Butler Tip

[Julma]

Has anyone given the butler a tip on the first day of the cruise, hoping to get outstanding service? Then, tipped again at the end based on actual service.

[tonit964]

We tipped ours at the end and had exceptional service. :)

[LittleMissMagic]

Well, I've never done this... but if you give him a rather large tip on the first day, he may believe that it is all you intend to tip him for the remainder of your cruise. Therefore, he might not feel as if he needs to "work for the tip." I'm not sure whether tipping on the first day would improve your service or not. If you choose to do so, you may say, "This is for today" so that he knows there is more to come and you didn't under-tip him for the week.

[woodmews]

We tipped in the beginning, middle and end and had excellent service.

[DMH15]

I thank them and say "I understandyou are not in the DSC and I will be thanking you at the end for everything".

[BIG_Steve]

Some here have reported doing that and getting great service. Many others, (like my wife and I) have tipped at the end and gotten great service.

 

Who knows??

[angelsonefive]

I have had good results with butlers and/or room stewards I've tipped (a little) before a trip compared to all at the end. On our cruise last week I started with 40 bucks and let our butler know what we wanted. We weren't very demanding, but when we did asked he would have our request within 15 minutes, he didn't disappoint. Our friends in a suite on a different deck only saw their butler when he delivered the 4 o'clock snack. What a differance a few bucks make.

[davesgirl51]

I have had good results with butlers and/or room stewards I've tipped (a little) before a trip compared to all at the end. On our cruise last week I started with 40 bucks and let our butler know what we wanted. We weren't very demanding, but when we did asked he would have our request within 15 minutes, he didn't disappoint. Our friends in a suite on a different deck only saw their butler when he delivered the 4 o'clock snack. What a differance a few bucks make.

 

Maybe they didn't ask the Butler for anything ?

[marelind]

We have always tipped at the end of the cruise and have received good to excellent to outstanding service. I think it depends more on the motivation of the butler, his skills in working with the other butlers and the demands placed on him by the other cabins he handles.

[cb at sea]

Isn't that a bribe? I'd rather use the service and tip based on that service, than try to bribe them....they may think that's all they're getting, and slack off, or be offended by the implied bribe.

Just tip at the end, as expected!

[Army/Police Vet]

We tipped in the beginning, middle and end and had excellent service.

 

 

We always tip our butler $10-$20 everytime we see him. It works out great.

[Aladdin1968]

There is no need at all to tip before hand. We never did it and most times got good to exellent service. Also, for non US persons tipping is a strange thing, let alone tipping before hand. So they really do not expect an early tip because a lot of passengers ar non US and the butlers themselves also are non US. I chatted about this with some butlers on several occasions and some of them find people that tip every day for everything a bit strange (no offence meant to anyone), but of course do not turnthis present down. Anyway, tip them well if the work was good a the end of the cruise is my idea.

[room010]

A tip at the beginning of the cruise is a bribe. Keep him guessing ;) and if he gives excellent service then reward him accordingly before you leave.

[Planer's Edge]

I have had good results with butlers and/or room stewards I've tipped (a little) before a trip compared to all at the end. On our cruise last week I started with 40 bucks and let our butler know what we wanted. We weren't very demanding, but when we did asked he would have our request within 15 minutes, he didn't disappoint. Our friends in a suite on a different deck only saw their butler when he delivered the 4 o'clock snack. What a difference a few bucks make.

 

...or maybe what a difference a different butler makes?? ;)

 

I have talked to a couple of butlers who were mildly offended when someone tipped them at the beginning of the cruise. The thinking being that "Does the passenger think they need to bribe me for me to do my job?"

 

PE

[MMMD]

Has anyone given the butler a tip on the first day of the cruise, hoping to get outstanding service? Then, tipped again at the end based on actual service.

 

We tried to give our Butler on the Jewel some money on the day we arrived because he did a few things we asked for, but he wouldn't take it.

 

We appreciated that he was so busy on that first day, yet took the time to make our first cruise special.

 

In the end, we tipped him on the last day for the entire cruise.

 

At different times during our cruise we did leave $5 or $10 for the room Steward who did little extras for us, but left the bulk of his tip in a Thank You card at the end of the cruise as well.

 

We received outstanding service from everyone starting the second we arrived.

[downsized]

We've done it both ways, and have most generally received outstanding service, either way.

On out last cruise we were in an OS, and we had our kids and grandkids in inside cabins directly across from us. Naturally, the nine of us spent quite a bit of time in our suite. Our butler (Henry) took it all in stride, and made certain that our suite was well stocked for us all...even to the point of dragging in an ice chest full of soda and juices!

On the second day, after he brought our 4 o'clock snack (which was obviously enough for all nine of us), I gave him a fifty, and with a grin said "two days down, only 4 to go!"

The last night at sea, we tipped him again, generously. Call the tip what you want, but I assure you that a good butler will add enormously to the quality of your cruise.

 

I find it offensive that anyone should call a tip, extended for superb service, a bribe.

 

In my opinion, if you cannot afford to generously tip the butler, the steward, the concierge and the maitre'd, then perhaps you cannot afford the suite, either.

[Hikini]

We tip at the end. Always have had great service.

[room010]

I find it offensive that anyone should call a tip, extended for superb service, a bribe.

 

 

If you tip your butler at the start of the cruise before he/she has rendered you any service, superb or otherwise, then it's a bribe. A tip is a reward or acknowledgement of a job well done, not an inducement to perform well.

[smrtypnts]

I'm sorry to steer this thread in a new direction, but my question is still related to the butler tip. I know the answers are likely to be all over the board, but how much does one tip the butler? is it $10 per day? $10 for the week? or more than $10 per day?

[angelsonefive]

If you tip your butler at the start of the cruise before he/she has rendered you any service, superb or otherwise, then it's a bribe. A tip is a reward or acknowledgement of a job well done, not an inducement to perform well.

Most bonus incentives given by most companies are pretty much bribes....even if it's given at the end of the year. Call it a bonus if you wish :eek:. So, I "Bribe" my butler.... REALLY ??? who cares. I got the service, he got paid. WOW !!

[yucaipagal]

I'm sorry to steer this thread in a new direction, but my question is still related to the butler tip. I know the answers are likely to be all over the board, but how much does one tip the butler? is it $10 per day? $10 for the week? or more than $10 per day?

 

I always tip according to service received and what I feel comfortable with. I have tipped a butler anywhere from $100 to $550, depending on our requests and number of people using the service (the least being DH, DD- when she was 1, and myself to the most being 6 adults and 2 children in the garden villa). Our cruises have always been the 7day ones. Hope this helps. This also goes for the concierge.

 

We have also tipped room stewards a little extra (from $20 to $100 for the week) when it is warranted, but they are part of $12 DSC so my philosophy is that they have to stand out to me. We even found the maitre d at Cagney's to be extra phenomenal this last time and he got $70, but that was the first time we ever had a maitre d stand out that much to us. He personally went down to the buffet to get us milk for our children, helped my dad bring food to the suite when he ordered some for my mom and I when we didn't want to go down to breakfast, and would get and hold the elevator for us after dinner so we wouldn't miss a show (and called the concierge to meet us to make sure we had seats) to name a few extras we received from him- Ivan was great!

[smrtypnts]

I always tip according to service received and what I feel comfortable with. I have tipped a butler anywhere from $100 to $550, depending on our requests and number of people using the service (the least being DH, DD- when she was 1, and myself to the most being 6 adults and 2 children in the garden villa). Our cruises have always been the 7day ones. Hope this helps. This also goes for the concierge.

 

We have also tipped room stewards a little extra (from $20 to $100 for the week) when it is warranted, but they are part of $12 DSC so my philosophy is that they have to stand out to me. We even found the maitre d at Cagney's to be extra phenomenal this last time and he got $70, but that was the first time we ever had a maitre d stand out that much to us. He personally went down to the buffet to get us milk for our children, helped my dad bring food to the suite when he ordered some for my mom and I when we didn't want to go down to breakfast, and would get and hold the elevator for us after dinner so we wouldn't miss a show (and called the concierge to meet us to make sure we had seats) to name a few extras we received from him- Ivan was great!

wow--that is an amazing matre-d!! $550 is out of my league. $100 is very do-able. Your answer is VERY helpful. Thank you. Should I plan to tip the concierge something similar? Obviously, it's also based on work ethic and how much he does for you.

[McCutie]

We have been in all types of suites and the GV and even when we tried to tip the butler ahead of time, not one of them would accept it. And we had outsatnding service every cruise~

[yucaipagal]

wow--that is an amazing matre-d!! $550 is out of my league. $100 is very do-able. Your answer is VERY helpful. Thank you. Should I plan to tip the concierge something similar? Obviously, it's also based on work ethic and how much he does for you.

 

There have been times that we never see or use the concierge, but he/she has arranged for priority embarkation,debarkation at ports and at the end- behind the scences, so to speak. Other times he/she has been very visable, checking on us, dinner reservations, assigned seats at the show, escorts to dinners and shows, early entrance to the chocoholics buffet, special tours, etc. So it is as you say, based on work done. If it helps we have tipped anywhere from 50 to 470 and felt comfortable with our decision each time. We always use the butler more, we love the ensuite dining:D, so our tips reflect that, but each person cruises differently- so do what feels righht. The fact the you are aware of their need for a tip and checking out what an average is shows that you will do fine. Some people always over tip, regardless of service and others use their service and stiff them:confused: We always go based on service and what we feel comfortable with. There are some that will rail a person on tip amounts, but I say tip for what type of service you get, not on an expectation of an amount you are 'supposed' to give (otherwise it would be predetermined;))