Did you wonder what life on board, and a typical day on a cruise ship, was like? Here’s an interview with Jessica Smith, who had an amazing experience workiing aboard the Princess Sapphire which cruised in Asia and Europe, before returning to South Africa.
Q: What inspired you to work on board and what stage of your career were you at when you applied?
A: The desire to travel inspired me! I was qualified and had worked in Sandton for 2 years as a hairdresser before deciding I needed a change.
Q: How did you find the training?
A: The training was amazing - the trainer was passionate and made every day memorable.
Q: How quickly were you placed on board and which ship were you assigned to?
A: I was placed quickly, I had my interview on the 11th of November and I flew out the 16th of December - I was assigned to Princess Sapphire that was in Asia after crossing over from Europe.
Q: What was the ship like and did you enjoy life on board?
A: The ship was the most amazing place in the world - it was its own little city and everyone was on their own little journey ❤ there are hundreds of crew on board that are from so many different countries but we were all the same in a strange way.
Q: What was the daily work like in the salon – describe a typical day.
A: We got to work at 7:30 and had a staff meeting where our manager would get us pumped with an inspirational speech, we’d also learn about promos running during the meetings and discuss turnover. After the meeting we would continue with work and if we didn’t have clients we cleaned and tidied - the staff in the spa were close and we all looked out for each other. During the day we had 2 one-hour breaks where we visited crew mess to have lunch and dinner. We finished work at 9:30 everyday. There were amazing opportunities to travel and sightsee on our days off as you can see from the photos!
Q: Do you feel working on board ship has enhanced your skills in your long term career?
A: Definitely! It has changed me as a person and made me a better stylist overall which has enhanced my current career at Carlton Hair Sandton.
Q: What personal qualities did you think were most important for succeeding?
A: You have to be flexible and willing to try new things all the time, you need to have a good attitude and you need to be able to accept help.
Q: Would you recommend this to others?
A: I would definitely recommend it! It is the perfect career move for any hairstylist who has a great attitude and is hard working!
Are you inspired to take on the challenge and embark on this amazing experience?
Sign up at www.theonboardspa.com and a recruitment consultant will contact you for a confidential interview and to answer any questions you may have!
