Difference Between Butler and Concierge

[jennie313]

I'm cruising for the first time in a suite and have an honest question...what is the difference between a butler and a concierge? How do we best utilize each without asking too much?

[david_sobe]

The concierge assists in your daily plans while on board.  She/he can make show or restaurant reservations and be your point person for excursions or other activities.  A butler is assigned to provide room service for meals or drinks.

 

On a mega ship a concierge will be stuck behind a desk the entire cruise.  If you cruise a smaller ship, they will meet and greet you daily.

Edited February 17, 2019 by david_sobe

[Outerdog]

Butler - attends to your needs INSIDE the cabin.

 

Concierge - attends to your needs OUTSIDE the cabin (reservations, priority disembark, etc).

 

[jennie313]

Thank you so much. This really helps clarify the difference.

[TrumpyNor]

Easy explained - the butler for service to your cabin/suite and the concierge for service outside your cabin/suite.

 

Edit: Sorry about repeating what "Outerdog" stated a couple of minutes before me, I didn't see his reply until after I posted mine...

Edited February 17, 2019 by TrumpyNor

[david_sobe]

For the most part the inside/outside statement is true.  But not always.

If you want a lounger on your balcony.  Butler will not do it.  Its housekeeping that is coordinated with the concierge

 

If you want your fridge emptied during the cruise or want another kind of pillow, the concierge can arrange it

 

 

[Sailing12Away]

Am I correct in assuming that neither the butler or concierge is included in the pre-paid gratuities? 

[bonvoyagie]

10 minutes ago, Sailing12Away said:

Am I correct in assuming that neither the butler or concierge is included in the pre-paid gratuities? 

Yes you should plan on tipping them above and beyond the DSC. There are lots of different views on how much. I base mine on how much I use them and how well they respond to my requests. I really don't request that much above and beyond their normal services.

[DMH15]

2 hours ago, david_sobe said:

The concierge assists in your daily plans while on board.  She/he can make show or restaurant reservations and be your point person for excursions or other activities.  A butler is assigned to provide room service for meals or drinks.

 

On a mega ship a concierge will be stuck behind a desk the entire cruise.  If you cruise a smaller ship, they will meet and greet you daily.

David, when I was on Epic in the DOS the Concierge desk was manned by one of the two Asst. Concierges.  Leah, the Concierge might be there in addition sometimes, but we found her mostly out and about.  

 

I agree about the smaller ships.  On the Sun, both times the Concierges came to our aft ph suite a few times a day to check in with us.   They also showed up while we dined at a specialty restaurant.  Pretty much same on Jewel when we were in an aft ph, but not as often as the Sun which only has 20 suites total. Love that ship 

[Greenpea2]

1 hour ago, david_sobe said:

For the most part the inside/outside statement is true.  But not always.

If you want a lounger on your balcony.  Butler will not do it.  Its housekeeping that is coordinated with the concierge

 

If you want your fridge emptied during the cruise or want another kind of pillow, the concierge can arrange it

 

 

In the past, not being sure who did what, I just asked the butler (actually about both these things!)--he took care of it one way or another, I suppose by bringing the request to the steward/concierge. When I asked him about these things I said I'd be happy to go to the proper person if he'd let me know who--he just said no problem, he'd see they were done. So if you aren't sure--ask your butler (or whomever you see first) who takes care of that sort of thing.

 

[david_sobe]

54 minutes ago, Greenpea2 said:

In the past, not being sure who did what, I just asked the butler (actually about both these things!)--he took care of it one way or another, I suppose by bringing the request to the steward/concierge. When I asked him about these things I said I'd be happy to go to the proper person if he'd let me know who--he just said no problem, he'd see they were done. So if you aren't sure--ask your butler (or whomever you see first) who takes care of that sort of thing.

 

Exactly.  It all works out.  The only reason that I know that is because twice I had asked the butler about getting a lounger on the balcony and he said butlers were not allowed to move furniture and that was housekeeping.  He may have brought it up to the concierge or I called (cant remember).

[Outerdog]

We had to ask for another lounger once. For some reason there was only one out on the balcony. Made the request to the butler and it was handled. There wasn't any discussion about whose responsibility it was. I just know that it wasn't mine.

[Greenpea2]

If the butler says "Not my job, go ask the steward" he/she probably is not at one of the top tiers of butlerhood! A really good butler will just go to the steward and request they take care of it for you. Not all butlers are great. I've only had one that was pretty much useless, and we have never needed much. We are pretty self-sufficient.

[DMH15]

1 hour ago, Greenpea2 said:

If the butler says "Not my job, go ask the steward" he/she probably is not at one of the top tiers of butlerhood! A really good butler will just go to the steward and request they take care of it for you. Not all butlers are great. I've only had one that was pretty much useless, and we have never needed much. We are pretty self-sufficient.

My first butler was pretty bad.   And then he got off in one of our ports and didn't get back on.  

[Greenpea2]

1 minute ago, DMH15 said:

My first butler was pretty bad.   And then he got off in one of our ports and didn't get back on.  

Wow! The first one I had, I was in the OS of the Dawn. Had never had a suite before but had booked an aft-facing PH suite (no Haven then). Upgrade Fairy called me and I got the OS for an excellent price. WAS SO EXCITED. The butler came in on embarkation day and ordered us to sit down, whereupon he told us what a butler did. He was kind of snotty and superior. He then made it clear he was (again, being very full of himself) "in charge of the Garden Villa" so he might be "pretty busy." Um, OK. Then he said he was leaving the ship in 2 days for (again, all puffed up in importance to go on the "new ship.") We saw him once those 2 days, he never returned our calls. He did nothing for us and believe me when I say we asked very little as the whole butler thing was so foreign to us. After he left we were assigned this absolutely wonderful young woman who spoiled us ROTTEN. Wow. What a difference!

[DMH15]

2 minutes ago, Greenpea2 said:

Wow! The first one I had, I was in the OS of the Dawn. Had never had a suite before but had booked an aft-facing PH suite (no Haven then). Upgrade Fairy called me and I got the OS for an excellent price. WAS SO EXCITED. The butler came in on embarkation day and ordered us to sit down, whereupon he told us what a butler did. He was kind of snotty and superior. He then made it clear he was (again, being very full of himself) "in charge of the Garden Villa" so he might be "pretty busy." Um, OK. Then he said he was leaving the ship in 2 days for (again, all puffed up in importance to go on the "new ship.") We saw him once those 2 days, he never returned our calls. He did nothing for us and believe me when I say we asked very little as the whole butler thing was so foreign to us. After he left we were assigned this absolutely wonderful young woman who spoiled us ROTTEN. Wow. What a difference!

Great story!  Glad it ended well.  You only had to endure him for 2 days!

 

Every other butler and Concierge we had since have been wonderful.   They have different personalities and styles but each made us feel awesome.  I was so happy to see them take such great care of my mom.  We had a lot of great cruises together until I lost her in 2017.  

[maja651]

We’ve had some absolutely fabulous butlers, 1 amazing concierge, 1 ok concierge, one annoying concierge and one HORRIBLE concierge. I have found the best concierges are the ones who were butlers previously, not the ones that come from guest services. 

[Greenpea2]

1 hour ago, DMH15 said:

Great story!  Glad it ended well.  You only had to endure him for 2 days!

 

Every other butler and Concierge we had since have been wonderful.   They have different personalities and styles but each made us feel awesome.  I was so happy to see them take such great care of my mom.  We had a lot of great cruises together until I lost her in 2017.  

I'm so sorry you lost her. I miss my mom every day. Great memories are what it is all about.

[kitty-sail]

On 2/17/2019 at 3:27 PM, Outerdog said:

Butler - attends to your needs INSIDE the cabin.

 

Concierge - attends to your needs OUTSIDE the cabin (reservations, priority disembark, etc).

 

That's an excellent explanation. I wonder sometimes on when to call Butler and when to call Room Steward.

Edited February 19, 2019 by kitty-sail

[Outerdog]

12 minutes ago, kitty-sail said:

I wonder sometimes on when to call Butler and when to call Room Steward.

 

Call the butler for whatever is needed inside the cabin. They will direct the appropriate person depending on the need. Maybe you need the stew, maybe you need maintenance, maybe you need the butler's services... doesn't matter. Stuff in the cabin? Butler.

 

If I see the stew directly, and I need something I will ask them directly, but I wouldn't call them.  The butler always asks that I call them whenever I need something in the cabin, so that's what I do.