Meet the crew: Maja

Meet the crew: Maja

We talked to Maja Kovačević, Manager of the Sozo Health Spa on the Celestyal Journey, about her love of Greek music, avocados, and why the thermal beds are a must.

1. How long have you worked at Celestyal?
I’ve been working on cruise ships for eight years now, but this is my third season with Celestyal.

2. What’s your favourite part of the job?
Interaction with the guests. Sometimes you see somebody come into the spa, especially on the first day when they’re still trying to get orientated, and they’re a little bit stressed. But after they’ve had a treatment, they’ve got a completely different energy. They walk out like a new person. And that makes you feel the worth of what you do. It’s amazing.

3. Tell us what makes the Soso Health Spa such a great place to be
We talk about the spa as being a whole deck dedicated to the health and wellbeing experience. It has a salon area, where we offer hair styling, manicures and pedicures; eight treatment rooms, including one for couples; the relaxation area for guests looking for a quiet space; the thermal beds and, of course, the gym. So our guests have a variety of things to choose from.

4. What’s your top tip for guests using the spa?
Take advantage of the thermal beds. They’re a great way to prepare for a treatment, especially if you combine it with a steam, because they open up the pores, stimulate circulation and prepare the muscles. And they’re lovely and relaxing to lie on after a treatment too.

5. What do you do in your spare time?
It’s very important for us to treat ourselves when we’re not busy. So in our free time we do a lot of training and one of us always gets to be the model. We do treatments for each other and the rest of the crew as well. So this is how we connect the fun and the job at the same time.

6. What’s your favourite onboard meal?
I don’t eat much meat, so I mostly go for salads and light bites. The Greek salad is the best. But I also love the one with avocado. I love avocados! Or I just get creative and mix it up.

7. Where are your favourite destinations?
It used to be Mykonos, where I would relax on the beach. But now it’s Rhodes. I like to walk around the Old Town, relax and just switch off. You can walk from the ship to the Old Town and it’s beautiful.

8. Tell us something surprising about yourself or the spa
Between the nine of us working in the spa, there are five different nationalities. We have therapists from India, Bali, the Phillipines and Bhutan. Plus me, from Serbia.

9. What have you adopted from Greek culture?
I love Greek music – particularly Nikos Oikonomopoulos. He’s my favourite artist. It’s very similar to Serbian music because it has real soul. I actually picked up a lot of Greek vocabulary by listening to Greek music. I think the Greek language is beautiful.

10. What does Filoxenia mean to you?
For me, it’s all about the warm energy that runs throughout the ship connecting us all. Greek hospitality is all about that energy.