Butler/Suite - first time and a little disappointed NCL Jade

[maja651]

I pretty much feel the same way...

Just curious, have you ever stayed in a suite? Seems to me these kinds of responses are from those who have never stayed in a suite. Jealous maybe?:*

[Peachypooh]

We have been on eight cruises where we had a butler. It wasn't like what NCL puts it out there to be. In all fairness we had our room serviced each day and snacks left (except for one time)plus on one voyage we had a party in our room. We gave a list of things we needed to our butler and tried not to call them too much as we saw them pretty much rushing around and being monopolized by other passengers. They all received a good tip at the end. We had one butler that was truly MIA and had a bad attitude. Turns out he was going on leave right after our voyage. I tipped him half of what I usually do because he sort of did his job (only half of the days). I am fully confident if we had talked to the concierge or hotel director we could have received more service but we just left it at that. In real life things are not like what is shown in a glossy brochure or webpage advertisement.

[Notnewtoit]

I think I heard that Omar was headed to ?Epic? May already be there... a loss to Jade as he is the best I've ever met, anywhere.

 

We never use the services of the butler and it's not untypical that we only see them on the first day if that... No tip, since we do not use their services. People will now weigh in and say "he brought you chocolate covered strawberries" blah blah. Well yes he did, and that is part of his job and is what he's paid to do by my $$$$ fare.

 

That's not to say I don't tip, bar and restaurant staff who work hard and do a great job get my money in clear recognition.

 

I say this only because I think the 'expectation' that a tip is automatic is misplaced.

 

All of that said... IF you want to use the services of the butler they should be provided with a helpful smile and plenty of great service, you HAVE paid for THAT.

 

Go on then, flame away... I know I should tip $1000 to a butler I see for 30 seconds one day... nope.

[Trimone]

What’s the definition of a Butler? Being British I can inform you the so called Butlers on NCL do not resemble any I’ve ever met... the so called Butlers are just cabin staff of yesteryear, when cruising had standards

[Shellbelle28]

What’s the definition of a Butler? Being British I can inform you the so called Butlers on NCL do not resemble any I’ve ever met... the so called Butlers are just cabin staff of yesteryear, when cruising had standards

Well, a cruise ship is also not a "great house" so the job title isn't going to apply identically.

 

 

 

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[YVRBassElectric]

What’s the definition of a Butler? Being British I can inform you the so called Butlers on NCL do not resemble any I’ve ever met... the so called Butlers are just cabin staff of yesteryear, when cruising had standards

 

Cunard is using a photo of a butler (full uniform including gloves) serving a couple in bathrobes! If that is what is expected of a British Butler, I don't want or need one! I did really appreciate the Butler that checked in during rough weather and brought crackers, ginger ale and taped the closet doors closed. Even better was the Butler who asked if I was going to need anything to get through the rough weather that was expected later in the day

[Shellbelle28]

Cunard is using a photo of a butler (full uniform including gloves) serving a couple in bathrobes! If that is what is expected of a British Butler, I don't want or need one! I did really appreciate the Butler that checked in during rough weather and brought crackers, ginger ale and taped the closet doors closed. Even better was the Butler who asked if I was going to need anything to get through the rough weather that was expected later in the day

Norwegian says their butlers are "trained and certified" but I don't know what that means.

 

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[welove2cruise2014]

I feel as though someone requiring services of a "butler" will never be fully satisfied and will always have something to complain about.

We don't "require the services of a butler".

 

We don't have "help" at home.

 

We work hard for our vacations and like to enjoy them to the fullest.

 

For us, that means NCL suites. They happen to come with this additional service.

 

Yes, we enjoy the pre-boarding "lounge" experience in the port/terminal.

 

Yes, we rely on the butler to bring our daily snacks and serve us meals en suite if we prefer to dine in.

 

Yes, we rely on the concierge to help us make last minute dinner reservations if needed. (Truth be told, it feels kind of silly to call the concierge when I could just call the restaurant myself!)

 

Yes, we enjoy having the concierge recognize us when we walk into the suite seating area in the theater.

 

Yes, we've enjoyed the priority disembark at the ports we've visited.

 

Very rarely have we been disappointed, and have never been disappointed enough to even mention it to anyone.

 

Sorry for the long post. It just really gets under my skin when posters seem to think that WE are a spoiled, entitled bunch just because we like the "Suite Life".

 

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[Shidah]

Our first butler on the Epic was just meh, concierge was wonderful. Second butler on the Epic was terrible, she insisted that afternoon snack delivery was only available after 4. Getting snacks at 5-6 when you are heading to dinner defeats the purpose. We did complain to our concierge, different person than the first trip but he was wonderful as well. The butler service got a little better, but not great. Last trip on the Getaway butler was outstanding, loved him, concierge was meh. The concierges on the Epic never said no, they were amazing, not so much on the Getaway. But the moral is every trip will be different, some butlers and concierges will blow you away, and others not so much. We don’t let it define the cruise. One thing though is if you asked your butler upon just boarding you would like the cooked breakfast, that really isn’t a conversation that has to be had. We never spoke to our butler about that, just fill out the card, and it was always delivered ontime, actually consistently a little early. Breakfast food is pretty universal, you just write down what you want and it magically shows up the next morning.

[davesgirl51]

I've never given a dime upfront and have always received excellent service from my Butlers.

 

Ditto. I will repeat a story I have told before regarding room steward not above. Tipped him $20.00 for getting us ice early and 2 extra towels. Didn’t see hm the rest of the trip.

[Shidah]

Ditto. I will repeat a story I have told before regarding room steward not above. Tipped him $20.00 for getting us ice early and 2 extra towels. Didn’t see hm the rest of the trip.

 

Same experience with our first butler. We were so euphoric, it was our first cruise ever, day 2 ( it was only 4 nights) I gave our butler $40 because we were just having such a good time in the DOS and were so happy, and then he disappeared for the remainder of the trip. I always planned on giving him more, but I didn’t see him. So I advise against this as well.

[socston]

It's not that people are being spoiled or ridiculous about butlers, it's that NCL gives free room service to suites. It's not entitled to want room service on vacation, good grief. I'm even happy to pay room service charges when they are required, that doesn't make me spoiled, lazy maybe, but not spoiled. ;)

[Trimone]

Just stayed in Haven on Breakaway in Baltic, I didn’t tip anyone, I’ve paid enough for the privilege, it’s not my problem certain staff don’t get my gratitudes it’s NCLs

[lanceholt]

We've sailed in a suite quite a few times and have also sailed in balconies and mini-suites. We learned after the first couple of cruises that you have to let the butler and the concierge know what you want, and if you use them that way, they make the cruise much more enjoyable....especially a really good concierge like Omar and Carlos. They are not mind readers, but they can make things happen much more easily for you. Re tipping....we tip according to how much we use the service and how good that service was. When you sail in a suite, you know ahead of time that is a part of it. I wonder if the non suite tipping OP also doesn't tip in restaurants.

[Shippy]

But they're not just "requiring" the services of a butler, they've PAID for the services of a butler. That's not an attitude of entitlement, it's an expectation of receiving what was paid for.

Granted not all passengers who are in suites with butler service ask for meal deliveries, but being made to feel as though they're overdemanding with their request by near-refusal and not working out something for them is disappointing and not something I've seen in NCL in my experience.

 

You are right they 'paid for a butler' or should I say 'a SHARED butler...not a private one.

The issues raised here are not just raised on Norwegian but also other cruiselines..

The fact he said that the 8 & 8:30 time were already taken WAS A REALITY. Should he bump someone else's request to honor yours ? Should he say OK you also can sign up for 8pm....but I will be late...& your service will be very rushed?

All cruiseline ads for butler service are deceiving as they have many cabins to take care & there will probably always be at least one or to cabins that take it to the max....unpack my bags/escort me to the show/ shine my shoes/ I want all my meals in my room.

Your expectation should be receiving the services of a SHARED butler, something not talked about by the cruiseline.

[erdoran]

You are right they 'paid for a butler' or should I say 'a SHARED butler...not a private one.

The issues raised here are not just raised on Norwegian but also other cruiselines..

The fact he said that the 8 & 8:30 time were already taken WAS A REALITY. Should he bump someone else's request to honor yours ? Should he say OK you also can sign up for 8pm....but I will be late...& your service will be very rushed?

All cruiseline ads for butler service are deceiving as they have many cabins to take care & there will probably always be at least one or to cabins that take it to the max....unpack my bags/escort me to the show/ shine my shoes/ I want all my meals in my room.

Your expectation should be receiving the services of a SHARED butler, something not talked about by the cruiseline.

Shippy, you raise an interesting point. Should one cabin be able to make this kind of demand on the shared butler, so the remaining cabins have to compete for even the minimal service OP requested?

[April42749]

Question.....

If one books a Haven, but doesn't read this forum, how would they know to tip the butler and concierge? If it were me, and I had to pay the daily service charge that covers "everyone", I would assume "everyone" means everyone.

[Shellbelle28]

Question.....

If one books a Haven, but doesn't read this forum, how would they know to tip the butler and concierge? If it were me, and I had to pay the daily service charge that covers "everyone", I would assume "everyone" means everyone.

 

Granted, not many are going to spend the effort to read the FAQs on ncl.com, but it does say this:

 

What about Gratuities?

Unlike most other ships in the cruise industry, there is no required or recommended tipping on our ships for service that is generally rendered to all Guests. While you should not feel obligated to offer a gratuity, all of our staff are encouraged to “go the extra mile,” so they are permitted to accept cash gratuities for exceptional or outstanding service if you care to offer them. Also, certain staff positions (e.g., concierge, butler, youth program staff and beverage service) provide service on an individual basis to only some guests and do not benefit from the overall service charge. We encourage those Guests to acknowledge good service from these staff members with appropriate gratuities. Additionally, there is an 20% gratuity and spa service charge added for all spa and salon services, as well as an 20% gratuity and beverage service charge added for all beverage purchases and an 20% gratuity and specialty service charge added to all specialty restaurant dining and entertainment based dining.

 

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[Two Wheels Only]

Norwegian says their butlers are "trained and certified" but I don't know what that means.

 

I found this...(not sure if still accurate)

 

"Norwegian Cruise Lines, which offers 24-hour butler service in all its suites, trusts the International Institute of Modern Butlers to monitor its training program. The most renowned of the academies, the Guild of Professional English Butlers, which certifies staff for the royal palaces of Britain, now has programs for butlers on the Oceania, Regent Seven Seas and Silversea cruise lines.."

[welove2cruise2014]

Shippy, you raise an interesting point. Should one cabin be able to make this kind of demand on the shared butler, so the remaining cabins have to compete for even the minimal service OP requested?

It's obnoxious if they do. It's unfortunate that some will test the limits this way.

 

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[Markanddonna]

I think it is entirely possible for a person to be unaware that the butler and conceirge are not included in NCL's tipping system. I found out when our butler came in on day 6 to give me the speech on how they were not part of NCL's tipping scheme. It was part of our "how to get ready for your departure speech."

[Notnewtoit]

Granted, not many are going to spend the effort to read the FAQs on ncl.com

 

This is an oft-had and heated debate. FAQuestions; one would only go looking for this answer if one had the QUESTION in the first place... and the way the NCL website is presents/words the pre-pay or inclusive one would not naturally question whether certain members of staff are or are not included since it is presented in an unequivocal fashion without need to recourse to the FAQ. (Albeit alas inaccurately).

 

Aside from that, someone choosing not to tip does not make them a troll folks. A troll is someone who deliberately prompts a counter or ridiculous argument for the sole purpose of enjoying the ensuing fight for their own edification. There are a couple of regulars here who fit that bill but not Trimone.

[Notnewtoit]

Thank you, all I want is for NCL to improve back to the standard they were 10-12 years ago.

These days NCL appears to have a policy of No more customers we will screw the ones we’ve got. I have about 4 cruise credits left, I will after look into other cruise lines.

 

There is a premise/construct in business management called ODI 'Outcome Driven Innovation'. It ranks 'needs' customers have in terms of 'importance and satisfaction' more or less important and well or poorly satisfied. Innovation occurs when a service or product addresses an important but poorly satisfied need. The NCL Freestyle concept (that we all know and love) was and to some extent still is one of those. It is also true however that as the need is increasingly well satisfied by market offerings it migrates to become 'important' and 'well satisfied'... at this point customers take it for granted and tend to seek to have entirely new or existing latent needs better satisfied (as a basis of competition). This is the 'up and out' principle; by the time one reaches the top of the NCL (or any) food chain, and yet becomes increasingly unsatisfied, the only way is out...

 

To complete the model, things that are low importance and yet poorly satisfied if addressed early can become delighters... i.e. free chocolate covered strawberries...

 

I'm not knocking NCL at all, I love 'em to bits, have done for years and currently have two active bookings but I've also noticed how my expectations and purchasing behaviors have changed over time, and now my eye tends to wander further than it used to when I look to the next booking.

 

I say all of that just to illustrate... that it's a usual and expected behavior in business.

[mjkacmom]

I think it is entirely possible for a person to be unaware that the butler and conceirge are not included in NCL's tipping system. I found out when our butler came in on day 6 to give me the speech on how they were not part of NCL's tipping scheme. It was part of our "how to get ready for your departure speech."

Did the speech offend you like it has others? Some say it’s not common knowledge that these positions are not part of the DSC, and yet get miffed if they are given this information by the butler.

[NLH Arizona]

Shippy, you raise an interesting point. Should one cabin be able to make this kind of demand on the shared butler, so the remaining cabins have to compete for even the minimal service OP requested?

This happens all the time, as some folks are either really needy or they really want to get their money's worth. I'm just the opposite, I barely use the Butler, which I guess evens things out on my cruises.