Norwegian Jewel March 3, 2012 - Suite Life?

Hi

I'm hoping past cruisers can help....

My husband and I are contemplating going on our first Norwegian Cruise - Norwegian Jewel - March 3, 2012 - Cat. SF - Penthouse Suite ( Port Canaveral - Stirrup Cay - Nassau)

We would love to hear everyone's opinion ..

Is it cold Sailing out of NY in March?

How are the Penthouse Suites?

Butler Service?

Entertainment?

Food?

Must do Excursions?

Any and All advice would be appreciated... :)

Stacey

The "Suite Life" is not only wonderful, but addictive. You will be spoiled.

We were in the old AD which I believe is now an SF. Our Suite was on deck 10 corner and was very nice. Really just one big room with a loveseat, chair and ottoman and a very large (deep) balcony.

We cruised in January and it was very cold naturally, but that first day there was so much to explore on the ship that we weren't outside much.

Our Butler (Ravi) was fantastic. He was always running from place to place, but always stopped to ask if he could do anything for us. A few nights we called him for a late night snack of ice cream sundaes, cheesecake & brownies and he arrived in no time with a huge tray and a smile to match.

He brought us DVD's to watch, breakfast and one night when we wanted to watch the football playoffs he sent us a huge bowl of popcorn!

You will also have use of a Concierge. Ours at the time was Adrian and he was wonderful. Anywhere we wanted to eat or any show we wished to see, he always made it happen. Getting in to the chocolate buffet early was a perk not to be missed.

We loved the shows we attended and had zero complaints about the food. The Blue Lagoon is a great comfort food diner type venue and we loved picking up wings and fries from there at different times of the day.

In a Suite another perk for you is breakfast & lunch (free) in Cagneys Steakhouse. Do a search on the boards and you'll find the menus. Loved this perk the best.

Make sure you try it at least one night for dinner ($25 per person) too. Worth every penny.

Can't help you with any excursions, but if you do decide to book, look up your cruise on the Roll Call boards and join for your particular sailing. Once you meet your fellow cruisers, you'll get lots of information.

NCL has great perks for Suite guests, so you won't be disappointed.

Hope you have a great cruise!

We did the Jewel out of NY in January 2011 and March 2011. It was not that bad in March we had a beautiful sunny day when we left January was cold but beautiful. We were also in a Courtyard Villa both times which spoiled us for life. There is no doubt that the "suite life" is amazing on NCL The butlers, concierge (yes Adrian is the best but he is going to the Sky after vacation this summer) and the staff are amazing. Le Bistro was our favorite restaurant. I know everyone loves the Cagney's breakfast perk..we never made it there! not once not on the 10 day or the 7 day. lol...we did order from there every morniing and our amazing butler Jurhmer knew everything we loved by day 2. As far as excursions there were none on the7 day itinerary that were outstanding to us. We just went off on our own at each port. The Jewel has a special crew. I would do NCL again in a heartbeat but only in a suite. We cruise only suites and have found no ones amenities even close to NCL.

Hi Everyone

Thank you so much for your replies....

With regards to the Butler - is there anything that he would bring to the room that would be charged other than alcohol? What about soda if soda card is purchased?

Did anyone have their Butler unpack and pack their clothes etc?

Is their a Mini Bar in the Suites? (SF) What is it stocked with and is there a charge?

How quick was embarkation with your Priority Status?

Stacey:)

Hi Everyone

 

Thank you so much for your replies....

 

With regards to the Butler - is there anything that he would bring to the room that would be charged other than alcohol? What about soda if soda card is purchased?

 

Did anyone have their Butler unpack and pack their clothes etc?

 

Is their a Mini Bar in the Suites? (SF) What is it stocked with and is there a charge?

 

How quick was embarkation with your Priority Status?

 

Stacey:)

You will be charged for dinner if it is from a "pay" restaurant, I cannot tell you about the mini bar, I assume it was the same as the Courtyard Villa but we had it emptied so can't answer that one. We always had pitchers of ice tea and fresh OJ in the fridge as per our request to our butler. We never had the butler unpack for us that is not my thing. Priority embarkation and disembarkation was very quick and we were the first tender to GSC. Please also keep in mind that the butler and concierge are not part of your daily service charge. We did tip very well at the end of the cruise.

Mommyto2:

Is there a charge for Soda if the Soda Card is purchased

Stacey

I'm not Mommy to 2 but I do believe there is a charge for sodas that would be delivered to your room because they would be in cans. We don't purchase a soda card but do bring along a 6-pack or two of our favorite sodas and have the mini bar emptied out and use it to store our soda. We also had our butler bring us a pitcher of iced tea every afternoon which was wonderful for us. Our butler also brought kept our fridge stocked with white and chocolate milk when he found out we liked it. He usually brought a plate of cookies to go along with it. :)

I agree with Mamabeac..they bring cans so they charge but if you have ba great butler they will take the soda card to the bar for you and get the soda. We had cans of ginger ale brought to us but again we were in the CYV so the charge never showed up on our bill. By the way those to die for pretzel rolls were in our cabin every night piping hot because I told the butler I loved them!

Hi,

Thank you. So we should ask our Butler to take our Soda Card to get a soft drink? That's a great idea.

Are there an decks that are better than others?Port or Starboard?...we have been told that the Penthouse Suites are on 8,9 and 10.

We know that we get priority boarding because of the suite...is there a separate lounge for Suite guests? How long did it take you to process and board in NY?

Stacey

As far as boarding, follow the signs for VIP/Suite Guests and they will whisk you past everyone else into a separate waiting area where they have snacks and drinks set up. It is just a short processing time and you will be escorted onboard. For us in NYC it was a quick and painless process.

We had an SC (former AB) suite on deck 11 and had no problems with that area. It is a good idea to check the deck plans and see what is above and below the area you are considering. We were starboard for that sailing which was perfect for sitting on the balcony and sailing past the Statue of Liberty.

Thank you....We are excited already...Would anyone know if it is too cool on a March sailing out of NY to go I pool on the first couple of days?

Are there any specials on board...like a Drink special or card?

Stacey

Hi,

 

Thank you. So we should ask our Butler to take our Soda Card to get a soft drink? That's a great idea.

 

 

 

Stacey

I think it's a horrible idea. If you can afford a suite I would hope you can afford to pay for a can or two of soda instead of making your butler hop all over the ship with your soda card to get you a soda. In my opinion, that is a ridiculous waste of the butler's time. Low brow and bush league is a good description.

Everyone has their own opinion...I'm not sure how often if at all that would be a request we would make...

We are just not sure what are typical requests...

I think it's a horrible idea. If you can afford a suite I would hope you can afford to pay for a can or two of soda instead of making your butler hop all over the ship with your soda card to get you a soda. In my opinion, that is a ridiculous waste of the butler's time. Low brow and bush league is a good description.

I'm sure you could have formulated a nicer way of saying that. The fact is that NCL offers the soda card. The butler is able to get you a drink on request. Thus, you should be able to use your soda card to get a drink.

Would your answer have been the same if you're having the butler "hop all over the ship" to bring you a beer or a martini? If so, then why do only alcoholic drinks bring that privilege while sodas do not?

Hi,

 

Thank you. So we should ask our Butler to take our Soda Card to get a soft drink? That's a great idea.

 

 

Are there an decks that are better than others?Port or Starboard?...we have been told that the Penthouse Suites are on 8,9 and 10.

 

We know that we get priority boarding because of the suite...is there a separate lounge for Suite guests? How long did it take you to process and board in NY?

 

Stacey

Stacey, the fact of the matter is that the Butlers are busy. Very busy. They are not your personal Butlers, but service a lot of Suites.

Our Butler was always running someplace and we saw him in the hallway constantly going from place to place. He never failed to ask us if there was something he could do for us and was always smiling and attentive.

Maybe we are just low maintenance, but we never asked him to get us a drink.

On a few mornings we called him for breakfast and a couple nights we had some late night goodies delivered.

During the football playoffs I asked if there was popcorn available on the ship, as I wanted some while watching the game. I had planned on just getting it myself (if I only knew where to look) but he left a huge bowl of freshly popped popcorn on the table for us just in time for the game.

On our cruise we did speak to our Suite neighbors who were not happy that our shared Butler always seemed too busy and rushed. They felt a little ignored at times and found themselves not bothering to even call him by the middle of the cruise.

I put the blame on our fellow Suite guests rather than the Butler. Some passengers are very needy and make requests constantly, but he is still just one person trying to do it all.

We didn't use his services much, so we never felt neglected.

To your other questions, the Deck 10 Suite (old Romance Suites) balcony's are much deeper than the ones on 8 or 9. We had 2 loungers, 2 chairs, one ottoman, a table and still had room to move around. These Suites are at the very back of the ship, not port or starboard. There are other Suites on higher decks that include the Courtyard where you will choose one side or the other.

In the cruise terminal there is a separate lounge with coffee, juices, muffins and pastry.

Have your ticket printed out and ready to show the terminal personnel standing in front of the security section. They will take your name, see that you are in a Suite and escort you through security.

They will point the way to the check in line where you will show your ticket again and be escorted to the line (our line was very short) for check in. Once you actually check in, someone will escort you to the lounge.

Between being dropped off at the terminal entrance and being escorted to our Suite, I believe it was less than 45 minutes.

We were brought up to our Suite first, and were able to drop off our carry on, but it was a little later( after 1pm) than most may have boarded.

You may be escorted directly to Cagney's for lunch. When we entered Cagney's, many people had their carry on's with them, so I'm guessing that they were on the ship much earlier.

Hope this clears some things up for you.

I'm sure you could have formulated a nicer way of saying that. The fact is that NCL offers the soda card. The butler is able to get you a drink on request. Thus, you should be able to use your soda card to get a drink.

 

Would your answer have been the same if you're having the butler "hop all over the ship" to bring you a beer or a martini? If so, then why do only alcoholic drinks bring that privilege while sodas do not?

I can't say I wasn't thinking the same thing as army/police vet said. And yes I would think exactly the same thing if I was to ask him/her to run and retrieve a beer or a martini.

If you stop and think about it. What would you tip your butler for running to the closest drink station to return with a fountain soda refill. It's not like they could leave it in your fridge like they do with juice (it would go flat). I wouldn't think of tipping any less than $5 for someone running to retrieve me a soda. So even financially would it not be more feasible to leave canned drinks in your fridge at the butler's availability for your pleasure whenever you want one.

Everyone has their own opinion...I'm not sure how often if at all that would be a request we would make...

 

We are just not sure what are typical requests...

Here is a list of things I've compiled from other threads when we were looking into the possibility of booking a suite, that people have used their consierge and butlers for.

I have never personally had a suite so the list below has been compiled by other people who have, so if any is wrong or not in their duties, I appologize.

Butler

Bring snacks afternoon

Bring snacks evening on request

Clean and get coffee maker ready

dining menus

Order and serve room service

Breakfast in suite

managing maintenance

exchanging sparkling wine for reg wine (if a suite that wine is complimentary on the first day)

egg crate for bed if required

pillow menu if applicable

pitcher of cold water in fridge

May take carry on to cabin if cabin not ready on embarkation

more hangers if required

empty the minibar

pitcher of juice or ice tea in fridge

Milk in fridge

room service specialty menu

blanket for balcony

Concierge

Oversee butler duties

restaurant reservations

show seating

Excursion stuff

One of the above escorts on embarkation and disembarkation

And a couple have said one of the above would walk you to a specialty restaurant or show (I think thats a little silly since I've walked by myself since I was 1 1/2 years old)

As well apparently the butlers duties do include unpacking of suitcases on request. I've only seen one post that someone actually had them do this. I personally will unpack my own unmentionables thank you ;)

The best idea I've read is to leave them a list of your requests where applicable so they can do them in their time dedicated to your cabin as opposed to treating them like a personal servant on demand.

Stacey, the fact of the matter is that the Butlers are busy. Very busy. They are not your personal Butlers, but service a lot of Suites.

 

Our Butler was always running someplace and we saw him in the hallway constantly going from place to place. He never failed to ask us if there was something he could do for us and was always smiling and attentive.

 

Maybe we are just low maintenance, but we never asked him to get us a drink.

 

On a few mornings we called him for breakfast and a couple nights we had some late night goodies delivered.

During the football playoffs I asked if there was popcorn available on the ship, as I wanted some while watching the game. I had planned on just getting it myself (if I only knew where to look) but he left a huge bowl of freshly popped popcorn on the table for us just in time for the game.

 

On our cruise we did speak to our Suite neighbors who were not happy that our shared Butler always seemed too busy and rushed. They felt a little ignored at times and found themselves not bothering to even call him by the middle of the cruise.

 

I put the blame on our fellow Suite guests rather than the Butler. Some passengers are very needy and make requests constantly, but he is still just one person trying to do it all.

 

We didn't use his services much, so we never felt neglected.

I don't usually like to post my opinion about such matters, but I completely agree with this. We have been on many cruises in many levels of suites, and on almost every one there has been a "difficult guest" problem - certain guests running the butler ragged with constant, menial requests. You can learn a lot by befriending a butler you have sailed with a few times ;) and some of the stories they tell are ridiculous! This might sound elitist, but the level of service we expect to receive is often in direct correlation to the level of suite we have purchased - and many of the "stories" are about needier guests in the lowest levels of suites. More than once I have heard of guests asking for additional tables in their suites and serving breakfast and lunch daily to the suite guests and all of their relatives and friends (one woman in a low level suite had meals served for 12 people at least twice a day EVERY day for a week!). Other stories are about people who call very late at night for snacks - maybe they don't realize that at midnight the butler is in bed getting some needed sleep prior to serving 6am breakfasts and that he has to arise, dress in his tuxedo, brush his teeth and his hair, all in order to bring a guest a cocktail or piece of cake. Plus the stories about constant requests for a cocktail, followed by another 10 minutes later, and yet another, etc. And to make it worse, we are told that quite often these guests tip the lowest and occasionally do not tip at all. Mind you, they could get in a lot of trouble for ever complaining about anyone, so specifics are kept in confidence, but you can usually tell when your butler is run ragged.

We too are fairly low maintenance - a few ensuite breakfasts, the occasional request for mixers, extra ice in a bucket we provide, once in a blue moon we will ask for a snack in the afternoon if we miss lunch. We have also hosted a few parties in our larger suites, always requesting and arranging far in advance and tipping accordingly. There are many things that I read about here that I would never dream of asking a butler to do. We would never ask him to unpack for us (he will be way too busy on embarkation day). We would never ask for a cocktail or drink to be delivered (we order bar setup or bring a drink back from the bar ourselves, and if we want a soda, we pay $2 or so for one out of the minibar). The idea of having a butler "escort" you anywhere is preposterous to me. On our GV sailing, we found out that our daughters had requested a few late night snacks (midnight or so), and we told our butler we felt badly and tipped him an extra $200 for the inconvenience. Of course he said that no apology was necessary, but I know what he had to go through to fulfill their requests for chicken wings and cheesecake, and I thanked him properly.

I am not saying there are not sometimes good reasons for more difficult requests - one could be ill and confined to your cabin, or perhaps have difficulty getting around or one might be watching a sleeping infant and not able to leave; there are probably many more legitimate reasons. Or perhaps you really just want to be served in such an indulgent way (that's your business). In such cases, one should be prepared to reward the butler very well for such service. All of our butlers (with the exception of one) have been fantastic, and would likely fulfill any request we made, but I certainly do not want to be one of the guests that gives them bags under their eyes and has them cursing under their breath.

Robin

I don't usually like to post my opinion about such matters, but I completely agree with this. We have been on many cruises in many levels of suites, and on almost every one there has been a "difficult guest" problem - certain guests running the butler ragged with constant, menial requests. You can learn a lot by befriending a butler you have sailed with a few times ;) and some of the stories they tell are ridiculous!

Robin

Robin could this be in part due to the fact that NCL offers this service to people who are really not used to getting this type of service in other areas of life and really are not sure what to do with them.

In a lot of instances the passengers are treating themselves to something special for an occasion or through an upsell, paying a lot more for their experience than they normally would and therefore don’t want to miss out on what they are suppose to be experiencing. That is quite obvious by the amount of “what does your butler do” or “how much should I tip” threads. Obviously most do not want to be “difficult guests” or “stingy” but are really not sure what is expected and want to do the right thing.

NCL really does not compile a very good list of items that the butler can do or is responsible for doing and really NCL is the one that states “they will unpack” (although as stated above thanks but no thanks I’ll unpack my own undies). Except for tipping (which really varies in advice). These threads can be just as difficult to get answer of what they should, would, can do or expected to do as the useless list that NCL gives.

The above list I compiled is what I have seen most often a butler is used for leaving out all the “personal servant” tasks, which I have seen a lot of. I certainly do not think a butler needs to do all of the above but to me it seemed like a good place to start to figure out what may apply to you personally and what may be fair things to ask of your butler.

If you feel there is something on my list that is too much to ask of a butler, I really would appreciate your input. We have chosen to stick with our balcony on our next cruise but you never know what the future holds and if I am in that situation of living the suite life I really (as many newbies to suites) would like to have an idea on what one may ask of their butler that is fair.

As far as boarding, follow the signs for VIP/Suite Guests and they will whisk you past everyone else into a separate waiting area where they have snacks and drinks set up. It is just a short processing time and you will be escorted onboard. For us in NYC it was a quick and painless process.

 

We had an SC (former AB) suite on deck 11 and had no problems with that area. It is a good idea to check the deck plans and see what is above and below the area you are considering. We were starboard for that sailing which was perfect for sitting on the balcony and sailing past the Statue of Liberty.

hi...my wife and I, along with our 9,11,15,17 year olds will be in an SC in october...what did you think of the room? it is our first suite...we are usually in a blacony or mini suite. Any helpfull hints about the room would be appreciated! We cant wait!

I can't say I wasn't thinking the same thing as army/police vet said. And yes I would think exactly the same thing if I was to ask him/her to run and retrieve a beer or a martini.

 

If you stop and think about it. What would you tip your butler for running to the closest drink station to return with a fountain soda refill. It's not like they could leave it in your fridge like they do with juice (it would go flat). I wouldn't think of tipping any less than $5 for someone running to retrieve me a soda. So even financially would it not be more feasible to leave canned drinks in your fridge at the butler's availability for your pleasure whenever you want one.

So, it's ok if you tip appropriately?

Here is a list of things I've compiled from other threads when we were looking into the possibility of booking a suite, that people have used their consierge and butlers for.

 

Butler

Bring snacks afternoon

Bring snacks evening on request

pitcher of cold water in fridge

pitcher of juice or ice tea in fridge

Milk in fridge

The best idea I've read is to leave them a list of your requests where applicable so they can do them in their time dedicated to your cabin as opposed to treating them like a personal servant on demand.

Fair enough. But several of the listed tasks include getting pitchers of beverages for the refrigerator. Several include getting an afternoon snack. What if my afternoon snack consisted of a single diet coke? Why is this any different? Having said that, I do like the idea of leaving them a list to do instead of a personal servant on demand. Perhaps that's the difference?

NCL really does not compile a very good list of items that the butler can do or is responsible for doing... These threads can be just as difficult to get answer of what they should, would, can do or expected to do as the useless list that NCL gives.

And herein lies the problem. If butlers aren't supposed to be doing these things, then give them the permission to say no. If this is really a problem for the butlers and the ships, then make the sodas in the mini-bar free if you have a soda card. *Poof* problem solved.

(BTW, it's a moot point for me personally as I never drink sodas, but I don't think it was appropriate for anyone to be called "low brow" and "bush league".)

So, it's ok if you tip appropriately?

OK, You totally missed my point. As I said I thought the same as army/police vet “I think it's a horrible idea. If you can afford a suite I would hope you can afford to pay for a can or two of soda instead of making your butler hop all over the ship with your soda card to get you a soda”. I didn't mean to imply I liked the tone of the post, just the sentiment. My point was that why bother using your soda card (to save money?) instead of buying a soda when the soda you buy from the mini-bar or where ever is going to cost less than what I felt should be the tip for being your personal servant

Fair enough. But several of the listed tasks include getting pitchers of beverages for the refrigerator. Several include getting an afternoon snack. What if my afternoon snack consisted of a single diet coke? Why is this any different? Having said that, I do like the idea of leaving them a list to do instead of a personal servant on demand. Perhaps that's the difference?

Yes you are right on both counts that several on my list is leaving pitchers of this or that and hopefully not all. Right again that these can be done at a dedicated amount of time that the butler sets aside to serve my cabin and not again as a personal servant on demand. As for the afternoon snacks, all of the threads I have read said the butler brings an afternoon snack to your cabin (without request). Again if leaving snacks is part of their duties then it is done when the butler has time. Again not as a personal servant.

The point of my list as I seen it was to give ideas for those with the question of “what does a butler do” And with the exception of “room service” the items on my list can be worked into when it is convenient for the butler to do things for me instead of “oh come right away and wait on me”, which truthfully really bothers me that someone would think them as their own personal go getter.

make the sodas in the mini-bar free if you have a soda card. *Poof* problem solved.

I agree that would solve the soda issue and totally makes sense to me.

I do like the idea of leaving them a list to do )

The reason I like the list idea is for a couple of reasons

#1 It allows the butler to work into his/her time to fill my requests.

#2 Some "good" butlers (as some people have stated) try to figure out what your likes and dislikes are, and meet them. My poor "good" butler would spend my entire trip trying to guess my wants, I don't expect them to be mind readers. As well it is a total waste of their time and NCL's money to bring me afternoon snacks of things we don't eat or like.

Robin could this be in part due to the fact that NCL offers this service to people who are really not used to getting this type of service in other areas of life and really are not sure what to do with them.

 

In a lot of instances the passengers are treating themselves to something special for an occasion or through an upsell, paying a lot more for their experience than they normally would and therefore don’t want to miss out on what they are suppose to be experiencing. That is quite obvious by the amount of “what does your butler do” or “how much should I tip” threads. Obviously most do not want to be “difficult guests” or “stingy” but are really not sure what is expected and want to do the right thing.

 

NCL really does not compile a very good list of items that the butler can do or is responsible for doing and really NCL is the one that states “they will unpack” (although as stated above thanks but no thanks I’ll unpack my own undies). Except for tipping (which really varies in advice). These threads can be just as difficult to get answer of what they should, would, can do or expected to do as the useless list that NCL gives.

 

The above list I compiled is what I have seen most often a butler is used for leaving out all the “personal servant” tasks, which I have seen a lot of. I certainly do not think a butler needs to do all of the above but to me it seemed like a good place to start to figure out what may apply to you personally and what may be fair things to ask of your butler.

 

If you feel there is something on my list that is too much to ask of a butler, I really would appreciate your input. We have chosen to stick with our balcony on our next cruise but you never know what the future holds and if I am in that situation of living the suite life I really (as many newbies to suites) would like to have an idea on what one may ask of their butler that is fair.

 

 

You make an excellent point and I agree with you. People in general are not aware of what services a butler might or might not offer and NCL certainly does not offer up any list of what might be expected. New suite cruisers are like any other cruisers, we are excited for our vacation and want to know everything - it's part of the anticipation! I think it's great that people post ideas of how they might use the butler, but I think the idea of "not missing out on anything" is kind of silly. A person could spend their entire vacation getting the butler to do things for them just because they "can", and they might be better off just relaxing and go-with-the-flow.

So, the main problem is that someone new to suite service might not know what to expect or what services to request. Once you have sailed in a suite, you know what to expect and know pretty much what requests you might make. There will always be some people who are far more demanding, just like there are others who might be extremely low maintenance, and that is their business - but they should know that high expectations of service should come with high expectations of rewarding those performing the service - and they should be aware that by demanding more time from the butler, they might be denying others of their own use of services. I think your list is good, and there are many more things which could be added to it for both the butler and the concierge. If someone wants a drink delivered to them every day (or every hour), that's up to them - but when they come back and compain about the "slow service" it kinda gets to me. Overly demanding people will find usually that their service is not up to their own pre-set standards, simply because a single man cannot do everything all the time. A butler is a human being, who is also servicing many many other people, and he can only do so much.

Nothing (in singular) is really "too much" for a butler, it's more the amount of requests, the requesting just because you can, the "useless" requests. Plain common sense and thought of others comes into play - having a butler fetch you a soda with your soda card will likely cost you more in tip than just getting a soda from your minibar; remembering that a late night snack will likely get the butler out of bed when you could easily just pick up something at Blue Lagoon yourself (you are awake anyway); getting food delivery from several venues at once will likely provide you with meals that are not piping hot; having a butler escort you to dinner will get you nothing more than strange looks from others who think you are likely just showing off (I still can't figure this one out); asking the butler to unpack for you will likely cause others to miss out on the tour of their own suite, and your clothes may not be unpacked until just before bedtime, your refrigerator can only hold so many items, so getting delivery of seven pitchers of different kinds of juices will end up with many of them spoiling, etc etc etc.

So, I would suggest perhaps that we make a "sticky" on this page, that can be added to regularly, with every and any idea of what a butler can do for people. But there also needs to be added suggestions for not monopolizing the butler, proportional tipping, and basic tipping guidelines. I realize that tipping is highly individual, but there should be a solid guideline as to what is expected vs what others might think is appropriate (I know that sometimes I am appalled by what others think is a fair tip, and I am sure others are appalled with my own tipping policy). People need to be aware that there IS an expectation of tipping, and that it IS proportional to what the butler does for you, and that there are MANY things a butler does without a single request from you. With a suite, there is an expectation of tipping - so just because you spent your last dime on getting a suite, you should not skimp on tip because you "can't afford" it (this goes for upsells as well).

Sorry for rambling - I have been writing this post between numerous phone calls and doorbell rings.. I might need some time to think of a more coherent answer for you! :D

Robin

Sorry for rambling - I have been writing this post between numerous phone calls and doorbell rings.. I might need some time to think of a more coherent answer for you! :D

 

Robin

Thanks Robin since I can't edit my list above if I ever post it again, I will make note that these "are the types of things that can be requested", so that people don't misunderstand and think all of them should be tried but only those that relate to your own personal wants (I guess I just took that for granted that people would use common sense when reading it). As well as the advice to limit the amount of time you take of your butlers time, because even if you intend to tip handsomely for their extra devoted time, you are possibly cutting into their suite guests.

I will definately stay out of the tipping thoughts since as I said that is really all over the place on these threads, and with no personal experience in this I certainly don't want to make a guess.