$100 tip for butler?

[Laszlo]

In a regular cabin I'll tip the room steward $10-$15 a day if they are really good. We once had one guy who was just a miserable SOB. The one and only time we had a suite we tipped the room steward a lot more than the butler or concierge. The guy was great and extremely friendly. Our butler was......lets just say she was absent most of the time, not that we ever really used her for anything. The concierge was about the same, he "found" use on the last night at dinner and said "where have you been all week" LOL

[cruzsnooze]

With two people in our suite, I will probably do $10 / day for both the butler and concierge and go up from there depending on the service.

IMHO, this seems reasonable and fair.

 

I agree that people who do not go on CC actually know anything about tipping.

The cruise lines used to provide information on gratuities when you received your cruise tickets, but I do not believe they do this anymore.

 

Don

Every single person who is on a cruise knows about tipping since it is automatically put on their daily account. It is automatically added to all bar bills.

[wasiii]

Every single person who is on a cruise knows about tipping since it is automatically put on their daily account. It is automatically added to all bar bills.

But new cruisers who have a suite might not know that they should tip them too.

 

wasiii

 

 

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[ColinIllinois]

Not to act like Captain Obvious but....NCL.com

 

What about Tipping?

 

 

Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for good service. However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile," and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals. Also, certain staff positions provide service on an individual basis to only some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests purchasing bar drinks the recommended gratuity is 15 percent. For guests purchasing spa treatments the recommended gratuity is 18 percent. Similarly, for guests using concierge and butler services, we recommend they consider offering a gratuity commensurate with services rendered.

[wasiii]

.....that people don't always read the fine print, no matter if it is fine or bold.

 

;)

 

wasiii

[jackson bernard]

Not to act like Captain Obvious but....NCL.com

 

What about Tipping?

 

 

Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for good service. However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile," and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals. Also, certain staff positions provide service on an individual basis to only some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests purchasing bar drinks the recommended gratuity is 15 percent. For guests purchasing spa treatments the recommended gratuity is 18 percent. Similarly, for guests using concierge and butler services, we recommend they consider offering a gratuity commensurate with services rendered.

 

If I already paid for these services by way of almost double the cost for the cabin, then NCL will have to pay the crew's salary. What the heck do I need a butler or concierge for anyway.

 

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[DrNora]

Someone mentioned that the concierge is the butler's boss. No, the butler's boss is the hotel manager/director, and that is to whom one would complain if there were a problem with the way in which one were being butled.

 

Do not tip your concierge extra if you have superb butler service. They are not inter-related.

 

By the same token, if your concierge sucks, don't take it out on your butler.

 

Our best service has always been from the room steward, as the butlers are usually run ragged by the screamers and whiners. you KNOW who you are..elbow , elbow, wink wink- say no more!!!

On our second NCL cruise we saw our butler 4 times- each time he came to the suite just to apologize for not seeing us. The steward brought us cookies and fruit. No biggie. Pretty sure that the concierge was pleasantly clueless.

 

Nora

 

ps- I was told this by the hotel manager on the Pearl. He was a tall, strapping fellow. I did not have a problem with my butler. It just arose in conversation. I have also read it here on CC. ANd we all know that we can believe everything that we see on the internet!!!

 

Again, Nora

[dongordon]

Not to act like Captain Obvious but....NCL.com

 

What about Tipping?

 

 

Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for good service. However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile," and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals. Also, certain staff positions provide service on an individual basis to only some guests. We encourage those guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. For example, for guests purchasing bar drinks the recommended gratuity is 15 percent. For guests purchasing spa treatments the recommended gratuity is 18 percent. Similarly, for guests using concierge and butler services, we recommend they consider offering a gratuity commensurate with services rendered.

 

Again.....the part about tipping the butler and concierge is very nebulous!! :)

We all know about the tipping of the others in the crew.

 

Don

[MiniJeffrey]

For my 14 day transatlantic in octobre on the epic I think I will tipp $75 in the beginning and another $75 at the end. Plus some small tips during the trip when I ask my butler to do some nice things for me.

 

Seems fair?

[Crusin6]

If you have the money to spend it should never end. Enjoy life while you can because you can't take the $$$ with you when you are gone. Look at what happen right now around the world many millions are suffering so I'd never complain "Where does it end" if I can afford a butler and a concierge. Life must be exceptionally good and it all could ended in a nano second when the next monster "asteroid" hit. It happened to the dinosaurs.

 

Actually dinosaurs still live on! That thanksgiving turkey we eat can claim the dinosaur as their ancestors.

 

Yes I have a kid who is a college prof. Lol

[dam64]

I am on the Getaway in September in a haven suite. There is no way I am giving the butler more than $100. I have already paid the cruiseline for the perks. They should pay his salary. I am only tipping him if he goes above and beyond. This tipping thing is getting ridiculous.

 

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I agree I don't pay more than $100. either! I think a lot of people here write BS about what they actually do tip ;-)

[rwslv]

I agree I don't pay more than $100. either! I think a lot of people here write BS about what they actually do tip ;-)

 

I agree! On the new Escape there will be 95 Haven Suites...I can hardly believe that a concierge/butler (even at $100 per cabin) is worth almost $10,000 a week. I tip $100 for the butler and $100 for the concierge and I felt that was generous. We made all of our reservations for everything and had no meals delivered to the cabin. Although I did tip the cabin steward additional as he was awesome. Such a great attitude, helpful and the cabin was spotless (so he also got an additional $100.)

[cruise_alot123]

I agree! On the new Escape there will be 95 Haven Suites...I can hardly believe that a concierge/butler (even at $100 per cabin) is worth almost $10,000 a week. I tip $100 for the butler and $100 for the concierge and I felt that was generous. We made all of our reservations for everything and had no meals delivered to the cabin. Although I did tip the cabin steward additional as he was awesome. Such a great attitude, helpful and the cabin was spotless (so he also got an additional $100.)

 

No concierge/butler will be handling all 95 Haven Suites by himself/herself and therefore, no concierge/butler will be making 10k a week.

[cruise_alot123]

I agree I don't pay more than $100. either! I think a lot of people here write BS about what they actually do tip ;-)

 

Just because you don't tip more than $ 100 it does not mean other people included myself won't so why is it BS?

[rwslv]

No concierge/butler will be handling all 95 Haven Suites by himself/herself and therefore, no concierge/butler will be making 10k a week.

 

There is one concierge and one assistant on our last three cruises - am I missing others? The point is I agreed with the thought that IMHO $100 is adequate.

[cruise_alot123]

Actually dinosaurs still live on! That thanksgiving turkey we eat can claim the dinosaur as their ancestors.

 

Yes I have a kid who is a college prof. Lol

 

You said you have a kid "who is a college prof." but he allowed you using poor grammar? Do you see anything wrong with your statement?

[cruise_alot123]

There is one concierge and one assistant on our last three cruises - am I missing others? The point is I agreed with the thought that IMHO $100 is adequate.

 

You are making an assumption that only one concierge/butler is handling all 95 suites and s/he is making 10k a week and that is incorrect.

[njhorseman]

You are making an assumption that only one concierge/butler is handling all 95 suites and s/he is making 10k a week and that is incorrect.

 

There are many butlers on an NCL ship, but there is only one concierge (who often has an assistant who presumably shares in the concierge's tips in some predetermined manner).

[DevonianCruiser]

How do I apply for the 400k per annum tax free job with NCL? :D

 

(I say 400k as I'd like 12 weeks holiday :p)

[cruise_alot123]

There are many butlers on an NCL ship, but there is only one concierge (who often has an assistant who presumably shares in the concierge's tips in some predetermined manner).

 

True that there's only one concierge and many butlers. However, the statement using "a concierge/butler" making 10k a week is still incorrect. It should have been concierge and butlers not "a concierge/butler" making 10k a week. Lets assume NCL has one concierge and 20 butlers serving 95 suites or make it 100 suites for easy division. One butler takes care five suites. This comes to each butler is making less than $ 72 day and that's not a whole when each suite cabin is tipping $ 100 during their 7 day cruise.

 

$ 100 tips

100 suites

= $ 10,000

 

$ 10,000/20 (butlers) = $ 500 per butler

 

$ 500 / 7 days = $ 71.42

 

If the concierge takes a percentage of that and I am sure s/he will get a cut then the butler is making a lot less. This is why I said I'll tip $ 250 if my suite cabin cost is $5,000 which is about 5% of my total cost.

[Crusin6]

You said you have a kid "who is a college prof." but he allowed you using poor grammar? Do you see anything wrong with your statement?

 

She not he. Yes, T. Not a biggie my friend. It is not a double negative. At least it is not the wrong usage of "seen"

Among other things.

[2red4u]

Are there ships that really have 20 butlers? I know ours had our side in the haven, including a GV. And another butler was on the other side with all those. But I didn't know if he had the regular 2bedrooms on our side also.

[njhorseman]

True that there's only one concierge and many butlers. However, the statement using "a concierge/butler" making 10k a week is still incorrect. It should have been concierge and butlers not "a concierge/butler" making 10k a week. Lets assume NCL has one concierge and 20 butlers serving 95 suites or make it 100 suites for easy division. One butler takes care five suites. This comes to each butler is making less than $ 72 day and that's not a whole when each suite cabin is tipping $ 100 during their 7 day cruise.

 

$ 100 tips

100 suites

= $ 10,000

 

$ 10,000/20 (butlers) = $ 500 per butler

 

$ 500 / 7 days = $ 71.42

 

If the concierge takes a percentage of that and I am sure s/he will get a cut then the butler is making a lot less. This is why I said I'll tip $ 250 if my suite cabin cost is $5,000 which is about 5% of my total cost.

 

Butlers are tipped individually by suite occupants in whatever amount the suite guests choose, so there's no "100 suites at $100 equaling $10,000 divided by 20 butlers". That's not how it works...you're going in unnecessary circles in your calculation. Each butler earns whatever he earns from the occupants of however many suites he serves. If the average butler serves 5 suites and the average suite tips $100 then the average butler earns $500 per week.

 

I have seen no evidence (nor even rumors) of the concierge taking a cut of the butler's tips. They have separate jobs with separate responsibilities and what you tip one has nothing to do with what you tip the other.

Edited June 27, 2014 by njhorseman

[jackson bernard]

So the butler only serves 5 cabins? Maybe $100 isnt enough after all

 

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[cruise_alot123]

Butlers are tipped individually by suite occupants in whatever amount the suite guests choose, so there's no "100 suites at $100 equaling $10,000 divided by 20 butlers". That's not how it works...you're going in unnecessary circles in your calculation. Each butler earns whatever he earns from the occupants of however many suites he serves. If the average butler serves 5 suites and the average suite tips $100 then the average butler earns $500 per week.

 

I have seen no evidence (nor even rumors) of the concierge taking a cut of the butler's tips. They have separate jobs with separate responsibilities and what you tip one has nothing to do with what you tip the other.

 

I don't disagree there won't be 20 butlers on any NCL cruise and equated the tipping amount to $ 500 a week. I am basically using the other poster's "a concierge/butler can make 10k a week with 95 suites" and make the assumption that if there are 100 suites on the cruise, it is possible that NCL would need 20 butlers to serve the suite passengers. However, we all know that NCL does not have 20 butlers and therefore, my example is just to show what a butler can make if each suite cabin going to tip $ 100 on average.

Edited June 27, 2014 by cruise_alot123