With cruise ships sailing again, London Wellness Academy- Cape Town has fully restarted their training courses for hairstylists in South Africa to upskill and qualify for exciting onboard careers!
London Wellness Academy is the leading training institute for spas and wellness. They recruit hairstylists and spa professionals to work for the most prominent cruise lines sailing to dream destinations all around the world. Applications are open to all qualified hairstylists over 18 years of age and there are no upper age limits. It is never too late to reinvent yourself and embark on a new adventure.
We had a further in-depth interview with Chanel Marie Phillips of the London Wellness Academy Training Team, Cape Town Campus, to get the inside story on the real benefits of jumpstarting your career future with onboard spa training and cruise ship contracts.
Chanel, how did you feel about training resuming in SA?
I do not know who was more excited between myself, our team and or the recruits themselves.
I’m beyond ecstatic to share my knowledge and experience with the new hires to gain more knowledge in their industry and to make their dreams come true!
What has the training included and what was most interesting and exciting for the trainees?
Training includes all our treatment procedures, protocols and product knowledge used onboard by the various professions coming in for training.
The most exciting to see, is how the students grow from day one until the day they leave training, as well as adjusting to working on international waters after training.
Training includes so much more than just knowledge:
• It’s the appearance of oneself.
• The self-motivation and dedication to pass and succeed.
• It’s the preparation for yourself, treatment room and standards.
• Going the extra mile to give guests the best service and client care.
• It’s the new product house number one brand in the UK: Elemis.
• It’s treatments of a variety from head to toe.
I think the most exciting part for the trainees is that in learning all the new information provided, their time spent working onboard will be more rewarding and satisfying. For some it was a long wait since they were recruited pre pandemic and training, of course, had to be postponed. So when the time actually came for training, the excitement was palpable/noticeable.
What was the age range of trainees that you had on the course?
This can vary from any age of 21- 49+. Age is just a number: if you are healthy and have a passion for the industry, nothing is stopping you from working successfully onboard.
Are any of the trainees assigned a ship yet? If so, where are they headed / or heading shortly?
Most of the recruits that have been trained are already onboard!
We only have a handful waiting due to delays in obtaining needed visas, but they will be heading out as soon the visas are obtained. Trainees need to pass their training firstly. Among that, a lot of documentation and visa appointments need to be scheduled, applied and accepted. Once this in place, they can be placed at any time. There are over 180 ships on 20 cruise lines, so destination may vary.
Why is demand for onboard hairstylists so high?
We all know how great you feel when you have been to your hairdresser and when you’re on holiday, no one wants to spend the time to style their hair.
There are specific evenings which are more formal onboard and then all the passengers want to look their best and their main stop is then the Hairdressing Department, so we always need the maximum hairdressers that each vessel needs to be able to handle all the passengers.
Not only hairstylists, but beauty therapists, fitness instructors, nail technicians, masseuses, acupuncturists, and Medi spa doctors as well are high demand. International waters love South African therapists. We are known to be hardworking and driven, and the income is rewarding.
CHANEL MARIE PHILLIPS
Educator, Cape Town Campus
London Wellness Academy
Read her first interview this year with us HERE.
Are you keen for the adventure of a lifetime, while earning an excellent income and working in the career you love? Get in touch for your confidential interview by signing up on www.londonwellnessacademy.com
