Butler & concierge tipping

[Fishbait17]

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.

 

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Stephen, that's an excellent point. As "cabin trolls", we find we utilize our butler much more than the concierge usually, hence our unbalanced tipping. For others who might utilize the concierge more than the butler, the balance could easily tip the other way. But we have been on a few sailings where the concierge warranted a tip equal or higher than the butler, and it was given. Depends strictly on the situation, the one-on-one time, the personal attention.

 

Robin

[negc]

On our August cruise, our room steward certainly worked harder than our butler from whom we requested very few services and while she was very pleasant and brought us snacks each afternoon, she neither met us to lead us to our room nor served us any meals ensuite, I can't see why her tip should have been double what we gave to our equally excellent room steward. Had we requested specific, special services we would have adjusted the butler's tip accordingly but some of the tips suggested by other posters actually boggle my mind.

[havenfan]

On our August cruise, our room steward certainly worked harder than our butler from whom we requested very few services and while she was very pleasant and brought us snacks each afternoon, she neither met us to lead us to our room nor served us any meals ensuite, I can't see why her tip should have been double what we gave to our equally excellent room steward. Had we requested specific, special services we would have adjusted the butler's tip accordingly but some of the tips suggested by other posters actually boggle my mind.

 

I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from leaving additional tips for the cabin stewards, but did you consider that he/she already got something from the DSC? NCL doesn't break down how much of the $12 goes to each department but, from other lines that still do, your cabin steward probably was allocated something like $4-5ppd from the DSC, or $56-70/cabin for a one week cruise based on double-occupancy. Your butler wasn't allocated anything from the DSC.

Edited October 24, 2014 by havenfan

[RR61]

I recently had my first cruise on Norweigian and stayed in a 2 bedroom suite in the Haven on the Gem. We were 4 adults and by the end of the week we had requested 1 Dvd, had a pizza delivered and had one dinner from Cagneys in suite. We chose to tip after each request and by the end of week we had tipped $100

 

On the last night, our butler came and delivered our priority tags and kindly mentioned that his services were not included in DSC. I wasn't offended as I assume there are times they get stiffed. We were already prepared to tip another $250 but I was surprised that he was basically saying that the $100 we already tipped wasn't enough.

[Gregor4500]

I guess I'm an under tipper. For the butler we figure $10 per day for the 2 of us if we ask for nothing extra. We add accordingly if we get meals in the room. Concierge, $50 for the week unless we ask for something more than restaurant reservations. Steward might get anywhere from zero to $25.

[jack300s]

I guess I'm an under tipper. For the butler we figure $10 per day for the 2 of us if we ask for nothing extra. We add accordingly if we get meals in the room. Concierge, $50 for the week unless we ask for something more than restaurant reservations. Steward might get anywhere from zero to $25.

 

I don't think you're a under tipper? Per Cruise Critics on tipping guidelines you tipped more.

 

I've read goggled many sites on tipping butlers on cruiseship and most say $5 per day per cabin.

 

I myself having taken the advice of the posters in this forum and tipped the $10 per person per day for average service. However, I'm rethinking that for the next cruise.

 

Here's CruiseCritics own tipping guideline...

 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=132

[havenfan]

I guess I'm an under tipper. For the butler we figure $10 per day for the 2 of us if we ask for nothing extra. We add accordingly if we get meals in the room. Concierge, $50 for the week unless we ask for something more than restaurant reservations. Steward might get anywhere from zero to $25.

 

I think you're well within the range that people have been mentioning. The people who specify $10ppd or $100/week for two mostly qualify this with "for average usage". The feeling I'm getting is that their idea of average usage includes a meal in the cabin most days. So if you start with $70/week for two as a basic DSC equivalent, add something for, say, 5-6 meals, then you're in the same ballpark.

 

As has been mentioned above, a lot of people tip the concierge about half what they tip the butler unless they use the concierge a lot. The steward already gets a cut from the DSC so I'm guessing that a lot of people think that's enough. I'd guess $0-25 extra is not unusual.

Edited October 24, 2014 by havenfan

[vinnytman]

So a pizza delivery, a DVD delivery, Cagney's dinner in room, plus daily duties = $350 tip????

 

Does anyone else think this is excessive? It's not like the butler is your own private dedicated butler. S/he is servicing many other suites.

 

When I dine out, I generally tip 20% of the meal-- could go up or down based in service. So why not tip based on services received instead of tipping based on a fixed amount?

 

 

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[havenfan]

I myself having taken the advice of the posters in this forum and tipped the $10 per person per day for average service.

 

Please, please, may I ask again: what do you consider average service? Just the basics that they provide without the guests asking, or inclusive of some additional requests?

[havenfan]

I recently had my first cruise on Norweigian and stayed in a 2 bedroom suite in the Haven on the Gem. We were 4 adults and by the end of the week we had requested 1 Dvd, had a pizza delivered and had one dinner from Cagneys in suite. We chose to tip after each request and by the end of week we had tipped $100

 

So a pizza delivery, a DVD delivery, Cagney's dinner in room, plus daily duties = $350 tip????

 

Does anyone else think this is excessive?

 

I'm not going to comment on $250 as a basic charge for 4 people. However, my eyebrows did go up at $100 for 1 DVD delivery, 1 pizza delivery and 1 dinner service.

Edited October 24, 2014 by havenfan

[jack300s]

Please, please, may I ask again: what do you consider average service? Just the basics that they provide without the guests asking, or inclusive of some additional requests?

 

I considered average the same as basic service. Bring the afternoon treats in a timely manner (not late in the day at 6 to 7 pm). Keep coffee and tea stocked. Serve one or two meals on a 7 day cruise. Also, honor requests on snacks, like bringing more fruit, extra grapes, some cookies, etc. Not bringing treats we say we don't care for.

 

Hope this helps. It's what I consider average or basic service as per the Ncl guideline for suite service performed by the butler.

[havenfan]

I considered average the same as basic service. Bring the afternoon treats in a timely manner (not late in the day at 6 to 7 pm). Keep coffee and tea stocked. Serve one or two meals on a 7 day cruise. Also, honor requests on snacks, like bringing more fruit, extra grapes, some cookies, etc. Not bringing treats we say we don't care for.

 

Hope this helps. It's what I consider average or basic service as per the Ncl guideline for suite service performed by the butler.

 

Thank you very much. I would have considered all that in the basic or minimum service except for the meal service. I know that's clearly specified as one of the butler's responsibilities, but you have to ask for it, they have to go further out of their way beyond just making a note about which snacks to bring and, most of all, I think there's a consensus that the tip should go up with more in-room meal services.

 

So perhaps another way of phrasing it is that your idea of average usage is my minimal service plus 1-2 in-room meals on a 7-day cruise. Someone else said their idea of average is minimal plus 2-3 in-room dinners, another said 2-4 breakfasts. Even if you were all saying $10ppd for average usage (and you're not), you'd all be saying different things since your ideas about average usage are different.

[Ericktina]

I recently had my first cruise on Norweigian and stayed in a 2 bedroom suite in the Haven on the Gem. We were 4 adults and by the end of the week we had requested 1 Dvd, had a pizza delivered and had one dinner from Cagneys in suite. We chose to tip after each request and by the end of week we had tipped $100

 

On the last night, our butler came and delivered our priority tags and kindly mentioned that his services were not included in DSC. I wasn't offended as I assume there are times they get stiffed. We were already prepared to tip another $250 but I was surprised that he was basically saying that the $100 we already tipped wasn't enough.

10.00 per person per day for four people 7 days is 280.00. An extra tip is warranted for the dinner en suite. Still very generous. I would be SHOCKED if a butler ever mentioned not being included in the DSC. I tip in your range, but I would NOT have given the butler the tip you did if the DSC had been mentioned. And I would have explained why.

[negc]

I certainly don't want to discourage anyone from leaving additional tips for the cabin stewards, but did you consider that he/she already got something from the DSC? NCL doesn't break down how much of the $12 goes to each department but, from other lines that still do, your cabin steward probably was allocated something like $4-5ppd from the DSC, or $56-70/cabin for a one week cruise based on double-occupancy. Your butler wasn't allocated anything from the DSC.

 

I realize that the room steward receives a portion of the daily service charge and the butler may not, however, the amounts that some are recommending for the butler's gratuity, greatly exceed the amount of the DSC that the steward receives and unless the services provided go beyond the very basics, don't seem reasonable. Using your figures the steward would receive (before any additional tip is rendered) an amount totalling about $56 for two people on a 7 night cruise, which is hardly a munificent sum and which is why we regularly supplement that with an additional cash gratuity. Still it would take an unreasonably large supplement to match the hundred and fifty or more dollars that some suggest giving the butler. All I am saying is that the butler's tip should reflect the services that he or she provides and, unless those services go well beyond the basics, should be closer to what the room steward receives from us.

[triptolemus]

but some of the tips suggested by other posters actually boggle my mind.

 

Why? Why do you care? Why are you expending any energy on it at all? :confused:

[jackson bernard]

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.

 

.

 

Very few people on board speak French Stevie.

[DaaronS]

I have found this to be a fascinating thread.

 

We have had 3 suites and have rarely used the butler. On our last cruise we barely saw the butler and neither the butler nor us made any effort to meet each other. We do use the concierge a lot for reservations, and even for lost excursion tickets.

 

We tip according to the relative importance of each to our enjoyment of the cruise. On our latest cruise the room steward made an extra effort to make our 3rd person in the 2nd bedroom happy. We tipped them more than our usual room steward tip. Bottom line is we tip everyone an amount that leaves us feeling good about our tips and rewards each one in relative proportion to our enjoyment and amount of their service.

 

 

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[DMH15]

Please, please, may I ask again: what do you consider average service? Just the basics that they provide without the guests asking, or inclusive of some additional requests?

 

 

For me average service is the butler coming by twice a day. Once to check on us and second to bring snacks. We were usually there. Our most recent butler Teresa brought my mom sugar free snacks and regular for me. We also had friends up a few times for drinks. I had a bar setup. She made sure we had mixers and ice. We also ended the cabin crawl and she had extra snacks and ice. We did not dine in the suite last cruise. But in the past I did more frequently. Our Sun aft PH has no Lavazza so we hardly ever used the Mr Coffee just went to breakfast for French press coffee.

 

I found Teresa to be accessible, willing to do anything we might possibly ask for and to be extremely professional while still being friendly and warm.

 

We tipped $10 pppd with pleasure.

 

Our last steward was awesome. One night we got back late and she was waiting for us because my mom forgot to take off DO NOT DISTURB. She was so kind. We felt awful.

 

Our concierges have all been incredible. We would see them often. Either they stopped by or called us. Or they found us in a specialty restaurant. Chef's table reservation? No prob. They thought of things we did not even know we needed. Made our vacation stress free. Even looked up Mass times for us in port.

 

Maybe we did not have private butlers and concierges... But it felt like it sometimes!

 

Note: Our first butler was not good and our cruise was his last so... Not just our opinion.

 

Cannot wait to be on the Jewel in April with a dining table, (our Sun PH does not have one). Plan to dine ensuite a lot.

Edited October 25, 2014 by DMH15

[negc]

Why? Why do you care? Why are you expending any energy on it at all? :confused:

 

I care because some people come on here and ask how much to tip their butler and some of the amounts suggested seem, to me at least, to be excessive. Clearly the amount should depend on the services provided and the quality of the service and one size (large or small) doesn't fit all.

[triptolemus]

I care because some people come on here and ask how much to tip their butler and some of the amounts suggested seem, to me at least, to be excessive. Clearly the amount should depend on the services provided and the quality of the service and one size (large or small) doesn't fit all.

 

So what?

 

Why do you care what other people do with their money? Are you suggesting that people who read about your so-called excessive amounts are naive or incapable of deciding for themselves?

[jackson bernard]

I never understood why people want to have their dinner or throw a party with their "friends" in a tiny little room when there are a multitude of bars and restaurants just down the hall. I could see breakfast in the morning because you may not be ready for the day yet but dinner, really?

[Love my butler]

I care because some people come on here and ask how much to tip their butler and some of the amounts suggested seem, to me at least, to be excessive. Clearly the amount should depend on the services provided and the quality of the service and one size (large or small) doesn't fit all.

 

What people boast about on the internet and what really happens are quite often two different things. Take most of the heavy tippers with a grain of salt.

[SteveH2508]

I never understood why people want to have their dinner or throw a party with their "friends" in a tiny little room when there are a multitude of bars and restaurants just down the hall. I could see breakfast in the morning because you may not be ready for the day yet but dinner, really?

 

One cannot be seen to be taking dinner alongside the 'proles from steerage' - whatever next?;):rolleyes:

Edited October 25, 2014 by SteveH2508

[havenfan]

I would be SHOCKED if a butler ever mentioned not being included in the DSC. I tip in your range, but I would NOT have given the butler the tip you did if the DSC had been mentioned. And I would have explained why.

 

I understand that can leave a bad taste, but your response seems a little harsh, at least to me. Not all suite passengers understand either a) butlers & concierges aren't included in the DSC or b) what that implies about their compensation structure. I'm sure at least some of the passengers who leave $0 for the basic/minimal services didn't intend either to "stiff" the staff or to express dissatisfaction with the services; they just weren't aware of how these particular staff are compensated.

[mistertoaster]

We tip based on use of the respective services of each individual. We typically do not use the butler or concierge for any services. We book suites because we like the accommodations and would do so with or without a butler or concierge. On NCL, we typically tip the butler $50, the concierge $25 and the steward based on service. On MSC, we paid the same tips but also included tips for the maitre de and our waiter because we ate in Le Muse the private dining room every night. I have no problem tipping for services rendered, and typically tip 20% for reasonable restaurant services at home. However, if minimal services are provided, the tip should be equal to the service. I also do not buy the argument that some folks are in the tip pool and some are not. This is a cruise line decision and could be easily remedied by including all staff in the tip pool. If that means a higher cruise fare so be it. At least I would know my costs up front, and each staff member would never have to worry about being stiffed by a room on a tip. Of course, I doubt this will happen as the current system allows cruise lines to justify a low basic wage for some staff thus saving the corporation a significant sum on employee expense costs.

 

 

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