Eliminating Butlers - Spoke to Celebrity. Here is conversation.

[sixpackeddie]

5 hours ago, chemmo said:

Sincere thanks for taking time out of your cruise to keep us updated!

 

 

I have gained a lot of valuable knowledge from the members of CC it’s always a pleasure to help where I can.

[jelayne]

That’s depressing.  We sailed in our 1st suite in 2015 and had a great butler.  Over the years we have run into him on board and he always remembers us.  We last saw him October 2021.  I was hoping that since that was 8 years ago he would be safe.  
 

I wonder if this reduction is impacting the Retreat Concierges.  We had a couple of them recently who had been promoted to that position from Guest Service starting with our cruise. 

[wineoclock]

1 hour ago, SunnySunflower said:

The last night on our cruise our butler in the Retreat confirmed that he was being asked to move back to housekeeping or retire. 15 years as a butler and now will have to relearn his new role in housekeeping.(If Celebrity reads my post the butler took great care of us. He was careful not to say he was being demoted and was not negative in any way. ) We did not dig for more information so I cannot comment beyond what he told us.

What a way to treat someone. 

[Funky Fusion FoodsJ]

25 minutes ago, wineoclock said:

What a way to treat someone. 

It’s really no different than any other company downsizing.  They can’t accommodate all butlers so he was at least offered an alternate position…better than unemployed.

[zitsky]

4 minutes ago, Funky Fusion FoodsJ said:

It’s really no different than any other company downsizing.  They can’t accommodate all butlers so he was at least offered an alternate position…better than unemployed.

I have worked all king of jobs so this is not snobbery.  But expecting a trained butler to work in housekeeping and what, change bedsheets, seems ridiculous.

[Duanerice1]

Don't take this the wrong way, but does anyone really need a butler?  Never booked a suite because we take 4 or 5 decent vacations a year and don't want to spend that kind of money for a cruise.  But if I did, I think I'd book for the Retreat, drinks, dining, bigger room, etc.  a butler would never even enter into my thoughts.  What do they actually do?  Out of, probably 20 cruises I can't think of anytime I would have needed a butler. 

 

Again, nothing wrong with it but is a butler really necessary? 

Have  great cruise!

[C4HCG]

6 minutes ago, Duanerice1 said:

Don't take this the wrong way, but does anyone really need a butler?  Never booked a suite because we take 4 or 5 decent vacations a year and don't want to spend that kind of money for a cruise.  But if I did, I think I'd book for the Retreat, drinks, dining, bigger room, etc.  a butler would never even enter into my thoughts.  What do they actually do?  Out of, probably 20 cruises I can't think of anytime I would have needed a butler. 

 

Again, nothing wrong with it but is a butler really necessary? 

Have  great cruise!

Great question, look forward to the answers.

[zitsky]

2 minutes ago, Duanerice1 said:

Don't take this the wrong way, but does anyone really need a butler?  Never booked a suite because we take 4 or 5 decent vacations a year and don't want to spend that kind of money for a cruise.  But if I did, I think I'd book for the Retreat, drinks, dining, bigger room, etc.  a butler would never even enter into my thoughts.  What do they actually do?  Out of, probably 20 cruises I can't think of anytime I would have needed a butler. 

 

Again, nothing wrong with it but is a butler really necessary? 

Have  great cruise!

I was a secretary in college.  So I have no problem politely asking another adult for help if that is their job.

 

When I was in my first Sky Suite on Beyond, our butler Rudy did everything you could do with a phone call.  Just one exception.  The Retreat concierge arranged a packed lunch in Greece.

 

So changes to restaurant reservations.  Delivering room service.  He said “let me handle everything”.

 

I did not ask him to unpack our suitcases or draw a bath.  I have been told that’s possible but we didn’t want to abuse the privilege.

 

He also did not make that banana split in Luminae.

[Duanerice1]

12 minutes ago, zitsky said:

I was a secretary in college.  So I have no problem politely asking another adult for help if that is their job.

 

When I was in my first Sky Suite on Beyond, our butler Rudy did everything you could do with a phone call.  Just one exception.  The Retreat concierge arranged a packed lunch in Greece.

 

So changes to restaurant reservations.  Delivering room service.  He said “let me handle everything”.

 

I did not ask him to unpack our suitcases or draw a bath.  I have been told that’s possible but we didn’t want to abuse the privilege.

 

He also did not make that banana split in Luminae.

Thanks, just curious.  that packed lunch looks like a great idea. 

[jelayne]

Butler kept mini bar stocked, delivered room service orders,  picked up and delivered laundry, served dinner in our suite, arranged for and set up snacks and beverages for small in suite gatherings, got shoe repaired when the sole detached.  A real plus was on cruises where the ship held the passports but you had to retrieve them for showing in person at some ports the butlers retrieved them rather than the guests standing in long lines for 2500 passengers who were picking up passports. 

[sixpackeddie]

2 minutes ago, jelayne said:

Butler kept mini bar stocked, delivered room service orders,  picked up and delivered laundry, served dinner in our suite, arranged for and set up snacks and beverages for small in suite gatherings, got shoe repaired when the sole detached.  A real plus was on cruises where the ship held the passports but you had to retrieve them for showing in person at some ports the butlers retrieved them rather than the guests standing in long lines for 2500 passengers who were picking up passports. 

Yes, I agree with everything above but unfortunately times are changing particularly for Sky Suite guests especially when it comes to keeping mini bar stocked….

Edited August 20, 2023 by sixpackeddie
Mistake

[hcat]

1 hour ago, Duanerice1 said:

Don't take this the wrong way, but does anyone really need a butler?  Never booked a suite because we take 4 or 5 decent vacations a year and don't want to spend that kind of money for a cruise.  But if I did, I think I'd book for the Retreat, drinks, dining, bigger room, etc.  a butler would never even enter into my thoughts.  What do they actually do?  Out of, probably 20 cruises I can't think of anytime I would have needed a butler. 

 

Again, nothing wrong with it but is a butler really necessary? 

Have  great cruise!

Not many of us have butlers or full time  staff at home.. but it's a premium price for a a short term fantasy many enjoy! Too bad X took it away and staff getting the ax!

 

We are happier in AQ..spa life fantasy!

[zitsky]

21 minutes ago, hcat said:

Not many of us have butlers or full time  staff at home.. but it's a premium price for a a short term fantasy many enjoy! Too bad X took it away and staff getting the ax!

 

We are happier in AQ..spa life fantasy!

I thought we weren’t supposed to talk about our “fantasies” on this website???

[Cap_D]

The Butler was one person that was synced to you vs a generic system that continues to only be accessible by corded phone or, if the Retreat Concierges remain, in person contact after vying for their attention.  They enabled Retreat customers to access food and services that would have otherwise not been available or taken too long to be convenient on a vacation. 

 

Technology, a coffee maker, and some other changes could help improve the situation, but that assumes Celebrity wants people to access food and services.  A cordless phone that works ship wide and on location delivery is available on other cruise lines like NCL Haven, and as we have already about first hand experiences on MSC where regardless of room the Butlers are seemingly ubiquitous. 

[C-Dragons]

40 minutes ago, hcat said:

Not many of us have butlers or full time  staff at home.. but it's a premium price for a a short term fantasy many enjoy! Too bad X took it away and staff getting the ax!

 

We are happier in AQ..spa life fantasy!

Yes, the the staff is getting the ax but Suite guests still have to pay the premium price for reduced service.

 

(Glad you are happy in Aqua!) 👍

[jelayne]

2 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

Yes, the the staff is getting the ax but Suite guests still have to pay the premium price for reduced service.

 

(Glad you are happy in Aqua!) 👍

And the additional daily gratuity for Butler we no longer have.  

[t18c97]

3 minutes ago, jelayne said:

And the additional daily gratuity for Butler we no longer have.  

While we don’t have a dedicated butler there is the team that still needs the gratuity.

[hcat]

13 minutes ago, C-Dragons said:

Yes, the the staff is getting the ax but Suite guests still have to pay the premium price for reduced service.

 

(Glad you are happy in Aqua!) 👍

staff getting the ax,  sky suite pax getting the shaft!

[hcat]

44 minutes ago, zitsky said:

I thought we weren’t supposed to talk about our “fantasies” on this website???

for health and wellness!

[C4HCG]

1 hour ago, jelayne said:

Butler kept mini bar stocked, delivered room service orders,  picked up and delivered laundry, served dinner in our suite, arranged for and set up snacks and beverages for small in suite gatherings, got shoe repaired when the sole detached.  A real plus was on cruises where the ship held the passports but you had to retrieve them for showing in person at some ports the butlers retrieved them rather than the guests standing in long lines for 2500 passengers who were picking up passports. 

All good stuff and I can understand why people want to feel pampered on holiday, and for the money you pay you should be. Would embarrass us though, prefer privacy and we would rather fend for ourselves. Very often we will leave the deep sleep sign on the door all day, gives the stateroom attendant one rooms rest. Maybe my working class background, I get pleasure from the joy of being on holiday, enough for me.

[C-Dragons]

4 minutes ago, hcat said:

staff getting the ax,  sky suite pax getting the shaft!

Yes, but for how much longer?

 

 Albert Einstein said, “ the definition of  insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

 

[jelayne]

27 minutes ago, t18c97 said:

While we don’t have a dedicated butler there is the team that still needs the gratuity.

We need see how the well they team approach works.  For now all I know is we are to go to the Retreat Lounge gather up the items we want and carry them back to stock our mini bar.  

[zitsky]

2 hours ago, Duanerice1 said:

Thanks, just curious.  that packed lunch looks like a great idea. 

Some people say NO NO NO you can’t take food off the ship.  But Celebrity sent us out with that packed lunch and organized a private tour when there was a problem with our group tour.  That right there is why we booked another Sky Suite.  That, and the banana split.

[zitsky]

56 minutes ago, t18c97 said:

While we don’t have a dedicated butler there is the team that still needs the gratuity.

This again.  😂

I had this vision from the future.

 

There is a team.  Rudy, Sally and Indu were always helpful when I called.  But Fred had to be reminded twice before he did something.  But he still expected the same tip as the others.

[ChucktownSteve]

On 8/16/2023 at 7:40 PM, NMTraveller said:

Looks like Celebrity didn't even give a pluck.