Tipping Butler in the Suites

[Mustangdrew]

Does the mini suite on the getaway receive butler service or does this only reply to haven suites? I thought it was only haven suites.

Thanks

 

 

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[Love my butler]

Does the mini suite on the getaway receive butler service or does this only reply to haven suites? I thought it was only haven suites.

Thanks

 

No. A mini-suite is simply depceptive and misleading language NCL uses. They get ZERO perks, none. In order to get suite perks you have to be in a full suite. Full suite categories always begin with an S. Such as S1, SC etc.

 

So many people ask this question on the boards yet the cheerleaders continue to insist people cannot be tricked because NCL makes it so clear.

Edited February 24, 2014 by Love my butler

[Mustangdrew]

No. A mini-suite is simply depceptive and misleading language NCL uses. They get ZERO perks, none. In order to get suite perks you have to be in a full suite. Full suite categories always begin with an S. Such as S1, SC etc.

 

 

 

So many people ask this question on the boards yet the cheerleaders continue to insist people cannot be tricked because NCL makes it so clear.

 

 

Can't afford 4,000 a person so I'll pass.

 

 

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[miataman19]

Can't afford 4,000 a person so I'll pass.

 

 

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All suites are not always expensive. Our sailing in June we got a Haven Spa Suite for $1699 pp. with a $300 obc, still a little expensive but IMHO worth the extra $$$. Our original plan was to get a regular balcony and get spa and Vibe passes for the week. The prices for the Haven Spa cabin came down soooo much it was only $200 more to get the suite.:D

[Mustangdrew]

All suites are not always expensive. Our sailing in June we got a Haven Spa Suite for $1699 pp. with a $300 obc, still a little expensive but IMHO worth the extra $$$. Our original plan was to get a regular balcony and get spa and Vibe passes for the week. The prices for the Haven Spa cabin came down soooo much it was only $200 more to get the suite.:D

 

 

Does the spa suite include butler services ?

 

 

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[isdoo]

Any 'Haven' suites do - they start with a letter S in the category.

 

There are M9 mini-suites that do not.

[Dakota10]

My hubby & I are not fancy people, at all. And I mean no disrespect or insult by that word, it's just how I describe us. :) Some people can be happy cruising in an inside cabin, but I have space/claustrophobia issues & couldn't. We have always done balconies & booked a cruise for our 10th anniversary in a balcony & the price dropped & we got a deal we couldn't resist & upgraded to a Spa Suite on the Getaway. I don't know that we will ever cruise another way. We made all our dining ressies prior to boarding along with our shore excursions. We never saw the butler or concierge except in passing or when we went to the Haven DR, so we didn't use them, at all. But, it was so fun. The priority boarding, the not having to fight for a lounger around the deck, the sitting there in the afternoons while someone walked around offering us boiled shrimp or smoothies or cookies, the quiet on the deck, the tea in the room, snacks each evening, wine glasses & ice in our room without asking, all of it, it made our vacation so special. We can really only afford (vacation time wise) to cruise every other year & going from one of the balcony cabins to the snaller suites isn't that big of a difference & it makes our vacation special, which for us matters. Add in the great current booking offers & we just booked on the Escape in the Haven for next Spring. Can't wait.

 

Sorry, I know it's an old thread, but just wanted to share our experience. And this 'luxury' life, for us, is only available on NCL. Way too cost prohibitive on other lines.

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[GeezerCouple]

I hope the previous comment was a joke, but it's not even close to April 1st yet...

<If it *is* joke, then my apologies for being just dense enough not to be sure>

 

My hubby & I are not fancy people, at all. And I mean no disrespect or insult by that word, it's just how I describe us. :) Some people can be happy cruising in an inside cabin, but I have space/claustrophobia issues & couldn't. We have always done balconies & booked a cruise for our 10th anniversary in a balcony & the price dropped & we got a deal we couldn't resist & upgraded to a Spa Suite on the Getaway. I don't know that we will ever cruise another way. We made all our dining ressies prior to boarding along with our shore excursions. We never saw the butler or concierge except in passing or when we went to the Haven DR, so we didn't use them, at all. But, it was so fun. The priority boarding, the not having to fight for a lounger around the deck, the sitting there in the afternoons while someone walked around offering us boiled shrimp or smoothies or cookies, the quiet on the deck, the tea in the room, snacks each evening, wine glasses & ice in our room without asking, all of it, it made our vacation so special. We can really only afford (vacation time wise) to cruise every other year & going from one of the balcony cabins to the snaller suites isn't that big of a difference & it makes our vacation special, which for us matters. Add in the great current booking offers & we just booked on the Escape in the Haven for next Spring. Can't wait.

 

Sorry, I know it's an old thread, but just wanted to share our experience. And this 'luxury' life, for us, is only available on NCL. Way too cost prohibitive on other lines.

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You wrote:

 

"We never saw the butler or concierge except in passing or when we went to the Haven DR, so we didn't use them, at all."

[emphasis/color added]

 

"... while someone walked around offering us boiled shrimp or smoothies or cookies"

 

..."the tea in the room, snacks each evening, wine glasses & ice in our room without asking..."

 

and

 

"...it made our vacation so special."

 

Yes, it's clear that it can make a vacation "so special".

 

But you state that [you] didn't use them at all!?

 

But WHO, exactly, do you think made this apparent "magic" happen?

 

That would be the Haven Butler and *especially* YOUR suite Butler!

 

And they are *not* part of the regular tip pool like most others on the ship crew, both visible and "behind the scenes".

I sure hope you left a nice tip because of the superb service that added so much to your time.

 

I hope on your next Haven trip, you appreciate a lot more the efforts of quite a few people who made your experience so special!

 

GeezerCouple

[SaveFarris]

Any 'Haven' suites do - they start with a letter S in the category.

 

There are M9 mini-suites that do not.

 

That's not QUITE accurate.

 

Rooms Categories:

 

start with H- (H4, H7, etc.): Haven (get suite perks and Haven Perks)

start with S- (SJ, SC, etc.): Suite (get suite perks)

start with M- (M9, MX, etc.): Mini-Suite (get nothing and like it)

[Working_To_Cruise]

I agree with you Geezer Couple 100 percent! This is going to be my 1st time cruising on Norwegian and 2nd time in a suite. Last year I booked my 1st suite on carnival and the only perk I had was priority boarding. I have an aft facing Penthouse on the Getaway in May. I read everything the Butlers can and will do for you. You even have get a portable phone you can carry with you and call your Butler anytime for anything! As soon as I get to meet him or her I am giving them 50 dollars just to say hello, to show my appreciation for their service that I know they will be performing. And I plan on tipping them daily each time I request their service. And I am not some disgruntled butler Dakota 10, I am just simply a mailman from New Orleans very anxious for my upcoming cruise!

[Freespir8]

My hubby & I are not fancy people, at all. And I mean no disrespect or insult by that word, it's just how I describe us. :) Some people can be happy cruising in an inside cabin, but I have space/claustrophobia issues & couldn't. We have always done balconies & booked a cruise for our 10th anniversary in a balcony & the price dropped & we got a deal we couldn't resist & upgraded to a Spa Suite on the Getaway. I don't know that we will ever cruise another way. We made all our dining ressies prior to boarding along with our shore excursions. We never saw the butler or concierge except in passing or when we went to the Haven DR, so we didn't use them, at all. But, it was so fun. The priority boarding, the not having to fight for a lounger around the deck, the sitting there in the afternoons while someone walked around offering us boiled shrimp or smoothies or cookies, the quiet on the deck, the tea in the room, snacks each evening, wine glasses & ice in our room without asking, all of it, it made our vacation so special. We can really only afford (vacation time wise) to cruise every other year & going from one of the balcony cabins to the snaller suites isn't that big of a difference & it makes our vacation special, which for us matters. Add in the great current booking offers & we just booked on the Escape in the Haven for next Spring. Can't wait.

 

Sorry, I know it's an old thread, but just wanted to share our experience. And this 'luxury' life, for us, is only available on NCL. Way too cost prohibitive on other lines.

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Hi Lori - I think what the others are referring to are the extra perks that you may have mistakenly thought came from your Steward. An easy mistake if you are new cruising in suites or if you weren't clear who your butler was. The butler delivered the snacks to your room in the afternoon, made sure you had coffee for your latte's and probably orchestrated many of the behind the scenes things for your room. The room steward is only responsible for cleaning your room and providing towels, everything else was done by your butler.

Many of us on CC have a soft spot for the butlers and love hearing how they are taken care of. They work very hard and are not a part of the general daily service charge, your steward, however is. Your post made it seem as though you didn't acknowledge the butler (granted not on purpose) and perhaps may not have tipped them. Sorry it may have come across as harsh to you from the others but you may have inadvertently hit a hot button.

I am glad you had a wonderful time on your cruise. Now that you know all the things the butler did, you will be able to give credit where it is due. :)

[jusstice]

Hi Lori - I think what the others are referring to are the extra perks that you may have mistakenly thought came from your Steward. An easy mistake if you are new cruising in suites or if you weren't clear who your butler was. The butler delivered the snacks to your room in the afternoon, made sure you had coffee for your latte's and probably orchestrated many of the behind the scenes things for your room. The room steward is only responsible for cleaning your room and providing towels, everything else was done by your butler.

Many of us on CC have a soft spot for the butlers and love hearing how they are taken care of. They work very hard and are not a part of the general daily service charge, your steward, however is. Your post made it seem as though you didn't acknowledge the butler (granted not on purpose) and perhaps may not have tipped them. Sorry it may have come across as harsh to you from the others but you may have inadvertently hit a hot button.

I am glad you had a wonderful time on your cruise. Now that you know all the things the butler did, you will be able to give credit where it is due. :)

 

 

I just had to say, very diplomatic and tactful. It says everything I was going to say (and probably most of us were) in a beautifully crafted way.

[DMH15]

That's not QUITE accurate.

 

Rooms Categories:

 

start with H- (H4, H7, etc.): Haven (get suite perks and Haven Perks)

start with S- (SJ, SC, etc.): Suite (get suite perks)

start with M- (M9, MX, etc.): Mini-Suite (get nothing and like it)

You replied to a post that is almost a year old. I believe haven suites use just start with an S at one time.

[browniegirl]

My hubby & I are not fancy people, at all. And I mean no disrespect or insult by that word, it's just how I describe us. :) Some people can be happy cruising in an inside cabin, but I have space/claustrophobia issues & couldn't. We have always done balconies & booked a cruise for our 10th anniversary in a balcony & the price dropped & we got a deal we couldn't resist & upgraded to a Spa Suite on the Getaway. I don't know that we will ever cruise another way. We made all our dining ressies prior to boarding along with our shore excursions. We never saw the butler or concierge except in passing or when we went to the Haven DR, so we didn't use them, at all. But, it was so fun. The priority boarding, the not having to fight for a lounger around the deck, the sitting there in the afternoons while someone walked around offering us boiled shrimp or smoothies or cookies, the quiet on the deck, the tea in the room, snacks each evening, wine glasses & ice in our room without asking, all of it, it made our vacation so special. We can really only afford (vacation time wise) to cruise every other year & going from one of the balcony cabins to the snaller suites isn't that big of a difference & it makes our vacation special, which for us matters. Add in the great current booking offers & we just booked on the Escape in the Haven for next Spring. Can't wait.

 

Sorry, I know it's an old thread, but just wanted to share our experience. And this 'luxury' life, for us, is only available on NCL. Way too cost prohibitive on other lines.

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Glad you posted Lori! I am in the same boat......lol..once we upgraded to a "suite" a few cruises ago......life was never the same! We enjoyed the amenities and the peace and quiet - even when we had three of our kids with us in the Haven, it was so wonderful!!! I can only afford it every couple years (fairly recent single Mom....) so I have booked for October 2016 for my 50th birthday, can't wait!! My 10 year old daughter and I are looking forward to the "suite" life for sure....

 

Leah

[browniegirl]

One thing I have not read mentioned in this posting that we look at too. For us, the mere fact the Butler and Concierge are always (or for the most part always) available for us to use their services. We were on the Dawn in a Aft Penthouse suite and the only time we ever requested anything from the Butler was to make sure we had soda's in the fridge and creamer for my coffee. Other than that we did not ask him for anything. He did stop by our cabin three or four times that cruise to see if he could do anything for us. On the last night of the cruise we asked him to stop by the cabin and we gave him a thank you card with his tip included. He literally refused the tip, saying we did not let him do anything for us. It really took a lot of talking to him to get him to accept it. We kept explaining to him that for us, the mere fact we could have picked up the phone and called him has a value to us.

 

And if you will indulge me to tell one other incident, our first cruise on the Star, last morning of the cruise, our cabin phone rang at 6:15AM and it was the Butler. He said he had to see us right away and he was just outside our cabin could he come in. Before we could even get clothes on he came in through the door and told us he was having to leave the ship on an "emergency" and could he collect his tip. We just happen to have his tip right there on a desk in a thank you envelope so while draped in the bed spread I grabbed it, handed it to him, and he left. I was in such shock I didn't know what to do. Within a minute of him leaving there was a knock on the door and it was our room steward who came in and apologized for the Butler doing that and told us he had called security on the Butler.. that the Butler had been dismissed and was told to leave the ship as soon as we docked. He said he had tried to stop him from coming into the rooms but couldn't. OTHER than that guy, the Butlers have always been AMAZING.

 

As far as amounts, as most have said, as you can do is suggest. People are going to tip what they want to or what they can, or not tip at all. Unless you have had bad service, I don't honestly understand how you could leave no tip at all, but that is just me.

 

That is not to say we have not had bad experiences. On one of the cruises (sorry I don't remember which ones) the Concierge was HORRIBLE. To the point he basically told us that we were lying about something that NCL's corporate office had told us. You can tell me that what I was told was wrong, but don't tell me I'm lying about it. I have no reason to lie. I do believe we did not tip him anything.

 

As others have stated before we board the ship we board with a dollar amount for the Butler and Concierge per person per day and we adjust from there. And, even though the Room Steward is apart of the DSC, we ALWAYS have tipped them extra because we find they do as much to make our vacation special as anyone.

 

 

 

For us it has more to do with we can only take off so many weeks a year from work and those weeks are usually limited to when they can be taken (for my partner at least). So rather than taking multiple cruises we like to make ours as special to us as we can and the room we get in a suite and the special services and dining fit us perfectly. When we are retired that will most likely change since we will be able to take more cruises in a year, at that point. Really.. its as simple as "to each his own".

 

 

 

I had to post the above about the Butler literally refusing our tip after reading your post. Overall they are wonderful additions to our vacation.

 

We were on the Star in November 2011 and also had a terribly invisible butler who made us feel like we were imposing on him and referred us to the room steward........I wonder if it was the same one!!!

 

Leah

Edited January 14, 2015 by browniegirl

[Dakota10]

The butler could have delivered them on the port days as I wasn't there, but on both sea days they were delivered by our cabin steward as I spoke to him on both days. And for the record, nowhere in any of this did I say or even imply that we didn't tip any of them, well above the recommended amount in this thread,btw. My husband even remarked as we left the ship that day of the concierge, that is was the easiest $200 that joker ever made as we never even met him. We assumed he was the guy sitting at the desk all the time, but we would have no idea, the only way we knew his name was on a letter in our Suite so we gave an envelope with his name on it to our Butler to give to him. And our poor, maligned, undertipped Butler (accordi g to you people) even told us when we gave him his very generous tip that is way too generous as we had been the easiest & least demanding Suite guests he had ever had & he took half of our tip out of the envelope & tried to return it. We insisted he keep his tip because that is what you do & even gave the other Butler who escorted us to the elevator a geneeous tip & it was the only time we had spoken to him the whole cruise. Don't assume something that you know nothing about & don't try to tell me how I should behave as I was raised to treat people, who deserve it, in the proper manner. You people completely missed the point of my post. All I was saying was that you can enjoy the Suite life without having anything additional done for you. Just being there & enjoying what is included is enough to make your Cruise special, but as is typical on these boards you have a group of people who just aren't very nice. And not new to Suite life, cruised in Suites, on various lines, with my family for the majority of my teenage years, this was just the first time that my husband & I did this together.

 

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[jwindham]

It does still apply, but it specifically does NOT cover the concierge or butler. That applies for all cruise lines that have auto-gratuities and offer butler/concierge perks.

 

.

 

So not true. Celebrity has the tip for the butler included in the daily tips and I use their rate to be more reasonable. Having been on both NCL and Celebrity in suites with butlers, the Celebrity ones did much more than the ones we had on NCL.

[rainy4stu]

We are going on our first NCL cruise next year and have booked a Haven Owners Suite. I gave spoken to NCL twice and gave been told both times that the auto tips do include our butler and concierge so who do I take notice of? We have prepaid on all our past cruises as prefer to do it that way but usually tip extra at the end of the cruise.

[Leavethekidswithmom]

Oh boy[emoji33]

[isdoo]

We are going on our first NCL cruise next year and have booked a Haven Owners Suite. I gave spoken to NCL twice and gave been told both times that the auto tips do include our butler and concierge so who do I take notice of? We have prepaid on all our past cruises as prefer to do it that way but usually tip extra at the end of the cruise.

 

Yes, they do.

 

But if you wish to tip extra then do so.

 

From personal experience they might not be worth a penny extra.....

[Chuck2810]

So you would, for a family of 5 in a 2BR Villa, budget $350 for butler and $175 for concierge as a starting point for a 7 day cruise? $525 in addition to the $420 DSC plus extra tips to the steward and kids club personnel, plus auto 15% for drinks all seems a little much... I know that tipping is personal and there really is no wrong answer except skipping out all together, but that guideline seems to be pretty excessive IMO.

 

 

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Not really excessive, These guys only make 5 figure incomes.

[cadien]

Not really excessive, These guys only make 5 figure incomes.

 

 

?

 

So do many passengers.

[rvsullivan]

We are going on our first NCL cruise next year and have booked a Haven Owners Suite. I gave spoken to NCL twice and gave been told both times that the auto tips do include our butler and concierge so who do I take notice of? We have prepaid on all our past cruises as prefer to do it that way but usually tip extra at the end of the cruise.

 

Someone is giving you bad information. NCL's own documentation indicates that butlers and concierge are NOT part of the DSC. If you do a search you find hundreds of posts on this topic.

[isdoo]

Not really excessive, These guys only make 5 figure incomes.

 

So?

 

That is plenty.

 

Plus they get accommodation, food, drink etc.

 

Not a bad life.

 

But hey if you think that they are great, then go ahead and tip more.

 

Personally I think that the majority are not worth it.

 

There is no reason to tip extra. UK booking terms makes this crystal clear. USA terms might encourage you to tip more, but that is because you have been brought up to tip everyone whether they deserve it or not.

[bobstheboy]

So?

 

That is plenty.

 

Plus they get accommodation, food, drink etc.

 

Not a bad life.

 

But hey if you think that they are great, then go ahead and tip more.

 

Personally I think that the majority are not worth it.

 

There is no reason to tip extra. UK booking terms makes this crystal clear. USA terms might encourage you to tip more, but that is because you have been brought up to tip everyone whether they deserve it or not.

 

So true.

 

Some of these threads on tipping make my eyes water. If some of the posters figures are true, they pay as much on tips as I do for a cruise lol.