What does the Butler do?

Butler: A suggested tip would be $10-$15 per person in the room per day of cruise.

 

 

 

Concierge: A suggested tip would be $5-$10 per person in the room per day of cruise.

 

 

 

Steward: Your room steward gets a portion of the daily service charge. Since you have a large room, a suggested additional tip would be $5-$10 per person in the room per day of cruise.

So for me that would be $560-$980. [emoji15]

Who tips that much?

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So for me that would be $560-$980. [emoji15]

 

Who tips that much?

Not me.

So for me that would be $560-$980. [emoji15]

Who tips that much?

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And don't forget to tip the Maitre d at theHavens restaurant.

The additional tipping is something a person new to these upscale cabins might not know about. The day before you disembark, the butler will make sure you understand that he/she and the concierge are NOT included in the tipping that you have automatically paid to the others. They make a very nice living and most every cruise staff member aspires to be a butler. Be sure that you account for this additional expense so that you have the cash!

I'm one of those who has few needs for a butler to attend to and those extra treats at 3 PM just are a waste.

Not me.

I had the worst butler in the Dawn last year. He did not answer his phone the few times we called like when our a/c failed. Even when we told him he did nothing. I got action when I contacted the hotel director. The Butler did not bring the gummies until I asked even then it took a couple of days. He ignored requests for snacks and just brought the standard snacks. So his tip reflected our dissatisfaction. I think he was new at the job. other suite guests complained about him as well.

I had the worst butler in the Dawn last year. He did not answer his phone the few times we called like when our a/c failed. Even when we told him he did nothing. I got action when I contacted the hotel director. The Butler did not bring the gummies until I asked even then it took a couple of days. He ignored requests for snacks and just brought the standard snacks. So his tip reflected our dissatisfaction. I think he was new at the job. other suite guests complained about him as well.

You actually tipped him ?

You actually tipped him ?

Yes but much below the recommended 10pp, per day felt bad for the guy. There was even more mistakes that he made m, suspect he no longer is a butler

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I often get mine to read to me to help me get to sleep. I'd recommend this.

 

 

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Winner!:D

Anyone know what time the nighttime butler takes over and until when in the morning?

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Am I the only person who escaped the sudden craving for gummy bears that apparently overcomes suite dwellers when they step onboard the ship?

I often get mine to read to me to help me get to sleep.

I'd recommend this.

This question of "What does the butler do?" always reminds me of a movie scene:

Am I the only person who escaped the sudden craving for gummy bears that apparently overcomes suite dwellers when they step onboard the ship?

Right??? You are a rich person, and you are in a situation where someone will bring you any food you desire, from Eggs Benedict to a rare steak to sushi to a big fresh salad. And you decide that you want $2 worth of colored, congealed corn syrup delivered to you around the clock? I just don't get it.

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Having just got off Escape and our first time in Haven, our butler was rarely seen or heard from except the first and last day, but his presence was felt after we talked on the first day for the rest of the cruise. He was great and did a great job with our needs, which were pretty basic of just some light snacks each afternoon since we eat dinner late (mostly sandwiches, cookies I didn't see anywhere else on the ship and veggies and ranch dressing). He also was able to get me some distilled water for my CPAP which I had called the special services line a few weeks prior to our cruise but with the mayhem of the hurricanes, was not a big deal and within 2 minutes of calling my water was at the door with our room steward, Kimberley, who was also amazing. My wife likes iced tea as well and he always made sure after our day in port or on deck that she had at least two glasses waiting for her each night. Hipolitto was his name and he was awesome. This morning before we embarked, he called to ask if he could come say goodbye to us. In all fairness, on the first day of the cruise, I tipped him $50 and then an additional $100 this morning when we were leaving.

As for the concierge, we really didn't interact with them that much except for the priority debarkation in port and this morning and I only tipped them $50. If you use them a bunch to help make reservations for change things, I would suggest tipping them, but wife questioned why I was tipping them and I explained to them that while we did not use their services, it was appropriate for the services that they did provide.

If you eat in the Haven restaurant, I would tip the Matre'd as well. I gave her $50 as well as she was great all week long for us and we did end up eating many meals (breakfast and lunch) in the dining room.

The staff will do whatever is within your wishes and their abilities to make your stay what you want it.

Right??? You are a rich person, and you are in a situation where someone will bring you any food you desire, from Eggs Benedict to a rare steak to sushi to a big fresh salad. And you decide that you want $2 worth of colored, congealed corn syrup delivered to you around the clock? I just don't get it.

 

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I literally just laughed out loud! Classic!

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Anyone know what time the nighttime butler takes over and until when in the morning?

 

 

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I want to say they work 8 to 8. But the day butler may work 6 to 8 at times. Our butler told us his hours the first day but I don't remember the start time for certain . Our last night I left the tip in the room for him because we planned to disembark early. Surprisingly he saw us and said thank you on the other side of the ship from our cabin at 6 am and I believe he was grabbing stuff for other guests.

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The day before you disembark, the butler will make sure you understand that he/she and the concierge are NOT included in the tipping that you have automatically paid to the others.

I want to say they work 8 to 8. But the day butler may work 6 to 8 at times. Our butler told us his hours the first day but I don't remember the start time for certain . Our last night I left the tip in the room for him because we planned to disembark early. Surprisingly he saw us and said thank you on the other side of the ship from our cabin at 6 am and I believe he was grabbing stuff for other guests.

 

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Thank you. We've never used the night butler so just wondering for our next cruise.

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I've never had a Butler mention tips at all.

Same here.

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I've never had a Butler mention tips at all.

Nor have I! Did this really happen? If a butler ever mentioned tips to me I would think he/she thought I looked cheap and was going to stiff him. LOL

As far as the "suite" gummy bear and peanut M&M frenzy, that has always made me laugh! First, I don't want to even think about how many hands have touched those candies as half-eaten bowls are dumped into other bowls for the next guest. :eek: (Don't even try and tell me they don't do this LOL) Second, of all the delicious candy in the world, why gummy bears & peanut M&Ms?

The folks who've said that the butler is there to personalize and make YOUR vacation special are right. Think about what would make YOU happy - to do, to eat, etc. and then ask your butler to make it happen and sit back & enjoy. For example, they will automatically bring (IMO horrible) pre-dinner canapes and mauled-over gummy bears - if you don't like them, just ask for whatever in the world YOU want and if it is on the ship, you'll have it. (Sometimes they will even overdo it - e.g. I don't like the normal fruit bowl (apples, bananas, etc.) - but I love fresh pineapple and grapes. All I had to do was mention that to my butler and I was not only on pineapple & grape overload on THAT cruise, but on my NEXT cruise (in a mini-suite with no butler!) my previous butler left me pineapple & grapes in my cabin on the first day with a note! (and every day thereafter!) God love him, but I can't even look at pineapple anymore LOL

But, this is the kind of service and attention that personalizes your trip and makes it extra memorable - and makes having a butler worth it (if budget allows.)

And p.s. there is no "official" recommended butler, concierge, etc. tip. People quote the $10 per person/per day, etc. etc. - but just go with your common sense based on the level of service provided. No butler is expecting a $900 tip. That's ridiculous. The room steward is covered under the (higher suite) DSC. The concierge should be tipped (thanked) based on services provided - not just because their title is Concierge. I have had invisible concierges who have received invisible tips.

I've never had a Butler mention tips at all.

They actually tell you that during a suite guest priority disembark meeting. I'm not sure if this is new but I can assure you they do this.

And like the poster said the Butler was definitely in position outside the hallway at 7am. That was Clint on the Dawn.

For the future I'm curious do people tip the Butler for each service done or only at the end. I did 20 a meal and 20 at the end. He just seemed surprised each time thought maybe I didn't know something.

For the future I'm curious do people tip the Butler for each service done or only at the end. I did 20 a meal and 20 at the end. He just seemed surprised each time thought maybe I didn't know something.

Envelopes are usually provided for tipping at the end, usually the night before your last day. On the Pride of America, we had an envelope each in our suite for the butler and the concierge, with their names on them. If you need envelopes for other staff you can get them at guest services.

For the future I'm curious do people tip the Butler for each service done or only at the end. I did 20 a meal and 20 at the end. He just seemed surprised each time thought maybe I didn't know something.

Our Butler refused to accept a tip when delivering our first in suite dinner. He said tip me at the end.

We factored in how many times we had dinner delivered etc into final tip.

This last cruise, we had no table and chairs in suite, (weird ?) so we had no desire to have any food delivered to suite.

Butler only brought afternoon snack and did coffeemaker upkeep at that time. So, we saw Butler once a day. This is also a factor in our final tip. We start at $10pp/day and do up or down from there.

I wish NCL would just increase the DSC for suites and allocate the incremental to a "suite staff pool". That way everyone could just tip for service above and beyond, like we do for the rest of the ship's personnel.

Butler Mark Santos can do Magic .:cool:

We love Mark! He was our butler on the Star and made our cruise fabulous!