Tell us your butler stories!

[cruisinsuz]

I am curious about your experience with the butlers on Celebrity. I have experienced butler service at a couple of very nice land resorts but not on a cruise ship (yet). :). I am particularly interested in anyone's experience with the unpacking/packing option. Loved it in Cabo, but would like to hear how Celebrity's service was. Also, what else did you ask of your butler? Thanks in advance for sharing.

Edited March 28, 2013 by cruisinsuz

[cruiseguy456]

I am curious about your experience with the butlers on Celebrity. I have experienced butler service at a couple of very nice land resorts but not on a cruise ship (yet). :). I am particularly interested in anyone's experience with the unpacking/packing option. Loved it in Cabo, but would like to hear how Celebrity's service was. Also, what else did you ask of your butler? Thanks in advance for sharing.

 

I usually leave my Butler at home.:D

[Phxazzcruisers]

we have been a Penthouse twice. We have never asked the butler to pack or unpack. Just too personal. We used him mostly to serve breakfast in our room for us and our friends who would order with us the night before and join us in the morning. Sometimes some cheese and fruit before dinner. Nothing else really special. We are pretty self sufficient

[mahdnc]

We have not used the packing/unpacking option either. Aboard Horizon our butler, Taylan, told us that only once did a passenger request this option from him. It was from a woman, who according to him, was "too frail or feeble to even lift a sock".

 

Taylan was an excellent butler. We asked him to place a couple of dining room desserts in our suite each night so it would be waiting for us when we came back from the evening show or a visit to the casino

 

 

He overheard a comment that I made to my wife that our suite was not furnished with a clock. Later that day, we found a travel alarm clock placed on our night stand--I think he lent us his personal clock for the cruise.

 

[Donnaluv2cruise]

On our last cruise my husband became very ill and was in bed for 2 days. When he was starting to feel better he asked me to get him some sushi and I told him that I didn't think it was a good idea. A few minutes later the butler knocked and came in to check on my husband. He thought he was being a smartie pants asking the butler for sushi, thinking he would get him whatever he wanted. The butler replied, "I don't think so, sir. But I will bring you some chicken broth." :D

[Project_gal]

As others have said, I doubt you will get many, if any, answers for someone who has requested help from their butler for with packing/unpacking. Most would rather not have someone else do that. I hate the job of packing at the end of a cruise but I have always refused help.

 

Just in case you really think that you would like this service, be aware that you do have to be present while it is done [for obvious reasons].

 

One of the nicest things our butler has done for us was on our last cruise. As we were in the Penthouse on what became known on our Roll Call as the "Celebration Cruise" we planned in advance to have a small party in our suite and had collected bunting and other decorations during 2012 [a celebration year in the UK]. I asked our butler about how to put these up without damaging the decor of the suite and he just said leave it to him.

 

We came back to our suite after dinner [the night before the party] to find the suite beautifully decorated. He had used the items we had taken with us in such a beautiful way. We could never have made it look so wonderful.

 

We have always found it is the things you do not ask or expect to be done where the butlers come into their own. It is always better to let them know what you would like and not how you would lie it done. Then you will be pleasantly surprised.[in contrast, the butlers at Raffles in Singapore were dreadful!]

 

Sue

Edited March 28, 2013 by Project_gal

[Northern Aurora]

As project_gal has mentioned, you must be present if the butler packs or unpacks your belongings. They simply will not do such a task if you are not present.

 

While we have rarely used the services of our butlers when in Sky Suites, when there is a little problem they are of the greatest help. For example, Paul D'Costa on the Century sorted out a problem with our disembarkation time in Sydney, and saved us a great amount of time avoiding very long line at Guest Relations.

[Jane2357]

I've never experienced a butler but am very much looking forward to it on our 2/14 cruise! I'm one of those people that must un-pack the very 1st thing once I get to the cabin - it doesn't feel like mine until I do - I would not have the butler help with this - just too personal for me ;)

 

I, will in the 14 days, plan to have most of our breakfasts served on our balcony and want to experience having a dinner served there as well. I would also request that they make dining reservations, keep us in ice, all the usual things. If having someone help you unpack sounds good to you - then do it and enjoy!!!!

[judatt]

We were in the sky suite that connects to the penthouse suite (used as a second bedroom for the penthouse when needed) on our last cruise on the Summit in December. Our butler was great. I had preordered some flowers for my wife and they didn't show up. He checked and said there was no record. I showed him on my ipad where it hit my credit card. We came back from dinner and there was a beautiful flower arrangement in our suite.

 

He served us breakfast most mornings on our balcony - white tablecloth and the whole bit. It was wonderful. He also came around every afternoon at tea time with the "goodie" tray.

 

As others have said, we didn't ask him to help with packing /unpacking but everything we asked he made happen.

[rbuenger]

I am curious about your experience with the butlers on Celebrity. I have experienced butler service at a couple of very nice land resorts but not on a cruise ship (yet). :). I am particularly interested in anyone's experience with the unpacking/packing option. Loved it in Cabo, but would like to hear how Celebrity's service was. Also, what else did you ask of your butler? Thanks in advance for sharing.

We loved out Butler, Rasti, on Solstice this past summer for our Honeymoon Cruise from Barcelona in a Royal Suite! We did not use the unpacking/packing services but he did a great job having breakfast setup on our balcony each morning and even one night we decided to have a romantic dinner on our balcony and he did a fantastic job getting it all setup for us.

It was funny, after about 3 days of our 12 night cruise, anytime on of us would say to the other that we needed something, Rasti would just show up at the perfect time! We joked that he must have had the room bugged....

Needed shoes shined, Rasti took care of it, needed reservations at one of the Specialty Restaurants, Rasti took care of it! Basically, anything we needed, Rasti was just a phone call away and he really helped make out trip special.

He was transferring to Reflection when it set off for its Inaugural trip and we are hoping he is back from his vacation when we board Reflection in January!

[wwcruisers]

Our very first butler was Godfrey on Solstice, back in '10. To my dismay, I discovered that our room safe was located on the top shelf of the closet, well over my 5'2" head! :eek: When Godfrey came in to introduce himself, and find out what our daily service preferences were, I asked if he could find me a step-stool to reach the safe. He looked puzzled, but asked for my patience while he looked into it. Half an hour later, he came back with the extra towels and ice we had requested. He also had a small step-stool, just tall enough for me to reach the safe! :D

And, things just got better from there. By the end of that cruise, I was very sad about two things -- that I really did have to leave that beautiful ship, and that Godfrey wouldn't fit into my luggage! :p Needless to say, he set the bar very high for all of our subsequent butlers (some of whom have been better than others). :cool:

[fairby]

Firstly we have only been on one cruise (although we have booked another for May 2014) and we were spoilt as I had actually won a competition and therefore 1st prize was the cruise.

Our butler Ahmed was fantastic, and as I being of a 'fuller figure' person wanted different chairs, loungers and they appeared, so much so I wondered where they were conjured up from.

In fact I sort of seem to remember as cruise newbies and trying to fit in ( not the chairs) but the vibe, i started ticking everything on breakfast room service menu, shouting out to my dear wife various goodies. Then we toddled off to muster station and safety briefing in the century theatre. I thought no more about breakfast until 7 am when 3 people trooped into our suite carrying enough food to feed the 5 thousand (it was more than bread and fish) We sat up in bed our hands covering our 'nipples' (our own not each others, if you see what mean) The look from the celebrity staff as the food kept coming, us sitting in bed, them thinking 'are you going for some kind of record'. We ended up food everywhere. The first day was spent eating it and walking around the ship discreetly placing food next to sleeping sunbathers (If you were one I apologise)

It was like The Great Escape getting rid of tunnel soil. We ordered smoothies the next day.

[mdmourges]

We were on Eclipse just last week and had a wonderful butler. We don't ask for much but when we did he came through. As an example, I brought a pair of Churchill swim fins with me so I could body surf wherever I could. When we were in Grenada and I put them on, the foot strap on the back of the left one (it is made of rubber as the rest of the fins are), broke in the middle. I asked Jose if he could find some duct tape so I could try to fix it. He came back and said they had none for folks to use but if I would give him the fin, he would see what he could do. The next day it was returned and had been stitched together somehow. Not by hand but by some stitching machine. I was very impressed to say the least. He helped make our 2 week trip very enjoyable.

 

Mark

[Gig103]

This is only tangentially on topic, but if you have Amazon Prime there's a free book you can borrow about a Vegas host for high rollers. It's a fun quick read

 

http://www.amazon.com/CASINO-SHUFFLE-Starring-Antonio-ebook/dp/B005IKECJW/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364505276&sr=1-4&keywords=antonio+cruz

 

I am not affiliated with Amazon or the author I just liked the story and the "Will do anything required" attitude that people are sharing made me think of it.

[murph219ca]

I'm thinking that Project_gal may have answered my main question, but I'm interested in the logistics. We're taking a family med cruise on Silhouette this summer - all adults; all new to Celebrity, though we've been 'butlered' on other lines - in part to celebrate my BIL's 50th. dH and I have booked an RS and want to host a kick-ass birthday party in our suite on the day. (It's a port day, as you might expect.). So how would we arrange that? And what do we need to pay extra for - the cake? Packing the bunting and party hats is a good idea. But basically, who do we talk to and when? The birthday is fairly late in the itinerary. Thanks for any ideas! So looking forward to this...

[cle-guy]

I'm thinking that Project_gal may have answered my main question, but I'm interested in the logistics. We're taking a family med cruise on Silhouette this summer - all adults; all new to Celebrity, though we've been 'butlered' on other lines - in part to celebrate my BIL's 50th. dH and I have booked an RS and want to host a kick-ass birthday party in our suite on the day. (It's a port day, as you might expect.). So how would we arrange that? And what do we need to pay extra for - the cake? Packing the bunting and party hats is a good idea. But basically, who do we talk to and when? The birthday is fairly late in the itinerary. Thanks for any ideas! So looking forward to this...

 

Meet your butler, and as soon as you get a chance, tell them about your plans, and guarantee, they will run with it. I wouldn't even expect to even "pay" for the cake, (you'd have had deserts someplace anyway right?!) but do tip well....

[cruisinsuz]

Wow! So much more than I expected! Thank you everyone! Not really surprised about the lack of takers on the unpacking/packing option....it is personal. However, I'm thinking of packing more 'personal' items separately and allowing the butler to unpack the rest (hanging dresses, slacks, etc.). I'm just that curious! When we did this in a land resort, they left behind a sewing kit with thread that matched all of your clothing colors! I thought that was so cool....not that I would have been sewing at any point during our stay, but thought it was a nice touch.

 

I also started this thread to see what I might be missing out on! Thanks to all, especially the tip on the book about Vegas hosts! Keep 'em coming! I love reading your replies. :)

[Project_gal]

I'm thinking that Project_gal may have answered my main question, but I'm interested in the logistics. We're taking a family med cruise on Silhouette this summer - all adults; all new to Celebrity, though we've been 'butlered' on other lines - in part to celebrate my BIL's 50th. dH and I have booked an RS and want to host a kick-ass birthday party in our suite on the day. (It's a port day, as you might expect.). So how would we arrange that? And what do we need to pay extra for - the cake? Packing the bunting and party hats is a good idea. But basically, who do we talk to and when? The birthday is fairly late in the itinerary. Thanks for any ideas! So looking forward to this...

 

It is good that the birthday is late in the itinerary because then arrangements do not have to be rushed. Mention what you want to do to your butler as early as possible. Show him/her the decoration items you have brought with you.

 

Alcohol, sodas and hot canapes will need to be paid for. Everything else [including cold canapes and snacks plus a huge and wonderful cake in our case] should be supplied by your butler without charge.

 

If you are planning on serving more wine than the two bottles [per suite] you are allowed to bring on board, consider sending yourself wine as a Bon Voyage gift because you will then avoid the 15% service charge but, of course, have a more limited sellection.

 

Our butler enlisted the help of a barman [with our agreement] and we tipped him for his help [but not our butler until the end of the cruise]. Both stayed for the whole time of our party.

 

Sue

 

PS We also had a fantanstic dinner party in our suite towards the end of the cruise but that is off topic [because it was not organised by our butler but by the Executive Chef and the Maitre d' of Murano who wanted to give us something special], something totally different and very probably a one-off in very special combination of circumsatnces. We really struck very, very lucky!

[johhnnyt]

Was on Silhouette in December and stayed in a Celebrity Suite for the 15 night cruise

Had a great butler that introduced himself on day 1 of the cruise named Jesus, but really couldn't think of anything I needed. He would leave me plates of sweets that I wouldn't eat (always was eating too much in MDR), and ask me if I needed anything, and I really couldn't think of anything for him to do.

By day 4 of the cruise he cornered me and asked me to PLEASE let him do somthing for me. He said I was the only guest he had that requested nothing.

I finally thought of something on day 5. I said instead of leaving me sweets every day could he possibly leave me either a cheese or shrimp cocktail platter instead, he was thrilled to oblige, and said he would alternate them.

Day 6 I remebered we were doing a cruise critic cabin crawl. so I asked Jesus if it was possible to maybe have some snacks available at 1pm the next day for the people crawling through. He said leave it to him, he would take care of everything.

The day of the cabin crawl got back to my room about an hour before it started, was very pleasantly surprised.

He had decorated the room quite nice, and had a large shrimp platter, two large cheese platters, a crudités platter, and had taken the two wine bottles and three champagne bottles that I had received as gifts set up with a champagne glass pyramid, along with soft drinks and bottled water for the people coming through.

He also stayed in the room the whole time during the cabin crawl, serving drinks and offering food

All I could say is WOW , and needless to say he got a large tip before the cruise ended.

Edited March 29, 2013 by johhnnyt

[Jane2357]

Was on Silhouette in December and stayed in a Celebrity Suite for the 15 night cruise

Had a great butler that introduced himself on day 1 of the cruise named Jesus, but really couldn't think of anything I needed. He would leave me plates of sweets that I wouldn't eat (always was eating too much in MDR), and ask me if I needed anything, and I really couldn't think of anything for him to do.

By day 4 of the cruise he cornered me and asked me to PLEASE let him do somthing for me. He said I was the only guest he had that requested nothing.

I finally thought of something on day 5. I said instead of leaving me sweets every day could he possibly leave me either a cheese or shrimp cocktail platter instead, he was thrilled to oblige, and said he would alternate them.

Day 6 I remebered we were doing a cruise critic cabin crawl. so I asked Jesus if it was possible to maybe have some snacks available at 1pm the next day for the people crawling through. He said leave it to him, he would take care of everything.

The day of the cabin crawl got back to my room about an hour before it started, was very pleasantly surprised.

He had decorated the room quite nice, and had a large shrimp platter, two large cheese platters, a crudités platter, and had taken the two wine bottles and three champagne bottles that I had received as gifts set up with a champagne glass pyramid, along with soft drinks and bottled water for the people coming through.

He also stayed in the room the whole time during the cabin crawl, serving drinks and offering food

All I could say is WOW , and needless to say he got a large tip before the cruise ended.

 

I've offered up our aft wrap on our Eclispe cruise to our roll call for a cabin crawl - so THANKS for the tip because I'll be be asking to do the same!!!!

[dkjretired]

We had Nikki the English Butler on our Horizon cruise to Bermuda back in the 90s. He was Celebrity's top butler at the time and everyone knew him because his favorite word was "smashing." Lots of comments about him on this board at the time and he was the Butler who was pictured in Celebrity's brochures for years.

[sandravb79]

No butler on our cruises, but in May we'll be staying at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, and the room comes with butler service.

Now I have to think of something I will "need"...

[steveweese]

We have had only one Butler in all of our cruises and I was not to impressed. We are quite self suficent and really don't ask much of anyone.

 

But that being said on one day we decided to have dinner on our balcony and i called the Butler (don't even remeber his name) to give him our order. This was about 11;30 in the morning. He replied "Thats not how it works, what you have to do is be in your room at 5pm and I will come and get your order. Well that is a little too much scheduling for me on Vacation and I told him we would pass.

 

But during the cruise he did have the flowers that I bought my wife refreshed and that was very nice. Other than that we really didn't see him much at all.

[judatt]

No butler on our cruises, but in May we'll be staying at Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, and the room comes with butler service.

Now I have to think of something I will "need"...

Enjoy your time in Dubai. It is a fascinating place - we were there for about 10 days last summer. Don't know what it's like in May but in July it is hot - we got up one morning at 7 and it was 108 with a heat index of 128. One day we drove by and took a picture of the famous 7 star hotel and the next day we drove by and at the same place we took the picture you couldn't even see the hotel because of the dust in the air. All that said, enjoy your time - it is truly a fascinating place. Oh, and go by the mall where they have snow skiing in the mall - phenomenal engineering.

[karpela]

We were invited to dinner in the suite of some Roll Call friends one evening.

Their Butler was doing a wonderful job running backwards and forwards from the Kitchen to serve us each course.

We had just finished our dessert when he turned up with this exciting looking silver tray.

 

 

 

 

Their laundry!! :)