Tipping Butler

[goattyer65]

I have never stayed in the Haven before but my bid was accepted. I am very excited to stay in the Haven. What is a standard amount to tip the butler. Do you tip at the end of the cruise?

What kind of things does the butler do for you?

[NLH Arizona]

There is no standard tip. You should base your tip off services rendered, how those services were rendered and, of course, your budget.

 

What I do, is tip the Butler $10 a day per person and the Concierge $5 a day per person and I give it to the Butler the last night of the cruise and the Concierge as he/she escorts us off the ship upon disembarkation.

 

I'm not the best to answer what the Butler can do, as I ask very little from my Butler and I'm sure others will chime in.

[Ddmc]

Do a search on the forum. There are loads of suggestions

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[casofilia]

I set myself a figure for the butler the only time I cruised in a suite; added to it whenever I asked him to do something beyond his normal duties.

 

I did cut it to a third when he appeared on the penultimate day, three times, asking if I was satisfied with his service. Just like a street beggar!!

[mark290]

I set myself a figure for the butler the only time I cruised in a suite; added to it whenever I asked him to do something beyond his normal duties.

 

I did cut it to a third when he appeared on the penultimate day, three times, asking if I was satisfied with his service. Just like a street beggar!!

 

Maybe others will understand this and your strategy but I don't.

[pieshops]

I set myself a figure for the butler the only time I cruised in a suite; added to it whenever I asked him to do something beyond his normal duties.

 

I did cut it to a third when he appeared on the penultimate day, three times, asking if I was satisfied with his service. Just like a street beggar!!

 

Nasty much

[badstina]

How long you had to wait to hear about your bid

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Loonbeam]

The person felt the Butler was begging for tips on the last day by asking about service (when its really too late to do anything about it). My response would be different but I understand the point...

 

Tipping is a personal decision, just two facts to keep in mind:

 

1> Butlers and Concierges are NOT part of the tipping pool for the daily service charges. They only get a small salary, the majority comes from gratuities. They also tip out to the night coverage (butlers) and the assistant Concierges. That means they give them a portion of what they get away.

 

2> Unlike most positions on ship, their service load is far more request based. The butler's only fixed responsibilities are the daily snack and supporting the steward. Concierge is the same, primarily request based. Therefore your tipping decision should take into consideration how much you use them. If you get breakfast delivered daily, your tip should reflect that. If you never ask them for anything the entire trip, you can reflect that as well and just tip based on daily snack, etc.

[cb at sea]

What you tip depends on what you ask of your butler. If you are "low-maintanence" like most, you won't be asking them for that much. Tip what you feel is appropriate for the services you get.

 

If you get room service once or twice, and maybe a snack somewhere during the week, I'd say $15-30 would be ample....but it's up to you! If you have major meals delivered, plus snacks and other personal stuff...tip more!

[casofilia]

Maybe others will understand this and your strategy but I don't.

 

I'm sorry I was so obtuse; to help you.

 

Imagine I set a limit to start of $5 pp pd, so on a 10 day cruise that would have been $100. All he seemed to do was to look after the coffee maker, bring the afternoon snacks and clear the dishes; the rest was done by the room steward or so it seemed.

 

I did ask him on two occasions to make sure there were extra afternoon snacks and extra tea/coffee pods and to ensure the coffee maker was serviced before we had guests. That would have been an extra $10 x 2.

 

Total $120.

 

But the begging took it down to a third, $40.

 

I hope that is now clearer for you.

[goattyer65]

We sail Saturday received email yesterday

[goattyer65]

How long you had to wait to hear about your bid

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums[/We sail Saturday received email yesterday(Tuesday)]

[Shidah]

Maybe it is regional, but these tips seem low to me. Does anyone tip more? I also think I am more inclined to tip throughout the trip versus just at the end. Do some people tip this way as well? This is our first cruise.

[NLH Arizona]

Maybe it is regional, but these tips seem low to me. Does anyone tip more? I also think I am more inclined to tip throughout the trip versus just at the end. Do some people tip this way as well? This is our first cruise.

When I asked what to tip while in a suite some years ago, I was given answers from $35 for two for a week up to $500 for a week. I settled on $10 per person for the Butler and then will add or subtract depending on service. I've never had to subtract anything. And, yes, some tip throughout the week, it just depends on the way someone wants to do it....your money, your choice.

[mjkacmom]

I'm sorry I was so obtuse; to help you.

 

Imagine I set a limit to start of $5 pp pd, so on a 10 day cruise that would have been $100. All he seemed to do was to look after the coffee maker, bring the afternoon snacks and clear the dishes; the rest was done by the room steward or so it seemed.

 

I did ask him on two occasions to make sure there were extra afternoon snacks and extra tea/coffee pods and to ensure the coffee maker was serviced before we had guests. That would have been an extra $10 x 2.

 

Total $120.

 

But the begging took it down to a third, $40.

 

I hope that is now clearer for you.

As an American who was once a server way back in the day, we would sometimes be pessimistic when a party from another country was seated in our station, because they tended to tip less, if at all. Pretty much our entire salary came from tips. If anything, you'd try to give your very best service, and pray.

[RR61]

Maybe it is regional, but these tips seem low to me. Does anyone tip more? I also think I am more inclined to tip throughout the trip versus just at the end. Do some people tip this way as well? This is our first cruise.

I originally felt the same way, that I would tip throughout as I didn't want the butler to think I was going to "stiff" him. But now after several times in a suite, not only is it easier to tip at the end, most of the butlers I've had brushed off being tipped during the cruise and requested to be tipped at the end.

 

I will say that I do tip the night butler right then if he delivers late room service because that's the only time I'll see him.

 

One thing I've learned here and I think it makes tipping at the end even easier......I bring thank you cards and put the cash in there along with a quick note, usually about how they made my vacation so wonderful!

[watchdiva]

I set myself a figure for the butler the only time I cruised in a suite; added to it whenever I asked him to do something beyond his normal duties.

 

 

 

I did cut it to a third when he appeared on the penultimate day, three times, asking if I was satisfied with his service. Just like a street beggar!!

 

 

Not very nice to liken someone who has taken care of you for a week to a street beggar.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[casofilia]

Not very nice to liken someone who has taken care of you for a week to a street beggar.

 

I'm sorry but you were not there; on the penultimate day his attitude and demeanour was very similar to a street beggar. As I also said he hadn't "taken care" of us for a week; he had done the job he was being paid to do and very little else. I do tip, "When in Rome" etc; but I do find the system an abomination.

 

As has been inferred I am not from a country where it is normal for service people to be well underpaid and to have to expect others to take pity on them. We pay those in the service industry a reasonable wage which we pay for up front in the cost of the service.

[Turtles06]

One thing I've learned here and I think it makes tipping at the end even easier......I bring thank you cards and put the cash in there along with a quick note, usually about how they made my vacation so wonderful!

 

I agree. We also travel with thank you cards and use them the same way.

[BirdTravels]

Tip the butler $10-$15 per person per day.The cashiers $5-$10 per person per day. If your room store in $5-$10 per day.Enjoy your sweet, you'll be the best time of your life.

[ColeThornton]

Tip the butler $10-$15 per person per day.The cashiers $5-$10 per person per day. If your room store in $5-$10 per day.Enjoy your sweet, you'll be the best time of your life.

 

 

Um......what???

[BirdTravels]

Um......what???

 

Damn iPhone autocorrect

 

$10-$15 pp per day butler

 

$5-$10 pp per day concierge

 

$5-$10 pp per day room steward.

 

The steward is covered by the DSC, but if you have a big room that takes long to service multiple times a day?@, we tip them extra.

[fdpevey]

I'm sorry but you were not there; on the penultimate day his attitude and demeanour was very similar to a street beggar. As I also said he hadn't "taken care" of us for a week; he had done the job he was being paid to do and very little else. I do tip, "When in Rome" etc; but I do find the system an abomination.

 

As has been inferred I am not from a country where it is normal for service people to be well underpaid and to have to expect others to take pity on them. We pay those in the service industry a reasonable wage which we pay for up front in the cost of the service.

 

I agree with you. The whole "discretionary tipping" ... but it's really required ... and also if you undertip you're being mean and stingy and not paying the person's salary to the level that they should be earning ... aaargh!

 

These discussions of tipping really are all the same.

[ColeThornton]

I agree with you. The whole "discretionary tipping" ... but it's really required ... and also if you undertip you're being mean and stingy and not paying the person's salary to the level that they should be earning ... aaargh!

 

These discussions of tipping really are all the same.

 

 

I don't feel it's the customers concern to worry about a workers salary and the level they should be earning at. Tip what you feel is appropriate for services rendered accounting for what should be expected services as a Haven guest.

 

Of course, it's up to each of us what we think is fair compensation for services rendered.

[DMH15]

I agree with you. The whole "discretionary tipping" ... but it's really required ... and also if you undertip you're being mean and stingy and not paying the person's salary to the level that they should be earning ... aaargh!

 

 

 

These discussions of tipping really are all the same.

 

 

Exactly. When visiting places where tipping is not the culture the prices are higher, like in Sydney, Australia.

 

But, if someone uses the excuse on NCL that they don't believe in the tipping culture and therefore don't tip, they really are wanting to pay less than what the product would cost in a non-tipping environment.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums