Ncl Butler Tipping

[Hutcha]

On 3/1/2022 at 3:06 AM, mrshorsy said:

Not sure if its a Brit/USA thing but I firmly believe that a tip is earned its not an expectation and that goes across the board eg restaurants, hotels, taxis etc 

On our last Cruise we nicknamed our Butler The Stealth Ninja as we hardly saw him and he certainly didn’t do anything that would have earned him a £40 per day of cruise tip !(there were 4 of us). However the young lad who serviced our cabin everyday was amazing. He was really personable chatted to us every day about what we’d been up to offered tips on what to see at each port, sorted a birthday surprise for my son (we couldn’t get hold of the butler to sort it) So we tipped him quite well. We even (and not sure this is strictly allowed) bought his lunch when we bumped into him on shore! 

So the crux of my message is though I get some people may appreciate a guideline I will always tip what I think is deserved x

 

On 3/4/2022 at 8:00 AM, Trimone said:

I don’t understand this tipping phenomenon, a person is employed to do a professional job, if they go above that criteria then I will tip, I will not tip anyone for the sake of it…

It is a Brit/US thing. What you two fail to grasp is that there are certain industries where tipping is built into the compensation package. The restaurant and cruise industries are two where it's definitely at play. A waitress can make as little as $2.15 an hour, while an entry level job at the McDonald's across the street is paying $12/hr (or more). This low wage is allowed because the government knows that this worker will be receiving the bulk of their income in tips. You don't have to agree with it or like it, but the next time you get crappy service, especially in a tourist area, know that it's probably because of your accent. A butler is a position that should be tipped. If the butler is neglectful, or just bad, then withholding a tip may be appropriate. It is my opinion, however that just because you personally didn't use your butler they shouldn't be denied a tip. They took the position knowing that tips are built into the package.

 

Do you remove the prepaid tips, and only tip those that give you excellent service when you cruise?

[Trimone]

3 minutes ago, Hutcha said:

 

It is a Brit/US thing. What you two fail to grasp is that there are certain industries where tipping is built into the compensation package. The restaurant and cruise industries are two where it's definitely at play. A waitress can make as little as $2.15 an hour, while an entry level job at the McDonald's across the street is paying $12/hr (or more). This low wage is allowed because the government knows that this worker will be receiving the bulk of their income in tips. You don't have to agree with it or like it, but the next time you get crappy service, especially in a tourist area, know that it's probably because of your accent. A butler is a position that should be tipped. If the butler is neglectful, or just bad, then withholding a tip may be appropriate. It is my opinion, however that just because you personally didn't use your butler they shouldn't be denied a tip. They took the position knowing that tips are built into the package.

 

Do you remove the prepaid tips, and only tip those that give you excellent service when you cruise?

Are you aware of what the concierge and butlers salaries are? Research it you might be surprised 😯 

[Hutcha]

1 minute ago, Trimone said:

Are you aware of what the concierge and butlers salaries are? Research it you might be surprised 😯 

Does it matter if tips are also part of the package?

[mrshorsy]

To be fair the research I did looked like they were actually paid quite well especially as they get room/board and medical cover.

I have absolutely no issue with tipping but will proportion it to places where I feel it is the most deserved. We don’t have a never ending pot of money and so if a member of staff is going above and beyond and making us feel special on our trip then I am more inclined to give them the bigger tip, whatever their position is. I also think that the room steward we tipped on our last trip would probably been on a significantly lower rate than the butler but he was doing what we considered were jobs our butler should have done according to the NCL guidelines 

[complawyer]

well, it's a u.s vs. u.k thing i guess.. most people tip service workers for the services they perform, regardless of what they are paid.  if someone is doing me a service, i tip them. the amount depends on the service provided. i believe in tipping skycap that takes my luggage at the airport, the cab driver, 

 

i understand that the concept of tipping is different in europe than in the states.

 

the porter that takes my bags at dockside, the room steward, butler, concierge, waiters/waitresses , bartenders etc.  

 

you dont need a "never ending pot of money" just maybe a couple of $100 more.

 

we have a saying, if you cant afford to tip, dont go out to eat!

 

likewise,  if youre spending $1000's of dollars on a cruise and all its extras (excursions, souveniers) how can you justify not tipping unless it's "above and beyond" the call of duty.

 

by the way, if you feel that way, what is your criteria.

 

the tipping post has gone on for a long time, wit many different opinions. 

 

bottom line, if you dont want to tip and feel the daily included gratuities are sufficient, that's totally up to you. no one should be expected to tip if they choose not to,however, i choose to do so

[MoCruiseFan]

NCL Butler Tipping?  Is that anything like Cow Tipping?

[MoCruiseFan]

22 hours ago, Hutcha said:

Do you remove the prepaid tips, and only tip those that give you excellent service when you cruise?

There are no prepaid tips on NCL other than the small amount on FAS packages which you cant remove.

[Hutcha]

9 hours ago, mrshorsy said:

I also think that the room steward we tipped on our last trip would probably been on a significantly lower rate than the butler but he was doing what we considered were jobs our butler should have done according to the NCL guidelines 

This last part is totally fair. If the butler isn't doing his job, he doesn't deserve a tip. 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Hutcha

[Hutcha]

31 minutes ago, MoCruiseFan said:

There are no prepaid tips on NCL other than the small amount on FAS packages which you cant remove.

Oh, I was told by someone on a cruise last week that they removed the automatic tipping once they were on board, and then just tipped the people that served them. I must have been mistaken.

[Two Wheels Only]

20 minutes ago, Hutcha said:

Oh, I was told by someone on a cruise last week that they removed the automatic tipping once they were on board, and then just tipped the people that served them. I must have been mistaken.

 

They likely removed the daily service charge aka discretionary service charge (DSC).

[rick160158]

If the butler's salary is descent, as waiters salaries are in Australia, where there is no tipping, as it is also in Japan, then I can see the points made by some.

[JGander]

On 3/1/2022 at 6:28 AM, MoCruiseFan said:

These "how much should I tip" threads are so silly.  The only correct answer is to tip whomever you want however much you want whenever you want.  When you go out to dinner, do you poll all of the other patrons to ask how much they are tipping?  There is no standard, suggest, or usual amount to tip.  What others tip is none of your business...

 

If you are from the US the standard tip rate for going out to eat is 15%, although there has been a push to move this to 18%.

 

So asking what is the "norm" to tip in unusual circumstances isn't that strange.

 

As a scuba diver what I tip per tank in S FL is going to be different than what I tip for SE Asia per tank. And what I tip per tank also changes based on the type of service provided.

 

Knowing what the "normal" tipping structure is allows someone to not feel they have been to cheap in their tip, and also to ensure someone hasn't tipped above and beyond for basic services.

[BirdTravels]

On 3/7/2022 at 1:36 PM, Trimone said:

Are you aware of what the concierge and butlers salaries are? Research it you might be surprised 😯 

Per the prior post, "what their contract value is" versus what NCL pays them is totally different. Like the waitress making $2.15/hour, tipped workers are "paid" much less than their minimum contract and the first portion of the "tip" is used to bring them up to their minimum contract value before that make that surprised salary. 

[UKstages]

i don't have time to go through all nine pages of this, but i'm sure i probably contributed pithy words of wisdom when the thread originally bared its ugly head a year or more ago.

 

i just stopped by this time to quickly remind folks that "butler tipping," while not nearly as popular as "cow tipping" is a time-honored tradition and an acceptable prank if you're looking for something fun to do on a sea day. it's gaining traction globally, even though most butlers do not like it, particularly those with vertigo. be kind to your butler... only tip him or her when they can see you approaching, never from behind. and, if possible, make sure there  is a pillow or cushion on which they can fall. also pay no attention to the methods used or the frequency with which others tip their butlers; it has no relevance to how or how often you tip your own butler.

[havoc315]

On 3/8/2022 at 3:09 AM, mrshorsy said:

To be fair the research I did looked like they were actually paid quite well especially as they get room/board and medical cover.

I have absolutely no issue with tipping but will proportion it to places where I feel it is the most deserved. We don’t have a never ending pot of money and so if a member of staff is going above and beyond and making us feel special on our trip then I am more inclined to give them the bigger tip, whatever their position is. I also think that the room steward we tipped on our last trip would probably been on a significantly lower rate than the butler but he was doing what we considered were jobs our butler should have done according to the NCL guidelines 

Room and board? So do prisoners in a jail. 
They aren’t getting a balcony cabin. They are getting a crowded bunk in a tiny space shared with other crew members. So that they can “be at work” 24/7, for several months at a time, away from their families.  
 

Would you consider it a positive part of your compensation if you were taken away from your family for 3 months, and given a small closet to sleep in for that time… While you work for sub-minimum wage, 7 days per week?

No, the salaries are not very good, for a 24/7 job.  They typically come out to a non-tip salary of well under $10 per hour.  

 

 

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, havoc315 said:

Room and board? So do prisoners in a jail. 
They aren’t getting a balcony cabin. They are getting a crowded bunk in a tiny space shared with other crew members. So that they can “be at work” 24/7, for several months at a time, away from their families.  
 

Would you consider it a positive part of your compensation if you were taken away from your family for 3 months, and given a small closet to sleep in for that time… While you work for sub-minimum wage, 7 days per week?

No, the salaries are not very good, for a 24/7 job.  They typically come out to a non-tip salary of well under $10 per hour.  

 

 

Some proof of the salary please

[havoc315]

35 minutes ago, zqvol said:

Some proof of the salary please

So Glassdoor says base pay, without tips, of $3327 per month. They don’t get any days off, work 12-16 hours per day. (Can say they work 24 hours per day since they don’t get to go home with their family at the end of the day). 
so that’s about $110 per day. If you do a 12 hour day, that’s $9 per hour. At a 16 hour day, that’s $6.87 per hour.  If you did consider it 24 hours, it’s $4.58 per hour. 
 

would you leave your family for 3 months at a time, to sleep in a small closet, work long hours, get no days off, or $4-$9 per hour?

 

 

[complawyer]

havoc315. while i appreciate your input, please advise the relevance of your post.

 

to tip or not to tip (that is the question) has been discussed, debated and beaten to death (imo) here!

the butler is not part of  the pool for participation of the DSC.

 

he is assigned to provide assistance to you and a limited number of other cabins. How can anyone argue that he/she is not entitled to a tip at the end of the cruise. My butler shows up every morning (per request) with  pot of coffee, hot water for tea, a pot of  decafe, and assorted sweet rolls, croissants and muffins. in the afternoon, he brings assorted meats/cheeses and crackers, and keeps me supplied with bowls of peanut m&m's and gummie bears.

 

at the end of a long, hot  shore excursion, (again upon request) he brings in a couple of bottles of ice cold Heineken.  Who could ask for anything more. 

 

it seems self evident,  that if you have booked a cabin that provides butler service (usually a haven or "suite") that you should anticipate tipping at the end. If this doesnt enter or coincide with  your plans, maybe booking this category cabin is not the correct fit

 

I for one would not even consider not leaving a tip. In my mind, it's a non-issue

[havoc315]

21 minutes ago, complawyer said:

havoc315. while i appreciate your input, please advise the relevance of your post.

 

 

The prior poster suggested that the butlers have a very high base salary that it not dependent on tips, (and thry therefore see no reason to tip) and asked me to provide a source that the base salary is actually low. 

 

 

 

21 minutes ago, complawyer said:

to tip or not to tip (that is the question) has been discussed, debated and beaten to death (imo) here!

the butler is not part of  the pool for participation of the DSC.

 

he is assigned to provide assistance to you and a limited number of other cabins. How can anyone argue that he/she is not entitled to a tip at the end of the cruise. My butler shows up every morning (per request) with  pot of coffee, hot water for tea, a pot of  decafe, and assorted sweet rolls, croissants and muffins. in the afternoon, he brings assorted meats/cheeses and crackers, and keeps me supplied with bowls of peanut m&m's and gummie bears.

 

at the end of a long, hot  shore excursion, (again upon request) he brings in a couple of bottles of ice cold Heineken.  Who could ask for anything more. 

 

it seems self evident,  that if you have booked a cabin that provides butler service (usually a haven or "suite") that you should anticipate tipping at the end. If this doesnt enter or coincide with  your plans, maybe booking this category cabin is not the correct fit

 

I for one would not even consider not leaving a tip. In my mind, it's a non-issue

 

[zqvol]

7 minutes ago, havoc315 said:

 

The prior poster suggested that the butlers have a very high base salary that it not dependent on tips, (and thry therefore see no reason to tip) and asked me to provide a source that the base salary is actually low. 

 

 

 

 

The prior poster did no such thing. I only wanted to know your sources. Don’t put words in peoples mouths. 

[havoc315]

2 minutes ago, zqvol said:

The prior poster did no such thing. I only wanted to know your sources. Don’t put words in peoples mouths. 

Sorry, I combined you with other prior posters. You simply asked for source. Above your post, was the suggestion butlers are well paid and therefore only need be tipped for exceptional service. 

Edited February 13 by havoc315

[pcakes122]

On 2/12/2024 at 5:54 PM, havoc315 said:

So Glassdoor says base pay, without tips, of $3327 per month. They don’t get any days off, work 12-16 hours per day. (Can say they work 24 hours per day since they don’t get to go home with their family at the end of the day). 
so that’s about $110 per day. If you do a 12 hour day, that’s $9 per hour. At a 16 hour day, that’s $6.87 per hour.  If you did consider it 24 hours, it’s $4.58 per hour. 
 

would you leave your family for 3 months at a time, to sleep in a small closet, work long hours, get no days off, or $4-$9 per hour?

 

 

Some context would help you understand why people (from the Philippines, for example) make the decision to work for the cruise lines. Basically an NCL butler is making in a single MONTH on the ship more than the average YEARLY salary at home.

 

And that is BEFORE tips.

 

Cruise crew members are not stupid or indentured servants. They are smart people making excellent financial decisions for their families (albeit by sacrificing family time, but the significant earning opportunity makes it worth it for many.)

 

 

 

[cruiseny4life]

On 2/12/2024 at 5:54 PM, havoc315 said:

So Glassdoor says base pay, without tips, of $3327 per month. They don’t get any days off, work 12-16 hours per day. (Can say they work 24 hours per day since they don’t get to go home with their family at the end of the day). 
so that’s about $110 per day. If you do a 12 hour day, that’s $9 per hour. At a 16 hour day, that’s $6.87 per hour.  If you did consider it 24 hours, it’s $4.58 per hour. 
 

would you leave your family for 3 months at a time, to sleep in a small closet, work long hours, get no days off, or $4-$9 per hour?

 

 

Do you cruise? After you found out what the "hourly" wage, do you still cruise? How can you ethically cruise if staff are paid so shoddily?

 

I remember, back in the day, I was paid about $0.50 when I worked at camp. We worked 18 hours a day and as a "director" of a program area, I was paid just over $1,200 for the summer season. I happily worked for that pay. I'm sure cruise line employees (who work a much harder job than I ever did at camp) wouldn't continue to sign contracts if they felt differently about their work and remuneration.

[havoc315]

3 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

Do you cruise? After you found out what the "hourly" wage, do you still cruise? How can you ethically cruise if staff are paid so shoddily?

 

I remember, back in the day, I was paid about $0.50 when I worked at camp. We worked 18 hours a day and as a "director" of a program area, I was paid just over $1,200 for the summer season. I happily worked for that pay. I'm sure cruise line employees (who work a much harder job than I ever did at camp) wouldn't continue to sign contracts if they felt differently about their work and remuneration.

They sign contracts because the income WITH TIPS is far better than they can make at home. 
 

Those tips are a major consideration in signing those contracts.  That and desperation. 
 

And if you think you working at a summer camp decades ago is really the least bit comparable… 

[havoc315]

5 hours ago, pcakes122 said:

Some context would help you understand why people (from the Philippines, for example) make the decision to work for the cruise lines. Basically an NCL butler is making in a single MONTH on the ship more than the average YEARLY salary at home.

 

And that is BEFORE tips.

 

Cruise crew members are not stupid or indentured servants. They are smart people making excellent financial decisions for their families (albeit by sacrificing family time, but the significant earning opportunity makes it worth it for many.)

 

 

 

Correct… they are making far more than they could at home. They are still making peanuts while working their butts off, so that guests can spend their purely discretionary income on a vacation.  
 

It’s really something to think, “why should I tip you?!? You’re already earning 1/10 of a McDonalds cashier which is far better than most people in your country!”