YC Butler

[cruisebeachgirl703]

What are some wonderful things your butler has done for you? (From some other posts seems experience and training are better than haven and retreat.) Thanks.

[Heartgrove]

Our YC butler arranged for a bagged lunch to be prepared, at the concierge suggestion, that we could take with us as we disembarked in Genoa. We were going by train to Venice that morning with tight connections.

[cruisebeachgirl703]

8 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

Our YC butler arranged for a bagged lunch to be prepared, at the concierge suggestion, that we could take with us as we disembarked in Genoa. We were going by train to Venice that morning with tight connections.

Very Nice!

[cruisebeachgirl703]

Would love more stories!

[insidecabin]

9 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

Our YC butler arranged for a bagged lunch to be prepared, at the concierge suggestion, that we could take with us as we disembarked in Genoa. We were going by train to Venice that morning with tight connections.

Most likely against local regulations.

[Mark_T]

1 hour ago, insidecabin said:

Most likely against local regulations.

Not likely to be an issue in most EU ports, especially for an Italian cruise line in the Mediterranean.

 

Always follow the advice given on the ship though as there are going to be exceptions like arriving from a TA for example.

Edited July 23, 2023 by Mark_T

[def0715]

I’ve read several reports of all the things they can and will do. I don’t remember mine doing anything for me on the Meraviglia, strangely. I remember he offered to take my drink order when I was on deck once … and sort of forgot to order it. I walked to the bar. I don’t need someone fawning over me but after reading about other butlers I do feel like I didn’t get the full experience. Then again, I waited about an hour to board, I don’t think we were escorted to the lounge as a group, nothing was explained and the whole setup seemed maybe not typical. Still enjoyed my experience of the ship within a ship and raved to my dad about it. I’m taking him with me in January and hoping it’s more special than what I experienced solo, if that makes sense.

 

if anyone has pointers, please share. (Didn’t mean to go off topic. Feels somewhat related?)

[Heartgrove]

3 hours ago, insidecabin said:

Most likely against local regulations.

 

Doubt it as the concierge metioned that it would be similar to a bagged lunch for an excursion. 

[Mark_T]

7 hours ago, Heartgrove said:

 

Doubt it as the concierge metioned that it would be similar to a bagged lunch for an excursion. 

There are many ports where it would be against local regulations and food on excursions would have to be provided from local sources, not the ship.

 

... but in an EU port on an EU cruise there is usually no problem with taking food from the ship ashore...

[KaLeun]

Well, on our last cruise the Butler, per our request, put sun loungers on our balcony, when my DW became a bit seasick he instantly added several cans o ginger ale to the cabin fridge as that can help if the sea-sickness is not too bad. He came by about half time of the cruise to ask when we might want to take our Black-members free speciality dinner because he noticed we had not yet reserved.We har prebooked a laundry package and he asked when we wouzld like to use it and had enough laundy bags waiting on that day. On one or two days it was not possible to get the newspaper on time as there was no internet, so he looked for us on the TSL and Top sundeck and delivered the newspaper once it was printed.

[Brighton Line]

10 hours ago, Mark_T said:

There are many ports where it would be against local regulations and food on excursions would have to be provided from local sources, not the ship.

 

... but in an EU port on an EU cruise there is usually no problem with taking food from the ship ashore...

If it is against regulation to take non-packaged food ashore and you are caught violating that regulation it isn't MSC that will get the fine it is the passenger. No matter how loud you will claim my butler said it was okay you still will be paying that fine. 

[Mark_T]

37 minutes ago, Brighton Line said:

If it is against regulation to take non-packaged food ashore and you are caught violating that regulation it isn't MSC that will get the fine it is the passenger. No matter how loud you will claim my butler said it was okay you still will be paying that fine. 

I don't think anyone has suggested otherwise, but on an EU ship sailing an EU itinerary, especially in the Schengen zone there isn't even any border control, let alone restrictions on the movement of food between ship and shore...

 

Plenty of other ports where the warning about food is usually given clearly by the ship when in port, so always check, but it is not automatically wrong everywhere...

[rikitikitavii]

On 7/23/2023 at 6:47 AM, cruisebeachgirl703 said:

What are some wonderful things your butler has done for you? (From some other posts seems experience and training are better than haven and retreat.) Thanks.

Precovid, our butler and room steward had decorated our room for my birthday, upon return from an excursion. During dinner a cake was delivered. Went back to the room and they had redecorated and added a bottle of champagne!

[cruisebeachgirl703]

Precovid, our butler and room steward had decorated our room for my birthday, upon return from an excursion. During dinner a cake was delivered. Went back to the room and they had redecorated and added a bottle of champagne!

 

That is great!

[Brighton Line]

19 hours ago, rikitikitavii said:

Precovid, our butler and room steward had decorated our room for my birthday, upon return from an excursion. During dinner a cake was delivered. Went back to the room and they had redecorated and added a bottle of champagne!

On June 1 my birthday I got two of the same cakes. 

The wife reserved Butcher's cut, cake not personalized

Room is decorated with a door banner, and in the room streamers from the ceiling and some light-up light thing with a bottle of Perceco and a personalized cake (same as the one I was holding from Butchers Cut).

The same cake made appearances throughout the cruise when parties had birthdays or anniversaries

[awatt]

In the morning I would go to the pool deck for a coffee and sit outside. Then I would get one to return to the room. My butler saw me and would not let me carry it to the room. She insisted on carrying it for me.

 

[CTRobin]

We got the bagged lunches in Scotland or Ireland, (maybe both) when we had 9-hour excursions, so we took it on the bus. We didn't just walk around town with a bag of food. We didn't know when we'd be able to eat so we appreciated it. We got a piece of fruit, a focaccia with a piece of ham or turkey and cheese and they always had water for us to take. 

A couple in another cabin invited us to dinner at the YC restaurant and they had a butler find us to convey the invitation when they didn't see us that day. 

One day I felt queasy and the TopSail Lounge butler mixed up a concoction with lime and he checked on me regularly. My daughter underestimated her alcohol consumption one evening and a butler walked her to our room to make sure she didn't fall on her way there. 

[heatherb1958]

We asked our butler on Grandiosa to please relax and take a holiday from us as we have simple needs and didn't need checking up on but he did insist on finding us to escort us to reservations we had  around the ship even though we repeatedly told him it was unnecessary.  He said it was part of his job to do so.

On disembarkation day in Barcelona he came to find us to ask what time we would like to leave the ship,   we had kept our luggage stored in YC and told him 1pm after lunch . He found us  , got our luggage and escorted us all the way through the terminal and even loaded our luggage onto the public port  bus . I kindly thanked him . 

[KennyFla]

We were supposed to overnight on ocean cay.  My wife and I had planned to privately renew our vows at the gazebo on the beach. 
 

Wind prevented the ship from docking on the island and the Captain decided to add 2 sea days on the way to Mexico.  We decided to renew our vows that afternoon on our balcony.  

I guess my wife mentioned something to our butler, who really decorated the room, wrote a handwritten note, and brought champagne, cheese plate and fruit plate. 
 

 

[morpheusofthesea]

On 7/24/2023 at 3:09 PM, Mark_T said:

Plenty of other ports where the warning about food is usually given clearly by the ship when in port, so always check, but it is not automatically wrong everywhere.

That did happen on our cruise in the Caribbean July 16-23 2023. The Cruise Director came on the PA to say the ship had cleared to disembark and regulations are no food should be taken off the ship. And only Mexico had the drug sniffing dogs on the pier.

Edited July 27, 2023 by morpheusofthesea