Superyachts and super kids’ holidays

“I’m like a golden retriever with kids, they all just come to me!” says Ella Peters, founder of Superyacht Nanny – the online destination for all things childcare on board. She’s been nannying on superyachts for nearly a decade and also does nanny coaching, nanny job referrals and everything else in between. Ella is the first to point out that nannying on board is a huge leap from the same job shoreside. “Some families bring their existing nanny, but a lot bring someone like me who really gets it. It’s so much more of a safety critical environment,” she says.

While older children are able to come along to safety briefings and respect the captain’s orders, younger children need a more hands-on approach. “There are lots of boats which operate a ‘no unsupervised children’ policy, but when you’re five years-old, you’re used to being able to go to the toilet yourself or get yourself a glass of milk and now you can’t do those things. It’s about managing all of that without them realising there is someone with them all the time – it takes a bit of magic!” 

Luckily, magic is Ella’s superpower. “On charters, you can do such incredible things,” she says. “I think when you do special stuff for the kids it elevates the guest experience for everyone. That’s what I’m all about.” On board treasure hunts are a given, as well as arts and crafts, mocktail-making workshops, napkin folding and much more. “I love to get them in the galley to do cookie decorating or cupcake making,” says Ella. “And with arts and crafts, it’s nice to make things that can become part of tablescapes because then they can show them off at mealtimes and say, ‘look what we made mum and dad!’”

Getting involved with the day-to-day maintenance of the ship is another favourite activity. “Give them a chamois or a mop and they are happy!” jokes Ella. In the galley, the crew will often organise little hats and aprons. “The photos are adorable, with their big spoons mixing something.” And of course, sitting in a chair on the bridge with a pair of binoculars looking for dolphins is always a crowd-pleaser. It’s important to have boundaries though and Ella is strict about children steering well clear of crew areas at all other times. “It’s the same for the snack cupboard,” she says, “the location of that must always remain a secret!”

Of course, different yachts have different facilities for children. From outdoor cinemas and games rooms to pirate-themed cabins and superhero murals, every yacht is different. For Ella, a dedicated playroom space is a winner. “It means you can do things like painting – normally I’d never do that on board, plus you can set up things like Lego and keep your creations out for the next day instead of tidying it away.”

And of course, beyond the yacht itself, there are no end of adventures in the destinations that the boat travels to. Ella recalls a memorable trip to Capri last year. “I jet skied with my eight-year old charge to the Faraglioni rocks and we stopped and I taught her all about the bats. She was in awe of them all hanging upside-down and it was absolute magic.” Another trip saw a personalised fireworks display put on just for the superyacht guests. “We were sitting on beanbags on the helideck and the little one was really snuggled in and it was just magical,” she says. “The final fireworks even spelled out the family initials.”

Beyond that are of course the water sports, and with many yachts equipped with jet skis, banana boats, tenders and donuts, the sky’s the limit. Interestingly though, it’s often the little things that stick with the children. “A lot of the time, it’s not the big stuff that the kids remember, it’s little games or small moments,” says Ella. “So you can take them to a fancy beach club but when they look back on the trip, they remember making an amazing sandcastle or collecting shells together.” 

For Ella the best family charters are the ones with a mix of all ages. “The intergenerational ones with grandparents are really special because often they live in different parts of the world so everyone really wants to be there and hang out.”

It’s no surprise that amidst all this adventure, Ella creates bonds with her on board charges that can last well beyond the trip itself. “I’ll often stay in touch with them and see them when they are in London. I might also be a ski nanny for them or nanny with them in different houses around the world. These bonds are important to me because we share this really intense experience together and so it’s nice to catch up now and then.”