How much should I pay for a nanny?

Question

I am going on vacation with my husband and parents next christmas. We are taking a 15 cruise to Hawaii on Celebrity cruises. We will have a 3 month old. We are looking to take a nanny all expenses paid on the cruise. We will pay for everything including a private room for her. What do you think a nanny should charge for this? She will only need to babysit maybe 4 or 5 times during the cruise. It is my parents 25th wedding anniversary and we have some activites that arn't good for children. Thanks,

Kimberley

Answer 1

Well don't pay her that much. For an all expense paid cruise with a private room I would do it for free!

Answer 2

If you are hiring a temp Nanny for the trip you have to remember that she can't take other jobs while she's with you.  It may not be all work but it does mean she can't generate other income while she's with you.  So her compensation needs to at least be what she would make staying at home and working her regular hours.

You may find a Nanny willing to go and be paid for just the hours you're asking her to work, that could be a pretty sweet deal as most Nannies do get paid vacation and she may be willing to spend that time with you.  

If you can't find that arrangement you'll have to pay her her normal wage and that is about $10-$15 an hour (average of 8-10 hours a day) and around $50-$75 a night for overnights.  Of course where you are will make a difference, Nannies in NY and CA generally make much more and in the Midwest a little less.

You'll also need to factor in that she'll be missing the holiday with her own family and might charge more because of that.  Holiday pay generally runs time and a half at least.

Click on the link below to find a great group of Nannies, maybe one of them will be able to help you out!

Answer 3

sounds to me like she will have a lot of free time!!  if everything is included...i don't think she should charge you much at all, if at all!

Answer 4

If you can find a neighbor's teenaged daughter or a single relative that might enjoy travelling just for the sake of travelling (or even a co-worker that you trust who can't afford to go) they'll probably do it just for the cost of the cruise!  My sister has done this for us multiple times, my best friend's 18 year old daughter on other occasions, and my mother in law as well.  The downside to travelling with relatives is that, unlike a nanny, they won't typically just wander off on their own, so you need to be very specific about the time you'd like to spend on your own ... and be upfront about it when you make the arrangement.

Another option for you is to hire a crew member to babysit during the cruise as a "private" sitter.  Cost on this is usually $10 per hour, but if you are thinking of going to dinner alone a few times, or just going snorkeling or on other excursions children might not be a good fit for, it might be more cost effective than hiring a nanny for the whole time of the cruise.

One last place to check ... your local community college's child development program.  Of course, you'll want references, but a college student might find it to be an awesome way to get in a cheap vacation (you're paying) in exchange for a few hours a day of babysitting.