What does a butler DO?

[Starlaker]

My personal favorite is the chocolate covered strawberries.  I had that every day on our cruise in December and am still missing them!  My husband ordered some Sherrie's Berries for me at Christmastime to help me over the withdrawal.  

[jwindham]

The one way I really enjoy using the butler is to get a favorite appetizer from one of the specialty restaurants delivered on a given night that we really are wanting to just go to the Terrace to relax. I love one specific one from Jacques and will just get that delivered at 6:30 when the restaurant opens then after that we go to the Terrace for the rest of our meal. Enjoy your cruise. Julia

[riffatsea]

Thanks for sharing your faves!

I am looking forward to this experience!!

[cruisingxpert]

2 hours ago, jwindham said:

The one way I really enjoy using the butler is to get a favorite appetizer from one of the specialty restaurants delivered on a given night that we really are wanting to just go to the Terrace to relax. I love one specific one from Jacques and will just get that delivered at 6:30 when the restaurant opens then after that we go to the Terrace for the rest of our meal. Enjoy your cruise. Julia

That's a great idea

The 2 other things on that canape menu that have never changed are the chicken lollipops and pakoras.

[Go-Bucks!]

16 hours ago, Paulchili said:

Perhaps you can ask someone on the current world cruise to post a picture of that menu. Go-Bucks is in a PH on that cruise.

 

At your service!!😎

[Paulchili]

Go-Bucks! - thank you for posting it. What an excellent service!

The only one I don't remember are the chicken wings - I might try them next time 

Edited February 6, 2019 by Paulchili

[basor]

21 hours ago, riffatsea said:

@Basor,

Great example of letter to butler!! Thanks for sharing it! Wondering what sorts of things one can ask for to have in the cabin for canapes before dinner? Shrimp with dipping sauce? Cheese plate? Just wondering since this is our first Oceania cruise.

Also when you ask for aperitifs or nighcaps and you are in a PH I assume that these get added onto your ship account?

We'd probably want a nightcap of Cognac or good Bourbon so wonder also what is available in those categories?

Thanks for any added info

On this particular cruise we had the all inclusive beverage package so all room service alcohol was included....if you have the regular beverage package then wine/.beer is included with any meals served in your cabin.  If no beverage package then the liquor is added to your shipboard account.

[riffatsea]

Thanks for taking the time to explain about the liquor/beverage pkgs.

We generally find it best for us to pay as we go along since we rarely have more than 2 drinks per day (if that much)

[LHT28]

Just now, riffatsea said:

Thanks for taking the time to explain about the liquor/beverage pkgs.

We generally find it best for us to pay as we go along since we rarely have more than 2 drinks per day (if that much)

You could always  take a bottle of your favourite nightcap  onboard  then you are sure to have the Brand you prefer

[Sny]

The butler is our best friend on each and every cruise.  We get to know him, learn about his family and his aspirations.  We do often have breakfast served in our cabin, always get the canapes (if we forget to fill out the order, he brings us something at any rate), makes the extra specialty restaurant reservations (he can pull strings that you can not).  If you have questions, he has, or will get, the answer.  No request seem to be too small or too big.  On our last cruise, my husband was struggling with back problems, using a cane most of the time.  But, we brought a walker for shore excursions.  One evening, we were coming back from dinner and our butler noticed that my husband was lagging behind and struggling.  He ran to our cabin, retrieved the walker for him, and walked with him back to the cabin.  Take the time to get to know your butler and steward. 

[Jay23]

On 2/6/2019 at 2:00 PM, jwindham said:

The one way I really enjoy using the butler is to get a favorite appetizer from one of the specialty restaurants delivered on a given night that we really are wanting to just go to the Terrace to relax. I love one specific one from Jacques and will just get that delivered at 6:30 when the restaurant opens then after that we go to the Terrace for the rest of our meal. Enjoy your cruise. Julia

What a wonderful idea!  Never occurred to me to order an appitizer from a speciality restaurant and then go to the Terrace.   We too did not know how we would use the butler the first time we had one, but I soon got into the swing of it.  We had morning tea in bed each day,  a couple of dinners served course by course (lovely) If we wanted anything we just phoned his number and he rang back within minutes.   I certainly missed him when we got home!   We we will be having a butler again in August..........  can't wait........   J

[ArtsyCraftsy]

Thank you, everyone!  I've gotten some great ideas for my first cruise with butler services.   The canapés menu and sample letter are big helps.  I've started a tradition of doing an Alaska cruise each summer for my birthday, and I use that as an opportunity to try out different cruise lines, so this year it's Oceania. 

 

I do have a few things that I like regularly:  fresh ice twice a day  (I go through a lot of ice), fresh fruit but no bananas, etc.  But those are things that, in my experience so far, are usually taken care of by the cabin stewards.  So that's part of my learning curve: what to ask the butler about, and what to ask the stewards.  Or does having a butler mean I don't interact as much with the stewards?  

 

Anyway, I'm more comfortable with the "butler" concept, and I'm sure things will work out just fine.  I'm really easy going, just very independent.  At any rate, I get to see Alaska again and celebrate my birthday onboard.  Should be a great trip!

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

 

 

[LHT28]

Just now, ArtsyCraftsy said:

Thank you, everyone!  I've gotten some great ideas for my first cruise with butler services.   The canapés menu and sample letter are big helps.  I've started a tradition of doing an Alaska cruise each summer for my birthday, and I use that as an opportunity to try out different cruise lines, so this year it's Oceania. 

 

I do have a few things that I like regularly:  fresh ice twice a day  (I go through a lot of ice), fresh fruit but no bananas, etc.  But those are things that, in my experience so far, are usually taken care of by the cabin stewards.  So that's part of my learning curve: what to ask the butler about, and what to ask the stewards.  Or does having a butler mean I don't interact as much with the stewards?  

 

 

I have never had a butler  but the ice bucket is  filled twice  a day  so that is common  but if you require more during  the day I am sure the Butler is the one to call  😉

 

[Go-Bucks!]

1 hour ago, ArtsyCraftsy said:

Thank you, everyone!  I've gotten some great ideas for my first cruise with butler services.   The canapés menu and sample letter are big helps.  I've started a tradition of doing an Alaska cruise each summer for my birthday, and I use that as an opportunity to try out different cruise lines, so this year it's Oceania. 

 

I do have a few things that I like regularly:  fresh ice twice a day  (I go through a lot of ice), fresh fruit but no bananas, etc.  But those are things that, in my experience so far, are usually taken care of by the cabin stewards.  So that's part of my learning curve: what to ask the butler about, and what to ask the stewards.  Or does having a butler mean I don't interact as much with the stewards?  

 

Anyway, I'm more comfortable with the "butler" concept, and I'm sure things will work out just fine.  I'm really easy going, just very independent.  At any rate, I get to see Alaska again and celebrate my birthday onboard.  Should be a great trip!

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

 

 

 

The steward/stewardess will provide you with ice...we also like ice so she brought us 2 ice buckets and fills them twice daily.  The butler will bring fruit...just tell him which ones you want.  He brings us bananas and grapes.  He will also bring you "room service" food which you can order from him.  The menus for the 4 restaurants and the Waves Grill are now on the TV.

 

Our butler told us that he is the boss of the steward/stewardess.  When we ask him for something that she is responsible for, he will ask us to tell/ask her.  Most people are like you...not used to having a butler (unless you're English royalty??), so most of us are not sure what they really do.  Our butler is very nice and sometimes brings us goodies just because he says that we don't ask him for much.  But tonight we ordered dinner from Polo to be served in our cabin and he brought it and did a nice table setup.  BTW, so far he has not brought our eat-in-cabin dinners "course by course" which some people on CC said they do...he brings it all at once.

[LHT28]

Just now, Go-Bucks! said:

  BTW, so far he has not brought our eat-in-cabin dinners "course by course" which some people on CC said they do...he brings it all at once.

tell him you would like it course  by course  then  if that is the way you would like it served

[Paulchili]

31 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

tell him you would like it course  by course  then  if that is the way you would like it served

+1

That way all courses arrive hot. You can tell him the timing as well - i.e bring the entrée 30 or 45 minutes after appetizer, etc

It also makes the area less crowded with food.

[Go-Bucks!]

4 hours ago, Paulchili said:

+1

That way all courses arrive hot. You can tell him the timing as well - i.e bring the entrée 30 or 45 minutes after appetizer, etc

It also makes the area less crowded with food.

 

Yes, we'll do that.  I just thought that course-by-course was the standard way they did it after reading about it on CC.

[StanandJim]

28 minutes ago, Go-Bucks! said:

 

Yes, we'll do that.  I just thought that course-by-course was the standard way they did it after reading about it on CC.

Strangely, about 75% of folks that we talk to on the ships prefer that the food not be served by the course....something something nekkid in the cabin, something something-  🤐

[Go-Bucks!]

5 hours ago, StanandJim said:

Strangely, about 75% of folks that we talk to on the ships prefer that the food not be served by the course....something something nekkid in the cabin, something something-  🤐

 

It was fine that it was all at the same time...we were tired and not really wanting to prolong dinner any further. But if we do, we'll ask him.

Edited February 10, 2019 by Go-Bucks!

[ORV]

Has anyone posted this?

 

https://oceaniacruisesblog.com/2018/10/30/the-suite-life-top-10-butler-services/