Your Butler Experiences

[Robroy]

My wife and I have booked our first Oceania trip next May on Regatta and have a Penthouse. We have had butler service before on Silversea and Regent and are wondering what to expect. We aren't high maintenance people but did appreciate periodic canapes in the afternoon and the assistance with dinner reservations. I only ask the question as I had seen a posting a while ago where someone said their butler was overworked with too many cabins and wasn't of much help. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

Cheers,

Rob

[ToxM]

58 minutes ago, Robroy said:

My wife and I have booked our first Oceania trip next May on Regatta and have a Penthouse. We have had butler service before on Silversea and Regent and are wondering what to expect. We aren't high maintenance people but did appreciate periodic canapes in the afternoon and the assistance with dinner reservations. I only ask the question as I had seen a posting a while ago where someone said their butler was overworked with too many cabins and wasn't of much help. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

Cheers,

Rob

 

Haven’t sailed on a full ship with a butler so can’t help with commenting about them being overworked, but you will get a canapé menu to fill out for canapés each early evening. We evicted off that menu once with no issues. Butler was lovely and very helpful. Don’t forget you can get specialities and GDR served as room service by your butler. 

[NickCarraway]

We found butler service on Oceania and Silversea very similar. We also enjoy canapes in the afternoon, particularly after returning from an excursion, and Oceania's may be slightly better. 

[Mrs f.]

We had a butler on our last Marina cruise.  Thought he was terrible. Anything we asked, he couldn't do.   Couldn't get any extra specialty reservations.  Couldn't find my lost wine bag....which I found in 5 min after going to the lost and found. Never refilled the water and soda. Didn't ask what soda we preferred in fridge.  Not looking for a fight....JMO.  

 

I guess we just not used to the finer things. Will stick with my concierge 

Edited November 30, 2022 by Mrs f.
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[lj77346]

On an upcoming cruise on the Marina, we are in one of the 4 penthouse cabins at the aft of deck 7.  As there are no other penthouses nearby, will butler service at that location be an afterthought or will it be similar to that provided when we had a penthouse on deck 11?

[BWV]

We were in a penthouse on Marina last May, and our butler was wonderful. He delivered canapes, helped with dinner reservations, and helped with other matters also. 

[pinotlover]

24 minutes ago, lj77346 said:

On an upcoming cruise on the Marina, we are in one of the 4 penthouse cabins at the aft of deck 7.  As there are no other penthouses nearby, will butler service at that location be an afterthought or will it be similar to that provided when we had a penthouse on deck 11?

One can always call for their butlers and they respond fairly quickly. Regardless of deck, one is best off scheduling services ahead of time.

 

In honesty, on Decks 10 & 11, one can typically just stick their heads out their cabin doors and during service times catch your butler going by. Rarely happens on 7, you have to call.

 

Remember that during the afternoon, the exact timing slips me, the butlers are on break. There is always one on duty that will respond, it just may not be yours. How busy that on call butler is will vary.

 

Depending upon the cruise, extra dining reservations are not always available every night. 
 

We always coordinate with our butler well in advance when we want to do en-suite dining. Never had a problem. 
 

Similiar to all service staff, some butlers are better than others. Frequent O travelers learn the butlers maintain a computer file on the regular guests. They typically know what you like to drink, ship activities such as wine or bourbon tasting you participate in, La Reserve, etc when you get on the ship. They also know how, or if, you tip.

[sunlover12]

We have had very good butler service. We don't ask much of him but they have always been responsive when we call.  Our Sirena cruise in October was completely full and the butlers were busy. They are eager to help - whenever we saw our butler in the hallway he would ask if there was anything he could do for us. They each get afternoon breaks so if you call during that time, another butler is always on duty.

 

One day when we saw him in the hallway we asked him to sign us up for the wine tasting. I wondered if he'd remember to do that because I am sure he's regularly being inundated with requests of all kinds. Sure enough...later that day we got a written confirmation in our cabin of the wine tasting.  Having a good memory is also part of the job. 

 

We didn't ask for extra specialty restaurant reservations but that cruise was so full I doubt there were any. In that case in-suite dining from the specialties, served by your butler, is a nice alternative. 

 

 

[Gracie115]

54 minutes ago, pinotlover said:

 In honesty, on Decks 10 & 11, one can typically just stick their heads out their cabin doors and during service times catch your butler going by. Rarely happens on 7, you have to call.

 

 

 

Oh but having that oversized balcony is well worth the extra time it takes to make a phone call for service!!!

[Lane412000]

In 2008 on our first Oceania cruise we had a butler from the Soviet Union. He spoiled us and we have never had another butler come close to the magnificent service we received from this gentleman. In our more recent Oceania cruises, requests like in-suite dining has made it look like the butler was going to visit the dentist. Actually, I cannot recall the last time we had a butler even suggest to us to have in-suite dining.  Course by course delivery is long gone.

 

In August aboard the Marina, we got dressed and went to La Reserve for our reservation only to find it blacked out.  Could it be we had the wrong date? No, had the reservation card in hand. Stopped at the reception desk and was told the dinner was cancelled and the butler should have informed us. When I asked the butler, he said no, reservations was supposed to inform me but his face told me differently.

 

Now, it is always nice to have breakfast waiting for us in the suite dining room, so cannot complain too much.

[ORV]

4 hours ago, lj77346 said:

On an upcoming cruise on the Marina, we are in one of the 4 penthouse cabins at the aft of deck 7.  As there are no other penthouses nearby, will butler service at that location be an afterthought or will it be similar to that provided when we had a penthouse on deck 11?

On the other hand you're back there with the owner's suites. One would think the best butlers would be serving that area. 

[jondfk]

We sailed twice on O in 2022 (our first O experiences btw).  Both sailings on Regatta, both in PH2 category, actually two doors apart from each other).

 

Our butler experiences.

 

First sailing in April.  Papeete to Los Angeles, 18 day sailing.  We had doubts as to how useful a butler would be to us, but we found small things to ask which were generally delivered.  We had a failure in the shower of our cabin and the butler insisted that he be allowed to "handle" it, okay I thought, but unfortunately the initial repair was entirely unsatisfactory.  His second attempt was fully okay though "great" service would have had him check the first repair before I discovered it, so, not perfect.  On the other hand, all breakfasts ordered were perfect and delivered within 5 minutes of requested time.  I ask for club soda in the minibar (I drink 3 each day), this he couldn't accommodate which was odd as there were cans readily available in all bars.  I developed a routine of grabbing 1 every time I passed by a bar which was sort of silly.  Butler's solution was to offer sparkly Varo water which would have been fine except that the bottles don't actually seal leading to most of the bubbles being gone upon delivery.  We asked for help with specialty reservations, which he provided, honestly though on such a long sailing additional times were't challenging and we found stopping by the deck 5 desk more productive as one received immediate feedback and alternatives.  These were the only shortcomings and believe me we left with a vary favorable opinion even considering these few faults.

 

Second sailing in September.  Los Angelas coastals (2 back to back) 16 total days.  Understanding the routine we made better use of our butler this time and wow was he fabulous.  He proved useful within minutes of boarding when I realized I had forgot my USB-C charge cable for my iPad.  I was considering scrambling to a local target for a replacement but butler insisted I "trust him" to find something.  I suspected he would tap the lost and found, he returned within 10 minutes with a cable, his own, from his stateroom.  I asked whether he could spare it and he insisted that he could - for the entire cruise.  Wow.  I made the same club soda request which was answered with a smile.  He monitored my usage and quickly enough made certain there were 4 in the fridge at all times.  Breakfast services was similarly prompt and perfect.  We thought well of the first guy, but the second one redefined good.

 

Hope my long feedback is of some help.

[davencl]

We have been on two Oceania cruises with butler service this year.  Both were great.  We enjoyed breakfast most mornings served by the butler.   The real treat is a course by course service from the butler from any of the specialty restaurants for dinner.  We did this several times.  

[Robroy]

Thank you all for your personal observations! Sounds like we'll enjoy butler services!

 

Cheers,

Rob 

[Noxequifans]

Was always pleased with the butlers. 

[Sthrngary]

1 hour ago, Robroy said:

Thank you all for your personal observations! Sounds like we'll enjoy butler services!

 

Cheers,

Rob 

Rob, first I would like to thank you for asking the question.  I want to be transparent.  My first Oceania Cruise will be November 9, 2023 on the Riviera.  It will be 10-days, in the Mediterranean in a (PH3) Penthouse Suite. 

 

My post simply cannot provide you with actual experiences on Oceania but what I can do is give you some advice from my experience on other brands.  When I share these the comments or shall I say opinions of my approach are mixed.  About five years ago or more, I was getting frustrated on having a butler.  They seems to be hit or miss.

 

I finally had a REAL conversation with a butler and learned some things:

 

1. Extra Work:  Butlers do much more of their duties behind the scenes.  This is especially true on the first and last day of a cruise.  My original belief was the butlers just dealt with their respective guest needs.  Not so. They are "Jacks of all Trades". 
2. Over Worked:  You usually see butlers really over worked on Mainstream Brands like the NCL Haven or the Celebrity Retreat.  When you up the classification of the cruise brand to "Premium Plus" or "Luxury", the butlers seem to focus much more on the guest needs and have the time to do that. 
3. No Crystal Ball:  My conversations focused on my questions that I asked.  I wanted to know what frustrated the Butlers most.  The answer was surprising.  They really want to please but don't you the guests wants and needs quite well enough or not at all.  They don't have a Crystal Ball.  I created a habit those many years ago, to give some background on my wife and I, what we liked and did not like, our requests with the understand not all could be provided.  All of this in writing which I call the "butler letter".  
4. Butler Gratuities:  Some brands do not include the butlers gratuities with the "Pre-Paid" gratuities.  Many guest do not know that simple fact and leave without providing a gratuity for the butler which they depend on.  This created a frustration which in some cases cause a less then great experience on both sides.  Not saying this is right, just explaining the situation as I understood it.  

 

Since I have written my "Butler Letter", I have had good to GREAT butlers.  For over 5 years, my butlers have been a hit with NO misses.  To the person, when they read the letter which is kind, understanding and informational; they comment, "I wish all our guest would share this with us.  It would make it so much easier to exceed our guest expectations." Flattery will get you everywhere but actions speak louder then words.  The actions I received were a grand improvement. 

 

Here is the controversial part and I have been criticized enough for this practice by guest but shown appreciation by Butlers.  All I am going to say is it has work wonderfully for me. In the butler letter, I put a gratuity upfront.  I explain a real story where I left a ship without providing a butler with their gratuity and sent in onboard with an officer.  I was totally embarrassed.  So now I provide it upfront.  

 

It is up to us to have a plan to make our next cruise the best it can be.  If we have had issues in the past, attempt a new strategy that can reduce or eliminate that issue in the future.  What I do is not that right approach for others.  It has worked for me and made my last many cruises an elevated experience.  I hope this helps in some way.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[LHT28]

2 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Butler Gratuities:  Some brands do not include the butlers gratuities with the "Pre-Paid" gratuities.  Many guest do not know that simple fact and leave without providing a gratuity for the butler which they depend on.  This created a frustration which in some cases cause a less then great experience on both sides.  Not saying this is right, just explaining the situation as I understood it.  

 

 

Oceania  includes  the gratuities  for their butlers  but you are free to add more if you choose

https://oceaniacruises.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360005476793-What-is-your-gratuity-policy-

 

Some think the butler is theirs alone  & he stands by  waiting to act on your wishes  when you call 😁

[Sthrngary]

12 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Some think the butler is theirs alone  & he stands by  waiting to act on your wishes  when you call 😁

That would be great and would double the cost for sure.  Thanks for the feedback.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.  

[Robroy]

Sthrngary:

Thanks for the excellent post! You're quite right - the butlers do an awful lot in the background and don't exist simply to cater to our each and every whim on a moment's notice. I know our last butler on Regent was slugging luggage late in the evening prior to disembarking and I hadn't realized this was indeed part of his duties. Your "butler letter" is a great idea to establish what your reasonable expectations are and to potentially discuss things with him/her.

We certainly look forward to our trip and will no doubt enjoy the butler services!

 

Cheers,

Rob

[EasyGoingGuy]

So, here we go with my 'amusing' butler story. Last Dec., Santiago to Buenos Aires (although we never made it to BA), I arrived to the ship luggage-less (as did my wife, thank you American Airlines).  The experience just getting to Santiago was, well, our worst ever.  Here's where the butler (maybe Akshay, so sorry I can't remember) kicked in, (you will find not to depend on 'O' gift shop for emergency clothes) every night I gave him our clothes, and every morning they were there clean and ready.  Every day he was there smiling asking how he could help us.  After a few stops (don't count on remote South American ports to have clothing stores) my wife's clothes found us  and a week later I found a store in Ushuaia that sold everything I needed.  Other than bringing a wonderful breakfast most mornings, he was a breath of fresh air on a stressful adventure.  Anything we asked (and frankly it wasn't much) he took care of.  We never could figure out before we left why we needed a butler, we probably would have left the cruise and flown home early without him (the lugaggeless  SA covid port experience was that bad).  Based on that experience we booked a 20 day Med in a PH2 and can only hope Akshay is there again.  Kinda schmaltzy but he really did help save the trip .

[Andee]

We only had a butler once and he trained us well not to ask for anything.

We asked him to turn in my husband's menus; he refused.

We asked us to show us a standard veranda cabin; he showed us a handicapped accessible one, which is different.

[JeffElizabeth]

Our Butler on Riviera was awesome! In fact, he told us we weren't asking for enough from him. True, the ship was only 3/4 to 1/2 full on our cruise from Miami to Venice, er, Trieste. 

Especially loved getting my morning paper.  Made other guests extremely jealous.  

[PSR]

What newspaper did you get?. Was it a reprint of your local paper or a generic summary of news of the world?

[JeffElizabeth]

Actually got the Wall Street Journal.  Worked until we got into the Mediterranean because of the time change. 

[davencl]

We got a condensed version of USA today on our Riviera cruise to Southern Caribbean in January.  We were in an Oceania Suite.

Edited December 4, 2022 by davencl