the appropriate knowledge.

Personal attributes for this specific career path include a tactful manner, considerable patience and the ability to work calmly under pressure is essential. To embark on a particular career route including working on a cruise ship as either a therapist or managerial role, it is important that you are able to make your clients to feel relaxed and welcome in your company.

Interpersonal skills are necessary to successfully network potential clients, as well as a diplomatic and friendly manner in the company of clients to ensure repeat custom.  You will also need to be able to commit to being aboard the cruise for months at a time, sometimes up to a year, which may be problematic for some for a number of reasons, due to the commitment this requires.

You will develop all the appropriate technical skills for this career route during your training, covering the basics of hygiene in the workplace, health and safety factors, contraindications, working to an industry-required standard.

If you are looking to work as a cruise ship therapist, our Level 2 and Level 3 qualification courses are recommended, however this depends on the role that you are considering and its requirements.

It may be in your interest to obtain both Level 2 and Level 3 qualifications, widening the opportunities you have in your future career and making you more employable as a fully-qualified candidate when applying for these positions.

Working on a cruise ship as either a therapist or in a managerial role is an enticing opportunity to many within the industry as it allows you to travel for long periods of time. Most contracts for this type of work are approximately nine months (and potentially a pre-cruise training period before hand), but the length can vary. Structured working hours may be desirable to some, however other may find this problematic, such as having young children, and prefer to be self-employed as they are not able to make this long-term commitment. You will earn a regular wage and benefit from a steady source of income to ensure financial stability, whilst your living costs and board are covered, potentially enabling you to invest your earnings into savings. You may also work on commission when selling particular products after your treatments with clients. 

It is also good to be aware that the majority of massage and holistic treatments require you to be standing for long periods of time, so it is important you are used to this and have the physical ability to do this. If you are a beauty therapist that not only specializes in massage, but can perform other beauty treatments, this may help vary the treatments you carry out in a day and thus making your role more interesting and sustainable, as massage treatments are often laborious and your working days can be quite long.

Many therapists find their work particularly rewarding, in that they are responsible for alleviating aches, pains or ailments from their clients, improving their mental welfare or state of mind through the treatments that they provide, or simply making their clients more relaxed. As you will be working on clients during their holiday, treatments are very popular (thus you will have a busy schedule) and it will add to the overall experience of their trip.

Once you have had experience working on a cruise ship, you may wish to consider opening your own premises after the contract, or working within a salon. Many therapists that finish their contract on-board a cruise ship often undergo further contracts due to the travel opportunities that come with the role.

Alternatively, with further progression and once teaching qualifications have been acquired, you may also want to advance into teaching students and becoming a Beauty Tutor for private or further education beauty colleges.

Book your training…    

It is important that if you are looking to work as a cruise ship therapist in employment, you hold the required qualifications to ensure you have the appropriate skills and knowledge to be considered for these positions. You will need to be working to an appropriate level of practice, including hygiene standards and health and safety factors to avoid incidents within the workplace.

Your training with The Beauty Academy will cover this vital information, along with the required practical skills to assist you in achieving your chosen career within this exciting industry.