Butler & concierge tipping

I realize this has been discussed dozens of times over past few years, and I've read many of the threads. However, I still have a question for people who have stayed in suites:

Two very commonly mentioned rules of thumb are $10ppd, or $100/couple for a 1 week cruise which is the equivalent to $7ppd. The most common rule of thumb for the concierge seems to be half the butler tip. Many of the responders have added the qualification that this is for average usage and adjust up or down for usage and satisfaction. Unfortunately, very few have specified what they consider average usage.

When you think of an average rate, what do you consider average usage? Breakfast in the room every day? A couple of dinners in the room a week? Special requests for afternoon nibbles other than what they would have brought unsolicited?

I usually give the cabin butler $50pp for a 1 week cruise, so $7ppd. However, I consider myself a light user as I don't take breakfast or dinner in the room, and have only very rarely made any special requests. On the other hand I quite enjoyed having Cagneys breakfast brought up to the courtyard, and so have tipped the courtyard butler $150 for a week of that (party of 5).

Anyway, just hoping to get a clearer idea of the cruisecritic norms, but this time with more details about "average usage".

We did not use the butler or concierge for anything, so there was no reason to tip them.

20 dollars to bring your food to the courtyard sounds reasonable to me anyway.

Hooray! Another tipping thread!

Average use... maybe a couple meals in the suite, two or three dinners, plus the usual services like coffee replenishment, snacks, general attentiveness.

I would consider above average to be... a bunch of meals in the suite...for six people... serving guests in suite, hosting a party with snacks/drinks.''

Your thread here though is asking for trouble, though. See, you could ask about what average use versus above average use is and that might be fine. But when you throw the $$ into the conversation, it becomes FAR more of a subjective conversation. Accordingly, I will leave my thoughts on $ amounts out of my comment.

This was just our opinion on the subject and we were very comfortable with it.

We just returned on the 18th having stayed in a Courtyard Penthouse 16126 on the Getaway. My husband met the butler on our first afternoon, I never met him. He delivered a complimentary afternoon snack but always while we were out of the room. We did not ask for anything from him and we never saw him again until our last evening when he was in the hallway. I had to ask if he was the butler and then tipped him $50. We had made all of our dinner and show reservations before boarding and never used the concierge, so we did not tip. Our cabin steward was wonderful and worked so hard everyday morning and afternoon to make the room special, tip $100. We also tipped the maitre'd in the Haven restaurant $20 as we only ate there for breakfast on 3 mornings. Also tipped the servers when our meal was finished, $5 at breakfast. Have a great time!

20 dollars to bring your food to the courtyard sounds reasonable to me anyway.

We also spent a lot of time in the courtyard and he was really wonderful, very kind to my kids. He was Rafael on the Jewel out of Miami in December 2009.

I would not call the "rule of thumb" comments as normal at all. I will admit it is better than the very common reply of "commensurate with level of service". What is the he$$ does that mean?

There are way too many variables in what they do and what people expect.

Anyways, if you search on the term BUTLER you will find many threads about this same thing. And, you will be more than confused.

Unlike the DSC, I don't believe there is a set amount to tip the butler and concierge to tip what you feel comfortable with.

Hooray! Another tipping thread!

Your thread here though is asking for trouble, though. See, you could ask about what average use versus above average use is and that might be fine. But when you throw the $$ into the conversation, it becomes FAR more of a subjective conversation. Accordingly, I will leave my thoughts on $ amounts out of my comment.

I appreciate both your patience with my question and your discretion.

I'm not interested in judging what the right number is, just trying to get a better context for the various numbers. If person A tips 10ppd but their idea of average usage is breakfast and dinner in their room daily, well, that's not the same as person B who tips 10ppd but whose idea of average usage is more like mine, i.e., no meals in the room.

Btw, for some additional context, Celebrity add $3.50ppd to their DSC for butler service cabins and Oceania add $7ppd. I've never sailed with either, though, so I don't know how those services compares with NCL's.

I will admit it is better than the very common reply of "commensurate with level of service". What is the he$$ does that mean?

Darn good question. I've read many comments that mention how much you'd tip for a similar meal "back home". But doesn't that beg the question of where home is? I've never been to Omaha, but I suspect that a good steak dinner would have a different cost than a similar dinner in Manhattan. Would it be consistent for someone from Omaha to tip 15% of the Omaha price and someone from Manhattan to tip 15% of the Manhattan price?

There are way too many variables in what they do and what people expect.

 

Anyways, if you search on the term BUTLER you will find many threads about this same thing. And, you will be more than confused.

Again, I've read many of those threads. And I am confused. But that's why I'm trying to clarify one potential source of confusion by understanding a little better what people expect when they say they usually tip $Xppd.

Unlike the DSC, I don't believe there is a set amount to tip the butler and concierge to tip what you feel comfortable with.

I agree that there is no set price, at least not on NCL. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, Celebrity and Oceania do appear to put butler services into their DSCs.

Personally, I'd feel uncomfortable tipping much below the crowd for a given level of service; I don't want to stiff the people who work so hard to make our holidays enjoyable. But I'd also feel uncomfortable tipping way over the top for a given level of service; then I'd feel like a bit of a chump. And since I suspect that the butlers' expectations will be influenced by what other passengers are tipping, I'm trying to find out what the crowd tips for a given level of service.

Havenfan, I agree with your question completely and I for one am glad you asked the question.

Fwiw, we were 4 people (2 adults, 2 children) in a H6 suite on breakaway. We had two meals delivered to the suite, both supper. I used the coffee maker once and we asked for two pitchers of juice for the fridge midway through the cruise. Concierge made two reservations for us. We tipped the butler $200, concierge $100 and an extra $50 for our room steward. We also tipped the Haven restaurant Maitre D $20 and the occasional $5 for above average service at meals. I thought it was appropriate at the time, though sometimes I wonder. We didn't see the butler or concierge after giving them our tip voucher, but our room steward was very grateful.

I look forward to reading what others consider "usual" service.

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Sounds over-generous, to me, for the things you asked for.... Making reservations is a mere phone call..you could do it yourself.... I'm sure they appreciated you!

Tipping: Butler $120

Concierge $80

Room Steward $60

This was our base line for a 4 day cruise in an Owners Suite...4 people.

I went thru the same confusion as you are about the amounts, the service, etc. etc. I don't know why people get so bent out of shape when someone asks a tipping question. I realize that it is subjective; but there has to be a place ($$) to start.

Our experience: Our butler met us & led us on board to the lounge where we met our concierge. From here it was obviously entirely optional whether to avail them of their services or not. (Did I mention we were four gals travelling without spouses:))

Our butler brought us breakfast 3 out of the 4 mornings. He kept our ice bucket full (and I do mean full..he quickly realized that we went thru quite a bit of it & started bringing it in a Corona bucket), our fridge stocked (special requests such as fresh limes & lemons) & our afternoon treats were always delicious. All in all, he was very visible.

We loved our concierge & appreciated her making all of our dining reservations, our priority tendering and our reserved seating in the Theatre.

She also was always visible & available.

Our room steward was someone we only saw once; but what does that matter?

We had towel animals every nite (thrilled the 3 first time cruisers in the group) and he kept our room spotless. (Did I mention we were four gals travelling together with all that entails in one room:D)

So, with that being said...we kept the Butlers at $120. Upped the Concierge to the same $120 & gave the room steward what we had planned on $60.

We also tipped extra to the waiters in the specialty restaurants; the amount dependent on the level of service.

Hope this helps and happy sailing

Cheers,

Sandra

Our rule is $10 pp per day to start, and go up (or down on rare occasions) from there. Our starting point includes a few (2-4 a week) breakfasts served in the suite (for everyone in suite, no guests), the normal daily stuff, and the occasional extra request (mixers, extra decaf coffee, extra ice, etc). If we have a dinner in the suite, we give extra. If we serve guests in the suite, we give extra. If we request anything out of the ordinary (like a round of drinks or something), we give extra.

Our usual butler tip is $150 for a week for two of us. When it's just the two of us, we rarely have any meals besides a few breakfasts brought to us, although we did have lunch on our balcony once and tipped extra for that. For our last GV sailing (7 days), we had six people (the kids were with us), had one dinner in the suite, and breakfast every day, one round of drinks brought to us. No entertaining besides just us. We gave him $500 the week, plus an added tip on the dinner bill from La Cucina (maybe $30?) and on the round of drinks ($20?).

As a general rule, we give the concierge about half of that amount for his/her tip and the steward(s) $50-100 each depending on the suite.

Robin

I'm curious why people use the $$ppd rule? From what I'm reading on here, the tipping seems quite excessive for what people are having their butlers do. Delivering a few breakfasts and refilling ice for a $200 tip??? Really?

Why not just tip 15%-20% of services rendered when they do something-- much like what you'd do with a waiter at a restaurant?

At the end of the cruise it may very well end up being $10ppd or more.

It just seems like a lot of $$$ for tips when the butler really isn't doing too much from what everyone is describing their use of butlers on here.

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A lot of the responses here talk about the room steward. I was under the impression they were part of the DSC.

I understand the butler and concierge, are not so will tip them accordingly, but why the extra for the room steward. Other than the larger room, do they do any additional services in the suites?

I'm curious why people use the $$ppd rule? From what I'm reading on here, the tipping seems quite excessive for what people are having their butlers do. Delivering a few breakfasts and refilling ice for a $200 tip??? Really?

 

Why not just tip 15%-20% of services rendered when they do something-- much like what you'd do with a waiter at a restaurant?

 

At the end of the cruise it may very well end up being $10ppd or more.

 

It just seems like a lot of $$$ for tips when the butler really isn't doing too much from what everyone is describing their use of butlers on here.

 

 

 

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It sounds much simpler than it really is. I've rarely had a butler who didn't check up on us several times per day, delivering breakfast and setting the table, returning to clean up after breakfast, dropping off snacks, snacks, and more snacks, replenishing the coffee a couple times per day, always checking our ice three or more times per day, our wine buckets (ice), our beer buckets (ice), our mixers, our garnishes, checking on our dinner plans to see when we might want snacks delivered, etc, etc, etc. Some may never notice the service, but once you've had a suite where you hang around all day (like the DOS on the Gem or the Aft Suites on the BA, or the GV) you see how much they do, even if it's just checking on your needs or wants - easily an hour or two per day. The way I see it, just that service alone is worth at least $20 per day - even with no extra services requested.

Robin

A lot of the responses here talk about the room steward. I was under the impression they were part of the DSC.

 

I understand the butler and concierge, are not so will tip them accordingly, but why the extra for the room steward. Other than the larger room, do they do any additional services in the suites?

They are definitely included in the DSC, but with a suite, we find they spend much more time than they would in a smaller room. There is more to tend to, especially in the larger suites (ie 2 bathrooms, more beds in some, bar space, dining space, cleaning up the snacks, liquor, etc that would not be present in a regular cabin). I suppose there is really no "need" to leave an extra tip, but we have found they all work so hard and are so pleasant that it just feels right to leave some extra.

Robin

They are definitely included in the DSC, but with a suite, we find they spend much more time than they would in a smaller room. There is more to tend to, especially in the larger suites (ie 2 bathrooms, more beds in some, bar space, dining space, cleaning up the snacks, liquor, etc that would not be present in a regular cabin). I suppose there is really no "need" to leave an extra tip, but we have found they all work so hard and are so pleasant that it just feels right to leave some extra.

 

Robin

Thanks Robin. This is our first time in a suite so I guess we can make a decision at the end and add accordingly if we feel it is warranted.

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If you are a reasonable person, as 90%+ of cruisers are, then using the butler and concierge as needed would be considered average. In that case, $50-$150/week for the butler and half that for the concierge is very reasonable. If for some reason you contact the butler or concierge in excess of 6-8 times per day then you are a heavy user and might consider tipping a little extra.

We did not use the butler or concierge for anything, so there was no reason to tip them.

Sounds over-generous, to me, for the things you asked for.... Making reservations is a mere phone call..you could do it yourself.... I'm sure they appreciated you!

Delivering a few breakfasts and refilling ice for a $200 tip??? Really?

As Fishbait17's already explained, the butlers and concierges actually do a lot without your asking them as part of a basic service, as odd as it sounds to use the words "basic", "butler" and "concierge" in the same sentence.

My butlers have walked me onto the ship so I don't have to spend a half hour waiting in line, showed me how all the various switches and gadgets in a suite work (there are a lot of switches in a Garden Villa:)), checked to make sure that everything is working and that nothing's been forgotten. Even something as trivial as having a light bulb replaced - without my having to deal with it or even notice. You can call me lazy for not wanting to pick up the phone and call for an electrician and wait around for the guy to show up... but I say I'm paying to be extra lazy on my holiday in a suite with butler service. AFAIK, butlers provide these services and afternoon snacks for all their guests without being asked.

Similarly, the concierges arrange priority tender tickets, hold the rope at the reserved seating at the shows and expedite disembarkation. I think they do these things regardless of whether you ask for it.

But here's the thing, these services aren't really included in the price of the suite. Allow me to elaborate:

Most Americans understand that the cost of basic service in a restaurant isn't really included in the price of a meal. Most restaurants pay their servers a pittance, often well below minimum wage. The rest of the servers' compensation comes in the form of tips. A big tip is a reward for extraordinary service. But a basic tip is still expected for basic service.

cruisecritic's very own "An Insider's Guide to Cruise Tipping" http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=132 has a great paragraph about this:

Part of the difficulty with tipping is the English language. Where other tongues have two words for tip, English has only one. The French draw a distinction between service and pourboire. The first is the unavoidable cost of being waited on; the second is an expression of thanks for exemplary service.

So I repeat: On NCL, the cost of the basic butler and concierge services aren't really included in the price of the suite. NCL pays them fairly low base salaries but they don't participate in the DSC pool. The "tip" is expected to pay for these basic services.

Having written all that so emphatically, this is only my third-hand understanding of the situation. If someone else believes that NCL pays the butlers and concierges far more than the other hospitality staff, please let me know.

Why not just tip 15%-20% of services rendered when they do something-- much like what you'd do with a waiter at a restaurant?

I'd love to have a guideline like that for extra services like breakfasts or three course meals in the room - if only NCL published prices for those meals. And, to quote myself:

I've read many comments that mention how much you'd tip for a similar meal "back home". But doesn't that beg the question of where home is? I've never been to Omaha, but I suspect that a good steak dinner would have a different cost than a similar dinner in Manhattan. Would it be consistent for someone from Omaha to tip 15% of the Omaha price and someone from Manhattan to tip 15% of the Manhattan price?

A lot of the responses here talk about the room steward. I was under the impression they were part of the DSC.

 

I understand the butler and concierge, are not so will tip them accordingly, but why the extra for the room steward. Other than the larger room, do they do any additional services in the suites?

I normally tip them an extra $10pp for a week, but that's just because my baseline is 20% rather than 15% at restaurants.

Something that might be relevant would be whether their workload is adjusted to reflect the size of the cabins they're responsible for. For example, if, hypothetically, a normal steward is responsible for 15 cabins, would the number of cabins be reduced if several (or, potentially, all, in the case of the Haven), were suites? What about if an unusual number of the cabins were maxed out with 3rd/4ths?

If they had the bad luck to take care of 15 suites, or 15 cabins with quad occupancy, I'd definitely feel I ought to add some extra. If they were assigned to fewer cabins because they had suites or higher occupancy, then not as much.

Anybody have any idea about this?

 

 

So I repeat: On NCL, the cost of the basic butler and concierge services aren't really included in the price of the suite.

I'm just throwing this out there based on other threads I have seen.

I think this is where some people's confusion lies as they feel that the cost of the suite DOES include these basic services as advertised on NCL's website and therefore anything, done by the butler and/or concierge, above and beyond that is what the tip is based on:

Exclusive Amenities

Personalized Service

24-hour trained and certified suite butler

Concierge service

Courtyard valet

White tablecloth in-suite dining

Escort to your suite

Exclusive Benefits

Exclusive access to The Haven Courtyard area with private pool, sundeck, hot tub and fitness area

Priority embarkation and disembarkation

Distinctive platinum keycard

Priority boarding of tenders to shore

Complimentary limousine service from pier to airport (for Garden Villa guests)

Delicious Extras

Sparkling wine, bottled water and fruit on embarkation day (For 2-Bedroom villa, Courtyard Penthouse, Spa Suite, and Penthouse only)

24-hour Room Service

Mini-bar and espresso/cappuccino machine

Special Haven Menus

Gourmet treats delivered to your suite each evening

Invitations to an exclusive breakfast and lunch

Cocktail party with ship’s officers

Thoughtful Touches

Bliss Collection by Norwegian pillow-top mattress

Fine linens, feather duvet and pillow menu

Plush bathrobes, slippers and oversized towels

 

cruisecritic's very own "An Insider's Guide to Cruise Tipping" http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=132 has a great paragraph about this:

 

 

So I repeat: On NCL, the cost of the basic butler and concierge services aren't really included in the price of the suite. NCL pays them fairly low base salaries but they don't participate in the DSC pool. The "tip" is expected to pay for these basic services.

 

:

Part of the difficulty with tipping is the English language. Where other tongues have two words for tip, English has only one. The French draw a distinction between service and pourboire. The first is the unavoidable cost of being waited on; the second is an expression of thanks for exemplary service.

This is an excellent point. In fact, if you look at the French word "pourboire", it translates to "for drinking"....or "splurge money"....or "let me buy you a drink". That's not the same as let me pay you the salary you've earned.

And having that translation in-hand is useful when determining the level of 'tip' one is giving. Is it basic compensation, or is it a thank-you in the form of let me buy you a drink.

The dealers in the casino (well, at least a couple with whom we became friends), would even acknowledge tips in that way... referring to them jokingly as "Coronas".

Stephen

P.S. One thing I differ on, is that I typically tip the butler about half of what I would tip the concierge. I find the concierge helps me avoid wasting my vacation standing in lines, and 'opens doors' which might otherwise be shut (reserved seating, so I don't have to go early.... materializing a table in a 'full' restaurant, etc.). To me, that's golden and worth something.

.

I'm just throwing this out there based on other threads I have seen.

 

I think this is where some people's confusion lies as they feel that the cost of the suite DOES include these basic services as advertised on NCL's website and therefore anything, done by the butler and/or concierge, above and beyond that is what the tip is based on

This is such a good point, and some find it difficult to distinguish between the included service (like the snacks) and a tip for the included service (like the way they are delivered in a timely manner, with napkins and utensils, and to your liking if you have made requests). If we move the situation to a more "daily life" experience, it starts to make more sense:

Obviously dinner. You go to a restaurant, of course the price includes the food showing up at your table, but a tip is expected.

You order a pizza delivered to your home - yes, the cost of the pizza includes delivery, but a tip is expected.

You get your hair washed and cut at the salon, the price includes the wash and cut, but a tip is expected.

You attend a fundraiser at a local tavern with drinks included, the "price" includes the drinks, but it is expected that you tip the bartender.

We could all come up with these kinds of examples for daily life situations, but since you are in a ship away from home, it's hard to distinguish between the "included" and the "service tip". My experience with NCL is that the butlers take it to a whole different level. When you order a pizza, not only does the butler show up at your door with the pizza, but he brings plates, napkins, utensils, condiments, and then sets it all up on a table for you. My butlers have noticed that sometimes we drink a lot of coffee throughout the day (esp decaf). So instead of just replenishing the regular amounts, he intuitively knows to leave extra decaf by day two or three, and he checks it more often than normal to make sure we are well supplied. If my butler just dumps a small plate of canapés on the table once a day, he's just ok. But most NCL butlers will do that, plus bring you things he intuits that you might want - after a long port day you might find a plate of sandwiches, a bowl of popcorn, or a pot of coffee (if he sees you like it), or something else. We have had butlers bring us plates of olives for martinis, or different fresh fruit for our smoothies, fresh full cream daily for our coffee, or plates of fresh limes for our Coronas, etc. These things aren't usually requested, they simply show up, based strictly on the butler's instinct. And even better, sometimes you don't want to be "bothered" by an intrusive butler, and they intuit that too! I find most NCL butlers to be absolute masters of reading peoples' minds, and that is a service incomprehensible to me, and worthy of a hefty tip.

Robin