What do you tip the butler?

[cabincop]

Just wanted to add I always ask when my butler or concierge will be leaving sometimes my butler is on their last contract and I won't see them lat day of cruise so I always tip night before cruise ends. Enjoy I haven't been out of a suite in 8years love the suite life

[anne.brumlevestaley]

This is a really interesting thread. I just booked a family suite without balcony on the Dawn for next spring break (3/29). We are a family of two adults and three children (11, 9, &8). If we tipped $10/pp/pd, that would be $400 just for the butler. Is this what is customary? That seems to be excessive. Am I cheapskate?

 

 

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[timmo44]

When in Haven suites we just don't use the Butler at all as we don't eat in the room (maybe one breakfast in a week.) So we'll usually tip the room steward $40 and the concierge $60.

 

I agree though, it is hard to find out on here what is considered a generous tip or not. The $200 mentioned earlier is mighty generous but good for you, they work hard with a smile on their face.

[B6ConMe]

When in Haven suites we just don't use the Butler at all as we don't eat in the room (maybe one breakfast in a week.) So we'll usually tip the room steward $40 and the concierge $60.

 

I agree though, it is hard to find out on here what is considered a generous tip or not. The $200 mentioned earlier is mighty generous but good for you, they work hard with a smile on their face.

 

There are many threads on here discussing Tips and they vary hugely. The main thing to remember here is that the Butler and Concierge are NOT included in the DSC (cabin steward is included in DSC) so if you don't give them any money for the things they do, no matter how little they do, then they don't get any kind of monetary remuneration. Even if you say you don't "use the butler", they still do things for you sight unseen. Use the coffee machine in the room? the butler refills the pods, the snacks are delivered twice a day......by the butler. The butler refills your soaps and shampoos too and any other suite perks.

 

The reason you find the reimbursement amounts are all over the place is because there are so many different ways of using the Butler and Concierge and $10/pp/pd is just something to base it on. So, if you feel it's too much reduce it to something you're comfortable with, just don't stiff them altogether.

 

Enjoy your cruise,

Connie

[Jacy613]

My husband and I are booked in the Haven this September. It will be our third cruise on NCL but our very first time in a suite, and we are very excited. The decision to book a suite didn't come easily. We totally skipped any vacation last year, my husband is self-employed and jobs are not always consistent or available.

 

This is a splurge for us, certainly not the norm. That being said, we have every intention of tipping adequately, our butler and concierge will not be disappointed. We always tipped our room steward, on day one and on the last day, and we leave the NCL tip charges in tact. We also tip in the restaurants and in the MDR when service was excellent.

 

Tip amounts are a personal preference, what is a lot for one person may seem insufficient to another. That being said, I feel a little awkward handing a butler a tip each and every time I see him. Do most of you experienced cruisers tip at the end of the cruise? I like the idea of taking along thank you notes, with the cash inside, but I worry that our butler might think he isn't be appreciated if we wait until the end of the cruise. Am I over-thinking this? I do that sometimes.

Thanks,

Jacy

[triptolemus]

Tip at the end. A great attitude throughout the voyage will tell your butler they are appreciated. A cash tip at the end is what's most common.

 

Yes, you're over-thinking it. Forget the thank-you notes.

[UPNYGuy]

We used the concierge much more than the butler on our last cruise. My wife and I are fairly self-sufficient when it comes to "butlery" tasks, and we rarely order room service. We tipped $50. That was for delivering our snacks, always re-stocking our espresso machine (I used it constantly), and sending up a new, fresh pizza from La Cucina after we had some left over.

 

If we dined in our suite, that would certainly up the ante.

 

FWIW, we tipped the concierge over double that.

[Boatingmom]

Are these suggested tips in addition to the automatic or pre pay tips:confused:

[njhorseman]

Are these suggested tips in addition to the automatic or pre pay tips:confused:

 

The butler and concierge are not part of the service charge pool, so it is in addition to that automatic daily charge. Whether to tip them and how much you tip them is totally at your discretion.

 

BTW you reopened a thread that was started four years ago has been dormant for almost two years. Unfortunately that often leads to posters wasting time arguing with posts made years ago because people don't pay attention to the dates. It also means that some of the information in the thread may very well no longer be true.

 

Rather than bringing a zombie thread back to life it's better to just start a new one.

Edited February 23, 2016 by njhorseman

[Texastrkr]

Just tip.

[SuiteTraveler]

We tip the NCL Butlers $5 per day per person for basic service and then add extra for things like delivering room service and setting up a party in our suite. We try to figure out what the room service and party food and drink would cost in an on-land restaurants and tip 15% to 20% on that.

 

We give the concierge $30 per week - if we have not used the concierge much or at all and $50 per week + if they have done more for us. In one instance, only one concierge (of 2) had assisted us, so I only tipped the one that I had worked with - they probably share anyway.

 

If our cabin steward has done extra things for us, we tip the steward $20 - $50 above and beyond for excellent service. We had one steward who was so thrilled when I gave her the extra $50 she threw her arms around me and gave me the biggest hug. It was so nice to know that it meant that much to her and honestly, her reaction made me want to be as generous as possible on future cruises. I also wrote a nice recommendation card for her.

[Texastrkr]

I always wonder how much of that automatic tip that the actually DO get? NCL prolly keeps most so I tip cash plus I think most people that work on these ships live in underprivileged areas of the world and send most of the tips home to help their family live better lives. Jus food for thought :))

[Contessa30]

Did the butler bring you snacks every day? Any meals ensuite?

 

 

I am a little confused as to what is considered a high maintenance passenger...Isn't meal service and snack delivery something you should expect to receive in a suite? I know that suite passengers pay substantially more than inside cabin passengers. I realize that the suite passenger has a larger cabin, however, I also believe they are paying for enhanced services. Isn't room delivery part of a bulter's normal service model? I think that is what is promoted by NCL's website and advertisement

Before you flame me....I also believe in tipping well. I worked in the service industry. I did not think that just delivering a drink to a customer entilted me to a tip - since delivering a drink was my job. I knew I had to provide stellar service.

As I said, I am confused and want a better understanding of what is considered included or normal services for suites passengers and what is considered high maintenance.

[Texastrkr]

Contessa30 I don't see anything about high maintenance passenger. .???

[Contessa30]

Contessa30 I don't see anything about high maintenance passenger. .???

 

Perhaps I am using the wrong term. People keep saying that they tip more if they have breakfast delivered and afternoon snacks delivered. I am just trying to figure out why those types of services are not considered standard for a suite. Is having breakfast delivered over and above the type of service you are paying for? Would you than be considered high maintenance and therefore give your butler a much larger tip? When a bulter provides an afternoon snack, is that unusual? Or is that standard service for a suite?

Thanks!

[Merriem]

Perhaps I am using the wrong term. People keep saying that they tip more if they have breakfast delivered and afternoon snacks delivered. I am just trying to figure out why those types of services are not considered standard for a suite. Is having breakfast delivered over and above the type of service you are paying for? Would you than be considered high maintenance and therefore give your butler a much larger tip? When a bulter provides an afternoon snack, is that unusual? Or is that standard service for a suite?

Thanks!

 

Yes, IMHO bringing afternoon snacks is standard.

[Regguy]

We only had a suite once, a couple of years ago. I think it wasn't even clear to me that tipping the butler and the concierge was expected, or maybe I hadn't really even paid attention before the cruise to this possibility. I think one of them subtly mentioned it -- our butler came to bring us something for room service we had ordered through the regular menu and I was surprised it was him because I didn't understand they did that. I tried to tip him, and he declined as said that tips for butlers and concierge were typically made at the end of the cruise if we were happy with the service.

 

I wasn't prepared for that and had no idea how much to tip them. I was worried there was some common understanding that regular suite guests understand but I hadn't researched. I asked at the main desk if they could give me any guidelines and they wouldn't, which is completely understandable. It's a hard question to answer. If you say a number a guest thinks is high, you've made a guest angry and if you say a number the guest thinks is low, then you kind of hurt the tips that will get left. In the end, I gave $150 to the butler and $100 to the concierge for a 9-day cruise -- we had two cabins, one was a suite and one was a regular room and there were two of us in each, but all four us ordered room service to the suite a couple times and I thought that was worth a good tip since it was a bit more work than the occupancy of the cabin called for. Otherwise, we hadn't been that demanding, although the concierge did do a couple of nice things for us. Until reading this thread, I still wasn't sure whether I was in the right ballpark. The cruise desk had given me a piece of paper to write the tips on, and I showed it to the guy, and even though he had declined to give me any guidance, I still asked, "you think that's ok," and he gave me a look that I think was trying to communicate, "I'm really not supposed to say," but he quietly said, "I think that will be appreciated," or something like that.

 

I put the tips on my stateroom account the night before departure, and the next morning I checked with both the concierge and the butler to make sure they had received them. Both had, and I got the vibe (though they were very professional) that both were a bit disappointed, so I've sort of been thinking that I was too low. Reading this thread, I feel a bit better -- that at least I was in the ballpark and maybe even a bit high.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Regguy

[Vee & Elvis]

We give $200 butler

$100 housekeeping

$75-100 for concierge, depending on if we actually used him

[Clay Clayton]

We give $200 butler

$100 housekeeping

$75-100 for concierge, depending on if we actually used him

 

Did you adjust these any after the DSC's for suites went up?

[Vee & Elvis]

Did you adjust these any after the DSC's for suites went up?

 

This was what I gave in May & Oct - both were after the increase