Queen's Grill Butler question and family get-togethers

[Folkfan13]

We will be in QG for the first time so this will be our first experience with a butler.    I don’t see us using one that much but I read that they take care of “shoe shine, pressing clothes, and organizing laundry”.    I assume that the laundry and clothes pressing part is just getting the clothes to and from the ship’s laundromat with the normal charges.      Is the shoe shine though provided by the butler and free?

 

We will be traveling with family, and having the suite will be great for family gatherings.    The family will not be in the suites however.    Do you think we’ll be able to skip the canapés one day and get a double order of them when we have the family over?    We have the Unlimited Beverage Package, but that doesn’t help us in the suite nor with other people.   Researching QG perks on Cruise Critic pointed to a “free bar in the cabin”, which we could have shared with guests (as long as we are giving them just our set-up), but since the date of the post was several years back, I assume that this is a perk that had been removed.    So we’ll probably open the wine we will bring on board.    Other options?  Thoughts?

[Bigmike911]

The butler will shine your shoes, and will deliver your laundry and dry cleaning to the laundry and return it when you have finished. The butler will organize a gathering for you with nuts, chips etc. If you request the hot canapes, there will be enough for a number of people. You can share your spirits or wine or beer with your guests. You can also request the Butler to get drinks for your guests, if they want something you don't have, and of course you will be charged for it. In the past, I have ordered champagne, wine and spirits that are not part of my two bottles for the bar, so that there will be plenty for my guests. 

[Bigmike911]

Just now, Bigmike911 said:

The butler will shine your shoes, and will deliver your laundry and dry cleaning to the laundry and return it when you have finished. You will complete the laundry forms and put the clothes and the forms in the bag provided.

 

The butler will organize a gathering for you with nuts, chips etc. If you request the hot canapes, there will be enough for a number of people. You can share your spirits or wine or beer with your guests. You can also request the Butler to get drinks for your guests, if they want something you don't have, and of course you will be charged for it. In the past, I have ordered champagne, wine and spirits that are not part of my two bottles for the bar, so that there will be plenty for my guests. 

 

[orchestrapal]

Don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed.

Our butler in a Penthouse Suite was basically useless.

He loved to dust our coffee table while we were there.

That was his major accomplishment!!

[kentchris]

1 hour ago, orchestrapal said:

Don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed.

Our butler in a Penthouse Suite was basically useless.

He loved to dust our coffee table while we were there.

That was his major accomplishment!!

And on the other hand ours was very eager to please, and when we weren’t drinking the free booze quickly enough he left us an order form for refills well before we’d finished the first lot. 

Edited February 1, 2019 by kentchris

[tv24]

I think Big Mike summed it up.  Your butler will arrange for some nibbles for your family and you can share you bar set-up that you get with your QG suite.  Otherwise you will have to pay for the booze and drinks.   Free shoe shines, big deal.  We had one butler who impressed us with his ability to deliver basic continental breakfast items quickly at our request.  We had another butler who was worthless, less able than a cabin steward in Britannia Class.

[laktex]

17 hours ago, Folkfan13 said:

We will be in QG for the first time so this will be our first experience with a butler.    I don’t see us using one that much but I read that they take care of “shoe shine, pressing clothes, and organizing laundry”.    I assume that the laundry and clothes pressing part is just getting the clothes to and from the ship’s laundromat with the normal charges.      Is the shoe shine though provided by the butler and free?

 

We will be traveling with family, and having the suite will be great for family gatherings.    The family will not be in the suites however.    Do you think we’ll be able to skip the canapés one day and get a double order of them when we have the family over?    We have the Unlimited Beverage Package, but that doesn’t help us in the suite nor with other people.   Researching QG perks on Cruise Critic pointed to a “free bar in the cabin”, which we could have shared with guests (as long as we are giving them just our set-up), but since the date of the post was several years back, I assume that this is a perk that had been removed.    So we’ll probably open the wine we will bring on board.    Other options?  Thoughts?

 

You can talk this through with your Butler and try and organise what you will receive. I had a birthday on board and invited all our table guests (8) for pre dinner drinks.  The Butler brought us several plates of canapés, a huge cheese board, a punch bowl full of iced soft drinks and beers etc. I was embarrassed that we had too much because we had also ordered individual off menu items for dinner and so didn't need too much food with our drinks.  We had a fabulous time.

 

Now, if you are in a Q1, you can extend the guest list enormously - 30 or more is not a problem.

[Bigmike911]

On 2/1/2019 at 11:13 AM, orchestrapal said:

Don’t expect too much and you won’t be disappointed.

Our butler in a Penthouse Suite was basically useless.

He loved to dust our coffee table while we were there.

That was his major accomplishment!!

Sorry you didn't have a good Butler OP. With the exception of the first One all of the butlers on 15 following voyages have been between very good and excellent. I have found that when the Butler comes with the wine and spirits menu for your bar. I have a chant with him or her as to what our mutual expectations are, that has resulted in a very good relationship with the Butler.

 

On Queen Victoria traveling from Los Angeles to Hawaii and back we were served by a lovely Lady Named Santa. She could not do enough for us. One evening we hosted a sit down dinner for six in The Mauritania suite. She organized the ordering, and when time came to serve she served the meal and then dessert to us. She also made recommendations for Wines and Champagnes. I had her as my Butler again on a voyage from Venice to Ft. Lauderdale and she was equally as good. So I guess different passengers have different experiences. 

[Bigmike911]

On 2/2/2019 at 3:18 AM, laktex said:

 

You can talk this through with your Butler and try and organise what you will receive. I had a birthday on board and invited all our table guests (8) for pre dinner drinks.  The Butler brought us several plates of canapés, a huge cheese board, a punch bowl full of iced soft drinks and beers etc. I was embarrassed that we had too much because we had also ordered individual off menu items for dinner and so didn't need too much food with our drinks.  We had a fabulous time.

 

Now, if you are in a Q1, you can extend the guest list enormously - 30 or more is not a problem.

You are correct, We sailed out of NYC from the Manhattan terminal a few years ago. We had a very active Cruise Critic Group and were able to invite a number of folks to join us for a sail away party on the terrace of the Holyrood Suite a Q2, with a good size deck, though not as big as a Q1. It was great fun to sail down the Hudson, like the liners of yore, enjoying our party with folks below us around the pool were swaying with the music. The Butler was very helpful in organizing snacks and drinks. 

[ExArkie]

On 2/3/2019 at 5:10 PM, Bigmike911 said:

...On Queen Victoria traveling from Los Angeles to Hawaii and back we were served by a lovely Lady Named Santa. She could not do enough for us....

She was also our butler on QV a couple of years back and was the best.  She took service to a new level - ask a question about something and she'd take care of all the arrangements