What do I do with a butler?

[ajpies]

My husband and i are travelling aboard the Reflection in August 2019 heading to Scandinavia and are in a Sky Suite. Not really sure what to do with the butler! Can they make reservations for specialty dining etc? Bring afternoon snack? Plan cocktail parties? This is a first for us and I do not want my expectations to be too low or too high! Any hints you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

[korryp]

Yes, Yes and Yes.

[Bo1953]

If you do a search here on X's forum, you will find discussions and lists as to how to best take advantage of a butler, especially since this will be your first time...

 

You will find a few who do not have an extensive use for them and others who find them invaluable.

 

Read and prepare...

 

Enjoy and bon voyage

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I always want to bring my butler home with me, but alas, they must remain on the ship.  They're wonderful people! 

[Cruise it or lose it]

What I do. I'm always happy to meet them. I shake their hand, I ask them what they can do for me.

Basically they tell me more than I could ask! I tell them what I want. And they always surprise me with something added.

I thank them every day. 

I tip them well if they follow thru.

I wish them well when I leave,

They are very nice people who have come up the ranks to be butler.

 

[ajpies]

Thank you for your response! I am always appreciative of everyone who provides service! And will certainly do so in this case. Just curious about what kind of extra service is open to us. Tell me what has worked for you!

 

[chemmo]

3 hours ago, ajpies said:

Thank you for your response! I am always appreciative of everyone who provides service! And will certainly do so in this case. Just curious about what kind of extra service is open to us. Tell me what has worked for you!

 

 

We take a copy of our email to the shoreside concierge to give to the butler so he can use it as a check list for our room set up (pillow choices, bar set up) and confirm our dining reservations. Last two cruises this information has been forwarded but we have had cruises where only some of our information has been forwarded.

 

We ask that when we ring for coffee in the morning for our speciality coffees plus a carafe of standard. When we have a full breakfast in suite the butler will set it all up.

 

If you want to dine in one evening ask your butler to serve your meal course by course rather than everything arriving together. This is from the MDR menu.

 

We ask the butler to bring us a snack each evening and put it in the chiller to enjoy later. Sometimes we will have a shrimp platter, sometimes a cheese plate....

 

We ask for a kettle and tea tray to be set up in our room and for a small afternoon tea selection to be delivered daily at 4pm.

 

If you have any equipment issues (forgotten charger) or clothes issues (buttons) just tell your butler, he will sort it.

 

The key to getting the best out of your butler is simply to communicate with him. He will leave you his number and there is a ‘butler’ button on the phone.

 

Some butlers are more proactive than others. For example, making suggestions about afternoon snacks or simply leaving a plate of chocolate strawberries in your room. Others will simply leave you alone if you don’t ask for anything. As many guests don’t particularly want ‘looking after’ by a butler this is understandable.

 

Hope you have a fantastic cruise.

 

 

 

[GastroGnome]

Just to avoid confusion I would point out that bar set up, the availability of a chiller etc are limited to the RS and PH - not available in OP's sky suite.  It has been our experience that butlers tend to be more attentive to the upper suites.

 

Definitely they will sort dinner reservations, bring snacks or afternoon tea - although the latter is also available in Michael's club if you want.  There is dedicated suite seating in the theater on formal nights and your butler will escort you and get drinks for you.  They will get you bottled water etc if it is in your beverage package - but you will get charged if you ask them to bring drinks.  They bring and set up breakfast if you have that in the room.  If you want a party or to take part in a cabin crawl thingy they will sort a shrimp plate or similar.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Also to avoid confusion, Sky Suites do not get contacted by the Shore Side Concierge prior to the cruise.