Proper etiquette for tipping Butler

[Wine-O]

Unless I missed something Celebrity indicates that the tips do not include the butler as per FAQ:

 

"For your convenience, we automatically add gratuities for your restaurant and stateroom services to your onboard SeaPass® account on a daily basis in the following amounts, which may be adjusted at your discretion:

• $12 per person per day in staterooms

• $12.50 per person per day in Concierge Class and AquaClass® staterooms

• $15.50 per person per day in suites

This gratuity is shared by your stateroom attendant, dining services staff, and housekeeping staff members who help enhance your vacation experience."

 

No mention of butler.

 

The butler is included in the $15.50 for suites.

[rhblake]

The butler is included in the $15.50 for suites.

 

Here is the same response as put in the other thread.

 

I believe the extra money is because the rooms are larger and that the room steward can only take care of half as many rooms as other stewards, which would leave them with half the tips as a normal room steward who has more rooms.

 

There is no mention of the word butler anywhere in Celebrity's own definition of how tips are distributed. If you don't believe me you can check it yourself on Celebrity's website under FAQ. The butler is not included in the distribution list.

[Ma Bell]

Here is the same response as put in the other thread.

 

I believe the extra money is because the rooms are larger and that the room steward can only take care of half as many rooms as other stewards, which would leave them with half the tips as a normal room steward who has more rooms.

 

There is no mention of the word butler anywhere in Celebrity's own definition of how tips are distributed. If you don't believe me you can check it yourself on Celebrity's website under FAQ. The butler is not included in the distribution list.

 

You are mistaken, the butler is included at 3.50 pp per day. The room stewards have just as many or more rooms as the others do and they are not expected to do personal things for the guests with a butler, although many do. The room steward is there to care for your room and the butler is there to care for you.

[rhblake]

You are mistaken, the butler is included at 3.50 pp per day. The room stewards have just as many or more rooms as the others do and they are not expected to do personal things for the guests with a butler, although many do. The room steward is there to care for your room and the butler is there to care for you.

 

There is no mention of the word butler anywhere in Celebrity's own definition of how tips are distributed. If you don't believe me you can check it yourself on Celebrity's website under FAQ. The butler is not included in Celebrity's distribution list.

 

If I am incorrect please show where you get your information. I am showing here what I find on Celebrity's website and the butler in not mentioned in tip distribution.

Edited February 14, 2015 by rhblake

[Wine-O]

There is no mention of the word butler anywhere in Celebrity's own definition of how tips are distributed. If you don't believe me you can check it yourself on Celebrity's website under FAQ. The butler is not included in Celebrity's distribution list.

 

If I am incorrect please show where you get your information. I am showing here what I find on Celebrity's website and the butler in not mentioned in tip distribution.

 

Well, maybe you can tell us where that extra $3.50 pp per day for a suite goes? If you think the butler is not included in the automatic tips, then you go ahead and double tip them. We've stayed in a suite.

Edited February 14, 2015 by Wine-O

[Ma Bell]

There is no mention of the word butler anywhere in Celebrity's own definition of how tips are distributed. If you don't believe me you can check it yourself on Celebrity's website under FAQ. The butler is not included in Celebrity's distribution list.

 

If I am incorrect please show where you get your information. I am showing here what I find on Celebrity's website and the butler in not mentioned in tip distribution.

 

It's just another one of the website shortcomings. He would be included under housekeeping staff members. I know because I'm a frequent cruiser with Celebrity and usually stay in a suite.

Edited February 14, 2015 by Ma Bell

[Rob the Cruiser]

I usually tip $10 per person, per day at the completion of the cruise. I pay in US dollars because that is what I have.

[soxfan2013]

On top of the standard pre-paid gratuities, we gave the Bulter $100, the MC Concierge $60 (should have been $100, but that's what we had at the time), and the cabin steward $20. Don't know if this was good or bad, but that's what we ended up doing.

[cle-guy]

There is no mention of the word butler anywhere in Celebrity's own definition of how tips are distributed. If you don't believe me you can check it yourself on Celebrity's website under FAQ. The butler is not included in Celebrity's distribution list.

 

If I am incorrect please show where you get your information. I am showing here what I find on Celebrity's website and the butler in not mentioned in tip distribution.

 

Here's the most recent breakdown of how Celebrity allocates the gratuity:

 

The breakdown is as follows:

• Waiter - $3.65 pp/per day
  
• Ass't. Waiter - $2.10 pp/per day
  
• DR Mgm't. - $1.00 pp/per day
  
• Stateroom Service - Amount varies based on cabin category occupied:
  
  • Suite Butler $3.50 pp/per day (cabin steward ALSO gets $3.50)
    
  • Aqua Cabin Steward - $4.00 pp/per day
    
  • Concierge Class Cabin Steward - $4.00 pp/per day
    
  • Regular Stateroom Cabin Steward - $3.50 pp/per day.
    

  [*]Other service personnel: $1.25 pp/per day

 

I can confirm having actually spoken to my butlers about gratuities, that the $3.50 extra per day is earmarked to them in a suite and is not paid extra to the Cabin Steward. GASP! Actually talking to the help?! Yes, I do and enjoy it.

[Ma Bell]

Here's the most recent breakdown of how Celebrity allocates the gratuity:

 

The breakdown is as follows:

• Waiter - $3.65 pp/per day
  
• Ass't. Waiter - $2.10 pp/per day
  
• DR Mgm't. - $1.00 pp/per day
  
• Stateroom Service - Amount varies based on cabin category occupied:
  
  • Suite Butler $3.50 pp/per day (cabin steward ALSO gets $3.50)
    
  • Aqua Cabin Steward - $4.00 pp/per day
    
  • Concierge Class Cabin Steward - $4.00 pp/per day
    
  • Regular Stateroom Cabin Steward - $3.50 pp/per day.
    

  [*]Other service personnel: $1.25 pp/per day

 

I can confirm having actually spoken to my butlers about gratuities, that the $3.50 extra per day is earmarked to them in a suite and is not paid extra to the Cabin Steward. GASP! Actually talking to the help?! Yes, I do and enjoy it.

 

There's .50 unaccounted for here so maybe the Butler or Stateroom attendant now gets $4.00 in the suites.

[cle-guy]

There's .50 unaccounted for here so maybe the Butler or Stateroom attendant now gets $4.00 in the suites.

 

Yeah, I Thought there was 50 cents missing. This was definitely a recap from before the gratuities went up a year or so ago, and never determined exactly who is getting that extra bit.

 

I think at the time, a 50 cent increase happened across the board, so assume it's not the butler that is getting it since not all cabins have that allocation, I kind of think it's the "additional service staff" that is getting it.

 

Does anyone remember exactly when the gratuities increased, and was it across the board 50 cents? I asked this question yesterday in another thread, as I had read an article the NCL is increasing its standard grants 95 cents a day.

[Ma Bell]

Could be but the butler always got as much as the highest paid stateroom attendant.

[bighairtexan]

I don't think a $50 tip for a butler in a royal suite is generous. Adequate, maybe, but certainly not generous.

 

I absolutely agree with that, Linda.

 

If my butler does an excellent job I'd start at $50 and go upward from there. I never ask for much but I've had butlers that seem to take it as a personal mission to make me eat "here are your canapes... and here is a little something from me" which was often a LOT of jumbo shrimp cocktail. Their anticipatory skills were unsurpassed and I didn't have to "ask" for things.

 

And I don't ever tip until toward the end of the cruise. Most of the butlers I've had take their job so seriously as PROFESSIONALS (no matter what others might think, this is my perception of the way they approach their job.) In the "real world" I don't give my attorney or CPA or other PROFESSIONALS a tip before they do any service. I usually give them a Christmas gift as an additional thank you. Which wouldn't be appropriate for a butler, hence an additional cash tip. Also my CPA doesn't work for tips, I realize this.

 

Others may argue that a butler isn't a professional, I'm just stating my personal observances.

[cle-guy]

Could be but the butler always got as much as the highest paid stateroom attendant.

 

I always assumed the Aqua and Concierge cabin stewards got the extra 50 cents due to the canapé deliveries and similar extras they have to tend to, that the Butler is doing in the suites.

[sunshine nana]

We leave the auto tips in place. In addition, we gave our first butler for our S1 $50 more because he really looked out for us. He set up our breakfast with table cloth etc., brought scrimp every day for me along with ice tea and brought DH goodies without sugar every day. He made sure we had clean wine glasses etc. The second butler did none of the above. Even when asked, he would not bring ice tea or wine glasses. He set the breakfast tray down and left.He got no extra tip and in my opinion, he did not deserve more than $2 per day for the breakfast tray plop down.

We have always tipped the steward and his/her assistant an extra $20. Also, when we have eaten at the same table for dinner, we tipped the waiter, assistant and wine person an extra $10-30.

[Ma Bell]

I always assumed the Aqua and Concierge cabin stewards got the extra 50 cents due to the canapé deliveries and similar extras they have to tend to, that the Butler is doing in the suites.

 

Yes, they do get more than the regular cabin stewards for that reason but I still think the butler receives the same amount. He does lots of other things that the stewards don't.

[cle-guy]

Yes, they do get more than the regular cabin stewards for that reason but I still think the butler receives the same amount. He does lots of other things that the stewards don't.

 

But if the extra 50 cents was across the board, what happens to it in the case of an inside, OV or veranda cabin here those stewards got 50 cents less than the Aqua/Concierge stewards?

[Ma Bell]

As I said, you may be right.

[vtcruising]

I know that tipping is personal and everyone should decide for themselves what is deserved and what they can afford. Since I tend to stress every time about not leaving enough of a tip, I appreciate hearing what others leave as a gauge for the norms, so I will add my 2 cents (so to speak).

 

We just were on a 7 night cruise in a CS. We always leave the basic gratuities in place and add on, as needed. In this instance we tipped the butler $100 in addition. We had several breakfasts and a couple of lunches on the balcony, dinner for 4 on formal night (we invited friends in for dinner - I tried to schedule it before the time he needed to escort people to their seats in the theatre, but I'm sure it still was a tricky time for him). I sent out laundry on Sunday night and still didn't have it back by Wed AM and feared the worst, but he spent a while looking through the bags in the laundry area and finally found it - I had put the wrong cabin number on it (of course I had assumed it was their fault the whole time :)). We were never around for the canapés so he chose a selection of things every day and left them for us. He got some reservations for us at specialties and checked in every day to see what more he could do. He earned it, I think - hope it was enough.

 

The cabin attendants were amazing - I hate finding hair on things or empty cans left out, etc. (though never complain, knowing that they cannot be perfect)- I really could not find anything at all this time - they really did a super job with the suite and were so personable. I gave each $50 extra - I think the assistant does a lot of the heavy lifting (such as the toilet) and wanted to make sure he received his share (though maybe they split everything).

 

Since Michael's Club was such an important part of making this a special cruise, we tipped the concierge $100 and each of the 2 main bartenders $100. They went above and beyond to make it a special week for us. One of the bartenders even gave us a little gift and a card with his email address.

 

We didn't eat much in the MDR so left the tips as is there and tipped well in the specialties for excellent experiences.

 

As some people on CC suggested, I got some thank you notes (with boats on them) and wrote personal notes to each of those people, with the tip inside. I also got comment cards in Guest Relations a few days into the cruise (they don't seem to be leaving them in the cabins part way through the cruise anymore) and praised staff by name, outlining things they had done to make it a great cruise so far. Within the next 24 hours all of them thanked us for the comment cards and told us how important that was for them. The MC concierge thanked us and said she has a scrap book with all the positive comments people have left. Others on CC have said that this is important for them for moving up the ranks.

 

Thanks to everyone that has shared what they do! I appreciate the guidance.

[LMaxwell]

We're in a Royal Suite and our butler has been amazing. I tipped him $50 yesterday and he's always exceptionally polite, but didn't seem to react that this was an exceptional or commensurate tip? Any perspectives. We leave tomorrow and I can always tip more.

 

I don't think a good butler would react one way or the other, that would be a bit crass. A simple thank you is all the interaction that should go on after a tip.

[Leviathan2772]

I always pre-tip our Butler once we meet in the cabin. However, I do use the Butler for all of their services and more. This has served me well on every cruise. Most disagree with pre-tip, some say it's too much, unnecessary, or bribery. I enjoy spoiling the cruise staff that makes my experience just a little more special.