Question about Butler...

[Crusin33]

We are sailing in a family suite on the Dawn over thanksgiving. This is our first suite. What can we use the butler for and what is a normal tip for them?

 

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[SuiteTraveler]

The butler will provide you with specialty pillows, such as contour foam pillows if you would like. There is also a menu of dvd's that the butler can provide you with selections from. Primarily the butlers do room service. You can order anything you want provided the restaurant is open, but if it is from a specialty restaurant then you pay the additional fee. The butler will also bring you cocktails and wine (which you pay for). Everyday around 4pm the butler will drop off some hors d'ouerves. We usually place a standing order and have the butler always bring a cheese plate and a turkey sandwich along with the hors d'ouerves. If you want a frozen drink, it is best to order it while you are in your cabin so it doesn't melt. If you want to have breakfast in your suite the next morning, instead of going to the suite guest dining room, then it is helpful to place your order in the late afternoon the day before. The butler can also arrange a party in your suite and can advise you on what foods to have at the party. The butler can also draw you a specialty bath (there will be a price list in the bathroom for this.) If you want to have lunch in your cabin, just order it anytime. There is also a night butler who handles late night requests. We tend to avoid using the night butler because I do feel that they deserve some rest. Keep in mind the butler is very busy with multiple suites, so anything you can do to simplify what you order from him is considerate. For example, I wouldn't place an order and then allow my children to place 2 more orders after that. I'd try to place all the orders at one time.

 

We usually tip the butler $10 per person per day.

 

You also tip the concierge. We typically tip the concierge $50 for the week.

[Crusin33]

If you have the specialty dining plan do you pay a fee?

 

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[SuiteTraveler]

If you have the specialty dining plan do you pay a fee?

 

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If it is room service from a specialty restaurant, yes you pay the fee, whereas if you went to the restaurant, it is included in the specialty dining package. Also, on my last cruise I noticed that NCL does not allow cancellations if you are within 24 hours. So one night my husband wanted to switch restaurants, I had to rebook the restaurant for another night in order to not be charged the fee for canceling - the fee would have been charged outside of the specialty dining package. I'm not sure of the logic behind this because I saw many people turned away from the specialty restaurants every night of our cruise because they didn't have a reservation and the restaurant was booked up and I suspect they would have had no trouble replacing us with some people who just walked up. But that's how it is.

Edited June 13, 2015 by SuiteTraveler

[Crusin33]

Thank you

 

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[maxwellito]

What a butler is suppose to do and what he actually does is completely different at times

Had sailed many times on Gem,Jewel and the Breakaway with a Butler

I must say, Arturo on the BA was the worst butler I have ever had. He was MIA most of the cruise.

I rarely ask for anything but I like to at least see the Butler more than once or twice in a 7 day cruise. When I did see him he never asked if I needed anything.

I know it sounds a bit pretentious but they have a job to do and they should do it

[SuiteTraveler]

What a butler is suppose to do and what he actually does is completely different at times

Had sailed many times on Gem,Jewel and the Breakaway with a Butler

I must say, Arturo on the BA was the worst butler I have ever had. He was MIA most of the cruise.

I rarely ask for anything but I like to at least see the Butler more than once or twice in a 7 day cruise. When I did see him he never asked if I needed anything.

I know it sounds a bit pretentious but they have a job to do and they should do it

 

The best way to see your butler is to actually pick up the phone and call him and place an order for some room service. Many of the butlers are running all day between suites located at both ends of the ship. If you don't order anything, then they have nothing to do for you and will simply deliver the afternoon hors d'ouerves. It truly is a case of the squeaky wheel getting the most grease. If you call and place an order, they will come. Otherwise, they will tend to the other suite passengers who ARE calling them to place orders and assume you have not called because you don't want anything from them.

[2red4u]

I guess we different than most cruisers. We don't want to see our butlers or cabin stewards, unless we call them or in the haven courtyard. We have used ours for meal delivery mainly. If it's early breakfast we let him know early afternoon, the day before what we want and the time. We have tipped 100 to 200 for a week for a family of 4. We have had drinks delivered and sometimes we are charged and sometimes we are not. We always tip cash to whomever delivers drinks to us, regardless. Enjoy your suite there is no hard set guide lines for tipping.

[emcelh]

$10 per person per day is a starting point, especially if you use the butler for room service several times. We probably average more like $10-$15 per day though. We might have breakfast delivered once but, other than that, we make few requests.

[2red4u]

Where did the 10 a day per person start? I've google and can find it

No where. I seriously can't imagine a family of 6, staying in a 2 bedroom, asking nothing or just 1 Meal delivered the entire cruise paying $60 a day as a tip. I feel butlers should be tipped but as each cruisers feels not by a sum set by joe blow. And FWIW other people cruising the haven that had asked us thought that was a bit off standard too.

[cb at sea]

Base any tip on what you have the butler do....you may find you don't need their service much at all. Therefore, no tip will be expected.

[rvsullivan]

Where did the 10 a day per person start? I've google and can find it

No where. I seriously can't imagine a family of 6, staying in a 2 bedroom, asking nothing or just 1 Meal delivered the entire cruise paying $60 a day as a tip. I feel butlers should be tipped but as each cruisers feels not by a sum set by joe blow. And FWIW other people cruising the haven that had asked us thought that was a bit off standard too.

 

Kind of funny that you are now that guy joe blow that you mentioned. You have now determined that what we have been doing for years is wrong and because google does not discuss butler tipping on NCL it must be wrong? Try a search on this site and you might find a lot of info going back quite a few years discussing this. You really think that family size determines what is the correct amount to tip? I would think the larger the group in a suite, the more work there is for both the butler and the steward. But I'm guessing in your world the amount of work performed has nothing to do with the tip?

[Freespir8]

If it is room service from a specialty restaurant, yes you pay the fee, whereas if you went to the restaurant, it is included in the specialty dining package. Also, on my last cruise I noticed that NCL does not allow cancellations if you are within 24 hours. So one night my husband wanted to switch restaurants, I had to rebook the restaurant for another night in order to not be charged the fee for canceling - the fee would have been charged outside of the specialty dining package. I'm not sure of the logic behind this because I saw many people turned away from the specialty restaurants every night of our cruise because they didn't have a reservation and the restaurant was booked up and I suspect they would have had no trouble replacing us with some people who just walked up. But that's how it is.

My understanding is that if you have the UDP and a suite, you will not be charged extra for the specialty dining or for room service.

[2red4u]

No my name is not joe. However it's funny you say search cruise critic for the answer. Who gave anonymous posters on cruise critic the authority to set the standards for what butlers are tipped? People should tip what they want. I gave an honest answer as to what we tip. A butler will do no more or less for a family or 2 or 4 or 6 if nothing is ask of him. Customers should tip what they feel the butler earned on that their stay. Can you honestly say every butler has earned the exact amount each time? No one butler has been better or worse?

[phissy]

My understanding is also that if we have the UDP and are in a Suite, having butler serve dinner in Suite from speciality would not incur an extra charge.

Anyone with direct knowledge to the contrary , could you please post.

Thanks a bunch!!

[15yearsandwaiting]

I don't want to be cheap but I was planning around $200 tip for the butler. We have DH, myself and 4kids in the cabin. $420 tip seem overboard since we don't ask anything special except maybe a movie or room service once.

[cadien]

Some people will post that $420 wouldn't even be the moral minimum for that many people. It's all over the map. Both what passengers do and what butlers do. You won't really know what to pay until the end of the cruise. People have ended up tipping more than planned because they were so thrilled with the extra touches. And vice versa.

 

Now that room service is $8, the $10/day idea has a little more logic. But per person is still a weak argument.

[perkydebrajean]

My understanding is that if you have the UDP and a suite, you will not be charged extra for the specialty dining or for room service.

 

I asked our Concierge about this on our cruise last December because we had the UDP. She said there was no charge to have it delivered to the suite. We never did have dinner delivered to the cabin. I plan on it this time though.

[Kingofwylietx]

I asked our Concierge about this on our cruise last December because we had the UDP. She said there was no charge to have it delivered to the suite. We never did have dinner delivered to the cabin. I plan on it this time though.

 

This is what I have been told, too. Suites don't get charged for room service, so why would you be charged to have the food delivered (assuming UDP). We have a large breakfast delivered each morning, but have never eaten lunch or dinner in our suite. You should be charged nothing if you have the UDP.