All roles/Specialist crew/Nanny
Specialist crew
Nanny
The yacht nanny cares for the principal's or guests' children on board, keeping them safe, happy and busy so the parents can relax, on a vessel full of water, machinery and moving tenders.
- Department
- Specialist crew
- Reports to
- Yacht Captain, working day to day with the parents and Chief Steward / Chief Stewardess
- Yacht size
- 50m to 150m+
- Contract
- Permanent with the family, seasonal or per trip
- Starting pay
- €4,000 per month
What the job is
A yacht nanny looks after children on board, from babies to young teenagers. Some nannies are employed by the yacht, others travel with the owner's family from home to the boat and back. On charter yachts you may care for guest children for a week at a time. Either way, the job is full childcare in a setting where the swimming platform, the tender garage and the stairs are all real hazards, and where the parents are paying for peace.
Your day follows the children's routine, not the guest programme, though the two must fit together. You plan meals with the chef, organise beach trips with the deck team, book watersports with the toys crew and keep cabins tidy with the interior. You need to know the safety drills, where every life jacket in a child's size is kept, and which areas are off limits while the yacht is anchoring or the crane is working.
Discretion matters as much as childcare skill. You will see private family life up close and travel with high profile principals, so confidentiality is absolute. Hours are long when the family is on board, often from waking to bedtime with night duty for younger children. When the family is away you may help the interior team, so a willingness to steward between trips makes you far easier to hire and keep.
What makes a good one
- Child safety around water
- Calm under pressure
- Absolute discretion
- Planning age right activities
- Working with interior and deck teams
A day in the life
- 06:45Wake before the children, check the day's plan from the chief stew and confirm breakfast timings with the galley.
- 07:30Get the children up, dressed and suncreamed, then breakfast on the upper deck while the parents sleep in.
- 09:00Quiet activity or schoolwork in the sky lounge, keeping to the routine the parents have set.
- 10:30Swim from the platform with a deckhand on watch and life jackets on, then a slow tube ride behind the tender.
- 12:30Lunch with the family, cutting food, managing allergies with the chef and steering the children so adults can talk.
- 14:00Nap time for the youngest in the cabin with the monitor on, while you sort laundry and tidy toys away.
- 16:00Tender to the beach with two crew for sandcastles and snorkelling in the shallows, then back on board by 18:00.
- 18:30Bath, early supper and a short handover to the parents for family time before bed.
- 20:30Lights out, monitor on, a quick note to the parents on the day, then on call through the night.
Pay by country
Monthly salary for an experienced nanny on a 50m+ private or charter yacht, food and accommodation included. On charter yachts you usually share in guest tips; family employed nannies are often paid directly by the principal.
- France and Monaco
- €4,000 – 6,500
- Spain
- €3,800 – 6,200
- Italy
- €3,800 – 6,200
- United Kingdom
- £3,400 – 5,500
- USA (Florida)
- US$4,300 – 7,000
- Caribbean
- US$4,300 – 7,000
- UAE
- AED 16,000 – 26,000
- Australia
- A$6,800 – 11,000
- New Zealand
- NZ$7,500 – 12,000
Required
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- Paediatric First Aid
- Recognised childcare qualification (CACHE Level 3, Norland Diploma or equivalent)
- Clean background check (Enhanced DBS or equivalent)
Recommended
- PDSD
- Food Safety Level 2
- RLSS National Pool Lifeguard Qualification
- PYA GUEST interior courses
- Second language
- Swimming instruction qualification
Visas
- Schengen visa (non EU nationals)
- US B1/B2 or C1/D
- Australian MCV for Australian cruising
Where it leads
Nanny jobs open now
Questions crew ask
Do I need yachting experience to work as a yacht nanny?
Not always. Strong references from private families matter most, but STCW and ENG1 are expected before you join, and a season as a Steward / Nanny makes you much easier to place.
Will I have to do stewarding as well?
Often yes, especially when the family is off the boat. Dedicated nanny roles exist on larger yachts, but being willing to help the interior widens your options.
How much time off do I get?
Very little while the family is on board, as you work their hours and often nights. Time off comes between trips, and long term family nannies sometimes negotiate rotation.