Butler/Concierge tipping advice

[jayjaycan]

We are taking our second NCL cruise,our first in a Penthouse Suite.

 

I have read all the threads and posts about tipping the butler but little or no mention has been made of the concierge,other than what his/her duties entail.Tipping is a discretionary thing based on services provided etc.and other than the daily service charge no recommendations are made.The general suggested tipping on these boards for the butler is $10 per person per day.What about the concierge?

 

If the same suggestion applies the gratuities get to be pretty expensive for a 14 night cruise.$20 per person per day plus $12 per perso per day service charge

= $896.Plus tips in the specialty dining rooms and extra for the cabin steward and favourite waiter/bar steward,if warranted.You are looking towards $1,000.

 

I would like some advice about tipping the concierge from people who have had suites.

 

Keep in mind the price of a suite stateroom includes certain amenities that the butler & concierge are required to provide.

 

Thanks for your input.

[MikeandAmy]

We are taking our second NCL cruise,our first in a Penthouse Suite.

 

I have read all the threads and posts about tipping the butler but little or no mention has been made of the concierge,other than what his/her duties entail.Tipping is a discretionary thing based on services provided etc.and other than the daily service charge no recommendations are made.The general suggested tipping on these boards for the butler is $10 per person per day.What about the concierge?

 

If the same suggestion applies the gratuities get to be pretty expensive for a 14 night cruise.$20 per person per day plus $12 per perso per day service charge

= $896.Plus tips in the specialty dining rooms and extra for the cabin steward and favourite waiter/bar steward,if warranted.You are looking towards $1,000.

 

I would like some advice about tipping the concierge from people who have had suites.

 

Keep in mind the price of a suite stateroom includes certain amenities that the butler & concierge are required to provide.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

Just depends on how much you use there services. We never use the concierge so of course we dont tip them... Now the butler if he does an outstanding job, and does those special things you dont have to ask for, we usually tip him 200-300 for a 7 day cruise... Now I am sure people will say I am cheap but I think that is fare because we are not demanding people. Our butlers usually state we are about the easiest people to please, and are not demanding, which is nice to hear.

[DMLyons]

Couple of things... First of all, the butler and concierge are NOT part of the DSC, so please banish that thought when talking about them. You're not tipping them additionally. It's whether or not you tip them at all. It's not REQUIRED that you tip them anything at all, but many people do. I know I do. I know you're probably saying that you're adding up all the usual "tip" items in your head, but many people are confused and think the butler and concierge get DSC, when they do not, so I thought I would mention it.

 

IMO... It's "reasonable" to choose a set amount for a person or two in the room (if the service is adequate or better...I never suggest doing that when it's not), but not reasonable to apply that set amount to groups larger than 2. Just my POV, but the butler or concierge with five people in the room does not do five times the work as he/she would with one person in the room. So, if you're traveling in a larger group, just pad the initial amount by a few bucks per person per day for the third and further person, in my opinion.

 

As for answering how much you should personally tip, that's not something anyone can do. It depends on how much you plan to use the butler and concierge, above and beyond the usual duties they perform for every guest, and what your tipping sensibilities are. Someone who makes twice the money I do in a year and who uses the butler and concierge for everything is going to feel my tips are low, and someone who earns 75% what I do in a year and who doesn't ask for extras will find my tips extravagant. So no number I give you will automatically work for your sensibilities.

 

I plan on asking for a moderate amount from the butler and plan on tipping (if the butler is attentive and pleasant) $200 for the butler for the week (2 people in the room). I will be asking a lot less from the concierge (which a lot of people say is common for them as well...the butler has a lot more contact, in general, with suite guests) and plan to tip $100. Is that too high for you? Or too low? That is for you to decide. Since it's a week-long trip, I'm already tipping higher for the butler than most people suggest.

 

I additionally do offer the room steward a small ($40 to $50) tip if the service is excellent, though the room steward does get a cut of the DSC.

 

DML

[big green]

do a search on this topic-there are many, many threads on this topic--

 

when you book a suite your are paying for the use of a concierge and a butler--

 

I have been on some long NCL cruises where $20 a day for the butler would in my mind have been excessive==

especially since we seldom use room service.

 

We do use the concierge for making reservations and that is a service which is included in the cost of a suite--using

the concierge for arranging disembarkation and for tenders is part of the service all ready included in your suite

perks--this is not extra service.

 

Heavy tipping of the concierge and butler on a 7 day cruise has a lot less impact than heavy tipping on a 16 day cruise.

 

Tipping amounts are exaggerated on this board because very seldom does one mention the length of the cruise----

 

Resupplying the suite coffee maker with coffee is part of the initial charge for the suite---this alone does not constitute

extra service in my opinion.

 

BG

[NLH Arizona]

I asked the same questions and got so many different answers from $50 a week to $500 a week for the butler, that I sat down and tried to figure out what I felt was a fair starting amount.

 

I'll be in my first suite in November and I've figured $10 a day per person for the butler and $5 a day per person for the concierge. I will then add to it if I feel that they have done anything over and above for me. Of course, if I am ignored, so they can attend to more demanding passengers, I will reduce the amount. Next year, I'll be on an 11 day cruise and will use the same starting figures for that cruise as well.

 

I'm pretty independent and will do my own specialty restaurants and shore excursion reservations, etc. I won't be thowing any parties nor will I be having room service.

 

For what it is worth, this is what I'm going to do!

[surran12]

I was on the Dawn for 7 days in January in an SC with DW, DS (5), DD (2) for my first suite experience. We used the Butler twice for in suite dinner but not any breakfast or lunches. The Concierge I used for 1 reservation and he let us in the reserved seating for the OS, DOS & GV during a show. I tipped the Butler 125, the Concierge 75 and our room steward 75. If you happen to get Morena as a room steward you'll absolutely love her she is fantastic. Some might say I tipped to low but I feel comfortable with the amount I tipped and they all seemed to greatly appreciate it.

[SissasMomE]

We are taking our second NCL cruise,our first in a Penthouse Suite.

 

I have read all the threads and posts about tipping the butler but little or no mention has been made of the concierge,other than what his/her duties entail.Tipping is a discretionary thing based on services provided etc.and other than the daily service charge no recommendations are made.The general suggested tipping on these boards for the butler is $10 per person per day.What about the concierge?

 

If the same suggestion applies the gratuities get to be pretty expensive for a 14 night cruise.$20 per person per day plus $12 per perso per day service charge

= $896.Plus tips in the specialty dining rooms and extra for the cabin steward and favourite waiter/bar steward,if warranted.You are looking towards $1,000.

 

I would like some advice about tipping the concierge from people who have had suites.

 

Keep in mind the price of a suite stateroom includes certain amenities that the butler & concierge are required to provide.

 

Thanks for your input.

 

$10 pp per day is a little excessive - or it can be, I guess I should say. We will have 4 in our cabin, and I can tell you now I will not be tipping $40 per day! That is insane, IMO. I think you should tip whatever you are comfortable with. As for the concierge, depends on how much you are using them. It's my understanding that most of the work comes from the butler. Also, you are correct - the price of the suite does entitle you to certain amenities.

[Love my butler]

Let me make it simple for you. You are already tipping EVERYONE else with the DSC, including room steward, specialty restaurant staff etc. The butler and concierge DO NOT get a piece of the DSC.

 

Give your butler $100/week and your concierge $50/week. No need to give extra tips to anyone else.

 

If you do the above, you will fall well within the norm of most passengers.

[rvsullivan]

Actually we always figure the cost of the suite is because it is anywhere from 3 or 4 times to up to 10 times larger than a "regular" stateroom. It also cover dining in a special venue and in most cases some sort of reserved seating. The butler especially but also the concierge are not in the DSC and are an integral part of making the suite experience what it is. If you ever sailed in a suite and did not receive the service provided by the butler and concierge you could immediately tell the difference.

It seems to me that $5 or $10 per day per person is a pretty small charge for all that they do to make our cruises what they are. Other cruise lines that have butlers and concierges do not provide any or nearly any of the service that NCL does and they still get tipped.'

To us it's like going to a nice restaurant and running up a $100 tab and not tipping because I already paid a good price for the meal! We budget our tips for these two just like we do for the rest of the cruise. Sometimes we give more because the service is so "over the top", but unless it is horrible (not so far) they always get the minimum. To each his/her own I guess, I just wish that folks that feel that way would tell the butler and concierge, don't provide any extra's for us as we don't believe in tipping for the service you provide. It would free them up for the rest of the suites.

 

It's really sad.

[NLH Arizona]

$10 pp per day is a little excessive - or it can be, I guess I should say. We will have 4 in our cabin, and I can tell you now I will not be tipping $40 per day! That is insane, IMO. I think you should tip whatever you are comfortable with. As for the concierge, depends on how much you are using them. It's my understanding that most of the work comes from the butler. Also, you are correct - the price of the suite does entitle you to certain amenities.

Since tipping is a very personal matter, $10 a day tip might be excessive, as you say, to you, but not to others. That is why I never suggest what one should tip, I just tell them what I am going to do, but I would never say that what someone else is going to do is excessive or cheap.

[SissasMomE]

Actually we always figure the cost of the suite is because it is anywhere from 3 or 4 times to up to 10 times larger than a "regular" stateroom. It also cover dining in a special venue and in most cases some sort of reserved seating. The butler especially but also the concierge are not in the DSC and are an integral part of making the suite experience what it is. If you ever sailed in a suite and did not receive the service provided by the butler and concierge you could immediately tell the difference.

It seems to me that $5 or $10 per day per person is a pretty small charge for all that they do to make our cruises what they are. Other cruise lines that have butlers and concierges do not provide any or nearly any of the service that NCL does and they still get tipped.'

To us it's like going to a nice restaurant and running up a $100 tab and not tipping because I already paid a good price for the meal! We budget our tips for these two just like we do for the rest of the cruise. Sometimes we give more because the service is so "over the top", but unless it is horrible (not so far) they always get the minimum. To each his/her own I guess, I just wish that folks that feel that way would tell the butler and concierge, don't provide any extra's for us as we don't believe in tipping for the service you provide. It would free them up for the rest of the suites.

 

It's really sad.

 

Yes and no. You have amenities with the suite, that are included in the price of the suite, that you do not get with other cabins. I'm not going to tip someone solely for escorting me to a reserved seating area when that is included in the price of my suite. I'm paying a premium for that service already. A restaurant is, or should be, a standard 20% tip - no matter where you go. I've tipped higher and lower than that depending on the service, whether it's our usual $150 meal or a $400 meal. I really wish NCL or someone in a position of authority would make a statement on it. As it stands now, I'm in agreement with LoveMyButler and his tipping guidelines. That was going to be my starting point, anyway. I can always adjust from there if need be. I agree with NLHArizona as well. It's a personal matter, and no one should feel they are doing it wrong or right, as long as they are comfortable with what they are tipping. My point before was suggesting I (or anyone) should tip a butler $40 per day because I will have 4 people in my suite is crazy. I would never start at that level. Others may, and that is perfectly fine for them. I wouldn't.

[jayjaycan]

Thank you all for weighing in on this matter.

 

I would like to clarify a couple of points.If the service is excellent in the specialty dining rooms I believe the servers deserve some recognition.The same applies to the cabin stewards and I decide accordingly.

 

There is no doubt in my mind that the butler and concierge deserve something commensurate with the service they provide because they don't share in the DSC.My purpose was to seek some points of view on this matter particularly as it relates to the concierge.

 

I pre-book our dining reservations and shore excursions.and therefore don't require the concierge for these matters.Priority tendering and disembarkation is included in the cost of the suite so I don't forsee the need of the services provided by the concierge.But..........never say never.

 

The butler is a different story but again there are some services that are included in the cost of the suite.On the other hand we don't paricularly want snacks delivered every afternoon/evening,we don't have meals delivered to the stateroom with the exception of an occasional room service breakfast for an early shore excursion and we don't anticipate holding any parties that require catering.We are not coffee drinkers so no maintenance of the coffee maker is reqeuired.See my point of view?

 

Once again thank you for all your comments.They helped and in most cases solidified my own opinions.

[NLH Arizona]

Thank you all for weighing in on this matter.

 

I would like to clarify a couple of points.If the service is excellent in the specialty dining rooms I believe the servers deserve some recognition.The same applies to the cabin stewards and I decide accordingly.

 

There is no doubt in my mind that the butler and concierge deserve something commensurate with the service they provide because they don't share in the DSC.My purpose was to seek some points of view on this matter particularly as it relates to the concierge.

 

I pre-book our dining reservations and shore excursions.and therefore don't require the concierge for these matters.Priority tendering and disembarkation is included in the cost of the suite so I don't forsee the need of the services provided by the concierge.But..........never say never.

 

The butler is a different story but again there are some services that are included in the cost of the suite.On the other hand we don't paricularly want snacks delivered every afternoon/evening,we don't have meals delivered to the stateroom with the exception of an occasional room service breakfast for an early shore excursion and we don't anticipate holding any parties that require catering.We are not coffee drinkers so no maintenance of the coffee maker is reqeuired.See my point of view?

 

Once again thank you for all your comments.They helped and in most cases solidified my own opinions.

That is why you should do what I did. I read all the comments and then came up with a figure that I feel comfortable with. Your figure could be higher, lower or could be zero, it is up to you. The figures that everyone comes up for themselves will always be different than the next person; no one is right and no one is wrong, it is all just personal choice.

[jwm51]

Let me make it simple for you. You are already tipping EVERYONE else with the DSC, including room steward, specialty restaurant staff etc. The butler and concierge DO NOT get a piece of the DSC.

 

Give your butler $100/week and your concierge $50/week. No need to give extra tips to anyone else.

 

If you do the above, you will fall well within the norm of most passengers.

 

WELL BLOW ME DOWN!:eek:

 

I thought I would NEVER agree with you, but as far the butler is concerned...I AGREE 1000%:D:p

[DMH15]

Let me make it simple for you. You are already tipping EVERYONE else with the DSC, including room steward, specialty restaurant staff etc. The butler and concierge DO NOT get a piece of the DSC.

 

Give your butler $100/week and your concierge $50/week. No need to give extra tips to anyone else.

 

If you do the above, you will fall well within the norm of most passengers.

 

Guess I am not normal. Kinda guessed it but thanks for the confirmation.

 

Ps: Maybe my screen name should be "mybutlerlovesme" and concierge , and Cagney's staff, and steward, etc.

[WaldosPepper]

guess i am not normal. Kinda guessed it but thanks for the confirmation.

 

Ps: Maybe my screen name should be "mybutlerlovesme" and concierge , and cagney's staff, and steward, etc.

 

Ditto!

[shaun07]

When one spends $6000 plus on a vacation try not to care so much about tips. Just give as much as you can. I take pleasure in giving out tips. The staff work hard and truly appreciate every single dollar they make.

 

We all fall into the trap of trying to recoup some money after such an expensive trip. Skimming on tips is not the way to save some $$.

 

I actually start to reverse nickel and dime the cruise line. I refill the water bottles from the tap and reuse them the next day. I just cant help myself:o:o ...$8000 for a 400sf room to go to a place I have been 4 years in a row on a ship I have been on 10 times, No problem!! $4 for a bottle of water. NO WAY!!! :o:o

[DMH15]

When one spends $6000 plus on a vacation try not to care so much about tips. Just give as much as you can. I take pleasure in giving out tips. The staff work hard and truly appreciate every single dollar they make.

 

We all fall into the trap of trying to recoup some money after such an expensive trip. Skimming on tips is not the way to save some $$.

 

I actually start to reverse nickel and dime the cruise line. I refill the water bottles from the tap and reuse them the next day. I just cant help myself:o:o ...$8000 for a 400sf room to go to a place I have been 4 years in a row on a ship I have been on 10 times, No problem!! $4 for a bottle of water. NO WAY!!! :o:o

 

Just smart to spend your dollars as you see fit. Makes perfect sense to me. :)

[AlexandNessa]

We literally used the concierge and butler for nothing, but felt bad not tipping. We did tip, so as not to "stiff" them, but one thing we were confused about ... do the concierges pool their tips? They do on Disney, but not sure about NCL. If they don't split their tips, the assistant got a tip pretty much as we were walking off the ship, and it was the first time we even talked to him. It was just that he was the only one around at the time.

[DevCruise]

A restaurant is, or should be, a standard 20% tip - no matter where you go. I've tipped higher and lower than that depending on the service, whether it's our usual $150 meal or a $400 meal. I really wish NCL or someone in a position of authority would make a statement on it.

 

I'm glad you mentioned this. I think this is why we see so many tipping threads on here. I had my first suite last January and like many others had no baseline idea for what was considered a normal tip and when most of the threads just say "tip what you feel is appropriate", it doesn't really help give people an idea of where to start. We gave $10/day to both the concierge and the butler on our Sky cruise and had no idea if we gave the right amount or not. I don't think anybody wants to be the people that the butlers and concierges talk about after the passengers disembark for being cheap tippers.

[DMH15]

We literally used the concierge and butler for nothing, but felt bad not tipping. We did tip, so as not to "stiff" them, but one thing we were confused about ... do the concierges pool their tips? They do on Disney, but not sure about NCL. If they don't split their tips, the assistant got a tip pretty much as we were walking off the ship, and it was the first time we even talked to him. It was just that he was the only one around at the time.

 

You used them for nothing?

 

You never had snacks delivered?

You did not receive flowers? Water?

 

You didn't receive invites to the parties?

Did you go?

Did you ever use priority anything? Tendering, ports, etc.?

[rvsullivan]

There is only one concierge on the ship.

[AlexandNessa]

You used them for nothing?

 

You never had snacks delivered?

You did not receive flowers? Water?

 

You didn't receive invites to the parties?

Did you go?

Did you ever use priority anything? Tendering, ports, etc.?

 

Perhaps "nothing" is mild hyperbole, but only mild.

 

We asked our butler for cheese and crackers daily when we met him on embarkation day, which was the most we spoke with him. We got them for 3/7 days. On the other 4 days he forgot (it was sporadic), we didn't eat the snacks. We never ordered room service or used the coffee maker, had a meal in our room, or had any other requests. I think we saw him a total of four times briefly the entire week, and three of those times our total interaction consisted of waving hello in the hallway.

 

No, no priority seating at shows or tendering (docked in Bermuda). We just did not use those perks. We did not use the concierge for any other sort of reservations or changes to reservations, shore excursions, etc. Said hello in passing at the Haven pool a few times ... does that count? On Holland and Disney, when greeting us, the staff has always addressed us by name. Always. On NCL, we were never addressed by name. Ever. They were polite. Just did give us that fuzzy feeling that they knew who we were.

 

I wouldn't think to tip for leaving flowers and one bottle of water in the room ... is that what people tip 100$ a week for as a baseline? I'm asking in all seriousness. I'm not an inexperienced suite cruiser. There are some things I suppose I just consider to be a regular part of suite cruising.

 

We did receive one invite, which we went to for a bit. We never saw the concierge there, or spoke to any officers or ate anything there (they served the same snacks we didn't eat in our room that day). We came in with our own drinks as we had the beverage package. We talked to fellow guests, but no NCL staff who didn't really seem to make the rounds. Not that I'm complaining, but I wouldn't think of going to a party where we were pretty unobtrusive and inconspicuous as using the concierge services. These things are part of regular suite benefits, at least on Holland and Disney.

 

Like I said, we did tip. We would never not tip. Well, we thought we tipped both concierges. But my question still stands ... do they pool the tips? I've heard yes and no. If we did not tip one concierge, then that was totally unintentional. We had a small issue with our bill the last morning, which we addressed with the assistant concierge. We handed him our concierge tip $$, as he was the one we dealt with. That was the most we talked to either concierge all week.

[AlexandNessa]

Duplicate post. Sorry.

[Dr. Cocktail]

I have been surprised by the amounts of the tips that people have been suggesting for the butler and the concierge. I think an appropriate comparison is your cabin attendant. These hardworking teams spend about 20 minutes a day scrubbing your toilets, cleaning your mess and dealing with your general grossness. Approximately $50 is split between 2 people for the week.

 

Your butler does indeed help define the experience but is he or she working harder than the steward?

 

I agree - you must tip your butler but why are some people tipping him or her about 10 times what the attendant gets? I really think there is a bit of snobbery going on between the different positions as well as the need by some people to "impress" the staff. It really comes down to like pay for like work and time spent.