Butler / Concierge - what have you asked of them

[The Queen]

We'll have a butler and concierge for our next cruise. Just wondering what types of things you can/can't or should/shouldn't ask of your butler and concierge? Is it too much to call him/her to bring you your sunscreen to the pool, when you left it in your cabin? etc. etc. etc.

 

Just wondering what everyone's/anyone's actual experiences are?

[indimini]

Excellent question! (I'm posting so I get updates/info as well.) We also sail the first time on NCL and will have the butler service. Our 10 y.o. son has "plans" for the butler lol. Honestly, I'll make sure he treats our butler with great respect and doesn't overdo the requests.

[conandrob240]

Never had a butler on a ship but had one at all-inclusive resorts so not sure it is exactly the same but we have asked for:

- packing & unpacking

- item pressing (dress one night when it was aformal event)

- snacks delivered to the room

- drinks brought to us poolside or beach side

- dinner reservations

- special event planning (like decorating or cake for a birthday)

[Evilmille]

We'll have a butler and concierge for our next cruise. Just wondering what types of things you can/can't or should/shouldn't ask of your butler and concierge? Is it too much to call him/her to bring you your sunscreen to the pool, when you left it in your cabin? etc. etc. etc.

 

Just wondering what everyone's/anyone's actual experiences are?

 

I don't think I would ask them to go to your room and bring sunscreen down to you at the pool. Sounds a bit lazy don't you think? I would use them for room service and anything needed in the room like towels, movies etc.

[PangeanSir]

I don't think I'd ask for the sunscreen.

 

For NCL suites (I've never traveled in a suite on another line) it was explained to me that there was a relatively clear division of labour between room stewards, butlers and the concierge. The room stewards perform the same functions as elsewhere on the ship (though some would say that the stewards in suite territory are the best of the best), the butlers handle in suite food and beverage service and the concierge handles ship wide services.

 

So your butlers (they often work in pairs on different shifts) provided all room service deliveries (they will provide items that aren't on the room service menu), daily snacks, movies for the entertainment system, wine deliveries, and served meals taken in our cabin. We had friends over on one occasion and they delivered the wine and snacks for that event and stayed to serve our guests. The concierge made our dinner reservations, delivered VIP tender tickets and invitations to the Captain's reception, and also made our embarkation arrangements.

 

Remember to tip the butlers/concierge based upon the nature of the services they provide since they are not part of the regular tip pool.

 

P.

[retiredonthesea]

The Butler will do all your in suite food items: Room service is done by him/her, brings whatever snacks ect. Once they find out what you like and about what time you enjoy your treats, they will just automatically show up. We have had parties done in our suite for us with as a many as 20 people. You just need to give them an idea of what you want. They also have supplied extra glasses, dishes, and have had room steward bring in extra chairs for balcony. We give them our clothes to press when we first arrive as they get it done for us alot faster than waiting for room steward to pick them up. Deliver movies ect.

 

Concierge: Does all your reservations for specialty resturants and/or main dining room if you are having guests dine with you. She/He will help with shore excursions, VIP tender tickets, disembarkation, spa appointments.

 

Some people (like us) use them extensively others hardly bother. When we had our Sons and their families on our Jan. cruise the Butler brought our GD's age 2 & 3 pizza and fruit when he found out they where eating all of ours.:) The Girls where in connecting Mini-suites, but hung out with us alot. He was really nice to them.

 

Just remember they ARE NOT in the tipping pool. We tipped as some services where rendered then left more at the end of the cruise.

 

Hope this helps---any more ???? just ask.

[cp556]

One great feature that our butler helped with:

 

On Jade there are cordless phones in the suites, for shipboard use. They also work several hundred feet off the ship, and are pre-programmed with the Butler's extension.

 

When we arrived back at the ship late one evening after a lonnnnng day exploring, there was quite a line waiting to board (we were in Egypt and they were checking ID carefully). I used our room phone (which I'd taken ashore with me) and called Andrew, our butler, requesting that dinner be delivered to our cabin ASAP.

 

We were back in the room maybe 10-15 minutes when VOILA! There was Andrew with what we'd ordered. By using the cordless phone, we'd shaved at least half an hour off the wait time!

[retiredonthesea]

One great feature that our butler helped with:

 

On Jade there are cordless phones in the suites, for shipboard use. They also work several hundred feet off the ship, and are pre-programmed with the Butler's extension.

 

When we arrived back at the ship late one evening after a lonnnnng day exploring, there was quite a line waiting to board (we were in Egypt and they were checking ID carefully). I used our room phone (which I'd taken ashore with me) and called Andrew, our butler, requesting that dinner be delivered to our cabin ASAP.

 

We were back in the room maybe 10-15 minutes when VOILA! There was Andrew with what we'd ordered. By using the cordless phone, we'd shaved at least half an hour off the wait time!

 

I forgot to mention the phone service and that was one of the best features. DH and I used it to keep track of each other!HEHEHE:D I could call to see if he was in cabin (cuz that's where he said he would be, NOT the casino);)

[xyzxyz]

Can you use the phone to call the concierge to collect you and thus bypass the queue to get back onboard?

[cafe rose]

I was wondering the same thing. Great minds think alike, xyzzzzzzzz;)

[Markandrews]

Can you use the phone to call the concierge to collect you and thus bypass the queue to get back onboard?

 

 

I would say you could and he/she would probably come and get you. But remember your fellow passengers have been on tour all day too.

 

Some of the most uncomfortable times on the ship for me were when the Conceirge whisked us past the on board immigration line as we arrived in St Thomas. I am also uncomfortable being taken to the head of the tender line.

 

In the future I will wait in line or go when there is no line.

[retiredonthesea]

Can you use the phone to call the concierge to collect you and thus bypass the queue to get back onboard?

 

I guess we have never thought that the lines where that bad to call the Concierge and ask him/her for assistance for such. I would also like to know if anyone has done that. I'am curious.:o Good ?

[NoPiratesPlease]

Can you use the phone to call the concierge to collect you and thus bypass the queue to get back onboard?

 

No. The only time you can do that is if you are on back-to-back cruises when you have to check back in aboard between them. THEN the Concierge or Butler can whisk you past all the lines.

 

We've done B2B on the Jewel, the Pearl, the Star and the Dawn. They give you a "free" day to explore the terminal port. It's a real bonus! We've used it in NYC and walked two blocks to see the Intrepid (like most who live in this area we otherwise never do such things). We had a day touring Barcelona, and took ourselves around Seattle, and went to SeaWorld in Miami.

[JACruiser]

No. The only time you can do that is if you are on back-to-back cruises when you have to check back in aboard between them. THEN the Concierge or Butler can whisk you past all the lines.

 

We've done B2B on the Jewel, the Pearl, the Star and the Dawn. They give you a "free" day to explore the terminal port. It's a real bonus! We've used it in NYC and walked two blocks to see the Intrepid (like most who live in this area we otherwise never do such things). We had a day touring Barcelona, and took ourselves around Seattle, and went to SeaWorld in Miami.

 

 

Pirates, how long did it take for the Concierge to walk you off and then back on? Ten minutes or so?

 

Thanks!

[lil buddy]

Some of the most uncomfortable times on the ship for me were when the Conceirge whisked us past the on board immigration line as we arrived in St Thomas. I am also uncomfortable being taken to the head of the tender line.

I so agree. While I must confess, that I love the perks of the butler and consierge when onboard......I feel very awkward using them for things like "jumping the line". There is nothing like cruising with all the amenities but

I just can't "flaunt it". Don't even like being walked on the ship with the butler carrying my bag.

Just me, not right or wrong, just me.

[pixiedustdawn]

We never asked anything of our butler on Celebrity. He always seemed to be around doing nice things for us. Afternoon tea and snacks always delievered to our room. He quickly learned our schedule.

One day my DD sat on a chair with her khaki pants, the chair had soot on it, and it got on her pants.

I washed them in the cabin sink and hung them to dry in the tub area, unable to get all the soot out.

We went up to the pool, within a half hour our butler walked up to us with a silver tray and the pants were neatly washed (stain removed) dried and folded. I was somewhat embarrassed, but thanked him and tipped him nicely at the end of our cruise.

Dawn

[Cosmopolitan]

Some of the most uncomfortable times on the ship for me were when the Conceirge whisked us past the on board immigration line as we arrived in St Thomas. I am also uncomfortable being taken to the head of the tender line.

I so agree. While I must confess, that I love the perks of the butler and consierge when onboard......I feel very awkward using them for things like "jumping the line". There is nothing like cruising with all the amenities but

I just can't "flaunt it". Don't even like being walked on the ship with the butler carrying my bag.

Just me, not right or wrong, just me.

 

I agree also.

 

We do utilize our priority tender tickets but NEVER walk to the front of the line. We feel the same way...no need to flaunt it :-)

 

If there is a crowd to get off the ship at port, we stand on the line and as the staff passes by to make sure the correct color ticket holders are on-line (which they usually are not) he/she just says - "you'll get on the next tender". As they remove they wrong color ticket holders...the line moves up very quickly;)

 

We also do not allow the butler to take our carry-ons. We got them to the ship, we can get them to our suite:)

[xyzxyz]

When I was on the Jewel inaugural, there was a stopover at Gibraltar. There was a very long queue to get back on board and this took an awfully long time - can't remember now, maybe an hour, or hour and a half; perhaps others who suffered that experience may care to pipe in on this - if I was able to call to the concierge to escort me onboard, I would not have hesitated to do so.

 

It's not a question of flaunting it, but rather would you suffer if you need not have to.

[debjo]

We returned a couple weeks ago from the SPIRIT and had our first experience in a suite with the butlers and concierge. Most of our experience has been covered by previous posters...but I do have a couple things to add which surprised me (even after all the research that I had done). On the SPIRIT there were two butlers that covered ALL the suites (18 suites, I believe). Knowing there were two butlers, I figured one would cover the "forward" suite cabins and the other butler would take care of the "aft" suite cabins. This wasn't the case...both butlers covered ALL the suites throughout the entire ship. They were phenomenal! I was also impressed with the vast array of things they were capable of doing...one case in point was the fact that our DVD player wouldn't work. Even the Manager of Housekeeping, when our bed/bedding was getting changed over to the Freestyle 2.0 upgrades, took a look at the DVD player and couldn't figure it out. The next time we saw our butler, we asked him about it. He, with the wizardry of an electrician, pulled the unit out and took a look at the wire connections and spotted the problem immediately. Somehow the connections were incorrect and the batteries in the remote were dead...in no time, he had the DVD player working!

 

In another instance, he arrived with our daily snacks at a time when we were unpacking our "formal" clothes. Noticing that my husbands slacks were a bit wrinkled from being in the suitcase, our butler asked if we wanted him to iron the slacks.

 

Theoretically, the butlers are available 24 hours a day...but remember they do have to sleep and rest at times. One afternoon, we called the phone number that they had left for us. We reached "Room Service" and asked for our butlers by name. Politely, we were told that they were "unavailable" at that time...later we realized that a "drill" was taking place and figured that our butlers were part of the "drill". Anyway, regular room service delivered our luncheon selections (some of which came from the room service menu and some from the dining room menu). When we next saw our butlers, they were very apologetic that they had been unable to bring our lunch. Of course, we didn't see a need for their apology, but we thought that it was a nice gesture and were surprised that they had been made aware of our "room service" lunch.

 

We were in good hands...between the butlers and the concierge, we were treated to a relaxing cruise without worries.

 

Debjo

[cp556]

I think my computer is possessed....

[cp556]

Some of the most uncomfortable times on the ship for me were when the Conceirge whisked us past the on board immigration line as we arrived in St Thomas. I am also uncomfortable being taken to the head of the tender line.

I so agree. While I must confess, that I love the perks of the butler and consierge when onboard......I feel very awkward using them for things like "jumping the line". There is nothing like cruising with all the amenities but

I just can't "flaunt it". Don't even like being walked on the ship with the butler carrying my bag.

Just me, not right or wrong, just me.

 

I'm with Barbara ... being "flaunted" makes me uncomfortable. Don't know if they still do it, but in the 90s on Celebrity, when you were VIP'd and had dinner with the Captain, they held back the front row of seats in the theatre for those people. They were escorted, in a line, by the Hostess to the front row, and seated ... usually after most of the other seats were already full. They called it the Walk of Fame, and it always made me slightly uncomfortable (unless I'd had several glasses of wine at dinner...lol...)

[lil buddy]

When I was on the Jewel inaugural, there was a stopover at Gibraltar. There was a very long queue to get back on board and this took an awfully long time - can't remember now, maybe an hour, or hour and a half; perhaps others who suffered that experience may care to pipe in on this - if I was able to call to the concierge to escort me onboard, I would not have hesitated to do so.

 

It's not a question of flaunting it, but rather would you suffer if you need not have to.

 

To give you an example. We were in Ouebec last year and the ships gangway had to be moved, due to the tides. When we went back to the ship, after a long day of sightseeing, the lines were enourmous and we were told that it might take up to 2 hours to board. We could have "pulled rank" but instead we walked down to a great waterfront bar/restaurant and had drinks and waited until the line had thinned out.

As I said, it's just not style and believe me, I wasn't the least bit uncomfortable while drinking my martinis....lol

[~NCL Spirit Lover~]

Mistake...

[xyzxyz]

To give you an example. We were in Ouebec last year and the ships gangway had to be moved, due to the tides. When we went back to the ship, after a long day of sightseeing, the lines were enourmous and we were told that it might take up to 2 hours to board. We could have "pulled rank" but instead we walked down to a great waterfront bar/restaurant and had drinks and waited until the line had thinned out.

As I said, it's just not style and believe me, I wasn't the least bit uncomfortable while drinking my martinis....lol

 

Maybe that was fine for you but in the case of that particular Gibraltar stopover, the ship was due to leave at 5/5:30 pm if my memory serves me well and I seem to remember we joined the queue with 2/3 hours to spare. There were loads of people behind us by the time we got on. As it was, it left late because of the time it took for the passengers to get back on board.

[retiredonthesea]

In regards to using the cordless phone---I would not feel comfortable taking their phone off the ship with me. It's hard enough keeping track of our own stuff for a full day of excursions.:rolleyes: What if we lost it or it was stolen!:eek: