Suites, Butlers ~ Worth It?

[Shirley C]

We are thinking of booking a sky suite for an upcoming flight. What are the perks of having a suite? What can you have or not have the Butlers do? Do you recommend it?

[Cobraman]

We think it's worth it, some will disagree. The butlers can be leveraged to perform many tasks, it really boils down to establishing the relationship early on and don't be afraid to ask for what you want - if it is impossible, they will tell you.

[Saveapenny]

We were thinking of booking a suite for our 30th anniversary in October but worried we would not be able to use the butler ( we are simple folk :D )

What would you say were the top 5-10 things a butler gets asked for?

 

Mandy

[TRadle]

We book the suites for the larger cabin and veranda. We too are simple folks and really didn't ask a lot of our butler.

 

We did have breakfast almost every morning on the veranda. He would set it up with a white table cloth and set the table. It was really lovely. He also kept ice in the ice bucket, the usually tea service in the afternoon plus the canopies before dinner. I know some people don't like those, but we enjoyed them. Our cabin was always spotless and we wanted for nothing the entire week.

[nps001]

Having first booked on X in a suite, I can't think of not having a butler now. I think it's like some who get a balcony and refuse to ever book an inside room again.

 

That being said, it is all a preference. Besides the bigger room, butlers can handle many requests, in addition to the ones that were mentioned above. On the last cruise, our butler told us "don't try to make reservations, special requests, celebrations, etc on your own.......leave them to me as I can handle them with ease for you" In addition, we were invited to a cocktail party on a veranda and the host told us the butler handled everything for them from start to finish.

 

And yes, breakfast on the balcony is great, as is having dinner served course by course as opposed to on one tray by the room service staff.

[j!m]

we always travel in a suite, RS or CS and have little contact with the butler

 

yes, he does come by in the aft with little sanwiches and will bring a capuccino

 

other than that have never had much to do with them

 

we book the suite for the room, i like to lay around and watch tv on the sea days

 

if you dont mind paying, go for it

[Shippy]

We just returned from the Mercury and had a sky suite. Fabulous. When we started cruising years ago, a porthole was fine.....now I like the extra room.

 

We never used the butler much...but every night I hung the tag on the door for coffee and danish to be delivered between 7 & 7:30. Every morning at 7:05 it was delivered by the butler. I do not know if you would have that consistancy with regular room service delivery staff. I found out later while speaking to someone else that the coffe pots are different ! Sometimes I just went back to bed for an hour and the coffee was still steaming hot. They use a special stainless steel pot for the suites. The people in the other room had a lower quality one. They also has bathrobes but they were thin. Ours were very thick terry cloth.

Every afternoon the butler came by the room with a cart that had coffee, tea, little sandwiches and cookies. If we were out at the time he always left cookies & canepes in the room.

A sky suite is definitly the way to go.

[Blanco-Grande]

Free expresso n the suites

[esther e]

We book suites for the large size of the room. As far as a butler, he will pack or unpack for you, but I've never had him to that! (Although, packing at the end is tempting:rolleyes:)

[sailorgirl]

We just returned from a week on Mercury in a Sky Deck sky suite. Three weeks in the same one last year on Galaxy. It's a must have for us now. Especially on Deck 12 with the large balcony. We, too, had to get used to a butler but now we find him invaluable. Breakfast delivered and set up. Afternoon tea delivered and then later afternoon appetizers. He made himself available for anything we might need and was very pleasant about it. Also, you get complimentary use of the T pool with a sky suite. Go for it unless you're people who don't care to spend any time in your room at all.

[Shirley C]

Thanks for all the info.

[pris993]

A few years ago we got upgraded to a Royal Suite -- we did not use the butler that much, as we are simple folks too. Regardless, we enjoyed the large balconies and views from the two room suite -- if we could afford would do again and again. We did host a cocktail party and the Butler arranged everything -- we had a great time on a 10 days cruise to Mexico.

[Shirley C]

Are cocktail parties allowed in the sky suites as well? When you say the butler took care of it ~ what do they do? Do they provide snacks/drinks?

[Gerrym]

we always travel in a suite, RS or CS and have little contact with the butler

 

yes, he does come by in the aft with little sanwiches and will bring a capuccino

 

other than that have never had much to do with them

 

we book the suite for the room, i like to lay around and watch tv on the sea days

 

if you dont mind paying, go for it

 

 

Wow, what a waste of a lovely balcony on sea days. Can I borrow it please? :)

 

.

[LongTimeTvlr]

Great input from those that like large cabins and balconies.

I know we are in a small minority but we have no use for butlers or balconies.

We prefer inside cabins.

We use our room only for sleeping and changing clothes.

We like being out with the other passengers. We have a large deck with a pool at the house. We can lay out in the sun all we want, and it is very private.

We go on cruises to see things and meet interesting people.

Can't imagine spending thousands of dollars on the cabin, with or without a butler.

Propably saved enough on our last 2 crusies to pay for our next one, airfare included.

Everyone has their own preferences.

We are just cheap.

[Lsimon]

Are cocktail parties allowed in the sky suites as well? When you say the butler took care of it ~ what do they do? Do they provide snacks/drinks?

 

We had one of the Sky Suites on the Galaxy with a large veranda. We had a cocktail party for 20 on our deck in between the dinner seatings (started just before first seating was over). In our case I'd brought on some liquor, but needed some special mixers (orange and pineapple juice) and some other items as it was a Mai Tai, wine and champagne party.

 

We talked to our butler about things the night before so they had plenty of time. We had him bring the mixers, lots of ice, glasses (for drinks, wine and champagne, straws, ordered a bottle of wine through him, had him chill champagne we already has in the room and two cheese trays. We thought they'd bring two of the small cheese trays you normally get through room service but they brought two huge ones with other things on them - the crowd just brought a little.

 

The butler brought everything we needed at the time we asked for them. wheeled things in on a big cart and helped arrange them on the veranda. He stopped by after a while to check on things too. And came by just before dinner time and just as the crowd was leaving. No issues on the liquor we had brought on - and if we needed it the butler would have arranged for liquor at the normal in-room cost.

 

Everything worked out nicely and we all had a great time!

[Shirley C]

We had one of the Sky Suites on the Galaxy with a large veranda. We had a cocktail party for 20 on our deck in between the dinner seatings (started just before first seating was over). In our case I'd brought on some liquor, but needed some special mixers (orange and pineapple juice) and some other items as it was a Mai Tai, wine and champagne party.

 

We talked to our butler about things the night before so they had plenty of time. We had him bring the mixers, lots of ice, glasses (for drinks, wine and champagne, straws, ordered a bottle of wine through him, had him chill champagne we already has in the room and two cheese trays. We thought they'd bring two of the small cheese trays you normally get through room service but they brought two huge ones with other things on them - the crowd just brought a little.

 

The butler brought everything we needed at the time we asked for them. wheeled things in on a big cart and helped arrange them on the veranda. He stopped by after a while to check on things too. And came by just before dinner time and just as the crowd was leaving. No issues on the liquor we had brought on - and if we needed it the butler would have arranged for liquor at the normal in-room cost.

 

Everything worked out nicely and we all had a great time!

 

Larry

 

Thanks for the great information. We always like to get together with a few friends as well. Sounds like this will work out perfectly.

 

Shirley

[TRadle]

Everyone has their own preferences.

We are just cheap.

 

I wouldn't say you were cheap. If I had a pool with a large deck I might feel differently about the suite!:D

[Iggipolka]

Free expresso n the suites

 

*perk*! Expresso as in lattes and cappuccinos? Whole milk only, or is fat-free an option?

 

Woo! I'm so looking forward to my first SS!

[guzmsa]

Nothing wrong with staying in a small cabin if you can save money for more cruises, especially if you don't spend much time in your cabin to begin with. However, the logic is a bit circular: the main reason that you don't spend much time in your cabin is BECAUSE it is cramped.

 

I have sailed both in standard cabins and in huge suites, and am convinced that the amount of time you spend in a stateroom is proportional to its size. We once booked a Penthouse suite on Infinity (one of those rooms with a 6-person table on the deck, an outdoor whirlpool, a private treadmill, a piano, dining room, guest bathroom, kitchen, etc.) and we practically never LEFT our room during the whole cruise, except for shore excursions. In fact, we invited friends from other cabins to party with us all day, and kept the butler busy bringing drinks and food to us. On our next cruise, in contrast, we had a regular cabin and couldn't stand being cooped up in there except for sleeping. So the same person may react differently depending on the situation.

[Therese S.]

Due to an overbooking on the Mercury, we will have our first ever suite on the Millie and also not sure if I am comfortable with having a butler or what to ask of him, but great suggestions from all. Do suites also have cabin attendants that keep the room clean or does the butler perform this task? If not, I am assuming there is a seperate tip for the cabin attendant and butler? Is the butler tipped each day or at the end of cruise?

 

Thanks, Therese

[nps001]

If you are in a suite, you will have a butler as well as a cabin attendant. The attendant does the cleaning/replenishing, etc., and the butler is there to take care of requests, room service, etc.

 

There are tipped separately.

[Shirley C]

Nothing wrong with staying in a small cabin if you can save money for more cruises, especially if you don't spend much time in your cabin to begin with. However, the logic is a bit circular: the main reason that you don't spend much time in your cabin is BECAUSE it is cramped.

 

I have sailed both in standard cabins and in huge suites, and am convinced that the amount of time you spend in a stateroom is proportional to its size. We once booked a Penthouse suite on Infinity (one of those rooms with a 6-person table on the deck, an outdoor whirlpool, a private treadmill, a piano, dining room, guest bathroom, kitchen, etc.) and we practically never LEFT our room during the whole cruise, except for shore excursions. In fact, we invited friends from other cabins to party with us all day, and kept the butler busy bringing drinks and food to us. On our next cruise, in contrast, we had a regular cabin and couldn't stand being cooped up in there except for sleeping. So the same person may react differently depending on the situation.

 

 

So....is it okay to ask the butler to bring you drinks from the bar, or food from the dining room? That's what I am not sure of -- how much we can ask them to do for us. Do you tip them each time they bring something to you, or just at the end? Normally when we have room service, we tip our cabin attendent, but if we use the butler a lot, do we tip each time?

[emptynest1]

We have always had a suite and enjoyed the butler.

Yes, you can request setups and food for a party, and it will be delivered on a cart with formal place settings and all.

We also enjoy a latte in the afternoon, breakfast on the deck, reservations made, etc.

Just ask and they will do their best to serve you.

Worth it for us.

[usha]

EN, so if Hottie & I book the same Constellation cruise as you guys, are you gonna throw a party in your suite & invite us, and let us eat all of your food & drink all of your booze?:D