Question for the YCers who utilize their butler to a greater extent than most: How do you turn around a poor start?

[no1talks]

I've been reading comments which indicate the quality of YC butlers has some "variation."

If you know you're going to be in want of the butler's services to a significant extent, how do you lay out your expectations? Assuming the butler who escorts you to YC is not your assigned butler, how long do you wait in your suite for your butler to arrive, before launching an inquiry?

If the butler has a less-than-enthusiastic demeanor, do you have a surefire way for turning things around? Thank you, in advance, for your stratagems.

[morpheusofthesea]

Never knew I needed anything until the butler suggested I needed it and asked if he could get it for me. The best butlers come up with the best suggestions. For example, I walked out of my cabin to go to guest services (not knowing that the concierge could straighten things out) and the butler asked where I was going. I said to guest services, he said there may be a long line, let me escort you to the head of the line. Or we wanted a front row seat in the theatre and the children are faster at running to save all these seats. The butler gets in before the doors open and saves our seats for us. If one starts off on the 'wrong foot' just a word to the 'head butler' gets one a better result.

[wirral36]

11 minutes ago, morpheusofthesea said:

Never knew I needed anything until the butler suggested I needed it and asked if he could get it for me. The best butlers come up with the best suggestions. For example, I walked out of my cabin to go to guest services (not knowing that the concierge could straighten things out) and the butler asked where I was going. I said to guest services, he said there may be a long line, let me escort you to the head of the line. Or we wanted a front row seat in the theatre and the children are faster at running to save all these seats. The butler gets in before the doors open and saves our seats for us. If one starts off on the 'wrong foot' just a word to the 'head butler' gets one a better result.

Can a butler reserve bowling and other activities to save you waiting an hour plus in a queue just to get a reservation ?

[morpheusofthesea]

1 minute ago, wirral36 said:

Can a butler reserve bowling and other activities to save you waiting an hour plus in a queue just to get a reservation ?

Never tried. Haven't bowled in 50 years. Have found that butler was instrumental in butting in front of every line that interested us. Just like the elevator express (when it works, it works). We got our first 'taste' of butler power on the Divina when our butler escorted us off the ship first before the rest of the passengers, even those with tours. We walked around for 10 minutes and decided to return to the ship, while 3000 passengers were in the process of coming down the gangway. We stood at the bottom of the gangway anticipating a long, long wait. A butler at the bottom of the gangway 'recognized ' us as YC guests and walkie-talkied the top of the gangway and halted the outward flow of passengers allowing us to board unencumbered.

[kernow]

3 hours ago, wirral36 said:

Can a butler reserve bowling and other activities to save you waiting an hour plus in a queue just to get a reservation ?

The YC concierge will do that for you, no hour plus queue in YC to see the concierge and even if there was the butler can not take you to the front of it as everyone else there is in YC too. There were usually 2 staff members at the concierge desk when it was busy and if anyone else was waiting the YC director would usually appear out of nowhere. 

We never used the main guest services once on the ship, YC concierge can do everything they do and more.

[miataman19]

We will be sailing on Meraviglia 7 day Oct.2nd in YC. First time in YC but have sailed in The Haven on NCL. Very low maintenance and never really utilized our Butlers on NCL. But reading some of the comments it seems they do just about anything. Love the not waiting in the long queues. morpheusofthesea, love your "Butler Power" comment. Have 2 more YC sailing's planed for next year, 1 on Meraviglia and 1 on Seashore. We will be utilizing our Butler more on this and future sailings I'm sure.   

[zekekelso]

11 hours ago, morpheusofthesea said:

butler was instrumental in butting in front of every line

 
So that’s why they call them butlers. 

[dexddd]

3 hours ago, miataman19 said:

We will be sailing on Meraviglia 7 day Oct.2nd in YC. First time in YC but have sailed in The Haven on NCL. Very low maintenance and never really utilized our Butlers on NCL. But reading some of the comments it seems they do just about anything. Love the not waiting in the long queues. morpheusofthesea, love your "Butler Power" comment. Have 2 more YC sailing's planed for next year, 1 on Meraviglia and 1 on Seashore. We will be utilizing our Butler more on this and future sailings I'm sure.   

The setup on MSC is a bit different than NCL.  Like NCL you have a butler assigned to your room.  Your butler will escort off ship like NcL concierge will do.  You'll run into other butlers and assistants in the YC public areas who provide great service.

 

We don't ask for much either.  The main difference is on MSC the YC staff seems to enjoy their work and will offer to do things vs NCL they feel it more of a job and feel overworked and will even tell you this.  It is kind of like Costco vs Sam's.  I'd speculate it goes back to upper management.

[Shippy]

Hope your expectations are realistic....

 Not sure of the ratio but a few years ago, one of the butlers told me they had increased their load.

Meaning they have more cabins to take care of.

So, if things like being escorted to the showroom are important to you, remember you might have a wait as MSC butlers are not exclusive to you.

Not sure but I think it is about a dozen cabins they have to take care of.

[no1talks]

53 minutes ago, Shippy said:

Hope your expectations are realistic....

 Not sure of the ratio but a few years ago, one of the butlers told me they had increased their load.

Meaning they have more cabins to take care of.

So, if things like being escorted to the showroom are important to you, remember you might have a wait as MSC butlers are not exclusive to you.

Not sure but I think it is about a dozen cabins they have to take care of.

Actually, the time consuming escort is the least appealing service.

 

I'm 6' 5" and reducing my stride to keep pace with someone around 5' 7" or less has been known to cause me to trip.

 

Butler escorts that also serve as a line pass are another matter, but if it is just showing me how to go somewhere, I'll pass.

[wirral36]

11 hours ago, kernow said:

The YC concierge will do that for you, no hour plus queue in YC to see the concierge and even if there was the butler can not take you to the front of it as everyone else there is in YC too. There were usually 2 staff members at the concierge desk when it was busy and if anyone else was waiting the YC director would usually appear out of nowhere. 

We never used the main guest services once on the ship, YC concierge can do everything they do and more.

We’re on board now and unfortunately that’s not the case. The butler says we have to queue up as yc don’t have anything to do with the activities. There’s no yc treatment as soon as u walk out of yc. The staff are lovely everywhere but it’s very true that the bar staff are very slow and most don’t seem to know what they’re doing. I’m assuming their new. 

[kernow]

2 minutes ago, wirral36 said:

We’re on board now and unfortunately that’s not the case. The butler says we have to queue up as yc don’t have anything to do with the activities. There’s no yc treatment as soon as u walk out of yc. The staff are lovely everywhere but it’s very true that the bar staff are very slow and most don’t seem to know what they’re doing. I’m assuming their new. 

Have you actually asked at the YC concierge desk (not the butler)? We found them really helpful. The concierge rang the activities and booked for us.

[Seadweller001]

Our Divina YC Butler did his job along side the Assistant Butler.  The room was cleaned daily, mini bar filled up and was pleasant when we passed each other.  He was not excellent or outstanding and we had no need to utilize his services.

 

The YC Concierges were excellent.  They deal with the Head Butler and can make things happen.  Our Primary contact was the Concierge.  In the Top Sail Lounge the Butlers and Asst Butler (aka Bar Servers) were very friendly and eager to please.  It was a top notch experience.  We will be repeating in October.

[rkacruiser]

30 minutes ago, kernow said:

Have you actually asked at the YC concierge desk

 

I found the YC Concierge to be most helpful.

 

16 hours ago, no1talks said:

how long do you wait in your suite for your butler to arrive,

 

I didn't stay in my suite very long after I embarked.  I read the daily activities program after I surveyed my suite.  I had already missed Lunch in the YC Restaurant and the time for the closing of the YC Pool Deck Lunch was approaching.  (Besides, I needed a drink!)  Then, I walked through a couple of the decks of the ship before returning to my suite, expecting my luggage to have arrived.  It hadn't.  It was at that time, about 4:00 P. M., that my Butler knocked on my door and introduced himself.  He asked if there was anything that I needed; I replied:  my luggage.  Surprised it had not been delivered, he left to find it and then brought it to me a few minutes later.  I am a low maintenance cruiser and have no doubt that I underutilized my Butler.  So what?

 

37 minutes ago, wirral36 said:

. There’s no yc treatment as soon as u walk out of yc. The staff are lovely everywhere but it’s very true that the bar staff are very slow and most don’t seem to know what they’re doing. I’m assuming their new. 

 

Regarding bar service, this most certainly was not my experience!  When the bartender recognized that I was a YC guest, my drink was very well prepared with an eye on me if I wanted a second one.  Your assumption that the crew are either new or "rusty" is probably a valid one.  Be patient.  And, if you really are displeased, ask to speak to the YC Director.  

[morpheusofthesea]

Not this in anyway pertains to any of CC posters but I thought it was a 'cute' address probably written by a professional comedian for the Captain.  At the comedy show tonight the Master of the X ,Capt. T (a comedian himself), was introducing his staff (as most captains do every cruise). When introducing his hotel manager he remarked that "this is the man tasked with making sure one gets the service one deserves and should one not receive the service one deserves,........ then one is not deserving of the service.".(audience laughs) He finishes "I am glad we are the same page !"

[travelwide]

1 hour ago, wirral36 said:

We’re on board now and unfortunately that’s not the case. The butler says we have to queue up as yc don’t have anything to do with the activities. There’s no yc treatment as soon as u walk out of yc. The staff are lovely everywhere but it’s very true that the bar staff are very slow and most don’t seem to know what they’re doing. I’m assuming their new. 

What ship are you on? 

[Huntingdon1701]

On 8/7/2021 at 8:08 PM, wirral36 said:

We’re on board now and unfortunately that’s not the case. The butler says we have to queue up as yc don’t have anything to do with the activities. There’s no yc treatment as soon as u walk out of yc. The staff are lovely everywhere but it’s very true that the bar staff are very slow and most don’t seem to know what they’re doing. I’m assuming their new. 

 

My butler escorted me for any activities like the shows or excursions and queue jumped everything. Similarly the concierge rang the speciality restaurant when I wanted to eat there and the team recognised me the instant I walked into it and couldn't do enough for me. The bars were a bit different, but I never had to wait. 

 

Did you tell your butler or concierge you were going to do those activities? If they don't know, then they can't help you. 

[MarkusToe]

Anyone asked the Butler to unpack or Pack luggage? 

How was ist? 

[rkacruiser]

2 hours ago, MarkusToe said:

Anyone asked the Butler to unpack or Pack luggage? 

How was ist? 

 

Absolutely not!  No interest in such a "service".  I want to know in which bag what stuff is.  

[no1talks]

2 hours ago, MarkusToe said:

Anyone asked the Butler to unpack or Pack luggage? 

How was ist? 

I plan on utilizing the embarkation unpacking, for two reasons.

 

1) Assuming my butler does it and not a different "arrival escort" butler, it will give me time to discuss the cruise with my butler.

 

2) I have read that butlers, as they unpack, offer to take wrinkled clothes for a cursory ironing of the packing wrinkles. I'm curious to see if this is gratis or just a way of selling laundry service.

[Germancruiser]

Well, I usually bring my own butler - he has to stay in the lower decks of course, when I do not ring for him. He also has to function as my vallet- to help me dress and such.

He knows exactly when I want my morning tea- also my morning papers- which have to be ironed before I read, them - of course- one can not let standards slip...!

Also I am very particular about how my toast is done.

Such a bother to teach all that to the ships butler- so I decided years ago to bring my own.

 

That of course was joke- since I booked my first YC - cabin I am thinking about what a butler can do what a regular cabin stewart can not- thanks to those boards I have now a better idea. LOL.

 

[uktog]

9 hours ago, MarkusToe said:

Anyone asked the Butler to unpack or Pack luggage? 

How was ist? 

I would unpack myself, however our butler never offered anyway so I think it was one of several duties he did not fancy.  It would really help if like other lines there was a little welcome note that introduced the butler and listed what services they offer in the room. Then when you meet you could discuss from the list which you might want and which you do not want. 

[phissy]

16 hours ago, no1talks said:

I plan on utilizing the embarkation unpacking, for two reasons.

 

1) Assuming my butler does it and not a different "arrival escort" butler, it will give me time to discuss the cruise with my butler.

 

2) I have read that butlers, as they unpack, offer to take wrinkled clothes for a cursory ironing of the packing wrinkles. I'm curious to see if this is gratis or just a way of selling laundry service.

We never saw our butler until the next day. Room stewards ( Jr. Butlers) did all the daily services and filled requests.  The Butlers all seem to do rotations in YC. They may be working lounges  or sun decks.  We saw him around but never at our door. 

[no1talks]

2 hours ago, phissy said:

We never saw our butler until the next day. Room stewards ( Jr. Butlers) did all the daily services and filled requests.  The Butlers all seem to do rotations in YC. They may be working lounges  or sun decks.  We saw him around but never at our door. 

Hmmm.

Do you suppose YCers who gush about butlers are, in actuality, gushing about the juniors? Are juniors in the same livery as regular butlers? If so, it is easy to understand the mixing of job titles. How many staff are on a buttling team? One butler and one or two stewards/juniors per 𝓍 cabins?

And what is this I read about head butlers? Is the head butler one of the room butlers or rather a supervisory post, without cabins assigned?

Additionally, do concierges have anything to say about the performance of butlers? Or, rather, does the hierarchy go: steward/junior, butler, head butler, YC director?

Thank you, in advance, for any light you can shed.

[Shippy]

  Not to disappoint but....

I think some of you might have your expectations a bit high about MSC butlers.

They have at least a dozen cabins each to take care of..

If you think he will be 'right there' to do your unpacking & really care about your wrinkles, you might be a bit disappointed.....I do not care what the MSC brochures say.

    We have sailed in the YC at least half a dozen times, mostly in a YC2 (Divina) or YC3 on other ships.

Our experienced has been that they have been really delightful people, eager to help but stretched a bit thin on time..

HOWEVER,   I KNOW we will have exceptional service on our cruise next month. Of the 24 YC cabins on our floor, only 6 are sold !