Tipping

[one eyed jim]

My Wife And I Are Planning A Cruise This Summer. We Are Booked In To A Ab Penthouse. Could Anyone Tell Me How Much Is An Appropriate Tip For The Butler, And The Concierge.

Thanks

[House_Atreides]

Hoping you remember Greg and I from the Sun repo cruise!!!!!

 

We had the AC on the Sun if you remember. We had a party in the suite, both butlers set it up....so we tipped a lot more than we usually tip the butlers.

 

General rule is 7.50 pp per day depending on how much you use them.

 

Enjoy that cruise, you and your wife!!!! It was fun meeting you last spring!!!!

 

Mary

[House_Atreides]

Sorry I missed that part of your question.

 

We tipped Marieke 'as needed"...like if she made a reservation for us at a restraunt or called a port ahead of time looking for jetskis for us. Every time she did something for us we gave her $5.

 

Hope this helps!!

Mary :)

[Oppgaard]

We were in a suite on the SUN in December and had two butlers so of course we tipped both and it seemed that they did about equal amounts of work. On our upcoming STAR cruise we will be in an AB suite. Does anyone know if we will have one butler or two? I would much prefer just having one and tipping everything to them.

 

Since we are traveling with several of our friends and we are planning on a couple of parties in the suite plus inviting a couple in for breafast a couple of the mornings I feel that we should tip according to our services. I thought I would start with $100 and add to it if the service we receive warrants it. One cruise on Celebrity, we way over tipped but on the other hand, our butler gave us over the top service and deserved at least most of it.

 

I feel that we are on vacation and really appreciate being waited on don't mind in the least paying for it. I just don't like paying for something we never get.

[212cruiser]

Everything depends on the level of service each staff members provides, and duration of your voyage. For example, on a recent 10 day in an AB we tipped our Concierge $250.00 because she was exceptional. We tipped our room stewards $100.00 because they kept our suite immaculate and accomodated all of our requests quickly and with pleasure. We tipped the Butler $25.00 (in singles,change and left-over casino vouchers) because he sucked, and I wanted him to know it.

[Smellytoes]

Everything depends on the level of service each staff members provides, and duration of your voyage. For example, on a recent 10 day in an AB we tipped our Concierge $250.00 because she was exceptional. We tipped our room stewards $100.00 because they kept our suite immaculate and accomodated all of our requests quickly and with pleasure. We tipped the Butler $25.00 (in singles,change and left-over casino vouchers) because he sucked, and I wanted him to know it.

 

 

Who was your butler???

[Oppgaard]

212cruiser,

 

I totally agree with what you said. Those who do the most for you should be rewarded the most. Those who do nothing should receive nothing. On one cruise we had absolutely the worst cabin steward but I left the automatic tips on anyway. I should have had them taken off to show my displeasure. By letting him get away with doing nothing, he will continue in his ways and other people will suffer as a result.

[212cruiser]

Who was your butler???

 

Smelly, it doesn't really matter who it was. I'll tell you why; first, you don't get to pick who your Butler will be. Second, someone somewhere will always reply what a great experience they had with so-and-so. What is important is that I was very dissatified and frankly that's all that matters. I did let Lisa and NCL know, and I was quite specific with my reasoning.

[Planer's Edge]

Smelly, it doesn't really matter who it was. I'll tell you why; first, you don't get to pick who your Butler will be.

 

Not quite true. On our last Jewel cruise we requested a certain butler that we had previously. The two butlers involved simply traded two rooms so we could have our favorite butler.

 

PE

[Smellytoes]

Smelly, it doesn't really matter who it was. I'll tell you why; first, you don't get to pick who your Butler will be. Second, someone somewhere will always reply what a great experience they had with so-and-so. What is important is that I was very dissatified and frankly that's all that matters. I did let Lisa and NCL know, and I was quite specific with my reasoning.

 

That's true. Some people can experience the same thing and have two totally different opinions on what they experienced.

[212cruiser]

Not quite true. On our last Jewel cruise we requested a certain butler that we had previously. The two butlers involved simply traded two rooms so we could have our favorite butler.

 

PE

Not exactly right, edgy. You didn't request that particular Butler because the services of the other Butler were deficient. Rather, as you stated, you requested that Butler because s/he was your "favorite" Butler. That's quite different.

According to you, after I post the bad Butler's name NCL will permit everyone assigned to his cabins to avoid him by switching Butlers. That's simply not true.

[Planer's Edge]

No, I just pointed out an exception to your statement of "fact".

 

PE

[bubbacat]

Is it best to tip at the beginning of the cruise, as you go, or at the end? Thanks for any info!

[House_Atreides]

I tip as I go----depending on what we have the butlers do---others tip at the end,....it's personal preference I think.;)

[A Sixth?]

Okay, I'll wade in.

 

I noticed the OP was asking about extra tips for butlers for a high end cabin. (I assume there was the usual $ 10.00pp per day built in gratuity)

 

For your basic interior, Ocean view and balcony cabins, (outside of exceptional service like room service, special requests etc) is the built in tip enough as advertised?

[shoreguy]

Okay, I'll wade in.

 

I noticed the OP was asking about extra tips for butlers for a high end cabin. (I assume there was the usual $ 10.00pp per day built in gratuity)

 

For your basic interior, Ocean view and balcony cabins, (outside of exceptional service like room service, special requests etc) is the built in tip enough as advertised?

 

No additional tip expected or required for the normal cabin and wait staff. As NCL puts it :

 

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on NCL America or Norwegian Cruise Line ships. Guests should not feel obliged to offer a gratuity for service that is generally rendered to all guests.

However, all of our staff are encouraged to "go the extra mile", and so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities entirely at the discretion of our guests who wish to acknowledge particular staff members for exceptional or outstanding service. In other words, there is genuinely no need to tip but you should feel free to do so if you have a desire to acknowledge particular individuals.