What's the difference between the concierge and butler?

[Slyfox16]

We just got an upgrade to an AE on the Jewel and would appreciate someone explaining the difference between the concierge and the butler. Thanks

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

The concierge is a resource for dinner reservations, shore excursion, helpful tips, etc. The butler takes care of food and beverage arrangement and service. Your butler will replace your room service personnel and will deliver it with polished style and elegance. They will set up your in-cabin dining area with the appropriate china, crystal and flatware. Although we don't choose to, some prefer to be served course by course by the butler. We typically have them bring the food at once, and then, after the butler has transformed the cabin into a beautiful dining room, we enjoy our dinner each night in our cabin. Another advantage...if you want escargot from Le Bistro, a steak from Cagney's, and tiramisu from the italian restaurant, the butler will get them all for you in one dinner setting. You do pay the Cagney's surcharge, but the surcharge is for the main course and not the appetizer, salad, and desert.

 

As we spend a lot of time in our cabin, for us, having a butler makes a huge difference in the overall experience

[2tnts]

Your questions was answered regarding the differences. We carried our ship phones around while on board, so that if we wanted something at anytime, our butler was just a call away. It was great.

I do have a question for you - when is your cruise? Just wondering about the possibility of an upsell for our November cruise on the Sky. I just noticed this morning that one of the suites is now booked. It was available yesterday.

[monicamn]

I had been hoping for an upgrade but no such luck. I leave next Saturday. How early did you get your upgrade? We are currently in a mini-suite. Thanks for any information.

[terrymtex01]

We just got an upgrade to an AE on the Jewel and would appreciate someone explaining the difference between the concierge and the butler. Thanks

 

People have already answered your question really, but this question comes up a lot and here is the response I like to give people. The butler takes care of any needs you might have IN your stateroom and the Concierge takes care of any needs you have outside of your stateroom. The exception to that would be if you were on a ship with Garden Villa/Courtyard Villas where the butler does have some functions in the actual Courtyard.

 

I had been hoping for an upgrade but no such luck. I leave next Saturday. How early did you get your upgrade? We are currently in a mini-suite. Thanks for any information.

 

Although I do not want you to get disappoiinted if it doesn't happen, I have read here on CC that people have gotten calls literally as they were driving to the pier. So it could still happen.

[DMH15]

Rick - Thanks for the info... I did not know you can mix-and-match foods from specialty restaurants for in-suite dining. So, let me ask, the price is based on whichever restaurant you get the entree? And if you get an entree from Le Bistro can you get a Cagney's salad (at the Le Bistro) lesser price?

 

My mom is a light eater and probably would be happy with just an appetizer for dinner.

 

Thanks!!!

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

Donna,

Sounds like with Mom getting appetizers for a meal, this might be perfect for you. Yes, you pay only for the main course price from the restaurant from which it came. So if you want steak from Cagney's, you would pay $25 per person for the main course portion...you can order as many appetizers and deserts as you want anyway...it's the main course that you only get one of. So Mom can get a salad, couple of appetizers and desert if she eats light.

 

This is an example of my dinner order each day...I would get shrimp cocktail (Cagney's I think), escargot (Le Bistro), wedge salad (Cagney's), main course (varied each night), and berries and cream (Mexican restaurant). We had received some romance packages from our T/A so we just gave the letter to the butler to cover the cost of some meals. Another night we recieved a letter from the dining manager (I think...every night we received a gift from someone)...at the end of the week, we spent less than $100 a person on meals and we ate ensuite every night on the 7 night Meditteranean cruise.

 

It was perfect...we are very fond of Celebrity, but for Suite service, NCL has them beat hands down. Getting so many choices of restaurants brought right to your door is priceless. Don't get me wrong, it's expensive, but it's truly an experience. Once you have a Suite...you're ruined. We tried a balcony over New Year's last year and couldn't wait to get off the boat and back home...BUT while in the Owner's Suite, we wish that WAS our home. I could have stayed there forever!

[DMH15]

Rick, thank you.

 

My mother and I have lunch every Thursday at the local college/culinary school. I am eating low carb so I taste the bread only (so I can rate it) and I have one bite of the dessert (to rate it) and she eats the rest of it. Then she takes half of her meal home and her own dessert as well as the extra bread.

 

So this sounds perfect for us. I'll eat the entree and one bite of the dessert, she can have her appetizer and the rest of the dessert. I can have salad/soup/appetizer as desired.

 

I see us eating dinner in the suite or out on the verandah a lot. And we will do the suite breakfast and lunch in Il Adagio or maybe room service sometimes. Sounds heavenly.

 

Thanks again for your information.