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Create your free business website! www.ascpskincare.com 27 Create your free business website! www.ascpskincare.com 27 At the tender age of 21, I worked aboard two ships that cruised the Hawaiian Islands. Both had lovely, well-appointed spas and salons, and walking into my treatment room every morning, with its floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean, was one of my favorite moments of the day. During whale season, I was able to see the glorious creatures right outside my spa room, and every Wednesday night, we would cruise by the active Kilauea volcano and see the lava flowing into the ocean. I saw sights during my time at sea to which nothing on land could compare. The experience was amazing, but there are certainly some things to consider before heading out to sea. A Typical Day at Sea Workdays started early: my roommate and I would be up, showered, and dressed, with our hair in a formal updo and wearing full makeup by 7:30 a.m. After a quick breakfast, we'd be at the salon by 7:45 a.m., ready for a day that would often be 10 hours long. And since we were commission- based, we did not receive overtime. During a normal shift, I might perform back-to-back facials, teeth-whitening services, body scrubs, and seaweed wraps. When we weren't with a client, we were expected to promote the spa's products and services and offer tours to passengers. Retailing product is a big deal in a ship's salon, and managers tend to set high sales goals. We had frequent meetings and training sessions related to selling product, and, at one point, we had a manager who only let us take our full day off if we met our retail sales goal for the week. With a rule like that in place, our sales numbers rose quickly! It was frustrating at the time, but that training has stuck with me throughout my career, and has helped me to be more successful in the industry. The Hiring Process Several companies have spas aboard cruise liners and hire beauty and massage professionals to staff them (see the list on page 29). Each has a different hiring process, and, depending on the company, that process can be really competitive. I once met an esthetician who dreamed of working on a ship, so I passed along my employer's contact information to her. She paid for a flight from Colorado to Florida for an interview, only to find there were hundreds of other applicants for the same position. The process was very different for me. I applied online, and didn't hear a thing for an entire year. Then, out of the blue, they called. After declining to pay my own travel expenses to Hawaii for an interview, the company agreed to several phone meetings; one week later, they flew me out to begin my training. But be warned: this is not typical—most applicants are expected to travel to interviews on their own dime. The Newest of the New Regent Seven Seas' next vessel, the 750-passenger Explorer, is slated to launch in Summer 2016 and is being billed as "the most luxurious ever." The lavish Deck 5 spa, operated by Canyon Ranch, will feature eight treatment rooms and a thermal suite with a state- of-the-art infrared sauna, aromatic steam room, and a "cold room" maintained at 54 degrees. For employment information, go to www.canyonranch.com/sea. Photos courtesy Canyon Ranch I discovered that taking this adventure opened up doors for opportunity and friendship, as well as giving me a broader outlook on life and its many possibilities.