butler/conceirge tipping

[danielle1458]

What is customary??? We just got upgraded and I was wonderig how much we should tip above our daily tipping fees.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Most people will say it depends on how much you use them. Neither of them receives any of the daily tips you pay.

[mikaula]

We just had the pleasure of having Putu as our butler on the Star. We didn't use his services much but when we did it was excellent. We were traveling with extended family in other rooms and he made my grandkids feel like royalty. He delivered treats to our room several times, we had room service a couple times for breakfast and a couple times we had snacks after a port day. It's hard to say how much to tip because it is such a personal thing but we tipped him $100. Some may say that is not enough and others will say it was too much.

[suzyed]

We just had the pleasure of having Putu as our butler on the Star. We didn't use his services much but when we did it was excellent. We were traveling with extended family in other rooms and he made my grandkids feel like royalty. He delivered treats to our room several times, we had room service a couple times for breakfast and a couple times we had snacks after a port day. It's hard to say how much to tip because it is such a personal thing but we tipped him $100. Some may say that is not enough and others will say it was too much.

Who was the concierge? How was she/he?

[terrymtex01]

Every one will have their own idea of what you should tip. We usually start out the cruise by having a budget of tipping the Butler and the Concierge $20.00 for each of them for each day of the cruise. So for a 7 day cruise we would tip them a minimum of $140.00 each. However as we use their services we add more, just depending on how much we use them, how good a job they did, etc. We rarely use the Concierge after boarding because when we board we give him/her our list of restaurant reservations we would like and other than that, we really don't usually use their services. The Butler we hardly ever use, and in fact I would say that on the last cruise we were on, while the Butler was a very sweet, nice, and helpful young man, we just never used his services. However the Butler and the Concierge are there basically at your beck and call so to me they deserve at least $20.00 a day just for being there and available. We also tip anywhere from $20.00 to $40.00 each to the Cabin Stewards even though they are a part of the tipping pool. It is just they usually give such excellent service we enjoy including them with our tips. It is not expected by them for you to tip them, (the Cabin Stewards I mean), but they do appreciate it. I have posted several times that we only tipped the Butler and Concierge $10.00 each for each day of the cruise but Doug just told me I was wrong and pulled up the excel spreadsheets to prove it.. LOL

 

If you are on the Star and your Concierge is Simone, you have lucked out. Just our honest opinion, she is the best in the business.

[suzyed]

If you are on the Star and your Concierge is Simone, you have lucked out. Just our honest opinion, she is the best in the business.

 

I agree, Simone is one in a million! Unfortunatly we are sailing again a week before she comes back on to the Star, so we will miss her! :(

[big green]

We have stayed in suites on 4 of 5 cruises on NCL. The concierge and butler service has varied on each cruise. I do not think there should be a flat rule on what anyone should tip-- it is based on the service you get and on your personnel economic situation. When I stay at 5 star hotels I will tip a concierge if they do something extraordinary--but that does not mean I will use them everyday and tip for no service.

 

These threads on this subject appear a lot on this board. I firmly believe the answer is a personnel matter that one is comfortable with depending on their own economic situation .

 

Big Green

[terrymtex01]

We have stayed in suites on 4 of 5 cruises on NCL. The concierge and butler service has varied on each cruise. I do not think there should be a flat rule on what anyone should tip-- it is based on the service you get and on your personnel economic situation. When I stay at 5 star hotels I will tip a concierge if they do something extraordinary--but that does not mean I will use them everyday and tip for no service.

 

These threads on this subject appear a lot on this board. I firmly believe the answer is a personnel matter that one is comfortable with depending on their own economic situation .

 

Big Green

 

I agree mostly with what you posted except that when someone comes on the boards and says "what should we expect to tip" or "what is customary", etc, it doesn't hurt to give them your experience or what you would do yourself, just as you did in your posting. Most people that come on here and ask about tipping a butler and concierge have probably never sailed in a suite that had the perks like that before and ask the questions they do on here because they probably want some guideline on what they should do. I know the first time we sailed in a cabin we researched online how much most people tip because we didn't want to be cheapo's and not tip anything or not tip enough and didnt want to be foolish and tip alot more than is expected.

[WhenIsOurNextCruise]

Terry,

You are exactly right. Prior to this year, we have cruised with everyone except NCL and the tipping is a lot easier to figure out. We've had a butler before with Celebrity and a concierge (in the concierge lounge) with RCI - but the service provided on the Star was above and beyond anything we have ever experienced. We really really needed help trying to get an IDEA of where to start. The nice people on cruise critic gave us great feedback and helped us find an answer.

Cathy

[suzyed]

Terry,

You are exactly right. Prior to this year, we have cruised with everyone except NCL and the tipping is a lot easier to figure out. We've had a butler before with Celebrity and a concierge (in the concierge lounge) with RCI - but the service provided on the Star was above and beyond anything we have ever experienced. We really really needed help trying to get an IDEA of where to start. The nice people on cruise critic gave us great feedback and helped us find an answer.

Cathy

Same here, Cathy! Last year was our first experience in a suite on the Star. First NCL cruise as well. And, boy, do they go above and beyond!

CC boards were really helpful! ;)

[cweinzie]

If you are on the Star and your Concierge is Simone, you have lucked out. Just our honest opinion, she is the best in the business.

 

I agree, Simone is one in a million! Unfortunatly we are sailing again a week before she comes back on to the Star, so we will miss her! :(

 

We will be on the Star in a couple of weeks. Do you know if Simone will be back by then?