Appropriate tip for butler in Haven

[DarkJedi]

Good luck with your plan. I went to dinner with my girlfriends last week in Seattle. Wasn’t paying much attention and one of the gals divided bill by 4 and added 20%. I thought my portion was a little higher than expected but didn’t argue. Afterward I realized 20% was already charged. We didn’t notice and payed an additional 20% so accidentally paid 40%. You will likely automatically be charged the 20% with an option for any additional. If opposed to this then you can opt to eat at McDonald’s. many places now charge the gratuity flat out in the bill so you might not get the opportunity to stiff the servers.

 

Im sorry but in Seattle, tips are expected and the norm. The minimum wage rate isn’t an excuse to stiff the servers. Have you any idea what parking, housing and the general cost of living is in Seattle? Go ahead and make a stand by stiffing the servers but probably best to let them know up front your intentions.

 

The butler and concierge are tipped positions and Ncl clearly states they aren’t in the dsc tip pool. It’s customary to tip them according to service rendered. It’s a personal thing and can vary widely. There’s no set amount but unless they did nothing to enhance your vacation they should be given something.

 

Everyone else is in the tip pool. If you feel like giving them a little extra fine but if not they’re already well taken care of in the pretty hefty dsc. These arguments about dsc not being tips are absurd. The recent email I got from Ncl about my upcoming cruise dsc increases specifically outlined that the dsc makes it easy for me to provide gratuity to staff.

 

 

Sorry, if an employee is being paid a regular rate, tips are NOT part of their pay. Tipping in this fashion is an American thing. In Japan tipping your server is an insult meaning that they obviously are not paid enough because they work for such a cheap place.

 

So no, I have no intention of tipping someone who is making $15 an hour as a base pay to bring me a plate with a burger on it and refill my drinks. If it is that expensive to live there, they should consider moving.

BTW, adding gratuity automatically is grounds for challenging a credit card bill, and winning automatically because the price was not the advertised price and there were hidden fees charged after - and automatically added tips are not tips - they are fees if they are not optional.

 

 

 

 

And while you can tip the butler and concierge, they are paid a very generous salary. A concierge is in the same pay bracket as the hotel director and makes around $113K on average for their salary.

 

Now, I will agree that while they make their money over a 9 month contract, they also work pretty much every day for those 9 months and put in ****ty hours, so getting 3 months off (or popping a new contract) is just letting them have the same time off they would have had at a 40 hour a week job for those 3 months.

 

MizD, these are average contract payouts for NCL, some will be a little above and some will be a little below (and at least 1 Hotel Director is well above, even than most Captains):

 

Servers - $26K

Steward - $28K

Bartender - $45K

Butler - $63K

Concierge - $113K

Hotel Director - $113K

Captain - $153K

 

And based on Voyager's link I think they are calling a steward a butler, because that is in line with a steward's salary, not with an NCL butler.

 

And like I said, those are averages.

NCL pays an untrained security officer about $26K, trained average around $30K. Security chiefs make around $48K. Trainers depend on what skills they bring to the table, former LEO get better bonuses than former military. LEO with a lot of professional training certifications can make around $68K, but they won't stay on one ship long.

 

 

There are NO positions in NCL that exist solely on tips.

 

Having said that - Pay your damned gratuities automatically. This doesn't only go to the people you were directly helped by, this also goes to people you never saw that worked very hard to make sure you enjoyed your vacation. Did you see the vomit in the elevator or smell it? No, well then tip the person you never saw clean it up. Did you enjoy having a clean table in the buffet and the fact the drink dispensers were full and the desserts were in reach? Yes, then tip the people you never saw clean the table before you got there, who made sure you didn't have to find someone to get a drink, and who constantly moved those desserts around for you.

 

What you tip your butler and concierge depends on how much you use them. And I agree you SHOULD tip them if you use them and they provided good service.

I just disagree with the idea that you should tip them $10 and $5 per day per person.

I intend to use my butler a lot on our next cruise, it is 21 days with 10 sea days, normally we book extremely port intensive cruises. Normally about the only instructions I have for a butler are don't bring food to the cabin, we won't eat it, and we probably won't be in the cabin anyway. I get far more use out of my steward normally. And I don't need anyone to make plans for me or hold my hand for excursions, I almost never use the ship for them anyway.

[MizDemeanor]

Don't believe everything you read on this site. Cruise ship employees are not making anywhere near DarkJedi is claiming. For any cruise ship crew member that interacts with the passengers, tips are a very big part of their pay.

 

 

 

I don’t believe everything I read on this site. That’s why I don’t believe there is a compelling reason to convey a $100 tip to a butler for afternoon snacks.

 

I’m not trying to be argumentative or troublesome, I am trying to get to the bottom of the real deal, so people like me are sharing with others what is a sensible amount and are not being fooled by some who suggest in a cavalier manner that it’s the least I should do because I have the men’s to do so.

 

I appreciate all the contributions here so far and I think sooner or later the truth will come out.

 

Thank you for wanting to help in that regard.

 

 

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[NLH Arizona]

 

I’m not trying to be argumentative or troublesome, I am trying to get to the bottom of the real deal, so people like me are sharing with others what is a sensible amount and are not being fooled by some who suggest in a cavalier manner that it’s the least I should do because I have the men’s to do so.

 

A sensible amount to you is totally different to another person. If you want to tip $1, do it and if someone wants to tip $100 that is their decision. I never understand why some are so consumed on what others do. Just do what you feel comfortable doing.

[DarkJedi]

Don't believe everything you read on this site. Cruise ship employees are not making anywhere near DarkJedi is claiming. For any cruise ship crew member that interacts with the passengers, tips are a very big part of their pay.

 

Believe what you want, finding most of that out is not exactly hard.

 

The security stuff, OK, for that you probably need to do a bit of research. But that isn't that hard to find out if you are in that industry either.

 

 

BTW for comparison Disney Cruise Lines has a counter-terrorism security specialist that handles that aspect of their training, he makes $87K, slightly more than their land based CT guys that make around $75K. But he has ship security training as well as anti-piracy training. To my knowledge NCL does not have any dedicated CT people. I know that they have contracted anti-piracy and maritime specialists to do trainings though.

[MizDemeanor]

A sensible amount to you is totally different to another person. If you want to tip $1, do it and if someone wants to tip $100 that is their decision. I never understaand why some are so consumed on what others do. Just do what you feel comfortable doing.

 

 

 

While I understand the gist, what I think you are referring to is not aligned with sensible, it’s aligned with arbitrary. Two totally different approaches. I’ve made it clear I’m not interested in arbitrary.

 

I have no interest In what others do, that’s the entire point of my concern by those who suggest their amounts are the ones to look to as a standard on this topic.

 

I think most people who are seeking guidance are looking for a more concrete reason for conveying what they do rather than doing so based on a whimsical or arbitrary reason. But that’s just my opinion.

 

 

 

 

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[NLH Arizona]

 

I think most people who are seeking guidance are looking for a more concrete reason for conveying what they do rather than doing so based on a whimsical or arbitrary reason. But that’s just my opinion.

From reading what most say, with regard to tipping the Butler and the Concierge, "this is what I do". Only one poster has posted what they call "recommend amounts" and others have said that there is no recommend amount.

 

What posters ask is "what should I tip the Butler" and no one can tell them what they should tip, because we don't know their individual situation as far as what they will ask for or their financial situation, all we can do is give them the information as far as what we tip and it is up to them to make a decision as to what is right for them and BTW there is not right and there is no wrong. I tell folks to take three things into consideration: (1) what services they use, (2) how those services were rendered and (3) their budget.

[DMH15]

I agree with you that cruise tipping it is out of hand. I do think though that Butlers are compensated in some fashion or else why would they take the job for no guarantee of income. I am going to bet that not everyone in Haven tips and not everyone tips $100.00 or more.

 

 

 

The one and only time I tipped less than $100, that is very low IMHO, to each of the butler and concierge was the time the butler got off in one of our ports and kept going.

 

 

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[DMH15]

The base salary of whomever I am tipping is irrelevant.

 

I don’t care if your salary is $1, $100, or $1000 a day.

 

If you have increased or elevated the pleasure of my experience, you will be compensated accordingly. Period.

 

 

 

Amen!

 

 

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[DarkJedi]

The base salary of whomever I am tipping is irrelevant.

 

I don’t care if your salary is $1, $100, or $1000 a day.

 

If you have increased or elevated the pleasure of my experience, you will be compensated accordingly. Period.

 

Very true. But do you feel obligated to tip a person for simply doing their basic job?

 

And if you answer yes, how much to you tip the check in clerk? Or how about the person who shows you to your line?

Does the security guard who moved their line a little faster to get you on board rate a tip?

 

If none of those people rated a tip, why does the person who cleaned your room and did nothing else? And did you leave a tip for the housekeeping staff at the hotel you stayed at?

 

 

My point in this is not that people should not tip. It is to give information so that they can tip with the understanding that someone's entire salary is not based on these tips like some people try and claim.

You SHOULD tip for service, especially service above and beyond. I fully support this, as well as filling in good comment cards. (I think negative comment cards should be reserved for people who are constantly bad, not because they had a single bad day and that was when you encountered them.)

As I have pointed out before, I once tipped our butler $1,000 for a 7 day cruise for just DW and I, she did a fantastic job making DW's birthday cruise special. But I don't think that that should be the norm, nor do I tip my cabin steward simply because they cleaned my room and emptied my garbage.

[littlelulu01]

Sorry, if an employee is being paid a regular rate, tips are NOT part of their pay. Tipping in this fashion is an American thing. In Japan tipping your server is an insult meaning that they obviously are not paid enough because they work for such a cheap place.

 

So no, I have no intention of tipping someone who is making $15 an hour as a base pay to bring me a plate with a burger on it and refill my drinks. If it is that expensive to live there, they should consider moving.

BTW, adding gratuity automatically is grounds for challenging a credit card bill, and winning automatically because the price was not the advertised price and there were hidden fees charged after - and automatically added tips are not tips - they are fees if they are not optional.

 

 

 

 

And while you can tip the butler and concierge, they are paid a very generous salary. A concierge is in the same pay bracket as the hotel director and makes around $113K on average for their salary.

 

Now, I will agree that while they make their money over a 9 month contract, they also work pretty much every day for those 9 months and put in ****ty hours, so getting 3 months off (or popping a new contract) is just letting them have the same time off they would have had at a 40 hour a week job for those 3 months.

 

MizD, these are average contract payouts for NCL, some will be a little above and some will be a little below (and at least 1 Hotel Director is well above, even than most Captains):

 

Servers - $26K

Steward - $28K

Bartender - $45K

Butler - $63K

Concierge - $113K

Hotel Director - $113K

Captain - $153K

 

And based on Voyager's link I think they are calling a steward a butler, because that is in line with a steward's salary, not with an NCL butler.

 

And like I said, those are averages.

NCL pays an untrained security officer about $26K, trained average around $30K. Security chiefs make around $48K. Trainers depend on what skills they bring to the table, former LEO get better bonuses than former military. LEO with a lot of professional training certifications can make around $68K, but they won't stay on one ship long.

 

 

There are NO positions in NCL that exist solely on tips.

 

Having said that - Pay your damned gratuities automatically. This doesn't only go to the people you were directly helped by, this also goes to people you never saw that worked very hard to make sure you enjoyed your vacation. Did you see the vomit in the elevator or smell it? No, well then tip the person you never saw clean it up. Did you enjoy having a clean table in the buffet and the fact the drink dispensers were full and the desserts were in reach? Yes, then tip the people you never saw clean the table before you got there, who made sure you didn't have to find someone to get a drink, and who constantly moved those desserts around for you.

 

What you tip your butler and concierge depends on how much you use them. And I agree you SHOULD tip them if you use them and they provided good service.

I just disagree with the idea that you should tip them $10 and $5 per day per person.

I intend to use my butler a lot on our next cruise, it is 21 days with 10 sea days, normally we book extremely port intensive cruises. Normally about the only instructions I have for a butler are don't bring food to the cabin, we won't eat it, and we probably won't be in the cabin anyway. I get far more use out of my steward normally. And I don't need anyone to make plans for me or hold my hand for excursions, I almost never use the ship for them anyway.

 

For your Seattle dining- Purple is a fun venue. Varied menu, affordable, good food and service and nice atmosphere. I’d recommend making a reservation. Due to the location and decent prices they are always packed. Please report how the no tipping thing works for you if you dine there.

 

I’ve always gone with the when in Rome theory. If I want their service, I pay according to local customs and company recommendations. I’m not going on a cruise to fight a dsc tip, not going to Italy to fight a service fee for sit down dining, and not eating out anywhere in the USA and refusing to tip based on the local city, county and state min wages.

 

 

I totally see why the subject comes up so often. There is no standard like there is with dsc, speciality dining, spa... even when ships did the envelope tips they had a recommended standard for various positions. I get that It varies depending on use but that could easily be addressed on Ncl site and still be more specific than it currently is. People don’t like vague suggestions.

Edited April 18, 2018 by littlelulu01

[Ironworker808]

Very true. But do you feel obligated to tip a person for simply doing their basic job?

 

And if you answer yes, how much to you tip the check in clerk? Or how about the person who shows you to your line?

Does the security guard who moved their line a little faster to get you on board rate a tip?

 

If none of those people rated a tip, why does the person who cleaned your room and did nothing else? And did you leave a tip for the housekeeping staff at the hotel you stayed at?

 

 

My point in this is not that people should not tip. It is to give information so that they can tip with the understanding that someone's entire salary is not based on these tips like some people try and claim.

You SHOULD tip for service, especially service above and beyond. I fully support this, as well as filling in good comment cards. (I think negative comment cards should be reserved for people who are constantly bad, not because they had a single bad day and that was when you encountered them.)

As I have pointed out before, I once tipped our butler $1,000 for a 7 day cruise for just DW and I, she did a fantastic job making DW's birthday cruise special. But I don't think that that should be the norm, nor do I tip my cabin steward simply because they cleaned my room and emptied my garbage.

 

I tip servers in a restaurant for doing their basic job. Because I know that they rely on tips to make a living. And that tip is adjusted up depending on the ‘above and beyond’ I receive. I will never tip below 20% because I used to work for tips, and understand what their counting on. That’s a personal choice. Empathy, if you will.

 

And yes, I did leave a tip for housekeeping at a hotel I stayed at just two weeks ago. (A Marriott in Tampa.) They make more than minimum wage and it was not required, but I did so because I thought they did an exemplary job. It’s wasnt a lot, but if I had to guess, I’d guess it was appreciated.

 

I’ve said in other threads, that the butlers I have had were extremely exemplary. Upon request, Roland went and found us a jar of pickle juice, for Christ sake!

 

I’ve never tried to express a ‘norm’ for tipping a butler. Or a room steward. Or a concierge. As a matter of fact, the concierge on my last cruise got nothing from me. Because they did nothing for me, other than telling me Cagney’s was booked up for the entire cruise. My only remarks on tipping have been...If they enhanced my cruising experience, they were compensated accordingly.

 

The butlers I have had the pleasure of having, have done that. The stewards I have had, have done that. And two bartenders I have had the pleasure of dealing with, have done that. And they were compensated accordingly. Those men and women made my vacation better than it would have been with out them. I don’t know, or care, what their base salary is.

 

I understand what your point is. Don’t feel you have to break the bank. And I agree with that. Don’t stretch your finances beyond your means. Tip what you feel they’ve earned. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less.

[DarkJedi]

I understand what your point is. Don’t feel you have to break the bank. And I agree with that. Don’t stretch your finances beyond your means. Tip what you feel they’ve earned. Nothing more, and certainly nothing less.

 

And that IS the point I have been making. Far too many of these threads are people saying that there is a suggested or minimum acceptable tip. Or that the workers don't get paid and live off their tips.

 

However, it is still a good idea to give people realistic ranges for routine tips. People don't want vague ideas of "tip what you think they are worth" coupled with "they live off your tips" combined with "I tip a minimum of $100 for them to exist and more for anything that they actually do." I have actually seen people post that the minimum tip for the concierge is $5 per day per person even if you never use them just because they are there and you could have used them.

 

And realistic ranges are helped by knowing what the people are making on average so that no one can guilt trip you in to believing that your butler is making their entire living off of your tips.

 

Skilled people on cruise ships make pretty decent wages. Less skilled less so, especially if you consider it as hourly. But they still make decent money.

 

 

 

And not all servers in all places accept tips. As I said, that is an American thing because servers are expected to make their wage in tips. In other countries servers are paid decent and tips can often be seen as an insult.

[maja651]

These posts are making me rethink my $100 minimum. Humm. I appreciate the input. The thing is, we will always use the butler services, so we will be tipping well anyway. ;p

[Cuizer2]

Sorry, if an employee is being paid a regular rate, tips are NOT part of their pay. Tipping in this fashion is an American thing. In Japan tipping your server is an insult meaning that they obviously are not paid enough because they work for such a cheap place.

 

So no, I have no intention of tipping someone who is making $15 an hour as a base pay to bring me a plate with a burger on it and refill my drinks. If it is that expensive to live there, they should consider moving.

BTW, adding gratuity automatically is grounds for challenging a credit card bill, and winning automatically because the price was not the advertised price and there were hidden fees charged after - and automatically added tips are not tips - they are fees if they are not optional.

 

 

 

 

And while you can tip the butler and concierge, they are paid a very generous salary. A concierge is in the same pay bracket as the hotel director and makes around $113K on average for their salary.

 

Now, I will agree that while they make their money over a 9 month contract, they also work pretty much every day for those 9 months and put in ****ty hours, so getting 3 months off (or popping a new contract) is just letting them have the same time off they would have had at a 40 hour a week job for those 3 months.

 

MizD, these are average contract payouts for NCL, some will be a little above and some will be a little below (and at least 1 Hotel Director is well above, even than most Captains):

 

Servers - $26K

Steward - $28K

Bartender - $45K

Butler - $63K

Concierge - $113K

Hotel Director - $113K

Captain - $153K

 

And based on Voyager's link I think they are calling a steward a butler, because that is in line with a steward's salary, not with an NCL butler.

 

And like I said, those are averages.

NCL pays an untrained security officer about $26K, trained average around $30K. Security chiefs make around $48K. Trainers depend on what skills they bring to the table, former LEO get better bonuses than former military. LEO with a lot of professional training certifications can make around $68K, but they won't stay on one ship long.

 

 

There are NO positions in NCL that exist solely on tips.

 

Having said that - Pay your damned gratuities automatically. This doesn't only go to the people you were directly helped by, this also goes to people you never saw that worked very hard to make sure you enjoyed your vacation. Did you see the vomit in the elevator or smell it? No, well then tip the person you never saw clean it up. Did you enjoy having a clean table in the buffet and the fact the drink dispensers were full and the desserts were in reach? Yes, then tip the people you never saw clean the table before you got there, who made sure you didn't have to find someone to get a drink, and who constantly moved those desserts around for you.

 

What you tip your butler and concierge depends on how much you use them. And I agree you SHOULD tip them if you use them and they provided good service.

I just disagree with the idea that you should tip them $10 and $5 per day per person.

I intend to use my butler a lot on our next cruise, it is 21 days with 10 sea days, normally we book extremely port intensive cruises. Normally about the only instructions I have for a butler are don't bring food to the cabin, we won't eat it, and we probably won't be in the cabin anyway. I get far more use out of my steward normally. And I don't need anyone to make plans for me or hold my hand for excursions, I almost never use the ship for them anyway.

 

How about providing the documentation to back up your claims. Otherwise I'll just assume you are making these numbers up to back up your version of the world.

[Cuizer2]

I don’t believe everything I read on this site. That’s why I don’t believe there is a compelling reason to convey a $100 tip to a butler for afternoon snacks.

 

I’m not trying to be argumentative or troublesome, I am trying to get to the bottom of the real deal, so people like me are sharing with others what is a sensible amount and are not being fooled by some who suggest in a cavalier manner that it’s the least I should do because I have the men’s to do so.

 

I appreciate all the contributions here so far and I think sooner or later the truth will come out.

 

Thank you for wanting to help in that regard.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I never said you should convey a $100 tip to the butler for bringing afternoon snacks. On the other hand, DarkJedi is pulling his numbers out of thin air.

[Cuizer2]

Believe what you want, finding most of that out is not exactly hard.

 

The security stuff, OK, for that you probably need to do a bit of research. But that isn't that hard to find out if you are in that industry either.

 

 

BTW for comparison Disney Cruise Lines has a counter-terrorism security specialist that handles that aspect of their training, he makes $87K, slightly more than their land based CT guys that make around $75K. But he has ship security training as well as anti-piracy training. To my knowledge NCL does not have any dedicated CT people. I know that they have contracted anti-piracy and maritime specialists to do trainings though.

 

It is easy to make up numbers. Not so easy to back them up with real facts.

[DarkJedi]

It is easy to make up numbers. Not so easy to back them up with real facts.

 

Servers - $26K

 

 

Steward - $28K

Average Norwegian Cruise Line Steward yearly pay in the United States is approximately $28,603, which is 37% below the national average.

Norwegian Cruise Line Steward Salaries in the United States | Indeed ...

 

https://www.indeed.com/salaries/Steward-Salaries-at-Norwegian-Cruise-Line

 

 

 

 

Bartender - $45K

 

Norwegian Cruise Line Bartender yearly salaries in the United States

 

Salary estimated from 9 employees, users, and past and present job advertisements on Indeed in the past 36 months. Last updated: February 2, 2018

Average salary

$45,093 per year

57% Above national average

 

 

 

 

Butler - $63K

 

The average Norwegian Cruise Line Salary for Butlers is $62633. A Butler at Norwegian Cruise Line earns an average of $62633, ranging from $56243 at the 25th percentile to $68314 at the 75th percentile, with top earners (the top 10%) earning more than $74561.

Norwegian Cruise Line Butler Salaries | Paysa

 

https://www.paysa.com/salaries/norwegian-cruise-line--butler

 

 

 

 

Concierge - $113K

 

 

Hotel Director - $113K

 

The average Norwegian Cruise Line salary ranges from approximately $25,000 per year for Host/Hostess to $113,283 per year for Director. Average Norwegian Cruise Line hourly pay ranges from approximately $7.92 per hour for Utility Worker to $22.91 per hour for Buyer.

Norwegian Cruise Line Salaries in the United States | Indeed.com

 

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Norwegian-Cruise-Line/salaries

 

 

 

 

Captain - $153K

The average salary for a cruise-liner captain jumped 22.8 per cent last year to US$153,379.Jul 17, 2012

Cruise-line captains have highest salaries among ocean-goers - The ...

 

https://www.thenational.ae/.../cruise-line-captains-have-highest-salaries-among-ocean-go...

 

 

 

Got all that from Google in less than 5 minutes.

[DarkJedi]

I never said you should convey a $100 tip to the butler for bringing afternoon snacks. On the other hand, DarkJedi is pulling his numbers out of thin air.

 

Not at all, most are simply being pulled from hiring and other employment web sites that I belong to.

 

 

The numbers posted about how these people make no money and only get paid in tips are pulled from thin air and easily proven wrong by simply applying for any position with NCL, they will happily give you the pay scale. Unless you can somehow back up the claim that NCL does NOT pay it's employees?

 

 

The security stuff comes from actually being in that field.

[DarkJedi]

These posts are making me rethink my $100 minimum. Humm. I appreciate the input. The thing is, we will always use the butler services, so we will be tipping well anyway. ;p

 

I don't think anyone is claiming you should not tip when you get good service. Just that you should not feel obligated to tip people simply for existing and doing the basic job that they are being paid for, and that you are paying for with your ticket price.

[BirdTravels]

Where are you getting this information? Why do you believe a butler makes $63K before tips? Why do you believe a concierge makes $113K before tips? According to the article below, a butler makes $2400 to 3200 U.S. per month depending on gratuities (which means including gratuities - not in addition to gratuities).

 

 

 

http://www.cruiseshipjob.com/butler-jobs.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another site says average $1,500 / mo ...

 

 

 

http://www.cruiseshipjobs.com/job-positions/housekeeping/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below are articles that discusses more about cruise ship pay. You've got the butler and the concierge making more than the hotel director.

 

 

 

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=261

 

 

 

http://www.traveltruth.com/2012/10/14/cruise-crew-salaries-exposed/

 

 

 

 

 

This one says the concierge makes $3000+ per month ...

 

 

 

https://www.allcruisejobs.com/i1033/concierge/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you know where a cruise ship concierge is making $100K+ per year, with four months vacation per year, please send me an application.

 

 

What people don’t understand is that the 63K is a minimum guarantee salary which is a small base plus tips. If the tips don’t bring the person UP TO the minimum salary, the cruise line kicks additional money to make the guarantee.

 

From that, you deduct uniforms and other expenses.

 

 

 

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[dexddd]

Facts:

 

First. Butlers and Concierges are definately not part of the DSC.

 

Second the minimal increase in DSC for suites is for the size of the room for the steward. It takes more time to clean.

 

Opinion:

 

Lastly, if a USA land-based restaurant server does the minimum, say, bring your meal, refill your tea, bring your check, do you use your same logic and tip Nothing?

 

I just cannot imagine anyone letting a butler do their job all cruise and then tip nothing.

 

Wow.

 

 

 

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We don't actually know that as a fact. IMO it is because someone at NCL saw the opportunity to get more from their customers. And then increase it again, again.....

[erdoran]

While I understand the gist, what I think you are referring to is not aligned with sensible, it’s aligned with arbitrary. Two totally different approaches. I’ve made it clear I’m not interested in arbitrary.

 

I have no interest In what others do, that’s the entire point of my concern by those who suggest their amounts are the ones to look to as a standard on this topic.

 

I think most people who are seeking guidance are looking for a more concrete reason for conveying what they do rather than doing so based on a whimsical or arbitrary reason. But that’s just my opinion.

 

 

 

 

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That's exactly where I'm coming from. I want to do the "right" thing. I can be cheap and I know it - I want to be fair, compensate properly but also not be stupid about it. I am another who has a problem stomaching $100 as an "expected tip" for delivering snacks & servicing a coffee machine.

[erdoran]

For your Seattle dining- Purple is a fun venue. Varied menu, affordable, good food and service and nice atmosphere. I’d recommend making a reservation. Due to the location and decent prices they are always packed. Please report how the no tipping thing works for you if you dine there.

 

I’ve always gone with the when in Rome theory. If I want their service, I pay according to local customs and company recommendations. I’m not going on a cruise to fight a dsc tip, not going to Italy to fight a service fee for sit down dining, and not eating out anywhere in the USA and refusing to tip based on the local city, county and state min wages.

 

 

I totally see why the subject comes up so often. There is no standard like there is with dsc, speciality dining, spa... even when ships did the envelope tips they had a recommended standard for various positions. I get that It varies depending on use but that could easily be addressed on Ncl site and still be more specific than it currently is. People don’t like vague suggestions.

AMEN to that!!! Give a range! Give guidelines!

 

My worst by far tipping experience was on Carnival. We paid the DSC, of course. The last day of the cruise, all day, the entertainment director kept plugging "tip the maitre d'" . All Carnival material said he was included in DSC, but the entertainment director kept saying he wasn't...and "tip whatever you think is right". NO GUIDELINES, no range, no numbers! The maitre d' did nothing special for us at all; he did a fine job but we had no special requests and ate in specialty restaurants as much as in the MDR. Would a $10 or $20 tip have been insulting? Was there a $100 expectation? $100 for WHAT? $20-$30 each time he seated us, along with two other cabin of family, who were also presumably tipping? In the end we tipped zero because of exactly this issue, not wanting to be insulting but not "getting" why there was all this pressure--and no time to read CC to see what the real story was :>!

 

NCL does indeed need to provide guidelines and ranges!

[erdoran]

What people don’t understand is that the 63K is a minimum guarantee salary which is a small base plus tips. If the tips don’t bring the person UP TO the minimum salary, the cruise line kicks additional money to make the guarantee.

 

From that, you deduct uniforms and other expenses.

 

 

 

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So whether NCL is forced to pay the $63k (horrors!!!) or it come through tips, the butler gets a minimum of $63k. I agree all should tip appropriately, but I read the above as the butler is guaranteed $63k regardless. I fail to see an issue here if someone bases their tipping decision on knowing the above. For me it takes the guilt off of "if I don't tip WELL (even for no special services, just someone doing their job) then the crew member won't get paid".

 

Not an excuse not to tip, but good data to calibrate something fair and realistic and EARNED based on service and requests.

 

Dark Jedi, thanks for providing data. I'm a scientist and need data in order to function :>

[erdoran]

They do provide guidelines...

 

 

 

"Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests. While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to “go the extra mile,” so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them. Also, certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. Additionally, there is an 20% gratuity and spa service charge added for all spa and salon services, as well as an 20% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases and an 20% gratuity and specialty service charge added to all specialty restaurant dining and entertainment based dining."

There are no 'ranges" at all. It is really simple. Tip who you want, what you want, when you want.

 

Concierge, butler, youth program staff are not included in ranges, guests are "encouraged" to acknowledge good service with "appropriate" gratuities. That's the question in this thread, what is "appropriate" where no range is given.