What do you tip your YC butler at the end?

[dexddd]

13 hours ago, Brendaflamingo said:

Thank you Rattanchair,

Finally someone who understood what I was speaking about.   All this tax and percentage made no sense at all.

I guess you have to experience Vishnu to understand as we have. Right Max996?  Now it makes we wonder if you don't have Vishnu what experience will I have then. I just wanted to have my ducks in a row when it comes to tipping a butler since this is new to me.

 Im sailing on the Divina in spring with about 20 other people. Its going to be my wedding/honeymoon. We are all in the YC and Im wondering how they are going to plan our sitting in the YC restaurant. Ha Ha It really doesn't matter.

I became engaged on the Seaside last year. I have to say with the YC experience that was the best cruise Ive ever been on and Ive been on about 60.There was about 8 of us on that cruise. My son got married in Miami and we all went on a cruise. It was so nice in the YC experience I felt like I didn't want to be with all the crowds. If they had a casino for the YC I could have just stayed there the entire time.  The Seaside has a great design with everything in the same area for the YC. I see that is a little different on the Divina. They have the restaurant on the back of the ship and YC is at the front. Its all great though, to have such a problem to have to walk to our exclusive dining. Ha Ha

Well I hope all you people experience Vishnu one day and you know experience the magic spell.  Vishnus ears must be ringing.

in 5 languages.

thanks

Vishnu is quite good but he must have been over worked on our trip in June.  Don't worry, there are many other good butlers in YC.  To name a few off top of my head, Roy, Izzy.

[Hlitner]

Sometimes when I read posts about leaving large tips for Butlers I find myself wondering if the Butlers are the one's writing the posts :).  One interesting facet of MSC that it is a Euro-centric where tipping is not a big part of the normal culture.  At one time (we have been cruising for over forty years) the norm in the cruise industry was to give tips (based on guidelines) the last night of a cruise.  But in the past 20 years the cruise industry (not the passengers) changed all the "guidelines" once they started what some would call extortionary tips (auto gratuities).  On some lines passengers were not given any choice (when it came to tips) on others they have auto tips with an option to make adjustments (although this is not always easy).  So now we have situation where you are paying auto tips and then folks think they should tip on top of the tips.  I will confess that when we have cruised on MSC we have also been pretty generous with our Butler (asking him to take care of his staff) and our favorite YC bartender.  But just saying....

 

Hank 

[Beamafar]

Hank, gratuities are now included in the fare for UK and Ireland MSC passengers, as opposed to being added as a daily service charge to the onboard account (which now makes them compulsory).  

Edited August 17, 2019 by Beamafar

[rattanchair]

1 hour ago, Hlitner said:

Sometimes when I read posts about leaving large tips for Butlers I find myself wondering if the Butlers are the one's writing the posts :). 

Dear Hank, Since I am one of those posting about what I tipped, perhaps you missed my  'Observations'  postings this summer starting in the Haven NCL, The Retreat Celebrity, and Yacht Club MSC, all done in real time while on board each day; that I am not a butler in disguise. Since I am one of the few that posted what I tipped and what we each 'feel' is appropriate at the time.  I would like to think that my tipping amounts were 'middle of the road', compared to my fellow Suite passengers.  It was my DW that said, in no uncertain terms,  that we just have to up our tipping on this particular MSC YC sailing. She wants to only sail YC Yacht Club RS from now on. ( As I once stated, I must have married an heiress, from some past life of hers). But that is what life is all about, is it not? That we treat people we come in contact with, as we ourselves would like to be treated. Man can not live on kindness alone and remuneration in an amount that comes more from the heart than from some strict code or arcane social moray ingrained in a populous from birth is something that we as individuals must overcome if we are to grow as a sentient people. Karma is a belief that forces us to learn by reversing our roles in some future life. I would like to think that one day RC as Vishnu will run into a person such as I once was.

[emmas gran]

We sailed in a Sky Suite on Celebrity in November 2018 from what I remember the gratuity added to our account was $18 per person (about £15 GBP) so MSC level is much lower for YC guests. Celebrity also has levels according to your stateroom.

We feel great service should be rewarded and will adjust MSC to Celebrity level when in YC.

[Jossie1960]

Today saying thank you is not good enough.

[mickey89]

Boy or boy, can I be a butler............if what I read here is anywhere near the truth they must be laughing all the way to the bank.  I don’t think so.......

[GratefulRIC]

9 hours ago, mickey89 said:

Boy or boy, can I be a butler............if what I read here is anywhere near the truth they must be laughing all the way to the bank.  I don’t think so.......

You don’t think they are laughing all the way to the bank or you don’t think they are getting the tips mentioned in this thread?

[emmas gran]

We have added our DSC   pre-cruise on our previous 2 YC cruises as we count it as part of the cruise fare and additional monies will be given for great service as I stated above .

Anyone doubts this I can list our cruises for you to check!! There is one cruise we removed gratuities for a waiter on Celebrity Mercury  in 2000 due to his rudeness to all our table.

[mickey89]

Philanthropist or Blowhard......... I prefer anonymity.

[CGTNORMANDIE]

47 minutes ago, mickey89 said:

Philanthropist or Blowhard......... I prefer anonymity.

 

I also prefer anonymity...but, as I have stated previously, tipping is a personal decision.  I don’t believe the purpose of this thread is to brag about how much we tip.  I think this thread illustrates that there is a wide variance in the amounts each pax tips and that is a good thing.  Each person decides if, when, how much and the appropriate amount.  It is a personal decision.  

[Jossie1960]

2 minutes ago, CGTNORMANDIE said:

 

......  I don’t believe the purpose of this thread is to brag about how much we tip........ 

You could have fooled me !

[CGTNORMANDIE]

I hesitated to say that some people, reading this thread, will be bothered by the level and frequency of tipping in the YC.  I found this thread to be enlightening.  

[rattanchair]

There is a great article in February 2019 issue of Consumer Reports on tipping. They asked etiquette experts Diane Gottsman, author of "Modern Etiquette for a better Life", Page Street Publishing, 2017, and consultant Julia Boyd to recommend which service providers to tip, and the amount. These suggested tips represent their combined recommendation.

[emmas gran]

4 hours ago, mickey89 said:

Philanthropist or Blowhard......... I prefer anonymity.

 

Neither actually but I am not getting into a slanging match

 

Edited August 18, 2019 by emmas gran

[Nashna]

I totally appreciate the willingness of some folks on this site to give the actual amount that they have tipped.  It is helpful to know.  While some of the tipping amounts appear excessive to me, I have not experienced the Royal Suite treatment that others have been exposed to.  The level of service one experiences does seem to be in proportion to the amount paid for the stateroom.  Since I am sailing in a regular Yacht Club room, I expect to receive great service.  If the service is as expected, I will give an additional tip.  I'm sure that the heavy tippers and the not-so-much tippers even out for the staff.  I don't believe anyone of the staff is getting rich on tips.

[Beamafar]

Everyone is treated the same in YC.  I've never seen those in the Royal Suites get any noticeably better service.  What can happen is that you can be lucky enough to get a wonderful butler who'll be extremely attentive - we've had one of those on a couple of sailings. We've also had MIA butlers and, while it wasn't a major problem as we're low maintenance, we didn't tip them either at the end of the cruise.  In some cases, their assistants were wonderful and we tipped them.

[Nashna]

We ask for very little extra service.  We always like to have ice in the room, extra towels and our room cleaned before 1:00pm.  We enjoy friendly, prompt service.  Unless the service is poor, we typically tip our room steward, maître de and favorite waiters extra.  I actually preferred the old way of tipping. 

 

I do not like automatic tipping.  However, I recall our very first Home Lines Cruise.  We spent a delightful week with our tablemates and the 8 of us became fast friends, sharing meals, shore excursions and activities together.  The wait staff was outstanding throughout the week. However, the waiters were rather odd at breakfast the last morning.  When we remarked on this coolness to our tablemates,  two young ladies at our table, who were also on their first cruise, confessed that they had run out of money and did not know they had to tip our wonderful waiters.  We went back to the table and increased the amount of our tip.  The head waiter confessed that he thought the table had not enjoyed his service.  When we explained that we were covering the ladies and why.  He brightened up considerably.  After that, we always signed our name on the tip envelope.  Whenever I complain about automatic tipping, I think of those waiters who were stiffed.   Unfortunately, it used to happen frequently which is why automatic tipping will continue. 

[emmas gran]

Nashna we have seen waiters given empty envelopes or envelopes containing a single dollar bill, they were passed to crew as though they were the biggest tip ever given!

[Beamafar]

6 minutes ago, emmas gran said:

Nashna we have seen waiters given empty envelopes or envelopes containing a single dollar bill, they were passed to crew as though they were the biggest tip ever given!

 

I've heard of envelopes containing blank pieces of paper being given - what kind of person does that??

[rattanchair]

8 minutes ago, emmas gran said:

Nashna we have seen waiters given empty envelopes or envelopes containing a single dollar bill, they were passed to crew as though they were the biggest tip ever given!

Why I stopped using envelopes years ago.  I like to think that repeaters are remembered years to come. In fact I know we are remembered.. Having sailed repeatedly years ago on Home Lines Atlantic, we were always treated like 'Royalty' while on board, which made us re-book year after year. We were not in any suite at the time, 2 lowers on the inside. Our table mates were two couples from UK, in suites. We requested our former waiter when we got on board with the maitre d' (and a tip to insure our request). Our treatment at dinners was noticeably apparent to our table mates, which they took umbrage ,since 'they were in a suite". They stiffed our waiter and said they would do so on tip night to show their displeasure; for my getting a larger piece of cake when desserts were served? Hardly an an offense deserving such an action. Very 'touchy' this 'Leisure Class'. I did the same as you did, and told our waiter here is an extra $200 to make up for our dead beat table mates.

[capriccio]

1 hour ago, Beamafar said:

 

I've heard of envelopes containing blank pieces of paper being given - what kind of person does that??

Cheap and shameless!

[rkacruiser]

1 hour ago, rattanchair said:

Why I stopped using envelopes years ago.  I like to think that repeaters are remembered years to come. In fact I know we are remembered.

 

I USE envelopes to offer whatever amount of an additional gratuity I choose to give to whomever on a ship.  I enclose a brief not of appreciation for their service.  I would be most uncomfortable in doing otherwise.

 

I used to leave an additional cash amount, about $1.00/drink order.  Some time ago, doing so provided my next beverage to be a generous pour.  Not so much now.  I do provide an additional gratuity for excellent bar service at the end of the cruise.  Most recent example of a "payback" for such was on the Westerdam during sailaway when the bartender recognized me from a previous cruise.  He filled my glass of CC-7 three-quarters full of CC!

[rkacruiser]

On 8/17/2019 at 8:50 AM, Hlitner said:

Sometimes when I read posts about leaving large tips for Butlers I find myself wondering if the Butlers are the one's writing the posts :).

 

Yes, I have thought that as well.  

 

I am not disparaging those who find offering large gratuities for MSC Butlers worth doing so.  Perhaps their lifestyle is different than mine and such service is what they routinely experience.  If they believe such service is desired, of course, their staff should be rewarded.   

 

 

[rkacruiser]

On 8/17/2019 at 8:50 AM, Hlitner said:

I will confess that when we have cruised on MSC we have also been pretty generous with our Butler (asking him to take care of his staff) and our favorite YC bartender. 

 

Your comment concerns me.  What do you mean about "asking him to take care of his staff" and "our favorite YC bartender.

 

What "staff" ought to expect something from a gratuity left for one's Butler?

 

You expect your Butler to share whatever to give additionally to your YC favorite bartender?  Why not do so directly?  And, what about the YC Restaurant Staff?

 

And, then we add to the possible "additional gratuity" list the YC Concierge, the YC Maitre d' , the Wine Steward, and who knows ??.