Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/556136
Create your free business website! www.ascpskincare.com 29 Pre-Board Training In preparation for my new assignment, I spent an entire month in Honolulu, where I trained at the prestigious Mandara Spa, located inside the Hilton Hawaiian Village. During training, we roomed at the YWCA, where I shared a room with one other person; two rooms shared a bathroom. Yes, four women shared one tiny bathroom! Our training was from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and it prepped us well for the services we would provide aboard the ship. In addition to our salon training, we were also required to take a weeklong basic safety course where we learned how to rescue people in the water, put out fires, and perform CPR. Our evenings and weekends were free to explore the island of Oahu. The training not only prepared me for the services I would perform in the ship's spa, it also allowed me to meet some of the people I would be working with during my lengthy stay onboard. I don't feel there is any type of coaching that can completely prepare you for what ship life is actually like, but the staff who had been on the ship prior to my arrival did a great job of helping me acclimate. The Pros Working at sea has many benefits. You get to see new places whenever the ship is in port, meet interesting people, try new activities, and taste new foods, all while earning a living and working with an internationally trained staff. You have great views from your place of work, every day, and there is a constant supply of clientele. I recall many therapists finishing out their contracts only to sign up right away for another. By the end of my first contract, however, I felt so worn out, I said I would never do it again. But just three short months after returning home, I got a call from a couple of friends I worked with the first go-round. Agreeing that we missed Hawaii, the ocean, and— believe it or not—those hectic, unpredictable days, we all decided it would be fun to go back. So we did! When I finally left the ship for the last time, I walked away with an enormous sense of accomplishment and lots of great stories to tell. Working aboard a vessel takes courage and discipline. Back on land, I found that working an eight-hour shift was a piece of cake! An ongoing benefit has been that my experience aboard the ship always sparks an interest in potential employers and sets me apart from other applicants. I also feel my sales experience, hard work ethic, and outgoing manner were born from this endeavor. "It was truly the best time in my life," says esthetician Jill Harbst Boulanger, who worked in the spa with me. "We worked hard, and at times I was so homesick I didn't know if I would make it to the end of my contract. But I did, with the help of my ship family—and I grew as a person. I will never forget my cruise ship days." "For me," adds fitness instructor Kate Hamm, "the best part was the amazing team I worked and played with on a regular basis. Despite not seeing many in years, I consider them friends for life. The ability to explore the surrounding areas of the ports is an added benefit. But it isn't all fun and games: we have to work hard and put in lots of hours, sometimes without amazing compensation. On the plus side, cruises were only a week. If it was a bad one for whatever reason, you got a whole new crop of guests arriving soon." All Aboard! Ready to apply for a job at sea? Here are a few companies to contact: Canyon Ranch at Sea takes care of staffing for the Queen Mary 2, as well as the Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, and Celebrity Cruise Lines. Get the scoop on employment options at www.canyonranch.com/careers. Steiner Leisure staffs and manages spas for more than 15 popular cruise lines such as Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Holland America. Learn more and apply online at www.theonboardspa.com. Viking Recruitment is the place to go for a wide variety of employment opportunities for various international ships. For a list of current positions, visit Viking Recruitment at www.vikingrecruitment.com. Photos courtesy Steiner Leisure