A guest arrives at the treatment room five minutes late, in a swimsuit, saying she has "no medical issues, just get on with it". You have not taken a consultation, you do not have a signed record card, and she is already lying face-down. Stop. The consultation is not paperwork — it is the only thing standing between you and a claim.
Consultation and record cards
Take the consultation before the guest undresses, seated, clothed, in a normal conversation. Record and keep:
- Medical history, current conditions, medications, recent surgery, injuries, pregnancy.
- Allergies — nuts, fragrance, plants, latex.
- Areas to work, areas to avoid, previous massage experience, pressure preference.
- Your contraindication check and the outcome of it.
- Guest signature confirming the information is accurate and consent to treat.
Cards are confidential health data. Store them locked, never in a shared crew drive, never discussed in the crew mess. Keep them for the period your insurer requires — typically several years.
Reading the client
Watch, do not just listen. Guarded posture, held breath, a jaw that will not settle, an answer that is too quick — these tell you more than the form does. If someone is distressed, exhausted, drunk or unwilling, the correct treatment may be no treatment at all.
Draping and modesty
This is where professionalism is visible, and it is non-negotiable.
- Leave the room, or turn your back, while the guest undresses and gets under the sheet.
- Only the area being worked is uncovered. Everything else stays covered.
- The gluteal cleft and the breast tissue are never exposed. Tuck the sheet, work through it if in any doubt.
- The genitals and breasts are never touched. There is no modality, no technique and no guest request that changes this.
- Re-drape before you move on. Knock and wait before re-entering.
Guests may be relaxed about nudity; you are not. The drape protects them and it protects you.
Facials and body treatments in outline
Facials — cleanse, exfoliate, mask, massage, moisturise — are popular, low-risk and easy afloat. Body treatments such as salt or sugar scrubs and body wraps need drainage and generate serious mess and laundry; check with the chief stew before you offer them anywhere near a guest bathroom.
A realistic charter menu
| Treatment | Time | Why it works onboard |
|---|---|---|
| Back, neck and shoulders | 30 min | Fits any gap in the day |
| Full body relaxation massage | 60 / 90 min | The core offering |
| Indian head massage | 30 min | Chair, no oil, no couch |
| Express facial | 30 min | Pre-dinner favourite |
| Foot and leg / reflexology | 30 min | Post-flight, post-beach |
Four or five items you can genuinely deliver beats a beautiful menu you cannot.
Onboard Notes
- No consultation, no signature, no treatment.
- Record cards are medical data — lock them up, never gossip.
- Drape covers everything not being worked. No exceptions, ever.
- Build a short menu around the gaps in the guest day.
- Preparatory study only. Nothing here qualifies you to treat. Massage requires an accredited vocational qualification (for example ITEC, CIBTAC or VTCT) and professional insurance.