Butler/Concierge Tipping

[amarvel]

I think it not only depends on your budget or what you plan but who you get. Off the jewel today and the concierge not only didnt know our names, he didn't even know we were haven guests. I spoke all of maybe two minutes the entire seven days to him and thats being generous. There was six of us and no way was I tipping 5pp/pd for someone who never asked us how things were. Our third time in suites and by far the least we ever heard from the concierge. On the otherhand the butler was fantastic and we gave her plenty to make sure she knew how much we loved everything she did for us. She would anticipate our needs perfectly.

[triptolemus]

Who is this mystical butler you speak of?

 

Those examples?

 

Lea.

[AllBoys2002]

Those examples?

 

Lea.

 

 

 

Lol I know that. I was just being tongue in cheek to show how everyone's experience can be different.

[triptolemus]

Lol I know that. I was just being tongue in cheek to show how everyone's experience can be different.

 

No, no... her name...was Lea.

[yummysbakery]

On recent haven stay didnt see our butler until the third day only used assistant concierge to fix things that werent correct from pre concierge service. Never saw concierge after the initial meeting on embarkation. Room service brought two meals to cabin which we tipped accordingly. Room steward was fantastic we tipped generously. Loved the cruise loved the haven but the butler and concierge not so much! So we left a minimal tip for each with a note as to why. I cant wait to experience a good butler.

 

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[Kortehgehn]

Like others have said, butler and concierge service can vary greatly from ship to ship and even vacation to vacation. For a 7 day cruise we usually plan around $400 to split between the butler, concierge and anyone else we decide to leave a tip for during the week.

 

I will say that more often than not our butler and concierge have been excellent and they really do go out of their way to take care of us. Also, any time we have had an issue with our butler the concierge has always been on top of it. They always seem to know our names from day one, and check in with us and other guests many times a day.

 

Of course, on one cruise our concierge actually left in the middle of the sailing and paid virtually no attention to us at all, but that is not typical.

 

However, some of the most amazing things that they can do for you are the things you don't think of. Carlos was our concierge on a recent cruise on the Gem. During sail away he noticed my camera and asked if I wanted to get a great picture of the Statue of Liberty. I said I would love to but that our stateroom was on the port side like the Haven Sundeck so we wouldn't be able to see it going out. He said "no problem, follow me" and with that he led us down through the Haven and over to the starboard sundeck on deck 15 which they use for storage. He unlocked the door and told us to stay up there as long as we wanted. It was awesome and we had the space all to ourselves. Needless to say that vacation was one of our most memorable and it was due in no small part to the service of the butler and concierge.

Edited February 15, 2016 by Kortehgehn

[watchdiva]

Carlos is one of the most outstanding concierges ever!

 

 

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[roger001]

Deleted. Wrong thread. Ooops.

Edited February 15, 2016 by roger001

[AllBoys2002]

No, no... her name...was Lea.

 

 

 

Oh... Hahahaha

 

I hope to one day have that type of experience.

[Richie2pies]

Carlos is one great concierge. I'd be embarrassed to tip him what he's really worth. He is an outstanding employee

[DMH15]

and I get that. But what if you're sailing with 5 or 6 in a suite?

 

 

 

is $420 appropriate for a BASELINE tip for 1 week for a butler?

 

 

 

Or $210? for the concierge?

 

 

 

yikes.

 

 

This is just my opinion. If you have 5 or 6 in a cabin giving individual directives then, yeah. Tip from all. However, if you have a family, with one group directive then I agree with a drop-off after the initial 2. If you use some butler special services like ensuite dining, make some special food requests like bowls of berries and pitchers of tea and more, I would tip $10 pppd for the first two and $3 ea for the kids and round to $25 to

$30 a day.

[Ktuluorion]

Sounds like butlers (in good cases) take a lot of initiative to do things on their own. Hope we get a good one for our first experience!

[rfkeith10]

I think it not only depends on your budget or what you plan but who you get. Off the jewel today and the concierge not only didnt know our names, he didn't even know we were haven guests. I spoke all of maybe two minutes the entire seven days to him and thats being generous. There was six of us and no way was I tipping 5pp/pd for someone who never asked us how things were. Our third time in suites and by far the least we ever heard from the concierge. On the otherhand the butler was fantastic and we gave her plenty to make sure she knew how much we loved everything she did for us. She would anticipate our needs perfectly.

 

 

Than

 

 

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[rfkeith10]

I think it not only depends on your budget or what you plan but who you get. Off the jewel today and the concierge not only didnt know our names, he didn't even know we were haven guests. I spoke all of maybe two minutes the entire seven days to him and thats being generous. There was six of us and no way was I tipping 5pp/pd for someone who never asked us how things were. Our third time in suites and by far the least we ever heard from the concierge. On the otherhand the butler was fantastic and we gave her plenty to make sure she knew how much we loved everything she did for us. She would anticipate our needs perfectly.

 

Thank you for your comments. We sail in a haven owners suite four weeks from today. Glad you were happy with your butler. Can you share your suite number?

[Starflyr3]

This is just my opinion. If you have 5 or 6 in a cabin giving individual directives then, yeah. Tip from all. However, if you have a family, with one group directive then I agree with a drop-off after the initial 2. If you use some butler special services like ensuite dining, make some special food requests like bowls of berries and pitchers of tea and more, I would tip $10 pppd for the first two and $3 ea for the kids and round to $25 to

$30 a day.

 

^ that is actually my plan going in.

 

We're 2 adults and 2 kids. If my kids decide to (try to) make individual requests of the butler or concierge, they will get a good talking to about manners.

[amarvel]

Thank you for your comments. We sail in a haven owners suite four weeks from today. Glad you were happy with your butler. Can you share your suite number?

We were in one of the two bedroom suites. 14012. Right now both sides of the haven on the jewel up in the haven have fantastic butlers :)

[texanaust]

Actually I would say $10/pp/day applies to the concierge as well. Even if we don't use the service from the butler or the concierge (just theoretical, of course as we have always use services from both), we would still tip the minimum amount of $10pp/day for the butler and an additional $10pp/day for the concierge. Anything less would simply violate the rules of the polite, refined society and its notions of what constitutes good form and good manners.

 

So lets do some math, take the Getaway for example. 64 full suites times $20per day on a 7 day cruise=$8960. So the concierge on this ship makes $36k a month (plus whatever NCL base salary is), which is probably double what the captain makes. I don't think so...and I haven't even calculated a higher occupancy which many suites have.

 

People can believe what they want to from these boards, but no one is paying the concierge anywhere close to some of the CC suggested amounts. In reality it is likely these people hit a pay day with one or two and the majority of suites leave nothing.

[dexddd]

Started out in balconies but, now....We have been sailing in Suites , most recently POA last week.

We have never had a great Butler and Concierge on the same cruise.

It always seems to be one or the other.

Tip reflects this service.

Most recently, our Butler, Peter was great . We tipped 160 for 7 days for 2.

We did not ask much of him. We had a letter from Concierge that we could not have beakfast or lunch delivered by our Butler. We went and had Cagney's .

Wine was sent to our cabin by captain and he delivered it to us.

Concierge did absolutely NOTHING. No reserved seating for theatre, no priority disembarkation etc. we gave him 20 for saying good morning a couple of times at breakfast.

It is a personal thing, dependant on personal interactions. Blanket amounts

Should be adjusted by actual experience.

IMHO.

 

First I've ever heard of this. Did they give any reason? Who was the concierge - I had read someone mention James which I was wondering if it was the same James who used to post here on CC. Did they mention anything about the drydock?

[ryarger]

First I've ever heard of this. Did they give any reason? Who was the concierge - I had read someone mention James which I was wondering if it was the same James who used to post here on CC. Did they mention anything about the drydock?

 

 

James was my concierge on the PoA in 2014. I've seen him mentioned recently more than once as an example of a sub-par concierge.

 

It was our first suite experience, so I had no frame of reference but I thought he was competent but standoffish.

 

He did ask us how things were going once at Cagneys. When we told him of issues with accessibility (DMIL being in a scooter), he said he'd look into it. After that day, for every excursion we found someone waiting for us who knew her name, ready to help her board the transportation.

 

I think that James is very good at getting things done, but doesn't go out of his way to look for things to do.

 

 

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[detroitlions]

Always a etiquette beat down from miss manners on tipping. People want to pretend they are rich for a week so they have a butler to me its no big deal just another person with there hand out on a NCL ship. I rarely use stuff like this because I dont cruise to hang out in my room for all my meals I actually do things and interact with others. I have my meals in house at home that is why I like to go out on vacation. People act all needy when they get in the suits those butlers must think were a bunch of pretentious weak people that need constant attention. Plus I dont want them sneaking in my room to drop off snacks I eat 3 times a day and rarely snack.[/quote

 

I'm not sure what you mean by people want to "pretend" to be rich? I have always stayed in the Haven & I've never dined in nor have I ever made any demands on the butler other than the first day I ask for the use of an iron & board & it's not like I ask him to iron for me !! So if asking for an iron/board makes me a pretentious weak needy person ...I'm guilty. Also to clarify even though I don't run the butler off his feet I still tip him $150.00 for the week as its not his fault I'm not a needy person & I have the money as I'm not "pretending to be rich"

Unless you consider you self rich. And I do not believe that for a second.

[detroitlions]

^^ "I don't stay in suites but I know everything there is to know about staying in suites!"

 

:rolleyes:

You don't have to stay in a suite if you don't want to. But don't pretend you know what I have done in the past. How funny

[detroitlions]

^^ "I don't stay in suites but I know everything there is to know about staying in suites!"

 

:rolleyes:

Do not want to know what you and that sheep is all about. :eek: Maybe S.O

[Mutante]

First I've ever heard of this. Did they give any reason? Who was the concierge - I had read someone mention James which I was wondering if it was the same James who used to post here on CC. Did they mention anything about the drydock?

 

phissy is correct - sort of - was on the POA the week before. James is indeed the concierge.

 

The letter stated no breakfast or lunch FROM CAGNEY'S served in the suite. No reason was given.

 

Could still get breakfast from the room service menu served in suite.

 

The few people we asked didn't seem to know what was being done during dry dock except a general "freshening up" of the ship. New carpet and some furniture and things of that nature.

[dexddd]

phissy is correct - sort of - was on the POA the week before. James is indeed the concierge.

 

The letter stated no breakfast or lunch FROM CAGNEY'S served in the suite. No reason was given.

 

Could still get breakfast from the room service menu served in suite.

 

The few people we asked didn't seem to know what was being done during dry dock except a general "freshening up" of the ship. New carpet and some furniture and things of that nature.

 

Thanks for the info. The b/l perk being removed stinks.

[dlynn0366]

Unless you consider you self rich. And I do not believe that for a second.

 

Not sure what you mean by this?