Have you ever been "butled?"

[Jana]

I had the most extraordinary butler service on Norwegian Spirit when it first arrived in the U.S. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

 

Does anyone else have butler experience to share with me? I'm one of Cruise Critic's writers. I'm doing an article on butler service... which ships have it, what level of accommodation you need in order to get it, what's good about it, whether or not it's worth it.

 

Has anyone had an extraordinary cruise because of a butler?

 

Please talk to me!

 

Jana

[2Cruise4Ever]

That's great! Maybe if the word gets out a little more other cruise lines will start to offer butler service.

 

My family (Me, Husband, 2 kids: 2 and 7) went on the Dawn last year and had 2 butlers! Lani started with us and left mid-week to go home for vacation. Then, Ryan joined us and finished the cruise with us. The butlers didn't do any one thing extraordinary; it was just the increased level of service (which I didn't think could be possible on NCL - service has always been fab!). From the moment we boarded to the second we stepped off we were treated like royalty. Lani and Ryan absolutely doted over our kids. We lacked nothing the entire cruise. Once we asked Lani for some fresh milk for the kids. Not only did she bring it right away, but she made sure our fridge was stocked with fresh milk for the remainder of the cruise. Also, one morning, I asked if I could have eggs benedict even though it wasn't on the menu. No problem, Lani said, she would ask the chef to make it specially for me! Ryan also took care of similar things for us. We had such an awesome time that we just booked the same category cabin for next year because we just CAN'T LIVE without a butler when we're on a cruise!!! :D

[orchestrapal]

We were in an Owners Suite on the Crown in South America this year where the service was great EXCEPT for our so called butler who had no idea about service. We never saw him except fot the afternoon delivery and breakfast when we ordered it.:mad:

On the other hand we had a Butler on Oceania this Spring who could not do enough for us. We never asked for a thing, it just appeared.:)

[Jana]

This is great! More details, please... Orchestrapal, which Oceania ship? Which suite? What did your butler do?

 

2Cruise, what category? (By the way, your signature with the sailings reminds me of me :p Carolyn Spencer Brown [Cruise Critic's editor] says that I've never met a ship I didn't like!)

[orchestrapal]

He made all our reservations, took care of a small complaint about noise,had items pressed for us, brought laundry tokens and even started laundry for me, kept the ice bucket full and bottled water always there, reminded us that we had forgotten to order breakfast, made sure we were first on and off in ports, brought that little extra with each delivery etc, etc.. it seemed to us that we were his only room to service when in truth he had 15 suites.

We were on the Insignia in a vista suite on back-to back Med.cruises. Love Oceania and are bookes for back-to back cruises in May and Panama Canal for January '08.:) :)

[LateCruiser]

We had Maxi on the Jewel back in January. Not only did he get a great, hot breakfast to us every morning, he also turned around the pressing of my white dinner jacket in just a couple of hours, and he made all of our dinner reservations for us. Was always just a phone call away and responded promptly. We're only booked into a mini-suite on our Pearl voyage next Feb and I'm praying the upsell fairy calls, because I got pretty spoiled!:)

[Jana]

Late, I had Maxi on Spirit so I know exactly what you mean!!!

 

Orchestra, I love Oceania too (I've only been on Regatta, 14 day western Med) and I'm even a smoker!!!

 

Thanks for these stories, I want more!

 

Jana

[logcabin]

We have experienced several good butlers. All is suites on NCL. However, our favorites would have to be Corina on the Dawn last year and Randy on the Spirit this past July. Both were exceptional. We feel it is well worth spending the extra money for a suite for the butler service.

 

My wife and I are not real "people" people. We don't like crowds, we don't participate in on-board activities, etc. Thus, we prefer our private, peaceful time. So, we spend the extra money on a suite. Usually aft with a balcony. We have breakfast served to us each morning by our butler in our suite. They would come in, set the table with nice linens, serve breakfast, pour our mumoisis (sp?) and then call us over to the table. In the Owners suite on the spirit, Randy also made sure we had the alcahol we wanted in the suite, all the mixers we needed, soda, juices, etc. Several times a day he would stop by to see if we needed anything. He would surprise us each afternoon with goodies like shrimp cocktails, chocalate covered strawberries, pasteries, cookies, etc.

 

Both Corina and Randy were wonderful and certianly knew how to spoil us. AND, made our cruises that much more memorable.

[2Cruise4Ever]

This is great! More details, please... Orchestrapal, which Oceania ship? Which suite? What did your butler do?

 

2Cruise, what category? (By the way, your signature with the sailings reminds me of me :p Carolyn Spencer Brown [Cruise Critic's editor] says that I've never met a ship I didn't like!)

 

Oh, yeah, I guess that would help. We originally booked an AF Mini (no butler :( ), but we were offered an upsell to an AB Penthouse. We liked it so much we booked it outright this time.

[swoosh2005]

we had the good fortune to have Lanie Limojco as our butler on two NCL Dawn cruises. She was very proud of the fact that she was the first female butler for the line.

I was mortified when our son ordered pizza at 2 a.m. but she delivered it with a smile and said she enjoyed helping us in any way she could.

She kept our refrigerator stocked with our favorite beverages. And, while we never requested very much, it was reassuring knowing she was there to take care of us.

I was disappointed to hear she was not sailing any more.

[watchdiva]

We had the best butler on a Dawn cruise during her inaugural year. Denny met us in our suite (AB) the first morning (we're early boarders - we live 45 minutes from the port) and from that first meeting until the last morning, he was a huge presence in our lives. DH and I were celebrating a wedding anniversary and with the help of the HM and FBM, Denny orchestrated the most incredible dinner party in our suite that anyone could ever wish for. He arranged for two servers from Cagney's to "work" our dinner party (DH and I and our best friends), oversaw the specialty menu that was arranged with the FBM (made up of all of my husband's favorite dishes including lobster tail, escargots, prime rib which was personally carved tableside by the Asst. FBM), decorations, etc. This was probably one of the most memorable nights of our lives and I still have our copies of the printed menus that we were given describing each course).

 

Denny personally was there every day overseeing our cabin stewards and making sure that the room was tidied to his satisfaction. He delivered our breakfast each morning, late afternoon snacks, late night ice cream when my sweet tooth needed a fix.

 

In short, I am praying that he is still with NCL because we booked an AB on the Pearl for next year and I am hoping that he will be brought onboard to bring out the ship during her inaugural year - just like he did for the Dawn during her inaugural year.

 

Gee - guess you can tell that we were crazy about Denny and his professionalism and the level of caring that he showed to two people that he had just met and may not ever meet again! We spoke personally before we left to the HM and told him that NCL had a true "gem" in Denny and that he "did NCL proud"!

[kimdave68]

Definitely a nice touch from the reality called career. We like it. We also like to cruise so we'll balance between suites and the steerage class for the time being. :eek:

 

Honestly I wouldn't care if I had a bunk below the water line (as long as the rats stay out! :D) as there is much to do onboard and we certainly did a lot more on those voyages vs. being in a penthouse. But who is to complain?

[smokie36]

two years ago on the crown our butler was unreal.last year the butler was good but nothing above and beyond. anybody on the crown lately fill me in about this years butler.

[dyslexic pirate]

We had a butler on Costa. We must be just low maintenance enough that we didn't really require the butler.

 

Mind you we've had housekeepers and nannies in our homes. And we've always treated them with respect and always picked up and fended for ourselves and the kids have always been taught to be extremely respectful of these hard working people. I was actually reprimanded by the butler on the ship for doing things that were supposed to be her job. :confused:

 

We just don't get a kick out of the whole master/servant thing that some folks seem to think comes with cruising.

 

On the flip side it is a delight to be doted on by someone who really acts like they like you and their job. It's like an art or something when you get to experience it.

[ILoveScotland]

My husband and I were on the August 5th sailing of the Dawn and got an upsell from a BA to an Owner's Suite four days before the cruise. Ramadhan was our butler, and he was great.

 

When he brought the champagne and bottled water just before sailaway he pointed out the breakfast menu to hang on the door at night but said to ask for whatever we wanted even if it wasn't on the menu. We had room service every morning, and DH always had an omelette. Ramadhan set the table with linens and did all those other nice things.

 

He also said to let him know if we ever needed anything, and two times we simply called and said could we get sandwiches and some kind of dessert for DH and a salad for me. He appeared in no time.

 

He made sure we knew we could get three bottles of liquor, and they were promptly delivered. He also made sure the refrigerator was filled with tonic water for my gin and plenty of bottled water.

 

We were traveling with friends who got the same upsell we did, and since it was just after the new air security regulations he packed their unopened liquor for shipping in their suitcases--I'd already packed ours so didn't ask for help.

 

What I appreciated about Ramadhan was that not only did he do all the perfunctory butler services, he did them with grace and friendliness and initiated services we might not have known we could have such as omelettes for breakfast.

 

We were definitely spoiled by the quality of his service.

[WaldosPepper]

On the 2/23/06 Dawn sailing, we were blessed with an upsell to an AB. From the moment we arrived at the pier we were spoiled rotten by our butler, Putu.

 

He met us in the Terminal building, and personally escorted us through every step of the check-in process, all the while handling every piece of carry-on luggage. He then escorted us through a private entrance onto the ship, and directly to our stateroom, and provided a tour with directions on the various functions of the tv's, telephones, etc.

 

Later in the day he performed a personal inspection of the suite, made requests of the room stewards and the ship's maintenance department, and then followed up to be certain that all issues were resolved to his satisfaction.

 

He served hot breakfast most mornings (only when we requested), complete with linen tablecloth and napkins, and a beautifully arranged table. On our last day aboard, he actually chastised me for not ordering breakfast in the suite!

 

Several times each day he visited the suite to be certain that everything was up-to-standard, always leaving snacks or desserts, refilling our fruit bowl, and ensuring a good supply of cream for my coffee.

 

If he didn't happen to see us during his visits, he'd call on our cordless phone to inquire if we had any special requests or needed anything at all.

 

He recognized certain habits and patters quickly, and adjusted things accordingly. For instance, when I ordered sliced bananas for the third day in a row on our breakfast order, he realized we are particularly fond of bananas. After breakfast, when he came to clear the dishes, he brought a second fruit-bowl filled with nothing but bananas! It remained for the duration of our cruise, and was refreshed daily along with the regular fruit bowl. ;)

 

He very discretely kept tabs on our 16 year old son, often saying something like "I just saw young Mister! He's enjoying a game of basketball with friends" or something of the like. It was reassuring to know that even while we allowed our son to exercise some freedom, another pair of eyes was watching out for him.

 

Hands down it was the best vacation of our life, due in no small part to the wonderful services of Putu. :D

[CruiserDoc]

I LOVE SCOTLAND: So, with such remarkable service as Putu gave you, what is an appropriate amount for tipping. I am considering upgrading to a Penthouse AE on the Jewel for a 12 day cruise and have no idea how much to plan for tipping the butler.

[Checkmate1955]

Do you have to be in a Suite to qualify for Butler Service? I noticed on the Pearl that the mini suites offer butler service as an option.... How does that work? Do you pay the butler for his service or is it included in the cabin charge? When you tip the butler do you tip him and all of the others that he used in working in your cabin? How much would you recommend in a tip for a 7 day butler service if you did not use the butler service more that a few times? Thanks:)

[watchdiva]

OK - I'm confused. I just checked the AF cat on the Pearl and in the room description there is no mention of butler service available as an option. If Shoreguy is out there (hellooooooo Shoreguy) - can you clarify?

 

I know that AF's have concierge available to them but unaware that butler service was going to be offered as well.

[LateCruiser]

OK - I'm confused. I just checked the AF cat on the Pearl and in the room description there is no mention of butler service available as an option. If Shoreguy is out there (hellooooooo Shoreguy) - can you clarify?

 

I know that AF's have concierge available to them but unaware that butler service was going to be offered as well.

 

We're booked in an AF mini-suite for the 2/2/07 Pearl sailing and butler is not an option (but maybe the upsell fairly will call:D ).

[watchdiva]

LateCruiser - if the upsell fairy does call you and the $$ are "right" - grab it! That's how we got our first AB and there's no looking back........

 

Now, we're hoping the upsell fairy will wave his/her wand over our 4/3/07 AB so that we can move on up to the 14th deck!

[Checkmate1955]

Do you have to be in a Suite to qualify for Butler Service? I noticed on the Pearl that the mini suites offer butler service as an option.... How does that work? Do you pay the butler for his service or is it included in the cabin charge? When you tip the butler do you tip him and all of the others that he used in working in your cabin? How much would you recommend in a tip for a 7 day butler service if you did not use the butler service more that a few times? Thanks:)

Anyone out there that has an answer to my question?;)

[dwrist]

Just returned from the Star to Alaska. We were in an Owner's Suite and had Butler service. We used Henry for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He brought snacks, drinks, took our laundry, pressed my DH jacket and pants for formal night. Hot Chocolate for Glacier Bay. Anything we asked he was willing to do. We are low maintenance people so easy to please.

But on the other hand, in Cagneys we had Sanja, a server that needs to be promoted to a Butler position. She is one outstanding server and knows her stuff. She is on vacation starting this Sunday and will be back onboard the Pearl in October.

 

Checkmate 1955--It is our understanding that butler services are with AD suites and above only. That is what we were told for the Pearl in April. You tip the butler for his services and the butler does not get a percentage of the daily charge. I think the mininum tip they recommend is $10 daily per person. Remember that is mininum and if they do more they need to be compensated for it. They are working for tips only.

 

Hope this helps.:)

[LateCruiser]

LateCruiser - if the upsell fairy does call you and the $$ are "right" - grab it! That's how we got our first AB and there's no looking back........

 

Now, we're hoping the upsell fairy will wave his/her wand over our 4/3/07 AB so that we can move on up to the 14th deck!

 

WatchDiva: My biggest nightmare is coming home and finding a caller ID on my phone that traces back to NCL!!! Then when I try to call them, I can't get through!:eek:

[Checkmate1955]

Just returned from the Star to Alaska. We were in an Owner's Suite and had Butler service. We used Henry for breakfast, lunch and dinner. He brought snacks, drinks, took our laundry, pressed my DH jacket and pants for formal night. Hot Chocolate for Glacier Bay. Anything we asked he was willing to do. We are low maintenance people so easy to please.

But on the other hand, in Cagneys we had Sanja, a server that needs to be promoted to a Butler position. She is one outstanding server and knows her stuff. She is on vacation starting this Sunday and will be back onboard the Pearl in October.

 

Checkmate 1955--It is our understanding that butler services are with AD suites and above only. That is what we were told for the Pearl in April. You tip the butler for his services and the butler does not get a percentage of the daily charge. I think the mininum tip they recommend is $10 daily per person. Remember that is mininum and if they do more they need to be compensated for it. They are working for tips only.

 

Hope this helps.:)

Thanks for the reply.... sounds like you really enjoy the Butler service.... You had all of your meals served in your room by the Butler? wow.... We like getting out and about and seeing all of the ship...enjoying all it has to offer.. We usually try to eat at least once in each of the available facilities .... Spend a lot of time at the pool or just walking around so a Butler would not be a plus for us.....:)