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Butler Deprivation?


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Okay, I am not trolling but I expect to be flamed.

 

I think some (all?) other luxury lines offer butlers for higher priced cabins. Silversea provides them for all cabins.

 

I find Silversea butlers to be intrusive and unnecessary. I am pretty self-sufficient and have found that the suite attendant effectively sees to nearly all of my needs. I do not need my eyeglasses polished and rearranged every day, or my shoes (worn only on the ship) polished several times or my clothes in the closet rearranged (nicely) without any such request. My most recent experience was especially unfortunate with the butler clearly trying to find work (so that I would give him a handsome tip/comment.???). I tried on numerous occasions to suggest that he back off, but he was having none of it.

 

How would others feel about Silversea offering a group of (presumably sub-prime) suites without butler service and with a somewhat lower price?

 

Let the flame-throwing begin! :):)

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No flame throwing here. Our experience with butlers has ranged from wonderful to uncomfortable to really bad. I like the concept of having a second person to help with issues not directly related to the cleanliness of the cabin.We have learned to draw the line with the overly helpful butler (and cabin attendant) at times when it has become intrusive. In fact, we have gone so far as to leave a sign asking them to leave our electronics and their power cords alone!

 

If SS could provide the non-butler scheme that you suggest, I suppose some would be happy. I would not prefer that situation.

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I think some (all?) other luxury lines offer butlers for higher priced cabins. Silversea provides them for all cabins.

 

How would others feel about Silversea offering a group of (presumably sub-prime) suites without butler service and with a somewhat lower price?

No flames [emoji91] here either.

 

You bring up an interesting point, but one that probably doesn’t fit within the equity of the SS brand.

 

I do enjoy the Butler concept and would be disappointed if they weren’t available for Vista suite guests since that is the least expensive suite category. I wonder, if one prefers not to utilize the service, would a well placed call to, or visit with the Hotel Director upon boarding, remedy any situation with how a guest prefers to utilize the Butler’s service?

 

 

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No flames [emoji91] here either.

 

You bring up an interesting point, but one that probably doesn’t fit within the equity of the SS brand.

 

I do enjoy the Butler concept and would be disappointed if they weren’t available for Vista suite guests since that is the least expensive suite category. I wonder, if one prefers not to utilize the service, would a well placed call to, or visit with the Hotel Director upon boarding, remedy any situation with how a guest prefers to utilize the Butler’s service?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

 

My concern is that if a butler is assigned to my suite and I arrange to have him/her not serve me, s/he loses a tip that I think all butlers in practice expect (and generally receive). So I am doing a disservice to the butler who would otherwise serve me.

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We would not like not having a butler. Ours have been everything from fantastic to very good. Our butlers have responded quite well to our limited requirements and have never been intrusive. We’ve never ever gotten the feeling any of our butlers having been fishing or looking for a tip or gratuity.

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My concern is that if a butler is assigned to my suite and I arrange to have him/her not serve me, s/he loses a tip that I think all butlers in practice expect (and generally receive). So I am doing a disservice to the butler who would otherwise serve me.
Why do you feel that way? I thought all on-board gratuities are included on SS?

 

Personally, I’ve never felt the butlers we’ve had expected an additional tip. Therefore, I don’t believe SS Butlers have that expectation. As such, you wouldn’t be doing them a disservice, but rather a nice service since they would be able to devote further attention to their other guests.

 

 

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No flames here either.

 

We are not very fond of the "Butlers" on Silversea. We did have a really good one for one cruise, but much preferred the female Stewardess we had on our early Silversea cruises before Butlers were introduced.

 

That was one of the reasons we decided to stick with Seabourn for the past few years.

We are returning to Silversea later this year because we liked the dates and itinerary. Hope we won't regret it.

 

Agree with a previous poster - I don't need my glasses polished, clothes rearranged or shoes polished. Just fill my fridge/bar as requested, make sure my laundry gets back on time and remain generally invisible and unnoticed.

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Having just got of our first Silversea cruise I will put forward my opinion.

We really found having a butler an added extra we would prefer not to have. He was a lovely guy but it got tiring to constantly reassure him we did not need his services. Every time he saw us he asked what he could do, it got so we would hope not to see him as it felt awkward to us.

 

We missed the friendly interaction and banter we had with our stewardesses on Seabourn who we could joke with and ask each about how the day had been. Silversea seemed so much more formal, even when we tried to lighten the mood by joking. We have had one or two not so great stewardesses but generally they were lovely and did all we required.

 

I read a review of someone who recently sailed on Odyssey and while not negating the issues they encountered, their comment regarding missing their butler on Silversea struck home. It proved to me how we all have different wants and needs on our cruises.:)

 

Julie

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I'm going on my first SS cruise later this year. While I have cruised with other companies before, Ive never had a Butler. I'm curios to know what it is that they actually do automatically and what sort of things you can ask them for assistance with.

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My first SS cruise is still more than a year off so I've never experienced a SS (or any other line) butler. It seems to me one of SS's big selling point slogans is "All suites have a butler" (ok, ok Vistas are really Outsides, and butlers are really just glorified stewards). SS will never get rid of the butlers for Vistas because that makes them seem more like a mainstream line... and they can't use that slogan to make pax think 'LUXURY'! They're really pushing it already by saying they are "All-inclusive"... when they're not.

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Why do you feel that way? I thought all on-board gratuities are included on SS?

 

Personally, I’ve never felt the butlers we’ve had expected an additional tip. Therefore, I don’t believe SS Butlers have that expectation. As such, you wouldn’t be doing them a disservice, but rather a nice service since they would be able to devote further attention to their other guests.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

 

Yes, there are no required gratuities -- no charge per day added to the folio. But tips are still common and even expected by some personnel on Silversea -- esp. for staff who offer continued service to a guest (housekeeper, butler, waiter if one has the same person regularly). I always contribute to the Crew Welfare Fund and tip butler and suite attendant, They are grateful but hardly say that I should not offer the gratuity.

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[quote name=Observer;55202346. But tips are still common and even expected by some personnel on Silversea -- esp. for staff who offer continued service to a guest (housekeeper' date=' butler, waiter if one has the same person regularly).

[/quote]

 

Total hogwash. If tips are expected it is because people like you have established the precedent, not the company or crew.

 

It's been 28 months since last SS cruise. In large part because the butler took it upon himself to put his polish on a pair of shoes an idiot should have known not to touch. His supervisor told me to shove it. It's their job to polish shoes, even if in an out of sight drawer. Will be on Wind next month and first order of business is to make clear no butler service.

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Our first SS trip is coming up next month however we have been on other lines with a butler. I observed the biggest use of them seemed to be serving meals in the room. We rarely dine in so we used them to run a few errands and make a few dinning reservations. I really can take them or leave them. If they are truly expecting a tip from me on a all-inclusive line they will be disappointed.

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We would not like not having a butler. Ours have been everything from fantastic to very good. Our butlers have responded quite well to our limited requirements and have never been intrusive. We’ve never ever gotten the feeling any of our butlers having been fishing or looking for a tip or gratuity.

 

I feel the same way. It is one of the reasons I prefer SS over other luxury lines. On our Regent, two Crystal and Paul Gauguin cruises, I felt like we never saw the room attendant and could never vocalize requests for the fridge, etc.

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I feel the same way. It is one of the reasons I prefer SS over other luxury lines. On our Regent, two Crystal and Paul Gauguin cruises, I felt like we never saw the room attendant and could never vocalize requests for the fridge, etc.

 

Interesting that you mentioned room attendants. Maybe my memory is faulty but it seems to me that when we first started cruising 20+ years there was a senior cabin/room attendant who quickly introduced themselves when we boarded and got to our cabin. Typically they’d ask if we had any special requirements, would offer to bring coffee in the morning, asked what newspaper we’d like delivered, offer to get shoes polished, etc., etc. Over the years most cruise lines we used to cruise with cut staff to the point where we rarely saw any attendant much less one that offered services. Things like regular morning coffee turned into having to remember to put out a request card every night, no newspapers, and so on. Not necessarily a major disappointment or deal breaker but we certainly noticed. When we came to Silversea five years ago our first butler was very reminiscent of the chief or lead cabin steward of those many years ago.

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Having a butler is a sort of a new thing for us. Yes, we've been on 2 QM2 voyages where we had them, but I didn't really think they were necessary as they did virtually nothing for us. When we asked for things (another bottle of Hendrick's, please?) it always seemed like it was an imposition.. One funny was I asked to have fresh cucumber everyday for the Hendricks. Each day I got it, served sliced in coins with knife, fork and salt and pepper! At least I got it! However getting said Hendrick's was another issue! Second butler was a huge woman, very formal, regimented (think Germanic WWII) Scared me to death....

And then there was our SS butler, whom I wanted to take home! So very comfortable and genuine. Never obtrusive, always asked if there was anything we needed or he could do for us. We were left alone if there weren't any requests. John loved the shined shoes! We live in the country and getting shoes shined is a BIG deal!

I think it must be the luck of the draw. I would say if you're not happy, then say something to reception. I bet they'll fix it!

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A very interesting thread. We returned mid December from our first SS cruise on board Silver wind. Far from getting things polished or rearranged we saw our butler exactly three times. Once on the afternoon of our embarkation where he asked what soft drinks we like in our fridge and gave us a bottle of prosecco to celebrate SS being an Italian cruise line. Next time we saw him was in the middle of the week when he was off ashore. The he was there on disembarkation day asking us to vacate the cabin as soon as was possible because he had a lot to do!

 

Wont be bothering SS again, off on Queen Victoria next.

 

Peter and Jenny

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I read a review of someone who recently sailed on Odyssey and while not negating the issues they encountered, their comment regarding missing their butler on Silversea struck home. It proved to me how we all have different wants and needs on our cruises.:)

 

Julie

 

Yes, it was me! I've had wonderful butlers in SS, none of them intrusive. They would take care of any issue or errand given to them, and follow up on resolutions, if needed. Unfortunately, not having a butler has led to continuous calls to Guest Services and the aggravation of constant follow ups. Our butlers soon learned that we enjoyed specific tea sandwiches and drinks delivered to our room at 4pm each day and... voilà! Always there. They have been a pleasure to chat with, at my initiative. No tip expected; none given. Maybe it is a good idea to inform Reception if anybody wishes to opt out of the service, but please let's continue the service to those that find it useful.

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Zombatar,

Did you ever post any pictures of your time on the Wind?

If so I guess I missed them. I wanted to see your custom tux.

Also I hope you brought the absentee butler to the HDs attention.

 

As for me, with the exception of one butler, who was a little off balanced and lurked in the hallways and wanted to talk about her troubles, we have had positive experiences. Some butlers have been extraordinary. Others less so, but all have been attentive and helpful.

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How would others feel about Silversea offering a group of (presumably sub-prime) suites without butler service and with a somewhat lower price?

 

Let the flame-throwing begin! :):)

 

How much do you calculate your cruise could be reduced if it came without a butler and the full saving were passed on?

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Total hogwash. If tips are expected it is because people like you have established the precedent, not the company or crew.

 

It's been 28 months since last SS cruise. In large part because the butler took it upon himself to put his polish on a pair of shoes an idiot should have known not to touch. His supervisor told me to shove it. It's their job to polish shoes, even if in an out of sight drawer. Will be on Wind next month and first order of business is to make clear no butler service.

 

I agree/understand that tipping is vexed territory. One other luxury, all-inclusive line even facilitates tipping by providing cards so that you can charge tips to onboard folio. I miss the good olde days on Seabourn, I think it was, when crew were prohibited from accepting tips and accepting a tip was a dismissible offense.

 

If you say you want zero butler service, I don't know who will replenish the fridge, bring fresh water, etc.

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A supply of water that will last through length of voyage is in the suite before we depart. I don't care who puts it in the suite, but the ship does not sail without it being within eyesight. No need for anything but water.

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