Rare Turtles06 Posted January 30, 2022 #26 Share Posted January 30, 2022 10 minutes ago, cresx said: A lot of back and forth on here that was not about the original request. Any other great tips. My mom is now on here also following. Thank you in advance. I think you've been given great advice above. In terms of the division of responsibilities between the butler and the concierge, it's helpful to think of the butler as the person responsible for things within the suite (e.g., serving snacks, meals, etc.), and the concierge as responsible for things outside the suite (helping with dinner reservations, etc.). One thing not mentioned above -- when in port, the concierge will escort suites guests off the ship, bypassing any lines of other guests waiting to get off. This is particularly useful if you have an early private shore excursion or other early plans. We really enjoy the penthouse suites on the Jewel-class ships. I think your parents will have an excellent time! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldmom Posted January 30, 2022 #27 Share Posted January 30, 2022 3 hours ago, Turtles06 said: Folks, you have me confused with someone else! I'm not handicapped. The only comment I've made in this thread was to thank someone for using "him/her" to refer to the butler. 🙂 Turtles06, apologies! I picked up on the quote from complawyer and mistakenly referred my comment to you. I believe the poster was actually referring to pcakes122 post, who has since responded. Sorry about that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldmom Posted January 30, 2022 #28 Share Posted January 30, 2022 OP- Sorry the thread got hijacked a bit. Anyway, I'm sure your parents will enjoy their upgrade. I hope they experience everything the suite life has to offer. They can ask the butler for specific afternoon treats depending on whether they like sweet or savory or healthy or not! We usually just let them surprise us. Although we did have a late tour in one port and knew we would miss lunch so we asked for some sandwiches to be left in our room as we knew we'd be tired and didn't want to go back out again for dinner. It was really nice to be pampered and we made quick work of the sandwiches! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Hutcha Posted January 30, 2022 #29 Share Posted January 30, 2022 2 hours ago, cresx said: A lot of back and forth on here that was not about the original request. Any other great tips. My mom is now on here also following. Thank you in advance. Some people just can’t help themselves when it comes to thread crapping. Hope you get the info you need! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare GeezerCouple Posted January 30, 2022 #30 Share Posted January 30, 2022 2 hours ago, cresx said: A lot of back and forth on here that was not about the original request. Any other great tips. My mom is now on here also following. Thank you in advance. Greetings to cresx's Mother 🙂 I had written this a while ago, but hadn't posted it yet: -------------------------------- One nice benefit is that you can also order meals from the regular Dining Room menu, or from any of the specialty restaurants, to be served in their suite. There will be the same charge for the meals. (I suggest that they consider, and perhaps ask the Butler, about other requests being made for the same time. We tried to make sure that our Butler always knew that we were flexible, so if there were too many requests, we'd [almost always] be able to arrange to have dinner, for example, a little earlier or later.) You might do a search here on CC for "butler letter". We always have a printed and short! note for our Butler. When we meet them for the first time, we give a very brief greeting, hand him the letter, and say something about how pleased we are to meet them, and we know how very busy the first afternoon is, so here's some information about us, and we look forward to seeing you later when things calm down. (This assumes we don't have any immediate needs/requests, obviously.). They are SO busy those first few hours, including learning about all the new guests, etc. Invariably, the Butler returns later, usually with a pen/pencil in hand along with our note, and thanks us for it. They'll usually ask a bit more about the food allergy we mentioned, etc., and anything else. This is a good way to mention some preferred foods for the daily snacks. We preferred fresh fruit instead of too many sweets (except some dark chocolate! 😉 ). We also really enjoy having breakfast brought to us. We tell the Butler that our "Privacy" sign on the door is for everyone BUT them... they should ignore that and just knock and walk in. IF we want privacy, we'll bolt the door. That way, in the morning, they can bring in breakfast without bothering us if we are still asleep. If we are awake, we'll greet them (obviously). They are real professionals, and they can set out the meal with surprising quiet, although we might wake up (if not already awake) to the smell of bacon (!) and perhaps a few quiet sounds of china softly clinking. We usually have a larger suite, so we might be in bed behind a door or half wall, etc., but we've done this also in a "one room suite", and it's worked very well either way. They will have an easier time with their job, and your parents will enjoy the service more, if they communicate what they like or don't. We never need much from the Concierge, so others can speak to that. But we really do use and enjoy the services of the Butler, and we tip accordingly. Your parents will also have a cordless phone, so they might want to bring it with them, when they are "out and around", so that they can indeed call to ask for some help, if needed. If they do dine in one of the regular restaurants, perhaps they'd like to have dessert brought later (still during regular hours) to their suite a bit later. That's nice, too. You or they might want to browse a bit more here on CC/NCL to learn what other things passengers tend to enjoy with help from the Butler. "After hours", there will usually be one "Night Butler" who covers for all of them, so then it won't be their regular Butler, but there is still someone to call for any help. And if they are busy during the day, someone else might also cover. Basically, the Butler will try to match whatever your parents seem to want, so if they don't say or ask for much, the Butler may appear a bit distant; they are just giving 'space' that they probably think is desired. Have your parents keep in mind that the Butler isn't a mind reader, so it helps a LOT if one is clear (and obviously polite) explaining anything one likes or doesn't. Note: This can be important. Some people have complained that they rarely saw their Butler; others seemed to be annoyed by the intrusion of special snacks that did not appeal to them, or other things/services that they preferred not to receive. I feel it is sort of a "help them to help you", and everyone benefits. As for tipping, just remember that the Butler (and Concierge) are not part of the regular pooled gratuities. We tip according to how much we use their services, and especially if there were any requests that required much extra effort or time. We are also among those who "pre-tip" a bit, which we do not do most other places, but there's no other place where there is someone almost always available like a cruise ship Butler [unfortunately, eh? Heh!]. So when we greet the Butler the first time, then along with that letter (or without it if we don't have one or don't have it at hand), we'll take some sort of tip, hand it to them, and thank them, telling them how much we appreciate the help of the Butlers. (At holiday time, we've given a slight bit more, and said something like, "Here is a little something so that maybe you can get something special for the holidays for your family back home." That usually elicits an especially warm comment.) My basic point is that we do *use* the services of the Butler, but we *always* make it clear how much we appreciate their assistance, and we really do. It can make a huge difference. That may be "their job", but we never take it for granted. Never! We are also a bit older, and I have a slight mobility problem so that walking distances can be a problem. So having this type of help makes a real difference. As for the Concierge, we rarely make much use of their services, other than the occasional "escorted back elevator to avoid crowds", and that can be helpful especially at busy times (including the final morning). GC 4 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsTabbyKats Posted January 30, 2022 #31 Share Posted January 30, 2022 I apologize to those who misunderstood me , and no, I would never book an accessible cabin. If you pay for services, you should take advantage of those services. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cresx Posted January 31, 2022 Author #32 Share Posted January 31, 2022 15 hours ago, aliely said: cresx, Just wondering if your parents originally booked the accessible Penthouse Suite when they booked the cruise on the Jewel Class or if they did it through the upgrade offer. If you have time and would be willing to let me know, I would appreciate it! They originally booked an accessible balcony. Reached back out to their TA to change their reservation. Too early for the NCL Upgrade bidding. Also heard that is not a great option if you need accessible cabins. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruisingTink71 Posted February 19, 2022 #33 Share Posted February 19, 2022 (edited) I want to reply to GeezerCouple so I hope I am doing this right. My husband, daughter and I are sailing in April and have a Family suite with butler service (which is first for us). I will be using a motor scooter and my husband will be using a cane. I really appreciate your information, especially about the letter. We are celebrating our 51st anniversary and our daughter's 40th birthday. I have always tipped our room steward as soon as we get on board so will definitely also tip the butler. I still have a probably stupid question, but do we pay for the snacks, etc. And can the butler supply us with bottled water or do we need to order it ahead of time? Thanks for any help. Edited February 19, 2022 by CruisingTink71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare GeezerCouple Posted February 19, 2022 #34 Share Posted February 19, 2022 27 minutes ago, CruisingTink71 said: I want to reply to GeezerCouple so I hope I am doing this right. My husband, daughter and I are sailing in April and have a Family suite with butler service (which is first for us). I will be using a motor scooter and my husband will be using a cane. I really appreciate your information, especially about the letter. We are celebrating our 51st anniversary and our daughter's 40th birthday. I have always tipped our room steward as soon as we get on board so will definitely also tip the butler. I still have a probably stupid question, but do we pay for the snacks, etc. And can the butler supply us with bottled water or do we need to order it ahead of time? Thanks for any help. Geezer Couple here! 😁 For the future, you can also use the "quote" at the bottom of someone's post, and then their post will appear within yours AND I think they always get notified that someone replied (?). You won't pay for any regular snacks. What is "regular"? Heh... I don't know. Just ask, and do NOT be hesitant to ask if there is any extra charge, or better yet, in that letter, ask that the Butler let you know BEFOREHAND if there is any extra charge for anything that you request. In general, if there is a charge listed anywhere, you'll also pay it in the Haven. Examples are Specialty dining, at the Specialty restaurant or served in your suite by your Butler. Likewise any extra-pay beverages (soda, booze, even waters). Don't count on the Butler just leaving them UNLESS you are in a top suite (Garden Villa, OS, DOS; not sure of categories on the larger ships) and then there is a list of what is included. The Butler can make the *arrangements* for any "paid" extras such as sparkling water or liquor, but you'll probably be charged the regular amount. (We had a non-Haven DOS on first NCL cruise and got spoiled with unlimited San Pellegrino and soft drinks. I drink a LOT of San Pellegrino! On a Haven 2BR suite, the Butler occasionally left an extra bottle or two of San Pellegrino... That sort of thing "depends", I guess... 🙂 Again, the Butler's goal is to help you enjoy, and having you get charged unexpectedly isn't going to do that. Just make it clear that you want to know, so they don't think you "already know", or such. Let them know this is your first time in the Haven, and you'd appreciate any suggestions that might not be obvious, etc. Everyone has a first time, right? 😉 I don't know if you'd get charged if you ordered 3 dozen cold shrimp with cocktail sauce as your "snack". 🤔 That might be different than requesting a couple of BLT sandwiches or cheese and crackers. I don't know; we never asked for something like that (maybe we should have?). ENJOY! GC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Turtles06 Posted February 19, 2022 #35 Share Posted February 19, 2022 13 hours ago, CruisingTink71 said: I have always tipped our room steward as soon as we get on board so will definitely also tip the butler. There’s really no need to do that for either of them. And I think some might well take offense at that, as though you don’t trust them to do their jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
complawyer Posted February 19, 2022 #36 Share Posted February 19, 2022 believe me, they will definitely NOT take offense 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChiefMateJRK Posted February 19, 2022 #37 Share Posted February 19, 2022 On 1/30/2022 at 10:49 AM, MsTabbyKats said: If someone told me we were at the age where we needed extra help....I'd challenge them to an hour at the gym with me and DH. 😁 Good stuff! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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