Haven Room Service

[tracyfitzs]

Hey All, I got upgraded to the HAVEN (bid to upgrade) on 11/21 encore! YAY.

 

Were not huge on room service but the option for a hot breakfast room service each morning sounds perfect.  Is it super easy to get a traditional eggs, bacon, toast breakfast delivered in the Haven daily?  Can I just tip at the end or should I tip for each delivery?

 

Any other tips for me to take advantage of?

[Hadacareer]

3 minutes ago, tracyfitzs said:

Hey All, I got upgraded to the HAVEN (bid to upgrade) on 11/21 encore! YAY.

 

Were not huge on room service but the option for a hot breakfast room service each morning sounds perfect.  Is it super easy to get a traditional eggs, bacon, toast breakfast delivered in the Haven daily?  Can I just tip at the end or should I tip for each delivery?

 

Any other tips for me to take advantage of?

 

[Hadacareer]

Just now, Hadacareer said:

 

 

Just now, Hadacareer said:

 

Of course, suggest you request from haven restaurant..tipping a reminder, your concierge and butler are not included on your gratuities you pay to ncl for everyone else.  Personal choice, we pay a little up front ($50) with a small gift bag with a note that the rest is coming at the end of our awesome cruise!

[WarfRatWA]

17 minutes ago, tracyfitzs said:

Hey All, I got upgraded to the HAVEN (bid to upgrade) on 11/21 encore! YAY.

 

Were not huge on room service but the option for a hot breakfast room service each morning sounds perfect.  Is it super easy to get a traditional eggs, bacon, toast breakfast delivered in the Haven daily?  Can I just tip at the end or should I tip for each delivery?

 

Any other tips for me to take advantage of?

 

As noted above, request your room service to be from the Haven Restaurant.  Save your bottle of 'sparkling' wine and order a pitcher of OJ with your breakfast and enjoy a mimosa or two.

 

Your butler will likely be the one to serve you in your room, and butlers are not included in the tip pool.  You can tip each time or save it up til the end (my preferred method), but tip I would, of course everyone has their own method or madness when it comes to tipping.

 

We might do 1 or 2 room service breakfasts, usually on port days to give us a little extra time before departing the ship, particularly if we put our drink plan through the paces the night before.

 

Enjoy the Haven and have a great time.

[gizfish]

You can order any food that is currently being served somewhere on board to be delivered to your room.  (If there is a fee for that item, you will be charged for it.)  You can also have a standing breakfast room service order with the butler that can act as your wakeup call.  I have heard of people in the larger Haven cabins telling the butler to just bring the food in and leave it in one of the rooms outside the bedroom, so as not to disturb the guests.  According to "butler etiquette," you tip your butler at the end of the cruise.  Tipping up front is looked at by any good butler as a bribe and can be seen as insulting in that you are concerned they will not provide excellent service without pre-payment.  Tipping at each delivery is not required or expected, since your total tip takes into account all of the butler's services for the entire cruise.  However, at night one butler is the on call butler for room service deliveries, so if it is not your usual butler, you may want to tip on that occasion.  

[GeezerCouple]

4 minutes ago, gizfish said:

You can order any food that is currently being served somewhere on board to be delivered to your room.  (If there is a fee for that item, you will be charged for it.)  You can also have a standing breakfast room service order with the butler that can act as your wakeup call.  I have heard of people in the larger Haven cabins telling the butler to just bring the food in and leave it in one of the rooms outside the bedroom, so as not to disturb the guests.  According to "butler etiquette," you tip your butler at the end of the cruise.  Tipping up front is looked at by any good butler as a bribe and can be seen as insulting in that you are concerned they will not provide excellent service without pre-payment.  Tipping at each delivery is not required or expected, since your total tip takes into account all of the butler's services for the entire cruise.  However, at night one butler is the on call butler for room service deliveries, so if it is not your usual butler, you may want to tip on that occasion.  

 

We did this... requested that the butler bring in our breakfast at the time requested, even if we were asleep, and even if there weren't separate rooms.  Some "suites" are really one big room, etc.

In fact, in the short intro letter we hand our butler upon first meeting, we mention that any "privacy" sign is NOT intended for the butler.  That the butler should just knock/etc., and then come inside... that IF we don't want them to enter, we will bolt the door.  Very simple.  When there has just been "one big room", if we aren't already awake, the very soft, occasional clinking of china or such may wake us up.  If so, and we want to "talk", we'll just mumble a "good morning", and invariably get a very soft, pleasant "good morning" in response, and nothing more unless we continue speaking.  They are professionals, and most are very good at what they do.

 

In that short "intro" letter that we hand the butler, we mention that we realize they are very busy that first afternoon/evening, and this way, they can read what we wrote later and not have to memorize things. We include things like food allergies, preferred refreshments, and any other information that will make things easier and more pleasant for the butler and for us.  Win/win.

 

GC

 

 

[david_sobe]

Congrats on your upgrade.  Prepared to be spoiled.  The Encore Haven is 3 decks of Bliss. You can have your butler bring you anything from the Haven restaurant.  However, one giant perk is having the Haven restaurant just outside your door.  Unless you really love eating in your cabin, you can just walks steps outside your door and eat inside or outside in the Haven restaurant.  They have a very nice outside seating area too.  Even if you are in a rush, its super convenient to have a restaurant outside your door.  The staff will great you by name every morning.  Take full advantage of such luxury.  Also visit the Horizon lounge every morning for coffee, tea, or pastries.  Its like sailing your own private yacht.  Nothing wrong with eating in your cabin but soak up that luxury while on board.  No dress code and you can eat in your pajamas if you want 😉  When to tip the butler is completely up to you.  There are no rules and everyone does it different.

Edited November 11, 2021 by david_sobe

[FLcruisergrl]

One thing we started doing, that our butlers have been very appreciative of, is leaving a short note each morning of what time we’ll be back from excursions and what we might be craving for snacks each day or any special needs. They’ve mentioned how helpful it is.

[Sthrngary]

3 hours ago, gizfish said:

Tipping up front is looked at by any good butler as a bribe and can be seen as insulting in that you are concerned they will not provide excellent service without pre-payment.

My experience is completely different.  The Butlers on NCL have told me more then once, folks leave the ship assuming they were part of the gratuities program.  Since hearing that, I have written a letter, sharing my families likes/dislikes and tipped on the very first day.  I am not challenging your notion, I am only giving my experience.  Please don't take it that way.

 

This approach of letter and gratuity has been pretty consistent.  Since starting, my butlers have been outstanding.  Before, they were hit or miss. This is my experience and what I share with other to do especially when they say their butler did nothing for them.

 

Look, all I want is to take a vacation, have great service and know the rules.  I have been cruising for 42 years.  Up to a few years ago, I would NEVER provide a gratuity upfront.  These times, they are a changing.  

 

I have to add, I now over tip just a bit for everyone.  The last 2 years has been a tough time for some of these folks.  It won't make up for the lost of income in the last two years, but it might just assist a bit. 

 

Cruise well.

[BirdTravels]

9 hours ago, tracyfitzs said:

Hey All, I got upgraded to the HAVEN (bid to upgrade) on 11/21 encore! YAY. Were not huge on room service but the option for a hot breakfast room service each morning sounds perfect.  Is it super easy to get a traditional eggs, bacon, toast breakfast delivered in the Haven daily?  Can I just tip at the end or should I tip for each delivery? Any other tips for me to take advantage of?

You make all requests through your butler. Not directly with the restaurant. There is a breakfast card in your room with check boxes. Ignore the check boxes and write what you want. 

 

Egg white omelet (specify your fillings), eggs over easy, filet steak, bacon, ham, sausage, mushrooms, gilled tomato, breakfast potatoes, hash browns, fresh fruit, fresh breads, juices, coffees, and a Diet Pepsi. You butler will bring your food at the designated time and serve it on a white table cloth. We do this on busy port days to save time. 

 

 

[tracyfitzs]

8 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

You make all requests through your butler. Not directly with the restaurant. There is a breakfast card in your room with check boxes. Ignore the check boxes and write what you want. 

 

Egg white omelet (specify your fillings), eggs over easy, filet steak, bacon, ham, sausage, mushrooms, gilled tomato, breakfast potatoes, hash browns, fresh fruit, fresh breads, juices, coffees, and a Diet Pepsi. You butler will bring your food at the designated time and serve it on a white table cloth. We do this on busy port days to save time. 

 

 

Wow that all looks so amazing. I’m husband is a FL high school teacher and coach. He works harder than anyone! This is going to be such a treat for him and I! 
 

Do we need to answer the door for them to come in? Since we have a 2bedroom I’m fine with the butler coming in and setting things up on their own (we will tip, no worries there). 
 

one person mentioned a little pretip and gift- what gift would be appropriate? 

Edited November 12, 2021 by tracyfitzs

[don't-use-real-name]

5 minutes ago, tracyfitzs said:

Wow that all looks so amazing. I’m husband is a teacher and coach. He works harder than anyone! This is going to be such a treat for him and I! 
 

Do we need to answer the door for them to come in? Since we have a 2bedroom I’m fine with the butler coming in and setting things up on their own (we will tip, no worries there). 
 

one person mentioned a little pretip and gift- what gift would be appropriate? 

It is a simple matter of communication - - - - - 

 

Your Butler will escort you to your (Haven) suite quarters or later on the day of embarking.

At that time you can be introduced to the breakfast menu door card or inform the Butler

of your breakfast or other meal beverage requests.

With that noted the Butler can deliver the breakfast and set it up so as to not disturb your

late sleeping in - he will or will not ring the door bell as you request.

 

Tips and gift ideas are your own intervention - read on here at for more CC input.

 

 

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, tracyfitzs said:

Any other tips for me to take advantage of?

Have your room steward empty your mini-bar and have your butler keep filled pitchers of water, ice team, or juices. 

 

Each afternoon, your room steward will bring your the treat of the day. If you have special requests, have your butler bring your favorite treat also (we sometimes order a PB&J sandwich for us big kids). If you like cheese, have a cheese plate brought up daily. 

 

We always ask for full bowls of gummy bears, M&Ms (peanut or plain), and bar mix. Each night, the snacks go into a ziplock bag for shore excursions the next day (yeah... it is technically illegal to bring unpackaged foods off the ship). 

 

 

[BirdTravels]

14 minutes ago, tracyfitzs said:

Wow that all looks so amazing. I’m husband is a FL high school teacher and coach. He works harder than anyone! This is going to be such a treat for him and I! 
 

Do we need to answer the door for them to come in? Since we have a 2bedroom I’m fine with the butler coming in and setting things up on their own (we will tip, no worries there). 
 

one person mentioned a little pretip and gift- what gift would be appropriate? 

So,,, you can tell your butler to enter without being let in. Normally they will wait in the hall and keep ringing the door bell. 

 

wrt tipping, you normally tip your butler and concierge at the end of the cruise, not per service since. The butlers will be in your room 3 times a day (or more if you have room service). Once for the morning cleaning, evening turn down, and to drop off the snacks of the day. 

 

wrt to room service, you can order from any restaurant on the ship. If your ship has a Haven restaurant, you can order off their menu. Or the MDR. Or from any of the specialty restaurants (you need to pay with a specialty dining package credit or as a room charge for specialty dining). For a dinner, your butler will ask if you want them to serve it all at once or by course. (Hint: They will pick up all the food all at once and hold it in the butler pantry down the hall from your room. They will be running around between courses, so it won't be a smooth as sitting in a restaurant. We ask them to just bring all of the food and stack it on the counter.)

[GeezerCouple]

2 minutes ago, tracyfitzs said:

Wow that all looks so amazing. I’m husband is a teacher and coach. He works harder than anyone! This is going to be such a treat for him and I! 
 

Do we need to answer the door for them to come in? Since we have a 2bedroom I’m fine with the butler coming in and setting things up on their own (we will tip, no worries there). 
 

one person mentioned a little pretip and gift- what gift would be appropriate? 

 

We posted the following bit above:

 

3 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

We did this... requested that the butler bring in our breakfast at the time requested, even if we were asleep, and even if there weren't separate rooms.  Some "suites" are really one big room, etc.

In fact, in the short intro letter we hand our butler upon first meeting, we mention that any "privacy" sign is NOT intended for the butler.  That the butler should just knock/etc., and then come inside... that IF we don't want them to enter, we will bolt the door.  Very simple.  When there has just been "one big room", if we aren't already awake, the very soft, occasional clinking of china or such may wake us up.  If so, and we want to "talk", we'll just mumble a "good morning", and invariably get a very soft, pleasant "good morning" in response, and nothing more unless we continue speaking.  They are professionals, and most are very good at what they do.

 

In that short "intro" letter that we hand the butler, we mention that we realize they are very busy that first afternoon/evening, and this way, they can read what we wrote later and not have to memorize things. We include things like food allergies, preferred refreshments, and any other information that will make things easier and more pleasant for the butler and for us.  Win/win.

 

GC

 

The butlers are professionals, and most of them are really special (we've had one who wasn't quite up to snuff; unfortunately, that was our first cruise with a butler, so we didn't quite realize the shortcomings or get more specific with our requests).

 

The main thing is to be pleasant and respectful (obviously!).  Our feeling is that the burden (to the extent that anything involving a butler is a *burden*!!?? 😉 ) is on us to help the butler understand what we want, expect, etc.  They can't read minds, and they have several/many other guests to work with.  And that first afternoon and evening, they try to meet ALL of the new passengers.  I don't have the best memory, but even if I had my "more youthful" memory, I can't imagine dealing with the newly arriving pax in Suite A who quickly mention that they want 2 fresh OJ every morning, and a half an hour later, a pot of hot coffee for  with one hot milk and one cold cream, and they prefer a plate of cheese and crackers whenever we return from an excursion... and then the newly arriving pax in Suite B who want tea for 2, one with milk, one with lemon, and croissants with apricot preserves, and then Suite C who simply say "all we want is PB&J sandwiches every afternoon about 3"... "all they want"?  along with all the other passengers newly assigned to this butler...!?  And that's less than half of the assigned suites...  😱

I'm making that up, but only partly...

How they even learn our all the names is beyond me!

 

We've also had butlers thank us for the "greeting" note, and any other notes along the way.  Those are more things they do *not* have to try to remember on the run, or quickly write down, on the run, etc.!

We feel incredibly fortunate to be able to travel like this, and we try to show our appreciation verbally - and frequently. - as well as at the end with a nice tip.

GC

[Silver Sweethearts]

45 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

The butlers will be in your room 3 times a day (or more if you have room service). Once for the morning cleaning, evening turn down, and to drop off the snacks of the day. 

 

In our experience, butlers do not do morning cleaning or evening turn down.  That is for the room steward/stewardess to handle.

[nyc2pdx]

4 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

In our experience, butlers do not do morning cleaning or evening turn down.  That is for the room steward/stewardess to handle.

In my limited experience, while the steward did the morning cleaning and evening turn down, the butler still came in and inspected.  On my last cruise, I was on the balcony reading (he didn't see me) and I was curious, so just observed.  He did things like make sure the glasses were lined up in the case, the silverware was all uniform, the pillows on the bed were lined up, the towels were lined up, any papers were tidied.  Yes, he was only in there for a few minutes, and I did open the balcony door and alert him I was there.  He and I talked about it because I was curious and he said part of his job as Butler was to make sure nothing was overlooked during the morning cleaning and evening turndown.  I enjoyed talking with him about butler duties, as I had no idea!  They are happy to fill you in, generally.

And another passenger also told me-be sure to get a stack of comment cards from the concierge the last few days of the cruise.  Fill one out for anyone who made your cruise great and give them to the concierge (I also do a copy for the person too and hand it to them on the last day).  Those comment cards are read, and they do help determine who is invited back for another contract, and how much they are offered...along with promotions.  Being specific is key.  I wrote a comment card for the Maitre d' at the Haven Restaurant because (1) she greeted me by name every time I saw her (2) she genuinely wanted to know how my day was, and what fun things I did (and recommended things to me) and (3) she figured out where I liked to sit and always had that table open for me.  On the comment card I talked about how special as a guest I felt, and how it made me smile every day.  I ended up looking forward to my interactions with her everyday, and came to the Haven Restaurant more because I knew I would be welcomed (not to say I wouldn't in other places...but you get the idea).  Sure, it is there job to do this...but enjoy it!  It is their job to make you feel great.  You'll be surprised how on your next cruise they recognise you and say hello!  

[nyc2pdx]

5 hours ago, don't-use-real-name said:

It is a simple matter of communication - - - - - 

 

Your Butler will escort you to your (Haven) suite quarters or later on the day of embarking.

At that time you can be introduced to the breakfast menu door card or inform the Butler

of your breakfast or other meal beverage requests.

With that noted the Butler can deliver the breakfast and set it up so as to not disturb your

late sleeping in - he will or will not ring the door bell as you request.

 

Tips and gift ideas are your own intervention - read on here at for more CC input.

 

 

Hmmm...I guess I always jumped the gun and ended up going to my room before the butler took me.  When did the butler collect you?  

 

When I board, they usually take us up to the Haven Lounge, and go over the concierge type stuff-booking restaurants, shows...Once I do that, I went for lunch and then went to muster.  Then I usually find my room myself.  Sometimes I don't meet the Butler until he delivers breakfast the next day.

[Sthrngary]

11 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

Have your room steward empty your mini-bar and have your butler keep filled pitchers of water, ice team, or juices. 

 

Each afternoon, your room steward will bring your the treat of the day. If you have special requests, have your butler bring your favorite treat also (we sometimes order a PB&J sandwich for us big kids). If you like cheese, have a cheese plate brought up daily. 

 

We always ask for full bowls of gummy bears, M&Ms (peanut or plain), and bar mix. Each night, the snacks go into a ziplock bag for shore excursions the next day (yeah... it is technically illegal to bring unpackaged foods off the ship). 

 

 

@BirdTravelsI would like to personally thank you for your thoughts and these pictures.  It brings back memories and allows me to stay focused on my diet for another two weeks.  My favorite part of a cruise is the food.  My least favorite part of a cruise is the weight I gain.  So my entire family, has been dieting for several months so this food and other will be super special.  

 

Thank you again, this was true "Food Porn".  LOL

[mjcatlvr]

11 hours ago, tracyfitzs said:

Wow that all looks so amazing. I’m husband is a FL high school teacher and coach. He works harder than anyone! This is going to be such a treat for him and I! 
 

Do we need to answer the door for them to come in? Since we have a 2bedroom I’m fine with the butler coming in and setting things up on their own (we will tip, no worries there). 
 

one person mentioned a little pretip and gift- what gift would be appropriate? 

We are also "Pre-Tippers" and have always had amazing service in The Haven. As far as a small gift, we always make up a few small goodie bags with edible treats made locally here in MI. Cabin space is tight for the workers so this is always really appreciated.

[kitty-sail]

I recommend asking for the Bar mix, I think it's good.

Leave notes for your butler but don't hesitate to talk to him in person. And don't be afraid to ask him questions. They are wonderful people and happy to help.

Been sailing Haven for several years now and it's the most wonderful way to travel. We are so blessed to be able to do this.

[SliderNc]

Tipping is one of those subjective things.  Even at land resorts where I've had butlers, I've always given a good tip to start because a lot of people do not know that they aren't part of the normal tip pool that servers, bartenders, stewards, etc. are part of.  The letter is one the best things you can do even if you choose not to tip up front.  For my wife and I on our last cruise, we did not eat breakfast in our room, however, we did make a list of "wants" that the butler could easily accommodate after our days ashore or just hanging out in the Haven area during sea days.

 

Sadly, once you are upgrade to Haven, it's really hard to cruise any other way (IMO).  You are spoiled and provided things that the rest of the general population on the ship don't get.  One of the best things that we took advantage of was the priority disembarking in ports.  We never rushed to get off the ship to get to our excursion and it kept us from waiting in long lines of people, which I think is even a better perk now with the current state of COVID and large mass gatherings of people.

 

Enjoy your Haven experience.

[Calvin]

On 11/11/2021 at 5:07 PM, BirdTravels said:

You make all requests through your butler. Not directly with the restaurant. There is a breakfast card in your room with check boxes. Ignore the check boxes and write what you want. 

 

Egg white omelet (specify your fillings), eggs over easy, filet steak, bacon, ham, sausage, mushrooms, gilled tomato, breakfast potatoes, hash browns, fresh fruit, fresh breads, juices, coffees, and a Diet Pepsi. You butler will bring your food at the designated time and serve it on a white table cloth. We do this on busy port days to save time. 

 

 

You just said something interesting!  I think, on the Haven Menus you posted, they now offer Sirloin Steak and Eggs as a breakfast option. Are you saying that I could request filet mignon and eggs instead?  When we sailed on the Star many moons ago, we were allowed to eat breakfast in Cagneys, where they served filet (thinly sliced) and eggs for bf.  We'll be on the Bliss in 2 months and I'm looking forward to a full Haven experience, but I'm not mad at them whether they serve sirloin or filet!

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, Calvin said:

You just said something interesting!  I think, on the Haven Menus you posted, they now offer Sirloin Steak and Eggs as a breakfast option. Are you saying that I could request filet mignon and eggs instead?  When we sailed on the Star many moons ago, we were allowed to eat breakfast in Cagneys, where they served filet (thinly sliced) and eggs for bf.  We'll be on the Bliss in 2 months and I'm looking forward to a full Haven experience, but I'm not mad at them whether they serve sirloin or filet!

@CalvinThat is one hell of a great question.  I will tell you what, I will test that.  I am on the Joy in two weeks.  I never asked for a specific cut of steak at breakfast.  I am going to on day one.  I promise to report back to you on that one.  The Haven Restaurant has a very nice menu.  The issue is that the menu's never change.  I know they have a filet for dinner.  It should be easy for them to make it for breakfast. 

 

I got your back on this one.  Again, great question.

 

Cruise well. 

[BirdTravels]

On 11/11/2021 at 9:24 PM, Silver Sweethearts said:

 

In our experience, butlers do not do morning cleaning or evening turn down.  That is for the room steward/stewardess to handle.

There are clear divisions of labor between the room stewards and the butlers. The room stewards do the cleaning. The butlers refill and reset your glassware, ice, coffee and tea service and any other special requests (e.g., for us, it would be gummy bears, bar mix, and M&Ms). Yes, butlers service your rooms 3 times a day (the afternoon snacks are usually someone generic from their staff and not your specific butler).