What exactly doe a butler do in Yacht Club?

[canny_cruiser]

I'm trying YC for the first time next week.

 

I've previously sailed in a Q4 penthouse on Cunard's QM2 with a butler who didn't do very much. He couldn't even serve a hot meal in my cabin, everything was either cold or tepid, although I suspect that was a deliberate ploy to stop me ordering meals en-suite.

 

What can I expect of my MSC butler?

Edited November 2, 2017 by canny_cruiser

[Beamafar]

Well, for a start, you won't have to concern yourself with whether your in-cabin meal will be served hot or not - the room-service menu is very limited. The only hot item would be soup (I'm discounting pizza as it's separate from the room-service menu list).

 

When we were on Celebrity we decided to try "dining in" as it was such a novelty to the ability to have a full-course meal served in the cabin. Our butler insinuated that this wasn't something we could avail of regularly (I can't quite quote what he said - but we got the message!). It didn't matter enough for me to take the matter further.

 

The service you get will depend on who your butler is - some are fantastic and others are lazy so-and-sos! We tend not to use the butler very often e.g. we rarely order breakfast/room service/drinks (coffee, etc) to the room. Your butler would attend to that. In fairness, if you go to the Top Sail Lounge to get a snack and/or a drink (including coffee) to bring back to your cabin, usually the butler on duty there will insist on bringing it back to the cabin for you.

 

Your butler will unpack/pack for you, if you wish. You must be there in the cabin whilst he/she does this, though. They also polish your shoes if you request it. We never have.

 

You will most likely be escorted to the restaurant on your first evening as it's at the opposite end of the ship from the YC enclave (on Fantasia class ships), so you'll be shown the best way to get there. Also, you may be escorted to the theatre on one of the Gala nights to a specially roped-off section for YC guests.

 

When going ashore - especially if you have an excursion booked, a butler will escort you to the gangway, where you will skip the long queues of those waiting to go ashore. Be prepared for some negative reaction from some quarters on this one!

 

If you need anything at all, let your butler know and he'll do what he can to arrange it - from taking care of laundry to stocking the mini-bar with your preferred tipple (within the mini-bar range).

 

I'm sure others can add to what I've listed. They're just some of the things I can think of, off the top of my head.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

A great Butler is one who is there for you whenever you may need him but does not intrude when you don’t need him. Our butler, Mevin, was fantastic. It seemed that whenever we needed anything he was there or he would arrange it for us. He made a point to be on hand to escort us to dinner every evening. Whether we were in the lounge, in our suite or planning to leave the ship, he was there for us. All the personnel in the Yacht Club went out of their way to make sure we were well taken care of. The service was extraordinary.

[canny_cruiser]

]

They also polish your shoes if you request it.

That was the ONE thing the QM2 butler did superbly. Never seen such a shine.

 

I asked him how and he wouldn't tell me.

[dexddd]

We've only sailed YC once but our experience was great. Much better than anything we've ever had on NCL.

 

They have many duties. We never saw a steward but i know they exist. Butlers were vacuuming rooms so they appear to have some duties like that. They also rotate through TSL and by the pool area.

 

Ours actually walked us past gangway all the way onto pier for tour. On way back they also were on pier looking for guest (again - they rotate this function).

 

While they take you to restaurant the first night I don't think going down through atrium is the best way as you fight through crowds. On those ships go down to one of the floors with rooms and trek to the back of the ship. You hardly run into anyone and you only have to go down/up one or two floors vs. many.

[canny_cruiser]

While they take you to restaurant the first night I don't think going down through atrium is the best way as you fight through crowds.

Thanks, dexdd.

 

On the Fantasia, my cabin and the YC restaurant are both on Deck 15 but cabin is forward and restaurant aft. I was intending to just walk along the deck.

[thecruisers6]

2 things that stood out for us that summed it up.

Before each port day I was reminded to take sun screen, hat, towels & ice cold water (placed on our table next to our beach bag whilst we enjoyed breakfast in the restaurant)

We had 3 chocolate ships in our refrigerator (for our foster children at home) and another magically appeared for our daughter (16)

 

Amazing experience

[deliver42]

Walking along the deck s a great option, but it gets windy, and the women usually want to avoid it due to their hair. You go down to deck 7, cross to the rear, and go up to deck 15 for LeMuse. This is only for the Fantasia class, including the Divina. On the aside, everything is forward.

[canny_cruiser]

We had 3 chocolate ships in our refrigerator (for our foster children at home) and another magically appeared for our daughter (16)

Did the children like them? I took a bite from the first one I was given and thought it very poor quality chocolate. Have left them on ship ever since.

[canny_cruiser]

Walking along the deck s a great option, but it gets windy, and the women usually want to avoid it due to their hair. You go down to deck 7, cross to the rear, and go up to deck 15 for LeMuse. This is only for the Fantasia class, including the Divina. On the aside, everything is forward.

If it's raining, I plan just to go down to Deck 13 and walk along to aft then back up to 15. Will that not be possible? Do I really need to go all the way down to Deck 7?

[deliver42]

If I remember right, that was the easiest way. It's been a couple of years. I think on 13, you are going through cabin hallways, on 7 it's through the public areas.

[Capricruiser]

You can avoid the crowds by taking the Deck 13 corridor. On Deck 7 there's always a bottle-neck in the photo gallery plus the lifts that take you up to 15 are usually blocked by people waiting to enter the MDR. Deck 13 is easier and much faster but of course, it's a rather boring walk.

[dexddd]

Yeah - just go down to 13 and head to aft then back up.

 

Chocolate ship - we brought two home. Got rid of last one last night. They are solid chocolate. It smelled like chocolate chips so I'd say grind it up and make cookies.

[thecruisers6]

Just asked the little ones if they liked the chocolate ships and got “have you got another one?” So I think that’s a yes!

We left for dinner an hour early and used deck 7 stopping at the music that took our fancy and had a drink [emoji6]

 

 

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[Bossa Nova]

Did the children like them? I took a bite from the first one I was given and thought it very poor quality chocolate. Have left them on ship ever since.

I hosted a birthday party back home for a friend who cruises constantly, and had the cake decorator build an edible diorama around the chocolate ship. It was a big hit for the visual effect, even though the chocolate is not great to eat as you point out. Next time I bring home a chocolate MSC ship I plan to have the cake decorator make an edible diorama of the broken and sinking Titanic with miniature lifeboats and sharks just to tease my friend before her next cruise. :p