Cruise ships

[Lil lisa]

Could anyone that has worked as a beauty therapist on a cruise ship let me know a few pros and cons. I really want to do it but have heard some not so great things about Steiner and how they treat their staff. Also that the food onboard supplied for the staff is really bad and unhealthy! So would be nice if someone that has actually been there and done it themselves could offer any advise. Thanks!

 

[Dream Nails]

Hi
I worked on board cruise ships for 7 years not in the salon though but in the excursion office. I did talk to the girls n boys who worked for steiner and it is hard work and lots of retailing. However with any cruise ship job you go for the experience and see new places.
The comment about the food. I was on Holland America ships and we ate in the Lido which is the casual restaurant for the guests there was always a healthy option available
Vicki xx

 

[emlouise_87]

Are you over 21? If you are you can apply for Harding brothers. Steiner....you'll hear some good some bad

retail is a huge part of it
long hours (14-15 hour days sometimes)
You're living with the people you're working with
Being in this line of work anyway you'll meet some arrogant/awkward clients
Be prepared to be doing deep tissue massage all day, one after another

You'll get to see the world
Be taught some amazing training at the academy
You get to work with a fab skincare range Elemis
You'll be working on amazing ships

....look for more info though with Harding brothers

 

[Lil lisa]

Thanks for the replies. Yes I'm 31 so still just about young enough to cope with all that hard work! I've heard about Harding brothers I will check them out xx

 

[laureng]

Hi,
Steiner bought out Harding Brothers about 6 months ago, so they are all one company now.
I worked on ships in the spa for Steiner, its a great experience, but you have to be prepared to work long hours and focus on retail. The ship I worked on was comission only, so we only got a % on what treatments we carried out and what retail we sold!

 

[milly-mel]

I have never worked on a ship but I was on one with 12 other girls and we all booked in for a massage. I am sure the same woman did all of us, if not the majority one after the other. Another time I was in the salon and the woman tried to talk me into getting my hair done as apparantly if she didn't have clients in then she didn't get paid :Scared:. On the other hand my friend worked on the cruise ships in another department and although she said it was hard work, she absolutely loved it and seen alot of places on her time off.

 

[Magic hands]

I've worked as a massage therapist for Harding Brothers (now called Onboard Spa I think) for a couple of years. As others have said it's hard work, long hours and not usually a long term career but it is a great experience. I always look back on it as a bit like working as a rep in an 18-30's type holiday place as you work long, hard hours but party loads in the sun!

Cons:
-Long hours
-Not great money
-Away from friends/family for 6-8 months at a time
-Can feel a bit claustraphobic (with the small living quarters, living and working with the same people day in day out)
-The companies don't really seem to care much about the treatments it's more about selling products, they seem to want sales people rather than good therapists

Pros:
-Get to visit some amazing places
-Get to sunbathe on your lunch break :biggrin:
-Wages aren't great but living costs are low as you don't pay for rent, food etc, drinks in crew bar are VERY cheap
-You make some fantastic friends and have some great parties!

It is hard work and can be really hard at first but it is an amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone who doesn't have any commitments at home.