Bad experience with butler!?

[RJAYL]

We had two butlers on two different ships. The first one we saw once on day one, the second we saw a few times and the understanding was we were pretty self reliant. She was so busy with the people next door it wasn't even funny. Personally I would not care if they were all removed, give me a great room steward any day. Funny thing is every room steward we have had did a great job and was extremely friendly.....they were tipped more than any butler we had

 

 

I have to agree with this post I have been on six sailings with NCL in suites I have never had a terrific Butler and in most cases when I mentioned things that I would like that are not part of the usual routine I never see them again until the end of the cruise! A good room steward is worth a 1000 butlers and will always be tipped generously!

 

 

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[coscab]

We just got off the Pearl Thursday, it was our first suite and I had read about expectations being too high, butlers not being that good, etc., we had booked the suite more for the location and thought having a butler might be intrusive, I hadn't read anything about the current butler/butlers on the Pearl so we just went in with low expectations and a letter listing things we like.

 

Well, we couldn't have had a better experience, Totaram our butler was outstanding, he introduced himself the first day, showed us the coffee machine, asked if we needed anything. Just about everything we had on the list I had brought for him was brought daily or every other day but always plenty each day, twice a day, he would deliver our treats usually when we were out of the cabin. He delivered breakfast right on time the 2 times we had requested it, exactly as we had ordered. (I wrote in some things that weren't on the suite room service menu)

We booked a suite for our March Sun cruise and we are afraid Totaram spoiled us, we don't think anyone can top him but we shall see.

Sorry to all that have not had a good butler experience, hopefully you will get Totaram some day!:)

[Beaver1975]

And can tell from the perspective of the spouse of a flight attendant who works for a non-unionized airline that work rules are not always followed by management!

 

...and the workers (butlers) don't always "play" by the rules. Do you think that most butlers are going to tell their clients that they are only allowed to work 10 hours a day? They are there to serve and hopefully earn nice compensation for their service.

 

This not a comment on purported bad butler service but I have yet to have a "bad" butler and hope I never do.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Beaver1975

[jp2001]

I booked a suite only once (2-bedroom suite, my parents in the main bedroom and me in the small one).

 

Our butler was OK. While I asked for in-room dinner twice, we didn't ask for anything else, not even room-service breakfast as we liked going to Cagney's with our friends travelling with us.

 

Our buttler introduced himself and brought snacks once per day. When I asked for dinner to be delivered at 9pm (port from 1pm to 11pm) he said it was late for him and suggested 8pm. OK with me, I can totally understand that.

 

He mentionned something about not being able to set up a table for 6 so I said to only leave the plates wherever he wanted. But since I had arranged an extra table (stacking 2 of the small tables in the room), he did a proper setup. At the end of the meal my aunt asked for green tea (she doesn't speak loud as she is shy using English as her 2nd language. So I did repeat my aunt wanted green tea). He brought regular tea, seemed annoyed, saying we needed to specify green. I reminded him that we said it twice.

 

I had planned to give 100$ to the butler (more if we had used him a lot), 50$ to the room steward and 50$ for the concierge but evaluating the services rendered I changed my mind and tipped the buttler less but the room steward more. I asked for 2 extra chairs for the balcony and the room steward made it happen, he thanked us late in the cruise for being so tidy that we made his job much easier (first time ever a room steward anywhere thanks US, we usually are the ones thanking THEM all the time), he kept the room perfectly clean at all times and seemed genuinely happy to say hi everytime we saw him and had a little chat. I regret that I didn't fill out a Hero Card, he would have deserved it. But I was travelling with a group as group leader and was busy... I just forgot.

 

50$ for the concierge isn't much but other than priority boarding, we didn't ask anyting (no tender tickets, no priority disembarkation or anything else).

 

Reading this thread, I will re-evaluate my tipping habits... I seem to be Under tipping from what I read.

[Beaver1975]

 

Reading this thread, I will re-evaluate my tipping habits... I seem to be Under tipping from what I read.

 

There is really no such thing as under tipping unless you remove the service charges with the "intention" of tipping directly. :rolleyes:

[jp2001]

There is really no such thing as under tipping unless you remove the service charges with the "intention" of tipping directly. :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for your support :)

 

I have NEVER removed my service charges and never will even if I got bad service. I don't think anyone should do this. The service charge is in fact hospitality crew members pay. If someone provides very bad service, one might want to complain but by removing service charges, he removes a small part of every other crew member pay.

[RJAYL]

Thanks for your support :)

 

 

 

I have NEVER removed my service charges and never will even if I got bad service. I don't think anyone should do this. The service charge is in fact hospitality crew members pay. If someone provides very bad service, one might want to complain but by removing service charges, he removes a small part of every other crew member pay.

 

 

Definitely, and I always give extra for good service! That extra however has to be earned not expected & that definitely applies to the Concierge & Butler !!

 

 

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[Love my butler]

And can tell from the perspective of the spouse of a flight attendant who works for a non-unionized airline that work rules are not always followed by management!

 

Very true as stated to me by several butlers. However the policy is in place and management tries to adhere to it in most cases. For instance at the farewell show when many crew come into the theater to say thank you and goodbye, the butlers are told to attend the early show but are excused from the late show because it would officially put them over the 10 hour day.

[Beaver1975]

Very true as stated to me by several butlers. However the policy is in place and management tries to adhere to it in most cases. For instance at the farewell show when many crew come into the theater to say thank you and goodbye, the butlers are told to attend the early show but are excused from the late show because it would officially put them over the 10 hour day.

 

What a load!!

 

I don't attend the early farewell show. But, yet I see many butlers on stage to say farewell at the late show.

 

SMH! Your schtick has grown beyond tiresome.

Edited December 16, 2014 by Beaver1975