Tipping in a suite

[LoraJ]

Who delivers the room service? Do you tip them each time they deliver or at the end of the week?

[DMH15]

Who delivers the room service? Do you tip them each time they deliver or at the end of the week?

 

If you are in a suite the butler brings it. Sets up tablecloths and all. So, I tip at end. Regular cabins have different room service deliverers so I tip per delivery if not in a suite.

[LoraJ]

If you are in a suite the butler brings it. Sets up tablecloths and all. So, I tip at end. Regular cabins have different room service deliverers so I tip per delivery if not in a suite.

 

We will be in a suite. Thanks for the info. :)

[SuiteRose]

Naturally the amount of tip should be based on what you feel comfortable with and more important the level of service. Unfortunately we are in a tip motivated society and most people in the service industry think it is a given. If I say so myself I happen to be a generous tipper but I tip according to service. I do not tip because i "have to" or it is expected. If the service is bad I will tip accordingly. It is rare that I wouldnt tip at all.

The butler I recently had on the Jewel was not the best but I tipped him anyway. Of course it wasnt as much as I usually tip because of his lack of concern and feeling that he was doing me a favor by doing his job. He also accused me of breaking the safe out of ear shot but I heard him and that annoyed me.

 

Just wondering what cabin you stayed in... we were in 10666 from the 21st to the 28th... the safe on the left did not open... Mr. T was our butler and we loved him... We really don't ask the butler for much but he was very sweet when he brought snacks to our room and we had great conversations with him. He offered to do whatever we needed but we really didn't need anything. Ryan was the concierge and we saw him everyday at breakfast. He even asked my DH on several occasions why we didn't use his services more than we did...just didn't need anything this time... but his help in priority disembarkation at all of the ports is worth it's weight in gold!! We still gave what I thought was generous tips to both of them even though we didn't use their services much.. they were both always asking if we needed anything... Florida/Bahamas isn't an itinerary that we needed much help with.

[doberlady]

so grateful for this thread!! We are sailing in our first suite in July and this is so helpful to know what we can ask for and what they are there to do for you.

 

So I don't have to worry about making any upcharge restaurant ressies? When we checked in on the Jewel there was a dining table set up and you can make a dining ressie for that day or the next. I won't have to bother with that?

[che5904]

What they make is NONE of our buisiness and tipping someone based on what they make is just wrong. You are supposed to tip according to service (or lack there of)

 

It is exactly because they are working FOR you that you would/should tip.

 

This works both ways...I also disagree with people who feel they need to tip to the point of bankrupting themselves because they have it in their heads that the crew are 'poor'.

How utterly condescending.

 

Either scenerio is just plain awful.

 

 

If you want to tip generously because someone worked above and beyond and made your cruise memorable and you are finacially able to do so, that is awesome.

If someone doesn't impress you, then tip less or don't tip at all...

 

but don't sit down with a calculator to see if you can come up with a guess as to what they make.

How awful is that?

Would you want someone scrutinizing your personal buisness like that?

Would you want someone to tip you based on your salary if you were a service employee???

 

 

When I was a hairdresser, can you imagine how pissed I would be if someone tipped me less because my husband made good money and we had a great combined income???

I wanted to be tipped on MY WORK not how much my/our income was.

 

Think about it.

It's wrong.

 

Very well stated Halos

[topguy]

I was in a suite on the Dawn in Jan 2011 and both the butler and the concierge was wonderful. The concierge always greeted me at breakfast and asked if she could do anything for me. She escorted all of the suite guests off at ports on a separate elevator, she got tender tickets, helped with disembarkation.

The butler brought treats every afternoon to the suite, brought DVD's from their library, and just couldn't do enough for you. He always greeted me by name whenever he saw me on the ship. Both people were well worth a larger tip.

[topguy]

I was in a suite on the Dawn in Jan 2011 and both the butler and the concierge was wonderful. The concierge always greeted me at breakfast and asked if she could do anything for me. She escorted all of the suite guests off at ports on a separate elevator, she got tender tickets, helped with disembarkation.

The butler brought treats every afternoon to the suite, brought DVD's from their library, and just couldn't do enough for you. He always greeted me by name whenever he saw me on the ship. Both people were well worth a larger tip.

Make that the Jade, not the Dawn. The Dawn is this year.

[Fishbait17]

so grateful for this thread!! We are sailing in our first suite in July and this is so helpful to know what we can ask for and what they are there to do for you.

 

So I don't have to worry about making any upcharge restaurant ressies? When we checked in on the Jewel there was a dining table set up and you can make a dining ressie for that day or the next. I won't have to bother with that?

 

Your concierge can make those reservations for you with just a phone call. We generally make a bunch of reservations (thru the concierge, I give them a list) at the beginning of the week and then adjust if necessary. You might still need reservations (especially in Teppanyaki), but if you don't have a reservation that night, you can call the concierge who will try to get you in - it's not usually a problem (again, except Teppanyaki).

 

The main things are that the concierge has a bit of pull that might get you into a restaurant that is "full" and you can make your reservations thru the concierge for the whole week on embarkation day instead of 1 day prior.

 

Robin

[RichNY]

We really feel passengers over think the process..The same rules apply for the concierge and butler..You can tip the room steward, part of the DSC. extra if you want.

 

No specific order.

 

1. Tip based on the service you receive.

2. No formulas. PP/PD

3. Whatever you tip will be greatly appreciated.

4. No reason to tip just because you have a concierge and or a butler.

5. The staff is more than happy to earn their tips.

6. There is no expectation of a particular tip amount.

7. Tip at the end of the cruise.

7. Don't concern your self with their salaries. If they make a "good" salary it's because the are very good at their jobs and have earned their positions.

[halos]

This is news for me! I have always heared that in the US everyone must tip for example a waitress because their salary is very low or even non existing. Are you saying that the tipping has nothing to do with a low salary? If that's right, why shall we tip a waitress for doing their job?

 

To be honest I have never heared about a butler with a higher salary than the people they are working for.

 

Tipping is not a 'must'.

Yes, service employees do count on tips, which is why a good service employee (who usually is paid a minimal salary) will work their butt off to earn that tip.

In the US, it is not a 'law' that you must tip...no one holds a gun to your head. It is customary, yes...but if your service is lousy, you shouldn't tip.

 

LOL..as far as a 'butler' making more than the people they serve...well, I think it's very possible that that happens OFTEN....not in salary, but tips, absolutely!!

My mother-in-law raised 5 children on her own with a waitressing job.

The nice thing about being a tipped employee is your money earned is a (mostly) direct response to the amount of work/effort you put in.

 

 

We really feel passengers over think the process..The same rules apply for the concierge and butler..You can tip the room steward, part of the DSC. extra if you want.

 

 

 

No specific order.

 

 

 

1. Tip based on the service you receive.

 

2. No formulas. PP/PD

 

3. Whatever you tip will be greatly appreciated.

 

4. No reason to tip just because you have a concierge and or a butler.

 

5. The staff is more than happy to earn their tips.

 

6. There is no expectation of a particular tip amount.

 

7. Tip at the end of the cruise.

 

7. Don't concern your self with their salaries. If they make a "good" salary it's because the are very good at their jobs and have earned their positions.

 

Bravo!

[marelind]

Whether you tip or not, if you really want to help them stay on the ship (have their contract renewed or get a promotion), then write up a STYLE (compliment) card on them. NCL/Norwegian reviews those STYLE cards. The more cards an employee gets then the higher chance of them getting a new contract or get promoted. You can get the STYLE cards at the Front Desk/Concierge. The drop off box is also on the counter at that Information area. I recommend that you get some STYLE cards at the beginning of your cruise. That way you will have them handy whenever you see the NCL employee doing a great job.

 

I have heard that since the beginning of this year NCL has instituted a new crew appreciation system and the STYLE cards are out! :cool: I kind of liked them as a specific way to recognize crew members.

[spacepotatoes]

Whether you tip or not, if you really want to help them stay on the ship (have their contract renewed or get a promotion), then write up a STYLE (compliment) card on them. NCL/Norwegian reviews those STYLE cards. The more cards an employee gets then the higher chance of them getting a new contract or get promoted. You can get the STYLE cards at the Front Desk/Concierge. The drop off box is also on the counter at that Information area. I recommend that you get some STYLE cards at the beginning of your cruise. That way you will have them handy whenever you see the NCL employee doing a great job.

 

This is true. But was it really necessary to resurrect all of these tipping threads just to make this point??

[PhotoGal07]

We really feel passengers over think the process..The same rules apply for the concierge and butler..You can tip the room steward, part of the DSC. extra if you want.

 

No specific order.

 

1. Tip based on the service you receive.

2. No formulas. PP/PD

3. Whatever you tip will be greatly appreciated.

4. No reason to tip just because you have a concierge and or a butler.

5. The staff is more than happy to earn their tips.

6. There is no expectation of a particular tip amount.

7. Tip at the end of the cruise.

7. Don't concern your self with their salaries. If they make a "good" salary it's because the are very good at their jobs and have earned their positions.

 

Ditto this!

 

I will say that when I personally am figuring out how much money to bring with for tipping cruise personnel I usually base it on about 12-15% of the cruise fare (10% plus extra for spectacular service, this does not include NCL's automatic daily pp charge). Example for us would be a $3000 cruise fare usually means about $350-$400 for tipping. But I don't always feel the need to give it all away, and occasionally have given more, but that's my starting base line for going to the bank and grabbing money to take with us for that purpose. That being said, we usually don't stay in the grand villa category which can cost a lot more than a standard run of the mill suite. I'd probably adjust down a bit for that cause tipping $1000+ for a week seems a little excessive.