What your butler probably never told you . .

We just returned from a 20 night cruise on Nautica. Our butler was the best ever. I will not reveal his name lest there be repercussions.

Our butler was an "outside the box" kind of butler -- not the stereotype at all -- clever, outgoing and utterly charming -- and he had led quite the interesting life -- we talked a lot about everything from politics ( US and global) to cruising.

So here are three things we learned that we will share -- just some fun facts.

1. Butlers DO NOT want to be tipped ahead of time (as has been suggested on these boards from time to time). They find it insulting and consider it tantamount to a bribe. Their mission is service. They do not need their palms greased to do the best job possible. When someone tips in advance it often sets up unreasonable exceptions (eg. the person calls 7 pm demanding a 7 30 reservation in Polo and thinks because he tipped in advance he will get it). Tip generously at the end of the cruise for great service.

2. Every once in a while we all take a drink from the room to some public venue. No one is trying to beat the system -- it happens. If you drink hard liquor DO NOT TAKE IT OUT OF THE ROOM IN THOSE CUT CRYSTAL GLASSES that are part of the bar set up in the cabin. Those glasses only exist in the staterooms so the entire crew will know you took a drink from your cabin. Our butler advised he always provides regular barware for this purpose. What a guy. Be sure to ask for regular barware your next cruise.

3. if you are a wine drinker and occasionally take a glass from your cabin to a public venue make sure it is only half full. A very full glass of wine is a "tell" -- you don't get a huge pour from the bar or sommelier.

Just some things to keep in mind for your next cruise.

The butler should write a book.

Hi Bob hope you and your better half had a good cruise.

Always the 'fount' if not the 'oracle' of wisdom. Thanks for passing this along. I'm going to make sure that the tip generously for great service comment gets to SWMbI. :eek:

JMBobB

We never had problems just going to the bar and asking for an appropriate glass for cognac or wine to drink in our cabin. But then, we never had a butler level cabin.

Seems weird that people who are willing to spend big bucks for butler level accommodations would want to cheat the system by sneaking alcohol from their cabin. And, as I understand it, with the collusion of the "butler" in exchange for a big tip at the end.

Why not just pay for your drinks and forget the sneaking around. Then you don't need to pay off your accomplice at the end? Or get a cheaper cabin if you can't afford to pay for drinks.

One of the things I really like about Oceania is that we can bring our own wine onboard and drink it in the dining room for a reasonable corkage fee and we can drink our own liquor in our cabin. Oceania treats us like honorable people, unlike other lines. I really hope the cheaters don't ruin it for the rest of us.

Mary

I agree with Mary why bother to take drinks from the cabin

get the drink package & just order from the bar

Some selfish people will ruin it for all

We take wine or spirits for the cabin & that is where we drink it as per the generous rules of Oceania

Me too, I agree with Mary. But I book a suite because I like the cabin size and the Butler Service-to us it's part of the vacation. We want to enjoy everything about the trip. Unlike a lot of guest we enjoy are time in the suite....

Rick

Hi Bob hope you and your better half had a good cruise.

My first cruise after long serious illness. Not nearly as good as our Iceland cruise. Hope to cruise with you and M again. Such fun

I'm another one who agrees with Mary, but I'm also confused. If one is in a suite that has a bar set up does the provided alcohol have to be drunk in the suite?

I'm another one who agrees with Mary, but I'm also confused. If one is in a suite that has a bar set up does the provided alcohol have to be drunk in the suite?

I do not know if there is a rule on it but I think it is so you can relax & entertain in the suite

If you can afford a top suite just buy a drink in the bar or dining venue

You see people leave the dining room empty wine glass in hand & return with a full one

The staff know where they have been ...very tacky IMO

When O stops allowing people to bring on spirits there will be a big ta do about it

I'm another one who agrees with Mary, but I'm also confused. If one is in a suite that has a bar set up does the provided alcohol have to be drunk in the suite?

Well let's see, if I bring an Oceania provided bottle of wine to dinner there is no corkage fee, following that logic there shouldn't be any issue with me pouring a drink from my Oceania provided bar set up when in a suite and taking it out to an open deck to enjoy. While yes, I have a balcony it may not have the view I want to enjoy at that time.

I think way too much is being made out of this.

Alternately, if I buy a bottle from Oceania from their Bon Voyage gifts is it okay for me to enjoy a drink from that out in the open, or do the proper form police think that should also be consumed in your room?

Alternately, if I buy a bottle from Oceania from their Bon Voyage gifts is it okay for me to enjoy a drink from that out in the open, or do the proper form police think that should also be consumed in your room?

Rather than disrespecting the process by describing enforcement of Oceania's very liberal policy as "policing", it might be more productive for those of us who realize how good we have it to follow the rules as they stand.

Otherwise, the cruise line may be forced to lump us all into the dreaded "lowest common denominator" and institute cavity searches for booze at the gangway.

I believe if you get the liquor from Oceania you can drink it anywhere. If you bring it onboard it's for in cabin use or wine in the dining room paying corkage.

Rather than disrespecting the process by describing enforcement of Oceania's very liberal policy as "policing", it might be more productive for those of us who realize how good we have it to follow the rules as they stand.

 

Otherwise, the cruise line may be forced to lump us all into the dreaded "lowest common denominator" and institute cavity searches for booze at the gangway.

 

Yes, but what is the rule concerning in suite bar and bon voyage gifts? Is it on the website? In the Currents?

It's quite simple, if you get the liquor from Oceania you can drink it anywhere. If you bring it on the ship its for in cabin consumption or wine in the dinning room after paying corkage.

I agree with this.

I don't believe it , crikey life's just to short worry about such trivialities .

That's why we purchase the drinks package , once paid forgotten , no more worries drinks hic hic ! When we like , what we like , wherever

You see people leave the dining room empty wine glass in hand & return with a full one

The staff know where they have been ...very tacky IMO

I agree, Tacky. We always get the Owners Suite, full bar - and we never ever take a drink out of the cabin. To me part of dinner or being in a lounge is being served the drink.

Rick

You see people leave the dining room empty wine glass in hand & return with a full one

The staff know where they have been ...very tacky IMO

 

I agree, Tacky. We always get the Owners Suite, full bar - and we never ever take a drink out of the cabin. To me part of dinner or being in a lounge is being served the drink.

 

Rick

The bar set ups in the top suites are for use all over the ship. Your butler will take your wine to wherever you are eating that night. I would not carry a drink out of my cabin as that would be very tacky. Rather buy it at the bar.

The bar set ups in the top suites are for use all over the ship. Your butler will take your wine to wherever you are eating that night. I would not carry a drink out of my cabin as that would be very tacky. Rather buy it at the bar.

If that is the case then just get your butler to carry your drink for you ;)

If that is the case then just get your butler to carry your drink for you ;)

Couldn't have said it better, but I still buy my drink when out and about the ship.

Rick

If that is the case then just get your butler to carry your drink for you ;)

I could, but I still think it would be very tacky.

We never had problems just going to the bar and asking for an appropriate glass for cognac or wine to drink in our cabin. But then, we never had a butler level cabin.

 

Seems weird that people who are willing to spend big bucks for butler level accommodations would want to cheat the system by sneaking alcohol from their cabin. And, as I understand it, with the collusion of the "butler" in exchange for a big tip at the end.

 

Why not just pay for your drinks and forget the sneaking around. Then you don't need to pay off your accomplice at the end? Or get a cheaper cabin if you can't afford to pay for drinks.

 

One of the things I really like about Oceania is that we can bring our own wine onboard and drink it in the dining room for a reasonable corkage fee and we can drink our own liquor in our cabin. Oceania treats us like honorable people, unlike other lines. I really hope the cheaters don't ruin it for the rest of us.

 

Mary

Totaly right on..... simply getting the Prem liquor package and you dont have to worry about bringing stuff on board, drinking in the cabin, drinking anywhere, sneaking about getting special glasses.... giving healthy tips to have your butler cover your rear......

All needless if you get the one simple package and be done with all the games

I'm a big wine drinker. Oceania wines by the glass are OK but nothing special and can get a bit boring on a longer cruise. We bring exceptional wine aboard, THANK YOU OCEANIA, that we sit and comfortably enjoy at sail away, on our verandah, in our cabin. I'd never consider carrying that wine up to Horizons or on the upper decks to watch the event! :eek:

We will sometimes bring great wines to dinner that we have paid ~ $75-$100 for and gladly pay the corkage, because a similar quality wine on the wine list might be $250! Happy as can be to pay that corkage fee! In the very rare event ;) :D a bottle is not finished, we leave it for another day. We don't leave with a wine glass full of wine! :(

We always buy the premium package, and if we want something after dinner like VSOP, then it's on the package. It would be beyond tacky to carry around alcohol brought from the room into one of the bars or other facilities, imo!

I'm a big wine drinker. Oceania wines by the glass are OK but nothing special and can get a bit boring on a longer cruise. We bring exceptional wine aboard, THANK YOU OCEANIA, that we sit and comfortably enjoy at sail away, on our verandah, in our cabin. I'd never consider carrying that wine up to Horizons or on the upper decks to watch the event! :eek:

 

We will sometimes bring great wines to dinner that we have paid ~ $75-$100 for and gladly pay the corkage, because a similar quality wine on the wine list might be $250! Happy as can be to pay that corkage fee! In the very rare event ;) :D a bottle is not finished, we leave it for another day. We don't leave with a wine glass full of wine! :(

 

We always buy the premium package, and if we want something after dinner like VSOP, then it's on the package. It would be beyond tacky to carry around alcohol brought from the room into one of the bars or other facilities, imo!

Totally agree !!!!

I'm a big wine drinker. Oceania wines by the glass are OK but nothing special and can get a bit boring on a longer cruise. We bring exceptional wine aboard, THANK YOU OCEANIA, that we sit and comfortably enjoy at sail away, on our verandah, in our cabin. I'd never consider carrying that wine up to Horizons or on the upper decks to watch the event! :eek:

 

We will sometimes bring great wines to dinner that we have paid ~ $75-$100 for and gladly pay the corkage, because a similar quality wine on the wine list might be $250! Happy as can be to pay that corkage fee! In the very rare event ;) :D a bottle is not finished, we leave it for another day. We don't leave with a wine glass full of wine! :(

 

We always buy the premium package, and if we want something after dinner like VSOP, then it's on the package. It would be beyond tacky to carry around alcohol brought from the room into one of the bars or other facilities, imo!

+2

Exceptionally well said! :D

...

 

We will sometimes bring great wines to dinner that we have paid ~ $75-$100 for and gladly pay the corkage, because a similar quality wine on the wine list might be $250! Happy as can be to pay that corkage fee! In the very rare event ;) :D a bottle is not finished, we leave it for another day. We don't leave with a wine glass full of wine! :(

 

...

Agree with PinotLover :)

In our case we sometimes *plan* on not finishing a bottle...we have on occasion brought a bottle of white and a bottle of red to dinner (and paid corkage on both), so that each then half-remaining bottle gets taken care of by the ship until the next time we want a little white (lunch al fresco, often) or red...

Not sure if this is still the case, but 2 cruises ago (winter 2014) we were advised that the 'retrieve from storage' of partial bottles is usually quite speedy except around 4 or 4:30 ish in the afternoon, when many of the beverage staff are not available (pre-dinner meetings or not on duty).

Also, for special bottles we have found the wine staff or specialty maitre d' happy to decant or chill before dinner, if you ask ahead and arrange a convenient time to hand over the bottle(s).