advice on tipping in advance to consierge and butler?

[cabincop]

Butlers I have had have been excellent and I was the only one in my suite, however he did tell me he had a family of 5 in another suite that took more time because of the size of the group. He always brought my cappuchino in the morning with my eggs and bacon when I asked. He knew I loved cheese and cracker so he would leave them for me in the fridge so I can snack as I wished. At 3am after the casino I would get my chicken wings and soda and fries. Butler will work hard for you and your group so will the butler then deserve tips. Big families have bigger needs and he will always get the kids cokkies and such so you wont mind tipping

[cabincop]

Your steward is also going to have to work hard with that many people so even though you don't have to give him extra think about it. I know it seems like alot but you are in a suite with extra perks so enjoy and don't stress over tips

[cabincop]

What doesnt seem right about 60 per day there are 6 people with different demands needs likes and dislikes and the go out of their way to make you happy for 18hrs a day

[Fishbait17]

Wow, thanks for the responses...you see, TIP means to "insure" promptness. This to me means that you would invest in advance...I know that when my uncle had his daughter's wedding he tipped all the servers $20 and told them if everything went well, he'd have another $20 at the end of the reception. This back in the 80"s so a twenty was pretty nice.

 

Actually, that's an "urban myth" - http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.asp.

 

Having worked in the hospitality business (both hotel and restaurant) for many, many years, I can tell you that I rarely got tips in advance. Once in a while, I got a tip at time of service request, but I would say that 99% of the time the tip came at the end. This is what we all expected, and our service was based on this - we tried to give great service in hopes of a great tip at the end. This is the way I tip the butler and concierge (and room steward) - at the end, or the night before we disembark.

 

Our rule of thumb is about $10 per person per day for the butler, making about $150 for the week for two of us, roughly $300 if we have our daughters with us - but we have tipped higher when service was impeccable and we ate meals in the suite, and lower when it was less than stellar. The concierge gets $100-200 for a one week cruise depending on what requests we have made (doesn't matter how many people as generally it still requires the same amount of work). We usually also tip the room steward extra, because they are just that good! We have a nine day sailing for six people coming up in a couple of weeks and I have budgeted about $1000 for tips. But, again, these are our guidelines, yours may be different and they should be your own guidelines that make you comfortable..

 

We always tip the bartender or drink server extra as each order is paid for - maybe $1 per drink or $3-5 per round - sometimes signed onto the bill, or in cash (our drinks are free in the casino with nothing to sign, so cash comes in very handy there). Many people simply just pay the auto-gratuity and are fine with that - I like to tip the drink servers extra for their extra service.

 

Robin

[Cruisin&Relaxin]

This is our first NCL cruise and our first time in a suite. Do the butler or concierge get any of the automatic gratuity added to your bill? Or is it completely seperate? I'm confused and want to make sure I know what I'm doing:rolleyes:

 

See NCL's tipping info on their FAQ page: http://www2.ncl.com/faq#tipping

 

The Butler and Concierge are not part of the automatic gratuity.

[1stTimeCruiser2008]

It all depends on what type of OBC it is. There is a type issued by NCL that is not available for gratuity use. Many threads on this forum about that but you'll need to use the search function.

 

I don't understand...I'm not trying to use the money for the $84 pp gratuity that they will autimatically charge:confused:

 

How do you get vouchers against the bill? Do you have to tell them it's going towards a tip?

 

Also...what exactly does the butler do? I was thinking they were the ones helping to clean the room. Are they just bringing food and beverage items that you request?

 

Thanks!

[DMH15]

I don't understand...I'm not trying to use the money for the $84 pp gratuity that they will autimatically charge:confused:

 

How do you get vouchers against the bill? Do you have to tell them it's going towards a tip?

 

Also...what exactly does the butler do? I was thinking they were the ones helping to clean the room. Are they just bringing food and beverage items that you request?

 

Thanks!

You will have a steward who cleans your suite, just like everybody else. In addition you will have access to a butler and concierge. There will be some basic services each perform and much more, if you so desire.

 

Think of it as the butler cares for your needs INSIDE the cabin whereas the concierge cares for your needs OUTSIDE the cabin.

 

The butler attends to your special coffee machine. Offers you a pillow choice. Should bring you menus and will serve you ensuite if you wish, with just few exceptions, such as Tepenyaki and Moderno (fees apply). He will bring you snacks daily and keep your fruit bowl replenished. He will bring you dvds if you ask. If you wish to entertain he will help with food and liquor (charges may apply). He got us more hangers and an extra chair for the balcony. He keptus stocked in barware.

 

The concierge will escort you at times, on some ships they will keep a reserved section in the theater, depending on the suite level. They will not only make reservations for you, (specialty dining, spa, excursions), they have the powers to get you in when it is full/busy most of the time. Tgey will bring you invites and other things. When I went to Antartica on the Sun, Karin brought me my parka and documents, I did not have to wait in line. When the ship keeps your passport sometimes you have to wait in line to get it. Not with a concierge. Need help with a port? Ask your concierge. Karin found out where a Catholic church was and Mass times.

 

I am sure the list goes on...

 

Reas reviews of suite guests and note what the butler and concierge do to enhance a vacation. Some people pooh-pooh the perk, saying they aren't high maintenance. I say do what makes you happy and comfortable, that is what should dictate your tips.

[DMH15]

I don't understand...I'm not trying to use the money for the $84 pp gratuity that they will autimatically charge:confused:

 

How do you get vouchers against the bill? Do you have to tell them it's going towards a tip?

 

Also...what exactly does the butler do? I was thinking they were the ones helping to clean the room. Are they just bringing food and beverage items that you request?

 

Thanks!

You will have a steward who cleans your suite, just like everybody else. In addition you will have access to a butler and concierge. There will be some basic services each perform and much more, if you so desire.

 

Think of it as the butler cares for your needs INSIDE the cabin whereas the concierge cares for your needs OUTSIDE the cabin.

 

The butler attends to your special coffee machine. Offers you a pillow choice. Should bring you menus and will serve you ensuite if you wish, with just few exceptions, such as Tepenyaki and Moderno (fees apply). He will bring you snacks daily and keep your fruit bowl replenished. He will bring you dvds if you ask. If you wish to entertain he will help with food and liquor (charges may apply). He got us more hangers and an extra chair for the balcony. He keptus stocked in barware.

 

The concierge will escort you at times, on some ships they will keep a reserved section in the theater, depending on the suite level. They will not only make reservations for you, (specialty dining, spa, excursions), they have the powers to get you in when it is full/busy most of the time. Tgey will bring you invites and other things. When I went to Antartica on the Sun, Karin brought me my parka and documents, I did not have to wait in line. When the ship keeps your passport sometimes you have to wait in line to get it. Not with a concierge. Need help with a port? Ask your concierge. Karin found out where a Catholic church was and Mass times.

 

I am sure the list goes on...

 

Reas reviews of suite guests and note what the butler and concierge do to enhance a vacation. Some people pooh-pooh the perk, saying they aren't high maintenance. I say do what makes you happy and comfortable, that is what should dictate your tips.

[GriffinAlexander]

I must not frequent the same places you do because I am not slighted in any way. Those that you think are tipping may just have a better outlook on life and are nice to the servers and bartenders. For the most part you get what you give.

 

I have to say that when I cruised, we had CAS cards but tipped the bartenders well. The ones I'd tipped a few times would recognize me and come right over, no matter how many people were there. He would go above and beyond too. Gave me water shaken with ice for my water bottles at night, and even gave me red bulls by the end of the week, 2 at a time.

 

And some of the casino servers would check up on me every 10 mins once they got a tip. I guess there's a lot of people who don't tip at the casino.

 

IMHO the bartenders throughout the ship knew how to earn tips too. The guy in the ice bar wanted to get us drunk, he was offering so much free liquor.

 

 

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[GriffinAlexander]

The whole concept of a tip is that it is for services rendered, usually above and beyond what is expected. So how can you tip for something you haven't yet received?

 

If you are asking for something above and beyond the normal service when you first board, then it might be suitable to tip in advance. Otherwise, either tip as service is received, or in total at the end of the cruise.

 

<warning, slightly off-topic rant to follow>IMO, too many people in the service industry now regard a tip as a requirement and expect it regardless of the level of service provided. This isn't helped by the low wages and the trend to include an "auto gratuity" - such as at the airport restaurant in Miami where I ate breakfast the other day...one person (me) and when the bill came it had an 18% auto gratuity on it. Service was airport mediocre, and it irritated me that the tip was automatically included, something that only used to be done in restaurants for parties of 5 or more. Trust me, I probably would have tipped more generously than 18%, but in this case, the waiter got that automatic 18% and nothing more. But I digress....<end of rant>

 

I figured that tipping our steward a twenty on day one let him know we were willing to take care of him. Our steward was excellent and we hope to get him again next trip.

 

 

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[GriffinAlexander]

I'm considering an upgrade to a suite at some point, if not the next cruise perhaps the one after. I feel as you do that if these people provide optional services, they are there to be used. Personally I think we plan ahead enough that most of our reservations are already set but judging by the last cruise, things change. And it is nice to have a go-to person to take care of that stuff for you, one to bring breakfast in bed and DVDs and all that fun stuff. But they should be taken care of.

 

 

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[beachchick]

I liked your off slightly off topic rant. Mine is too!

Not really the same but its almost like how you stop for a coffee and pay and they keep your change and look around you and ask the person in back of you what they'd like. Hello. You just kept my change. I don't know why you have to tip for a cup of black coffee. I don't tip for a tank of gas and its more work. Whatever.

 

Rants are fun.:)

 

It is at that point that I would be just stubborn or irritated or insulted enough to say, "My change please." You don't have to tip for a cup of black coffee unless you want to do so, and I won't be intimidated into just walking away. OTOH, I've never had that happen, so maybe I don't know 100% how I'd react. My hubby would be 100% certain to ask, politely but firmly, for his change--which he would then not deposit into any tip jar, which he might have done had he been treated better.

 

I must not frequent the same places you do because I am not slighted in any way. Those that you think are tipping may just have a better outlook on life and are nice to the servers and bartenders. For the most part you get what you give.

 

Ditto. We always treat servers with respect because they are not "just" servers, they are people.

 

In fact, our butler requested that we tip him at the end of the cruise based on how much we felt he added to our cruise enjoyment. He was great and received a tip in accordance with his level of service.

 

beachchick

[Unknotted]

This is a great post. I've learned a lot. Thx

[MrsNancyG]

I'm not quite sure if you're in a position to do this, but since we booked so far in advance and are paying our future cruise off a little at a time, this is the luxury we enjoy...we asked our PCC to put the auto gratuities on our bill and are paying for them pre-boarding so we don't have to sweat the tips for our butler and concierge later.

 

Also, at the end of each day, I take all my change from the day...be it pennies or $5 bills...and put them in a little hiding place. This will take care of cash tips needed for the cruise. Before we sail, I'll cash in the coins and get as many singles for the larger bills as I can. Of course I'll keep some $5 bills to use, but I think a bankroll of singles would be more useful since most tips will be smaller. And since we are talking almost two years in advance at this point, I hope to also have several $20 bills stashed for any additional room steward, conceirge and butler tips.

 

Just for the record also for way advanced pre-bookers like myself; in addition to the OBC I have from my booking, I am also taking monies saved at the end of each month and pre buying OBCs and Casino promotions through my PCC. You can also do this on the NCL site as well, but I like touching base with my PCC at least monthly. It keeps me in her conscious stream and if something comes up that may benefit me, she may take the initiative and contact me if I don't spot it first. (Hey, hope does spring eternal, yanno)

 

So there you have it, my plan for a completely worry free vacation. Hope this helps someone else.

[palmyrafan]

When we cruise in a suite with a Concierge and Butler, we never tip in advance simply because we don't know how much we will be using their services.

 

We always tip at the end of the cruise, each according to what they provided.

[purrfect007]

What is PCC: personal cruise consultant? And what booking method are they associated with?

 

I love the idea of booking and paying off a little each month to not have that huge LUMP payment.

 

What TA do you like best?

[DaisyGoldberg]

I'm one of those low maintenance types who from the sounds of it probably would not use their services. Would they still be expecting a large gratuity despite the fact that we didn't eat in our suite, or request preferential treatment for shows and restaurants and the spa, etc?

 

The idea of having people standing by waiting for me to ask them to do things for me would actually give me second thoughts about booking a suite that included them. Do they push you to use their services, or will they leave you alone if you don't seek them out and just want to go about your vacation business on your own?

 

Frankly the express boarding and the nicer amenities would be the draw for me of that category, and the "staff" a drawback. Wouldn't want them resentful that they were being ignored (though maybe they would appreciate the time to pamper the higher maintenance folks).

[MrsNancyG]

What is PCC: personal cruise consultant? And what booking method are they associated with?

 

I love the idea of booking and paying off a little each month to not have that huge LUMP payment.

 

What TA do you like best?

 

PCC is Personal cruise consultant. I did not go through a TA, I went through the NCL site and their PCC called me and we worked long and hard to come up with EXACTLY what hubby and I wanted for our special wedding anniversary cruise. She and I literally worked together for days to come up with the absolute best for the absolute least we could get away with paying but still keep the luxuries I feel such a milestone deserves. I'm not sure its ok for me to post her name and number here, but she is exceptional. If you're really interested in contacting her, please email me at MrsNancyG@hotmail.com and I'll be happy to give you her info.

[computerworks]

...we asked our PCC to put the auto gratuities on our bill and are paying for them pre-boarding so we don't have to sweat the tips for our butler and concierge later.

 

You are aware that the DSC does not cover the butler or concierge, right?

 

Have a great anniversary trip.

[SeaHunt]

Would they still be expecting a large gratuity despite the fact that we didn't eat in our suite, or request preferential treatment for shows and restaurants and the spa, etc?

 

JMO, but since they are not included in the DSC (Daily Service Charge) I'm sure they would appreciate (expect?) at least a little "somethin somethin" from you.

 

Of course, it's totally up to you if you want to acknowledge them or not, but once you're onboard you might find that you use them more than you think you will. ;)

[emcelh]

I'm one of those low maintenance types who from the sounds of it probably would not use their services. Would they still be expecting a large gratuity despite the fact that we didn't eat in our suite, or request preferential treatment for shows and restaurants and the spa, etc?

 

The idea of having people standing by waiting for me to ask them to do things for me would actually give me second thoughts about booking a suite that included them. Do they push you to use their services, or will they leave you alone if you don't seek them out and just want to go about your vacation business on your own?

 

Frankly the express boarding and the nicer amenities would be the draw for me of that category, and the "staff" a drawback. Wouldn't want them resentful that they were being ignored (though maybe they would appreciate the time to pamper the higher maintenance folks).

 

They're not at all intrusive. If you need something they're available. You probably won't see much of the butler unless you have room service but they'll be leaving afternoon snacks for you and checking to make sure everything in your cabin is in order.

[halos]

I must not frequent the same places you do because I am not slighted in any way. Those that you think are tipping may just have a better outlook on life and are nice to the servers and bartenders. For the most part you get what you give.

 

Amen.

 

Having worked in the hospitality business (both hotel and restaurant) for many, many years, I can tell you that I rarely got tips in advance. Once in a while, I got a tip at time of service request, but I would say that 99% of the time the tip came at the end. This is what we all expected, and our service was based on this - we tried to give great service in hopes of a great tip at the end.

 

 

 

I agree totally.

 

I also worked in the service industry...not in hospitality, but as a hairdresser and I would have obviously never expected tips in advance. To be honest, that would have likely been weird to me.

It's no different for a butler or consierge....

To me, tipping ahead is not tipping at all, it's bribery.

 

 

I am glad for this thread, it's full of good info that I will actually get to use for the first time (in Sept!)

[MrsNancyG]

You are aware that the DSC does not cover the butler or concierge, right?

 

Have a great anniversary trip.

 

Which is exactly why we are prepaying our grats. Prepaid gratuities are different from the DSC. This isn't the first time we've done this since our unfortunate first cruise where we all went a lil overboard (pardon the pun) on our spending during the trip and had to scramble for tips at the end. Prepaying our gratuties insures that those who we would typically hand an enevelope to at the end of the cruise have already been covered and anything we give them above and beyond the prepay is icing for them.

 

And yes, I did check with my PCC to make certain the butler and concierge are included in the prepaid grats.

 

To me this is just another way of making our experience worry-free...something I don't do well at as a rule. Worry seems to be my middle name.

 

Thanks for the well wishes for our celebration and best wishes for you on your travels as well! ;)

[emcelh]

Which is exactly why we are prepaying our grats. Prepaid gratuities are different from the DSC. This isn't the first time we've done this since our unfortunate first cruise where we all went a lil overboard (pardon the pun) on our spending during the trip and had to scramble for tips at the end. Prepaying our gratuties insures that those who we would typically hand an enevelope to at the end of the cruise have already been covered and anything we give them above and beyond the prepay is icing for them.

 

And yes, I did check with my PCC to make certain the butler and concierge are included in the prepaid grats.

 

To me this is just another way of making our experience worry-free...something I don't do well at as a rule. Worry seems to be my middle name.

 

Thanks for the well wishes for our celebration and best wishes for you on your travels as well! ;)

 

I had no idea you could prepay the tips for the butler and concierge. How does it work? You'd have to decided in advance how much you're going to give them I guess. Do they give you vouchers to give to them? Just curious. I know you can prepay the DSC but, in all the threads on tipping, I haven't read anything about prepaying the tips for the butler and concierge.

[MrsNancyG]

I had no idea you could prepay the tips for the butler and concierge. How does it work? You'd have to decided in advance how much you're going to give them I guess. Do they give you vouchers to give to them? Just curious. I know you can prepay the DSC but, in all the threads on tipping, I haven't read anything about prepaying the tips for the butler and concierge.

 

I just called my PCC at NCL and told her that we wanted to prepay our gratuities. I don't think its an uncommon thing to do because she got right on it, and like I said, we'd done it before on other cruiselines. I didn't specify how much per person, I think they just do a percentage like with any other tip, but I imagine this percentage is based on the length of the cruise. (Ours is 7 days) I have the exact amount we're prepaying in tips in my notes somewhere and will try to look it up for you, but that could take a while since I have literally a notebook full at this point with everything from things I'm going to preorder for the room - like bottles - to shows and specialty restaurants and excursions based on current ones available. Like I said, this is going to be a completely worry free vacation for me. (A first) Remember also, that the prepay in grats for me is just a base and I plan to tip further based on services provided.

 

Thanks for your interest!

 

Oh almost forgot, there is no voucher that I know of, it just magically goes to them and they have a sheet that shows the prepaid grats.