Has anyone ever taken a babysitter/nanny with them?

[gkrnjlr]

Our kids aren't "little" anymore and can participate in the kids programs on the ship. We have never taken a nanny/babysitter with us but have tossed the idea around so that we could do our own excursions in some ports and have the kids possibly do something with someone else (babysitter/nanny). There's a kindergarten teacher that has approached us a few times about going on a cruise with us as our nanny and we're wondering - exactly how have other people worked that?

 

I know that we'd pay for her cruise fare. She has said that she'd want to take her husband (and there is room in the cabin for him - we're a family of 5 so we have to book two cabins anyway - but we all sleep in just one cabin still.) How does it work though? How much "time" are we asking her to watch the kids and such? We'd want for her to have a time with her husband and have her own vacation as well - but we don't want to just pay for someone to go on cruise the same time we are. It'd be nice to have dinners with them, but.....

 

Lots of things that I am wondering about. Can someone tell me how they've done this before OR how you would suggest that it be done. IF we even do this.

 

Thanks!

[rebeccalouiseagain]

I have taken a nanny and there have to be ground rules ahead of time. I would never take a "nanny" with a boyfriend or husband. That isn't really affordable. In my case, I took a co-worker on two cruises. She had her own cabin and had 6 hours of babysitting per day. I paid all her expenses- except alcoholic beverages. She ended up with a $12 room account. So she basically didn't have to spend a dime on the trips and she enjoyed them. I only did it because my son was too little for the youth program and I needed a sitter.

 

If your kids are able to go to the youth program- there really isn't any problem. I have cruised as a single parent with my son (now 11) on over 20 cruises. When I want to get off the ship for an excursion- he is thrilled to stay onboard with the youth counselors. Young kids can live happily without excursions but on other days- you can do things as a family.

 

Don't bother with a nanny.

[Huxley'sCruisers]

I agree... it sounds like this woman wants you to pay for her to go on vacation with her husband. I really don't know why you'd take a nanny on a cruise when your kids are old enough to go to the kids club. Most cruiselines have some sort of club options available in port too (and NCL no longer charges which is nice), so if it's to be able to do excursions that seems like a much easier option.

 

I have been a nanny on vacation with families several times -it's always difficult on both ends. And now that I'm a mom with my own kids I can fully appreciate how it is tough to be a parent in the situation too. We're cruising this fall with both grandmas, who will babysit a few times, but mostly just want to spend time with their granddaughters (who are 3 months and 3 years, so one is too young for anything). Unless I had several children too young for the children's programming I wouldn't take a sitter, and if I did I would only take someone I really knew would work in that type of relationship.

[Huxley'sCruisers]

"There's a kindergarten teacher that has approached us a few times about going on a cruise with us as our nanny and we're wondering - exactly how have other people worked that?"

 

 

How exactly has she "approached" you? In my mind this is incredibly inappropriate!

[6rugrats]

Run. Far. Fast. No. Two huge red flags -

There's a kindergarten teacher that has approached us a few times about going on a cruise with us as our nanny

Really? And you think this is appropriate? It's not.

 

She has said that she'd want to take her husband

 

Then her mind is certainly not going to be on being your nanny. Let them take their own vacation without you subsidising it.

 

Being a nanny on a cruise is NOT a vacation. It's a job. Don't do this. Anyway, as stated, if your children are old enough to go to the kid's clubs, you don't need a nanny.

[tkportersat]

Just a reading observation but in my opinion I think once the nanny gets on board with her husband the last thing she is going to want to do is watch your children...especially if she has never cruised before. We had this issue last year with Grandparents even, once they got on board they wanted to go off and do their own thing after everyone said they would take turns watching our 10 month old to give us a break. I certainly didn't blame them but I would hate to see you spend that much money and then not have the care you were counting on. Good luck.

[ducklite]

I have a friend who is a full time, live-in professional nanny. She gets two weeks a year off--and vacation travel with her "family" is not counted towards her time off--it's actually more work than with the regular routine at home.

 

When on vacation she still gets a private room and bath--the last time she traveled with them they stayed in a presidential suite with four bedrooms, hers connected with the one the three youngest kids (out of five) slept in. She was still responsible for all the same things as at home--getting the children up and dressed in the morning, assisting with breakfast, minding them on outings, keeping track of them and their belongings, assisting them in ordering and having lunch, getting them cleaned up and ready for dinner, assisting with dinner, and getting them bathed and into bed every night. She was also responsible for making sure their rooms were tidy. Same things as at home except no cooking, driving them around to sports and play dates, or cleaning other than a bit of picking up. She also didn't get her regular one evening a week and Sunday off, although she was paid extra as a result and got a full weekend a couple weeks after they returned.

 

She did get one afternoon off and the wife paid for her to get a massage at the hotel spa as a thank you, she also got one evening off--but not until they finished and early dinner and the kids were bathed.

 

In other words, travel was still work, and she traded the cooking and cleaning for being out of the regular routine and more hours with longer days than usual.

 

And the thought of her taking her boyfriend? That was NOT going to happen, she was there to work. If she wants to take her boyfriend along when she goes on vacation during her time off, that's up to her. But while she was working, she was working, period.

[gkrnjlr]

Thanks for everyone's responses!

 

To clarify.....her approaching me *sounds* inappropriate but she has had two of my three kids in her kindergarten class (and will get the third/last child next year) and we are on a friendly basis with both of those teachers.

 

While catching up with one another and talking about what we did over the summer the kids told her that we went on a cruise to Alaska and she said "Wow, It'd be fun to be a nanny on vacations like that. If you ever need a nanny - you let me know!" (Something to that effect.) We're friends with her and I told her "I've considered that!" After that she asked me if I was serious. I figured that I'd post here where other people could give input about this before going further.

 

IF we were to take her I would only be paying her cruise fare and gratuities, NOT her husband's. I can see everyone's point in saying "no husband" along.

 

After reading all of the posts here it sounds like we should just stick with the youth programs onboard and did I read correctly that NCL now keeps the kids while in port - at no additional charge? Normally we do take the kids on excursions with us but they've surprised us a few times and didn't want to go. It'd be nice if that were an option with NCL!

 

Thanks for everyone's help! I am glad I ran this by this group first!

[Huxley'sCruisers]

Thanks for everyone's responses!

 

To clarify.....her approaching me *sounds* inappropriate but she has had two of my three kids in her kindergarten class (and will get the third/last child next year) and we are on a friendly basis with both of those teachers.

 

While catching up with one another and talking about what we did over the summer the kids told her that we went on a cruise to Alaska and she said "Wow, It'd be fun to be a nanny on vacations like that. If you ever need a nanny - you let me know!" (Something to that effect.) We're friends with her and I told her "I've considered that!" After that she asked me if I was serious. I figured that I'd post here where other people could give input about this before going further.

 

IF we were to take her I would only be paying her cruise fare and gratuities, NOT her husband's. I can see everyone's point in saying "no husband" along.

 

After reading all of the posts here it sounds like we should just stick with the youth programs onboard and did I read correctly that NCL now keeps the kids while in port - at no additional charge? Normally we do take the kids on excursions with us but they've surprised us a few times and didn't want to go. It'd be nice if that were an option with NCL!

 

Thanks for everyone's help! I am glad I ran this by this group first!

 

 

That does clarify it, but I still think it's somewhat inappropriate...

 

And yes, NCL now offers port play for free except during mealtimes, when it is $6 for that hour.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

You are making a wise decision. You will save so much money by utilizing that youth program. Some of the programs charge during lunch time (on Celebrity they charge from 12-2 $6. per hour/ per child) but this is so much cheaper than taking two kids on an excursion when they would frankly be happier with the youth counselors and other kids.

 

My son is 11 now and this is the first year that I made him do excursions. He loved them and now he will be eager to go in the future. When he was younger- I dragged him on few "educational" excursions (Pompeii, Ephesus, Istanbul, etc.) and they went over his head and he doesn't even remember them. What he does remember is that the magician on the ship taught the kids tricks and he still quotes the comedians from our cruises.

[room010]

If your kindy teacher and her husband want to go on a cruise let them organise their own. If the kids need supervision or entertainment, use the kids club provided. That's what it's for. Blurring the teacher/parent relationship like this is asking for trouble IMO.

[gkrnjlr]

If your kindy teacher and her husband want to go on a cruise let them organise their own. If the kids need supervision or entertainment, use the kids club provided. That's what it's for. Blurring the teacher/parent relationship like this is asking for trouble IMO.

 

Goes back to the whole thing of "don't mix business with pleasure" doesn't it?

 

We've decided to just use the kids programs onboard.

 

Thanks!

[MariahJ]

I brought my mom as a nanny but that's different. We booked a suite instead of separate cabins. We didn't have a set # of babysitting hours, just made sure to give her plenty of time "off". I would think bringing a family member would be less awkward.

 

I could only see justifying the cost of bringing a non-family nanny if your LO was too young for the kid's club.

[rebeccalouiseagain]

Ive had good and bad experience with family. On one cruise all the younger kids (ages 13-15) were more than happy to dine early and then watch the baby at the later seating- so the adults could have some adult time.

 

But on the next cruise I went ahead and brought a sitter so that I could have more free time. Was it worth it? Yes- because it was a family vacation with my sisters and parents and I wanted to go. If that hadn't been the case, I'd have just waited until my son was older.

 

Once he was able to go to the youth program- I never saw him again! That's what is so great about the youth programs. The kids are happy and the parents get a relaxing vacation. No nanny needed.

[Julienatul]

We are going on the Dawn the week before you are 3-24-12. I have thought about nanny's but never actually taken one. If your kids are kids club aged and they like the kids club (ie dont want to be with you 24/7) than defintely utilize that. If you have kids who shy away from strangers and dont really enjoy the kids club or are too young, bringing a nanny that the child knows may help in giving you a break on vacation.