Tipping in a Suite

Really tried to avoid writing this email... :D, but I could not help but do the math.

Assuming that a butler has 10 suites under his or her care, and assuming that each suite has an average of 3 people staying in it, who each tip $10 per day, that works out to an average of US $2,100 per week, and assuming that the butler works 10 months or 40 weeks out of the year, that works out to $84,000 per year, TAX FREE, PLUS whatever his or her salary is.

Does this sound about right to you? Will you be dropping off an application on your next cruise? :D

I do the same thing.

Ditto here. I think we gave our concierge almost as much as our butler. He had Anoop and he really helped us so much with our restaurant reservations. We had a large party of 18 and he facilitated getting us all together for dining. Couldn't have done it without him. Also escorted us to the Illusionorium so we could get first pick at the seating.

Wow! I think you very much under tipped! Or maybe,we very much over tip! We tipped our butler $200 on the Epic last year and concierge $100. We were 2 people in our suite. We plan to tip more on the Getaway as there will be 3 of us in our room.

Didn't really want to get involved in a tipping war, but I agree withou 100% Michelle, pathubia's numbers seem extremely low to me for that amount of service - but to each his own.. We go by the standard of $10 per person per day for butler tips, but that usually includes a few breakfasts delivered. Just got off the Jewel - 6 people in the suite for 7 days with four breakfasts delivered = $500 tip. Concierge (who was wonderful) -$250 tip.

For the OP, if your butler failed to bring you your daily "treats" and didn't service your coffee maker, stop by to check on you, etc, then he didn't do his job properly. I don't blame you for not tipping if you never, ever saw him. I do believe very much in tipping my minimum of around $10 pp/pd for the basic services, but if I really never saw him nor received the services, I would tip much, much less. But it seems that you did use some of the concierge's services (priority embarkation, disembarkation, suite party, luggage tags, etc), so I would have definitely tipped the minimum (ours is roughly $10 per suite per day, a bit more or less for attitude).

Robin

Really tried to avoid writing this email... :D, but I could not help but do the math.

 

Assuming that a butler has 10 suites under his or her care, and assuming that each suite has an average of 3 people staying in it, who each tip $10 per day, that works out to an average of US $2,100 per week, and assuming that the butler works 10 months or 40 weeks out of the year, that works out to $84,000 per year, TAX FREE, PLUS whatever his or her salary is.

 

Does this sound about right to you? Will you be dropping off an application on your next cruise? :D

You also have the factor in that the butlers are available to you day and night for seven days. Divide the money into all those hours and see what they actually make.

I would say it depends on how much you used the services and how you feel about it. I honestly always tip. Most of the time extra. and if you can afford a suite, what's an extra 40.00( or whTever is customary, I've never been in a suite with a butler)? Especially if they did their job, were courteous? I don't think it's the butlers fault if you didn't make use of the services offered, but they still depend on tips for their livelihood. And I think saying that " they make more than the normal room steward so they will be ok" as an excuse for not tipping is invalid. These people may have worked hard for their position which gets generally more in tips.

Either way, do what you feel is right and moral.

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I agree with your opinion. Whether the concierge or butler were actually used, at least a minimal tip is appropriate. They were available and the OP chose not to use them. I find it very hard to believe that snacks were only delivered one afternoon. If that is the case, the OP should have asked why. Perhaps they only liked what was delivered one day? :confused:

I agree with Peg, at the least a minimal tip is whats right. When we book a suite we do it knowing there will be an extra cost for the tips. We don't use the butler or concierge for very much but we always know they will be there in minutes if we call. Its part of the deal. What I do disagree with is the X amount per person per day. We have a # in mind and will adjust it up or down depending on service. We have adjusted it up, but never down. I couldn't imagine tipping some of the numbers I read here if you had 5 or 6 in a suite. I also have no doubt what we tip shows our appreciation. Also we always bring TY cards, just makes it a little more personal.

Really tried to avoid writing this email... :D, but I could not help but do the math.

 

Assuming that a butler has 10 suites under his or her care, and assuming that each suite has an average of 3 people staying in it, who each tip $10 per day, that works out to an average of US $2,100 per week, and assuming that the butler works 10 months or 40 weeks out of the year, that works out to $84,000 per year, TAX FREE, PLUS whatever his or her salary is.

 

Does this sound about right to you? Will you be dropping off an application on your next cruise? :D

Not much of a salary, they are not part of the service charge pool. They only get room and board, their remuneration is indeed the tips from the suite passengers. They are on call all day/night and switch out doing night butler service. Seriously, not every suite has an average of 3 passengers either. I think your figures are way too high.

Really tried to avoid writing this email... :D, but I could not help but do the math.

 

Assuming that a butler has 10 suites under his or her care, and assuming that each suite has an average of 3 people staying in it, who each tip $10 per day, that works out to an average of US $2,100 per week, and assuming that the butler works 10 months or 40 weeks out of the year, that works out to $84,000 per year, TAX FREE, PLUS whatever his or her salary is.

 

Does this sound about right to you? Will you be dropping off an application on your next cruise? :D

And they are worth every single penny.. Why would it matter how much they make? A Fortune 500 CEO makes my hubby's salary a hundred times over for working many less hours, but it doesn't bother me - he earned his way there. Would you want to work seven days a week with only time to sleep between? Would you be willing to bite your tongue and smile and say "Yes, madam" when being berated by a boorish guest? You couldn't pay me a million dollars to do their job, being away from my family for eight months at a time, wearing a tuxedo all day long, and being constantly "on the mark" 16-18 hours every day, whether sick or not. Not arguing, just sayin'. 😊

Robin

I agree with Peg, at the least a minimal tip is whats right. When we book a suite we do it knowing there will be an extra cost for the tips. We don't use the butler or concierge for very much but we always know they will be there in minutes if we call. Its part of the deal. What I do disagree with is the X amount per person per day. We have a # in mind and will adjust it up or down depending on service. We have adjusted it up, but never down. I couldn't imagine tipping some of the numbers I read here if you had 5 or 6 in a suite. I also have no doubt what we tip shows our appreciation. Also we always bring TY cards, just makes it a little more personal.

This is what we do as well.

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And they are worth every single penny.. Why would it matter how much they make? A Fortune 500 CEO makes my hubby's salary a hundred times over for working many less hours, but it doesn't bother me - he earned his way there. Would you want to work seven days a week with only time to sleep between? Would you be willing to bite your tongue and smile and say "Yes, madam" when being berated by a boorish guest? You couldn't pay me a million dollars to do their job, being away from my family for eight months at a time, wearing a tuxedo all day long, and being constantly "on the mark" 16-18 hours every day, whether sick or not. Not arguing, just sayin'. 😊

 

Robin

In fact, I happen to agree with you. I am not begrudging them their compensation or their value, nor disputing whether or how much to tip them. But even if the numbers I posited are significantly but not substantially off, it does appear that this job is reasonably well compensated, which is an interesting data point worth considering.

I agree Robin

So I have a little question. DH and I are booked in an owners suite 8001 on the Sky in November. My sister and her DH and 2 boys will be in an interior room. I plan on having them in for breakfast maybe one day and maybe an evening of snacks and drinks. We plan on giving our butler $100 for me and DH should I probably add an additional $$$ for the extra room service for breakfast and snacks? What do you think. Also this is a 4 day cruise not 7.

Really tried to avoid writing this email... :D, but I could not help but do the math.

 

Assuming that a butler has 10 suites under his or her care, and assuming that each suite has an average of 3 people staying in it, who each tip $10 per day, that works out to an average of US $2,100 per week, and assuming that the butler works 10 months or 40 weeks out of the year, that works out to $84,000 per year, TAX FREE, PLUS whatever his or her salary is.

 

Does this sound about right to you? Will you be dropping off an application on your next cruise? :D

I think you are way off saying that each suite averaged 3. On my cruise that I got off a couple weeks ago, it seemed like most had two, with the exception of, like me, that had one. Also, as you can see by the one poster who gave their Butler $40 for the suite's entire occupancy, using the average of $10 a day is probably way off. There has also been posts, on another thread, where the poster was not going to use any services, thus was not going to tip at all.

I think you are way off saying that each suite averaged 3. On my cruise that I got off a couple weeks ago, it seemed like most had two, with the exception of, like me, that had one. Also, as you can see by the one poster who gave their Butler $40 for the suite's entire occupancy, using the average of $10 a day is probably way off. There has also been posts, on another thread, where the poster was not going to use any services, thus was not going to tip at all.

Oh I remember that post about planning on NOT tipping at all. <eyeroll>

Thanks for all the info everyone and your thoughts.

We did use the coffee / tea maker about once maybe twice a day. So the few we did use were replenished.

We did get fruit each day, I had a handful of grapes each day and my wife a banana. So there were services offered there but nothing tip worthy in my opinion. We had chocolates the 3rd nght of the cruise (looked at our photos) and that was the only night anything was ever delivered to our stateroom. We didnt even have chocolate on our bed, but I think they stopped doing that.

Like I said originally if we had wanted more or requested more I can guarentee our butler would have done anything he could to do it. He just seemed like that type of person but my wife and I kept to ourselves and didn't use a butler or concierge the way I beleive most people use them.

We definately wont be booking a suite in the future because reading through the posts a nice balcony or mini suite would be just fine for what we like to do when we cruise and what we expect from NCL. It was more of a learning expierence for us much like our first cruise.

In fact, I happen to agree with you. I am not begrudging them their compensation or their value, nor disputing whether or how much to tip them. But even if the numbers I posited are significantly but not substantially off, it does appear that this job is reasonably well compensated, which is an interesting data point worth considering.

In what world do you first try to determine a persons annual salary before you decide how much to tip? Whether they make $100 or $80,000, we tip for the service we were provided. I've never asked my server at the restaurant or the cab driver how much they make.

We feel that if we can afford the thousands it takes to travel in a suite, the least we can do is pay $70 per person for a weeks worth of the absolute premier service these folks provide.

I do think it's interesting that when these types of posts start, many of the most vocal of the negative poster actually travel in inside or ocean view staterooms.

If I were in a suite, I wouldn't have snacks delivered at all. I have no idea why someone would find it strange that the OP only had them once. Not everyone cruises for snacks.

Not even pizza?

Not much of a salary, they are not part of the service charge pool. They only get room and board, their remuneration is indeed the tips from the suite passengers. They are on call all day/night and switch out doing night butler service. Seriously, not every suite has an average of 3 passengers either. I think your figures are way too high.

If they are not part of the service charge pool then surely a $10 or $12 pp/pd tip should be the right thing to do. We are not from a tipping culture unless we have excellent service (never before), however if this is the 'norm' for other staff, then the butlers should also be rewarded accordingly.

I tipped both the butler and the concierge but less than I planned before my trip. Partly because I did not need anything special and because everything they did was completely uninspired.

The money went to the bar staff that did a much better job.

Ok, I have to admit, in December it will be my first time in a suite -- a GV no less.

I've never had a butler before. But I like to think I tip well when eating out and such.

I've read on CC about the $10-$20 pp/per day for the butler and $5 pp/per day for the concierge as a gauge which I'll follow -- seems fair enough (unless there's lousy service).

I personally think the OP could've left a little but if they didn't ask for anything special then why tip? These butlers are covering many rooms and I'm sure their tips are all over the board by how much they get from each cabin at the end of a sailing.

The butler bringing extra coffee, checking on the coffee machine, replenishing fruit, bringing snacks & treats -- to me these are basics job functions; priority boarding and such by the concierge -- basic job functions. It even states some if this on NCLs site for what you get when booking in The Haven.

I don't feel the need to tip for basic job duties -- better yet, I'm not tipping $100s if dollars for finger sandwiches and chocolates that cost dollars to produce.

Now, with that being said. We plan on eating some breakfasts & dinners in our room. The logistics of getting the food delivered and cleaned up afterwards -- that deserves tipping; getting us into a specialty dining restaurant that may be booked: that's tip worthy. There are tons of things that are tip worthy, but I don't think the basics are.

IMHO, this whole tipping thing is out of control. Personally, I'd rather pay an extra 15%-20% more for the room then to have to figure out how much I need to tip so I don't insult anyone.

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Honestly we spoke to the Bulter our first day on board and the said "Hi" maybe three or four times. He always asked if everything was ok in the room and that was it. As far as snacks go we did always have fruit and one night we had chocolates in the room.

 

We saw the Concierge on day one then occasionally at breakfast and at the little get togethers they have. Again, always curteous and nice.

 

By above and beyond I meant something along the lines anything outside of a standard room. I'm not sure what that would be because the service provided was the same as any other cruise we have been on with NCL. All have always been excellent. Maybe we just didnt know what to expect or ask for.

Keep in mind that the butler does not share in the DSC so the only tips he gets are whatever you give him. The fact he asked you each day if everything was okay shows that he was trying to do his job. Not his fault you didn't use him.

IMO he deserved a tip since he doesn't get any part of the DSC.

Keep in mind that the butler does not share in the DSC so the only tips he gets are whatever you give him. The fact he asked you each day if everything was okay shows that he was trying to do his job. Not his fault you didn't use him.

IMO he deserved a tip since he doesn't get any part of the DSC.

I have to assume that to rise to rank of Butler that particular person must be a cut above a regular room steward/ess. That means they have been around a while and are likely earning a larger salary and that being a Butler is a plum position. They service LESS rooms than a regular steward/ess, and as such could not expect the volume of tips others might get, so if they were not remunerated to a greater extent than those sharing in DSC, why even accept the position in the first place? I do not believe a Butler earns less than those in the DSC pool. They are employees, not slaves after all.

A Butler asking if you have needs is THEIR JOB. No one has claimed the Butler did not do their job. But OP had no additional use for their services. Thus they performed their quoted job to a minimum amount. That in and of itself is not deserving of additional tip. NOT being a part of the DSC is not a valid reason to tip someone who has not performed a service for you. :confused: