All roles/Specialist crew/Spa Therapist
Specialist crew
Spa Therapist
A Spa Therapist runs massage, facial and beauty treatments for owners and guests in the yacht's spa, keeping it spotless and ready so guests can rest properly on board.
- Department
- Specialist crew
- Reports to
- Spa Manager or Chief Steward / Chief Stewardess
- Yacht size
- 60m to 150m+
- Contract
- Seasonal or permanent
- Starting pay
- €3,000 per month
What the job is
You deliver treatments for the owner and guests in the yacht's spa: massage, facials, body wraps, manicures and pedicures, and on some yachts hair, lashes and waxing. A large yacht may have a treatment room, hammam, sauna, beauty salon and gym. You keep all of it clean, stocked and ready at short notice. In quiet periods many yachts ask you to treat the crew as well, which does a lot for morale on a long season.
The work follows the guests. Treatments are booked around tender runs, lunches and shore trips, so the schedule can change four times before noon. You learn to read people quickly and keep careful notes on each guest's pressure, allergies, preferred oils and products. Some guests want a full programme every day. Others want one massage a week. Discretion matters, because you see principals at their most relaxed and hear private conversations.
You are part of the interior team. When the spa is quiet you help with service, housekeeping or laundry, and on a smaller yacht that can be half the job. You order stock, rotate products, manage spa linen, keep hygiene logs and check equipment, and you work with the engineers to keep the sauna and steam room running. Qualified therapists with a few years in a five star hotel spa or on cruise ships settle in fastest.
What makes a good one
- Massage and facial technique
- Reading guests quietly
- Strict hygiene standards
- Flexible scheduling
- Discretion and calm
A day in the life
- 07:00Open the spa, switch on the steam room and sauna, and check the treatment room is clean, warm and stocked. Review the booking sheet from the Chief Stew.
- 08:00Crew breakfast, then a quick interior briefing on the guest plan. The swim stop has moved to the afternoon, so you rearrange two bookings.
- 09:00Ninety minute deep tissue massage for the principal, using the oil and pressure noted from her last visit.
- 11:00Manicure and pedicure for two guests on the sundeck under shade, then reset the spa and wash all used linen.
- 13:00Help the interior team with lunch service on the aft deck while the guests eat.
- 14:30Quick crew lunch, then update guest preference notes and log product use for the next stock order.
- 15:30Back to back treatments: a facial for one guest and a sports massage for another after their jet ski session.
- 18:00Clean and disinfect the treatment room, restock towels and products, and set up for a late request couples massage.
- 21:30Finish the evening treatment, close down the sauna and steam room, and send tomorrow's spa menu to the Chief Stew.
Pay by country
Monthly salary for a dedicated Spa Therapist on a 60m+ yacht, usually paid in EUR or USD whatever the flag. Charter tips on top, often €1,000 – 3,000 a month in a busy season.
- France and Monaco
- €3,000 – 4,500
- Spain
- €3,000 – 4,500
- Italy
- €3,000 – 4,500
- United Kingdom
- £2,600 – 3,900
- USA (Florida)
- US$3,300 – 4,900
- Caribbean
- US$3,300 – 4,900
- UAE
- AED 12,000 – 18,000
- Australia
- A$5,000 – 7,500
- New Zealand
- NZ$5,500 – 8,200
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- Level 3 Diploma in Beauty or Massage Therapy (VTCT, ITEC or CIBTAC)
Recommended
- CIDESCO Diploma
- PDSD
- PYA GUEST Introduction to Yacht Service
- Food Safety Level 2
- Level 4 Sports Massage qualification
- Medical First Aid
Visas
- Schengen
- US C1/D
- US B1/B2
- Australian MCV
Where it leads
- Beauty Therapist
- Steward / Spa Therapist
- Spa Therapist
- Spa Manager
Spa Therapist jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need yacht experience to get a Spa Therapist job?
Not always. Captains and Spa Managers hire on your therapy qualifications and time in a good hotel spa or on cruise ships. Your STCW and ENG1 must be in place before you apply.
Will I only do spa work?
On large yachts with a full spa you mostly will, but you still help the interior when guests are off the boat. On smaller yachts the role is often combined as Steward / Spa Therapist, with plenty of service and housekeeping.
Do I bring my own products?
Usually not. Most yachts run an established spa brand and order stock through you, though some owners have favourite products you will source for them.