butler/concierge

[abe3]

Do you leave the tip in the room for the butler and concierge or do you hand them an envelope at the end of your cruise? THis will be the first time we have had these services. When we stayed in other cabins we would always leave the tip for the stewards in the room before we disembark.

[sdmike]

your butler and concierge are different than your cabin steward. The steward is paid out of your DSC. You tip the butler and concierge. I would not leave it in the room. I would hand the cash to them and thank them personally for their service.

[FLAHAM]

The way my father taught me: you fold the bills in your palm, shake hands, look the person in the eye, and thank him or her for all efforts to make your trip more enjoyable.

[abe3]

your butler and concierge are different than your cabin steward. The steward is paid out of your DSC. You tip the butler and concierge. I would not leave it in the room. I would hand the cash to them and thank them personally for their service.

 

thanks for the response. I figured it would not be good to leave it in the room unattended and could end up with the wrong person. I will hand it to them and thank them for their services.

[puddles99]

Last time, we handed it directly our fabulous butler, Ravi Shetty. I read here recently that you can also put your tip on your on board account (instead of carrying cash) and you get a voucher to give your butler / concierge. I'm considering trying that option this time but haven't decided yet. I rarely carry much cash so this is something I'll need to decide before we leave home.

[abe3]

Last time, we handed it directly our fabulous butler, Ravi Shetty. I read here recently that you can also put your tip on your on board account (instead of carrying cash) and you get a voucher to give your butler / concierge. I'm considering trying that option this time but haven't decided yet. I rarely carry much cash so this is something I'll need to decide before we leave home.

 

 

how does the voucher work? do you go the main desk and fill out a form to charge it to your account and they give you the voucher to give it to your butler? I would like the voucher idea, since I don't usually like to carry too much cash if I don't have to.

[WaldosPepper]

how does the voucher work? do you go the main desk and fill out a form to charge it to your account and they give you the voucher to give it to your butler? I would like the voucher idea, since I don't usually like to carry too much cash if I don't have to.

 

Precisely.

[bonvoyagie]

It has been 10 years since we had a suite, back then we had two butlers (day and night) and the concierge, on the last night there were three envelopes in the room one for each. We had to scramble to get enough cash for them.

 

Being able to add their tips to the onboard account - by getting vouchers sounds like a good idea.

[marelind]

For the butler and concierge I like to take thank you notes and enclose a voucher. I usually have cash for the steward(s).

[Aladdin1968]

We give it in an envelope the evening before debarkation. The morning of debarkation is always a bit chaotic and the butler then often has his mind on other things. There is an ATM in the casino and you can ask for an envelope at Reception.

[Fishbait17]

I keep a small stack of Thank You cards in my carry-on for tipping. I write a short note and hand it to them the night before disembarkation. But, in the rare case that you don't see them (I don't call them to my cabin to give them their tip) I will leave the envelope at the purser's desk with their name on it.

 

Robin

[watchdiva]

We go to the Front Desk the Friday before the cruise ends, get vouchers (for concierge and butler) and then include them in personal thank you notes which we give them on Saturday (if the cruise ends on a Sunday).

 

Easiest way yet to thank those who take good care of us.....without having to carry lots of $$$ onboard.

[jdvmd]

Definitely hand it to them directly. Also, Guest Services also has envelopes available for tipping.

[jaja]

I keep a small stack of Thank You cards in my carry-on for tipping. I write a short note and hand it to them the night before disembarkation. But, in the rare case that you don't see them (I don't call them to my cabin to give them their tip) I will leave the envelope at the purser's desk with their name on it.

 

Robin

 

Me too...started bringing note cards on last cruise..after I read about it on CC...

[fiftyguy]

We go to the Front Desk the Friday before the cruise ends, get vouchers (for concierge and butler) and then include them in personal thank you notes which we give them on Saturday (if the cruise ends on a Sunday).

 

Easiest way yet to thank those who take good care of us.....without having to carry lots of $$$ onboard.

 

Agree - we did this last March and it is so much easier than carrying lots of cash. The front desk can even give you your butler's (and concierge) full name if you need it.

[Fine and Jim Dandy]

how does the voucher work? do you go the main desk and fill out a form to charge it to your account and they give you the voucher to give it to your butler? I would like the voucher idea, since I don't usually like to carry too much cash if I don't have to.

 

Yes, you go to the reception desk (open 24/7) and ask for a 'gratuity voucher'. Some receptionists don't even know what they are, but just insist on getting a gratuity voucher. It is a small envelope-sized form. The top copy is white, middle is yellow, bottom is pink. You can take them to your room and fill them out at your leisure, but many clerks will tell you that you must fill them out then and there. Inaccurate information.

 

Once you have filled out the voucher, turn it in to the reception desk. They will fill in the cruise # and give you the pink copy, which is basically your receipt. You then have the option of giving the top, white copy to the crew member yourself or having the reception desk do it for you. The yellow is the accounting copy NCL uses to process the transaction.

 

The amount you give to the crew member posts to your onboard account as a charge just like anything else you charge while onboard. I prefer this method so I don't have to carry as much cash and the balance is charged to my credit card for which I get rewards.

[mafig]

I tried this just this past week (also on Star).

Although I didn't use the words "gratuity voucher."

 

 

Since I realized that my OBC could not be used for the service charge:(, I asked if I could use some of what was left for tips for the butler and concierge. I was told NO.

 

Maybe we're talking about two different things here?

[marelind]

I tried this just this past week (also on Star).

Although I didn't use the words "gratuity voucher."

 

 

Since I realized that my OBC could not be used for the service charge:(, I asked if I could use some of what was left for tips for the butler and concierge. I was told NO.

 

Maybe we're talking about two different things here?

 

I don't usually have OBC left over, but how can they tell that it is OBC that's being used? In other words, if you don't ask and just put it through, are they going to check? I doubt it.

[mafig]

I don't usually have OBC left over, but how can they tell that it is OBC that's being used? In other words, if you don't ask and just put it through, are they going to check? I doubt it.

 

 

Maybe because it goes through as "gratuity voucher." The same as "service charge" doesn't come off the obc.

[catgags]

I'm gonna put note cards in my bag asap!! Thanks for the heads up!!:)

[Fine and Jim Dandy]

I tried this just this past week (also on Star).

Although I didn't use the words "gratuity voucher."

 

 

Since I realized that my OBC could not be used for the service charge:(, I asked if I could use some of what was left for tips for the butler and concierge. I was told NO.

 

Maybe we're talking about two different things here?

 

I think your mistake was asking. I have noticed if you ask 5 different crew on board the same question, you often get 5 different answers....