Eliminating Butlers - Spoke to Celebrity. Here is conversation.

[Baynanno1]

No email notification for us either for any of our booked cruises.

A bit concerned about a team being as aware of food allergies as an individual would be when discussing and ordering a room service meal.

We will see how our October cruise goes and especially if vaping goes fleet wide we will be gone.

[NutsAboutGolf]

11 hours ago, Ellesor826 said:

If guests are currently booked in a Sky Suite, we can assist in looking for upgrades to a Celebrity Suite and above all if guests insist on a dedicated butler instead.

 

😅

[terrydtx]

55 minutes ago, zitsky said:

I had an email response from the Executive office saying no other changes are planned.  Just reporting.  I don’t know who to believe.

And two months ago they would have told you they had no planned changes, and we know how that turned out. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

Does this mirror what RCI does?

[Mark_K]

26 minutes ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Does this mirror what RCI does?

Not really. RCI doesn’t have butlers at all, and to get a Royal Genie you have to be in a cabin that’s above Owners Suite level.

[Mark_T]

23 hours ago, C4HCG said:

In the UK the name Butler would compare to senior servant. Host is a much nicer title in my view.

Not sure the Butlers would agree, they were mostly unhappy last time their titles changed as they regarded the 'Butler' title as a distinction they had worked hard to achieve.

[Jeremiah1212]

1 hour ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Does this mirror what RCI does?

It doesn’t. You have to be in a Star Class suite on Royal to get a genie. Their suite categories vary by ship. If you think Celebrity’s prices are high, Royal might make you choke on your coffee. 

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 minutes ago, Jeremiah1212 said:

It doesn’t. You have to be in a Star Class suite on Royal to get a genie. Their suite categories vary by ship. If you think Celebrity’s prices are high, Royal might make you choke on your coffee. 

Lol…Absolutely true which was why I haven’t booked with them yet as I wanted to try an oasis class sailing.  We don’t book suites (or haven’t yet) Thanks to a MGM free balcony on RCI (or X) offer, I booked our first RCI sailing

[Oceangoer2]

4 minutes ago, Mark_T said:

Not sure the Butlers would agree, they were mostly unhappy last time their titles changed as they regarded the 'Butler' title as a distinction they had worked hard to achieve.

My understanding of 'titles' is...a Host does just that....meets, greets, soothes, etc.  The Butler would attend to certain needs, while being quietly unnoticeable .  At least according to my grandmothers experience.  Times change and a Host/Butler seems to be all things now but absolutely to be respected.

[karmamule]

3 hours ago, NutsAboutGolf said:

Does this mirror what RCI does?

 

It does in the sense that RCL subdivides suites into the Sky and Star tiers and only Star tier had the genie/butler/personal attendant, and Sky suites were served by the general team.

 

Celebrity had some tiered benefits for suites (e.g. unlimited specialty dining for Royal or up) but all suites shared a personal attendant vs team until now. They now mirror RCL more closely in that only a certain type of suite gets a personal attendant and others are serviced by a team.

Edited August 11, 2023 by karmamule

[terrydtx]

1 minute ago, karmamule said:

 

It does in the sense that RCL subdivided suites into the Sky and Star tiers and only Star tier had the genie/butler/personal attendant, and Sky suites were served by the general team.

 

Celebrity had some tiered benefits for suites (e.g. unlimited specialty dining for Royal or up) but all suites shared a personal attendant vs team until now. They now mirror RCL more closely in that only a certain type of suite gets a personal attendant and others are serviced by a team.

We call this Royalization of Celebrity, and most are not happy with the changes.

[LMHSRN]

On 8/8/2023 at 11:42 AM, sanger727 said:

 

This may be the rudest thing I've ever seen. Clearly you already knew the answers to your questions and were just trying to bait a low paid customer service agent who has no authority to address the issue. 

Oh wow!  Clearly you got up on the wrong side of the bed today.  There was nothing rude about attempting to clarify a rumor.  Obviously this change does not effect you.

[NutsAboutGolf]

3 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We call this Royalization of Celebrity, and most are not happy with the changes.

 

And it seems only the corporation-friendly Royalization of changes are making its way to X.  They're not adding more eateries or a dedicated comedy lounge or piano bar

[terrydtx]

Just now, NutsAboutGolf said:

 

And it seems only the corporation-friendly Royalization of changes are making its way to X.  They're not adding more eateries or a dedicated comedy lounge or piano bar

At least they are trying to stuff 4000 passengers into an E Class ship, LOL

[C4HCG]

23 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

We call this Royalization of Celebrity, and most are not happy with the changes.

Deleted as on second thoughts, I have nothing new to add.

Edited August 11, 2023 by C4HCG

[Oceangoer2]

27 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

At least they are trying to stuff 4000 passengers into an E Class ship, LOL

shshshsh!  next step they'll cut the Sky Suites in half for double the $$s and call them luxury.

[verizon]

You guys not going to be happy of what I heard.

I am currently on a cruise and my formal butler told me there will be no butler’s for sky suites.Butlers will be provided for CS and above.hope his info is not true.

He also told me he is lucky to maintain as a butler position.

Edited August 11, 2023 by verizon

[sanger727]

On 7/29/2023 at 2:02 PM, LMHSRN said:

On-Line chat with David today at 13:50 eastern time.

Question:  Have you done away with Butlers in Suites?

David:  I'm not sure I understand your question.  Please provide additional information.

Question: Have you eliminated Butlers to Suite Guests?

David:  We still have Butlers for our Retreat suites.  However, as of August 15th, butler service for all Sky Suite butler's will be replaced by the Dedicated Retreat Team.

Question:  So will be be getting a refund if sailing after August 15th in a Sky Suite?

David;  For that, you would have to reach out to our Service Department.  They can be reached at 1 (800)556-8209 and Select Option #2

Question:  What is happening to Celebrity Cruise Line?  Are you becoming Carnival?

 

NO ADDITIONAL RESPONSES FROM DAVID!

 

50 minutes ago, LMHSRN said:

Oh wow!  Clearly you got up on the wrong side of the bed today.  There was nothing rude about attempting to clarify a rumor.  Obviously this change does not effect you.

 

Yes, nothing rude at all about reaching out to the chat agent who is the lowest on the totem pole in terms of making decisons and fixing issues. And then when he's not able to cancel and refund your booking no questions asked; making broad generic statements about the cruise line going downhill and comparing them to Carnival. 

 

You knew perfectly well that David couldn't cancel and refund your cruise. And what answer exactly where you expecting form your last question? I think it's very easy to vent your anger on customer service agents. Expecting them to sit there and take it is rude. And then come onto an internet forum and brag about how you showed david with your questions. 

Edited August 11, 2023 by sanger727

[Oceangoer2]

9 minutes ago, verizon said:

You guys not going to be happy of what I heard.

I am currently on a cruise and my formal butler told me there will be no butler’s for sky suites.Butlers will be provided for CS and above.hope his info is not true.

He also told me he is lucky to maintain as a butler position.

This is the topic of this thread ..... effective Aug. 14th butlers for SS will be replaced by a Retreat Team.  If you go back to the first post and read through, you'll find a 'host' (sorry) of information.

[terrydtx]

13 minutes ago, verizon said:

You guys not going to be happy of what I heard.

I am currently on a cruise and my formal butler told me there will be no butler’s for sky suites.Butlers will be provided for CS and above.hope his info is not true.

He also told me he is lucky to maintain as a butler position.

I do not know where you have been, but there have been many threads, including this one, on CC and FB about this subject for the last month, Sky Suites will no longer have a dedicated butler which is being replaced by a "team" of pseudo butlers, this is per Celebrity Corporate.

Edited August 11, 2023 by terrydtx

[hcat]

 

Interesting items online/ google. Some Butlers go to formal training programs that grant Certification;  some apprentice, some have in house employer training etc ..Apparently pay is not usually that great unless for the rich and famous! No idea  of  X  job specs ), pay, and training???

 

Gen Job Spec

"Working environments for butlers vary, but you can expect to work in professional atmospheres. People who hire residential butlers typically have luxury homes and may require assistance in hosting formal events such as dinners, meetings and fundraisers. Distinguished hotels and restaurants, particularly in major cities and tourist areas, often have similar environments, but butlers and other hospitality professionals in these settings usually work together to manage a company's service needs. Regardless of where they spend their careers, butlers represent the prestige of the residences and businesses at which they work."

 

Team approach. ?  

 Booking Choice on X going forward but you'll pay alot more for a higher level suite.

 

Sorry for those who got the Royal "switcheroo!"

[DCPIV]

I gotta tell you.  I was pretty taken aback when I first heard about this.  However, it sounds as if it's more of a reorganization than a reduction.  I can see how workload among Butlers can get pretty out of whack from one cruise to the next when a Butler has several suites assigned to them.  It likely was not at all unusual for one to have to cover for another or something like that.  It would be like a restaurant server having a very demanding section while another has little going on.  It makes some sense to have a "team" handle the whole load on a somewhat ad hoc basis rather than cabin assignments.

 

I imagine a situation where a SS passenger likely will be greeted by a Retreat Team Member (even if it's via a note in the room).  You'll have a number to call when you want something that a Butler would have taken care of.  However, instead of talking to your Butler, you'll speak to someone who is more a dispatcher.  It's different, but it's not necessarily bad.  It could just be something of a "concierge team," but X has to use its language.

 

That doesn't mean X will do a good job of implementing it, of course.  It could very well be a big, danmned mess.  Still, I say this change deserves a true "wait-and-see" as to whether it's ultimately good for the passengers.  

[terrydtx]

3 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

I gotta tell you.  I was pretty taken aback when I first heard about this.  However, it sounds as if it's more of a reorganization than a reduction.  I can see how workload among Butlers can get pretty out of whack from one cruise to the next when a Butler has several suites assigned to them.  It likely was not at all unusual for one to have to cover for another or something like that.  It would be like a restaurant server having a very demanding section while another has little going on.  It makes some sense to have a "team" handle the whole load on a somewhat ad hoc basis rather than cabin assignments.

 

I imagine a situation where a SS passenger likely will be greeted by a Retreat Team Member (even if it's via a note in the room).  You'll have a number to call when you want something that a Butler would have taken care of.  However, instead of talking to your Butler, you'll speak to someone who is more a dispatcher.  It's different, but it's not necessarily bad.  It could just be something of a "concierge team," but X has to use its language.

 

That doesn't mean X will do a good job of implementing it, of course.  It could very well be a big, danmned mess.  Still, I say this change deserves a true "wait-and-see" as to whether it's ultimately good for the passengers.  

I still ask, if Celebrity believes this is such a great deal and improvement why didn't they make it across all suites? I remain skeptical but will find out firsthand next month on the Apex. 

[zitsky]

6 minutes ago, DCPIV said:

I gotta tell you.  I was pretty taken aback when I first heard about this.  However, it sounds as if it's more of a reorganization than a reduction.  I can see how workload among Butlers can get pretty out of whack from one cruise to the next when a Butler has several suites assigned to them.  It likely was not at all unusual for one to have to cover for another or something like that.  It would be like a restaurant server having a very demanding section while another has little going on.  It makes some sense to have a "team" handle the whole load on a somewhat ad hoc basis rather than cabin assignments.

 

I imagine a situation where a SS passenger likely will be greeted by a Retreat Team Member (even if it's via a note in the room).  You'll have a number to call when you want something that a Butler would have taken care of.  However, instead of talking to your Butler, you'll speak to someone who is more a dispatcher.  It's different, but it's not necessarily bad.  It could just be something of a "concierge team," but X has to use its language.

 

That doesn't mean X will do a good job of implementing it, of course.  It could very well be a big, danmned mess.  Still, I say this change deserves a true "wait-and-see" as to whether it's ultimately good for the passengers.  

I don’t want to talk to a dispatcher.  

[DCPIV]

3 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I still ask, if Celebrity believes this is such a great deal and improvement why didn't they make it across all suites? I remain skeptical but will find out firsthand next month on the Apex. 

 

When you get to higher suites, the Butlers have far fewer assignments and, as best as I can tell anecdotally, a good deal more time to attend to the passengers.  They have their flexibility built in.  The higher suite folks also appreciate the relationship. 

 

As several already have said in this thread (and countless others), they barely see their Butler while in an SS, much less call upon them often (or at all).  There are exceptions, of course.  I imagine the SS Butlers now are the Retreat Team, but I'm not so naive to trust that the number of them has remained the same.

 

My point was and still is that it's a bit early to build the gallows.  If this change results in poor service for the SS passengers, then I'm all for raising hell about it, demanding compensation, etc.  We're not there, yet.