? for cruiseline personnel re: Butlers

[Arwenmark]

There is a thread on here about having someone unpack for you. I know that unpacking is a service you can supposedly have your butler do, if you have a suite. I would not personally want to, but I was just wondering, at one time care of clothing was a big part of butlers or rather Valet services. When people HAD Butlers and Valets that is, and the good Butler schools, and yes there are such things, taught that along with a lot of other things.

 

So I was wondering, how the Cruiseline Butlers themselves feel about being asked to unpack for someone?

 

Now it is very different having ten or more suites that you are responsible for over someone having their OWN butler to do things for them.

 

Anyone on here know any of the Butlers personally that can ask how they feel about the unpacking question?

[2Cruise4Ever]

The 3 times that we've had a butler, all 3 offered to unpack and pack for us. I'm like you, though. I'd rather do it myself. So, I respectfully declined. I'm guessing it's a task that they'd rather not do, but are willing.

[Why Knot Me]

The 3 times that we've had a butler, all 3 offered to unpack and pack for us. I'm like you, though. I'd rather do it myself. So, I respectfully declined. I'm guessing it's a task that they'd rather not do, but are willing.

 

WOW, we've never had one ask, but I'd say yes :o.

[2Cruise4Ever]

WOW, we've never had one ask, but I'd say yes :o.

 

It does seem very convenient without all the hassles. But, I just can't fathom the thought of someone else handling my "unmentionables!" ;)

[pixiedustdawn]

Yes they would do it for you, but do you really want them to?

[Arwenmark]

YEs that is the question I was wondering is how do THEY actually feel about it. Hopefully someone knows one of these guys. I was just curious as it seems something that used to be done but probably isn't much now.

[Tideone]

When we were on a nine day Pearl cruise two Decembers ago, we had a penthouse suite on the courtyard... I had been ill and the doctor had told me to limit my activities so getting off the ship at the ports and taking long excursions was something I could not do...

Fortunately, we had a great cruise critic group and several of them had asked my wife to go along which left me in the suite listening to Jimmy Buffet and watching the other passengers come and go...

It was during this time that I got to know our butler rather well, and on port days he would stop by the cabin and we would talk... and one of the things we talked about was unpacking and packing people's luggage...

I won't use his name because he still has a few more weeks to go before he hangs up his butler gear and retires....

He told me that in all the years he had been a butler he had never been asked to pack or unpack for anyone... although he said he would if he was asked...

He and I discussed the subject and he said he felt that the people he dealt with would rather do their own packing and unpacking - mainly because they would know where they put everything...

[watchdiva]

We've never had a butler offer to unpack for us - nor would I want him/her to:eek:. Now, my DH has often done the packing/unpacking for both of us (he's a much better packer than I am) but I still prefer to put my own clothes away........

[ger3sf]

I'm very particular with regard to organizing dresser drawers and closets (otherwise I'd never find things), so I would prefer to unpack myself.

The butlers are invaluable for setting up meals on the dining table, providing restaurant menus, restocking the fridge, delivering the daily afternoon snacks, replacing the DVDs, etc.

[pould]

As an Englishman who understands these things, let me explain why having the butler unpack your suitcase is a BAD thing.

 

The etiquette behind male wardobe management is very simple. If your butler is the one who unpacks your suitcase then your butler should be the one to lay the clothes out in the morning that you request. Why? Because the very act of him putting them away implies that you have authorised him to manage your wardrobe, and if he's not going to do that (How many of you fancy ringing up your butler on the ship before breakfast and asking him to lay out your clothes for the day? No? See my point?) then he shouldn't put them away in the first place.

 

A Butler is there to run the household. He is the chief steward and NOT the valet. His job is to oversee the domestic management of your cabin but NOT your person, so that encompasses everything apart from your personal effects. If you want someone to manage your personal effects (i.e. your wardrobe and toilet), then you need a valet.

 

Bottom line - to treat a butler as a valet would be a major social faux pas!

 

Any other questions?

[msescada]

We've had lots of butlers over the years and some have unpacked and some have not-- but not usually. The one exception was when No Pirates Please was called home early as his dad was dying. He made it home, but i stayed on the ship with our son and our nanny. The connections were too tight for all of us and the luggage and we wanted NPP to be able to get home...even if the rest of us couldn't. So he left the late, great Caronia at Gibraltar.

 

Meanwhile, Maria (a fabulous lady from Chile) who did everything for us in the Penthouse, helped me pack up everything while the nanny tended to my son. Two days later, the three of us made it home in time to spend some time with my FIL before he passed.

 

This time, though, we're doing a back to back in Alaska on the Star at the end of august. 14500 wasn't available both weeks so we're in 14500 one week and then we move to 14000 (because it wasn't available the first week). We WILL ask the butler to help us move everything over -- i hope not to have to pack and repack, but rather get the hanging trolleys from laundry and just roll across the hall after the other family leaves. should be interesting.

 

The one NCL butler who told us he had unpacked told me that he asks the guest to be present while he unpacks. That serves two purposes -- you know where your things are and you know that he/she didn't take anything. Sad but true, the latter is.

 

Oh, and even with the roll across, I'll see to my own unmentionables...somehow sending them to the laundry seems different, even though i suppose it really isn't.

[Hunding]

This is, arguably, one of the most interesting threads on this board. Special thanks to pould, who, I hope, will have occasion to chime in again. And soon.

[DMH15]

I hate unpacking but I don't think I would ever ask the butler to do it. It has nothing to do with unmentionables, just guess I feel like I know best how I want to organize. Now I would love it if all of my clothes mysteriously made it from my suitcase to nice stacks on the bed and then I could put them away. And all of my toiletries were placed on the vanity.

 

But, I could NEVER in a million years ask another soul, butler included, to pack for me at the end of a vacation. It is such an ordeal... I must sit and rearrange like Houdini trying to fit everything I brought and everything I bought. Inevitably I end up tossing items (giving them to the butler or stewards if they wanted them). Last trip I gave Armando a warmer and bowl I brought for chocolate fondue served ensuite. I gave Christopher and John a nice thermos and insulated mugs and some other things. I always say that "next trip" I will pack light, but that never really happens!

[pould]

This is, arguably, one of the most interesting threads on this board. Special thanks to pould, who, I hope, will have occasion to chime in again. And soon.

 

Well, I'm chime in if anybody wants to ask a specific question of ettiquette (or to prevent you making serious social blunders...)

 

:p:D

[islandgirlejfan]

My husband and I rarely unpack. I don't even like the idea of our clothing being in drawers that are not owned by us. We just put the suitcase somewhere and hang things like dresses and suits that require coming out of the bag to keep from being wrinkled. Maybe we will when we sail the Pearl in December, but it's not a usual thing for us to do. I certainly wouldn't want anyone else touching any of my clothing, so it isn't anything I would ask for.

[terrymtex01]

Well, I'm chime in if anybody wants to ask a specific question of ettiquette (or to prevent you making serious social blunders...)

 

:p:D

 

Just wanted to say I appreciated your input as well.

 

I have to say my opinion on this subject is that I would never want a Butler to unpack for me because that is one of my favorite things of getting on the cruise ship. That, along with the Muster drill is what signals to me that vacation has begun. I think Doug and I have been very fortunate with the Butlers we have had (with the exception of one) on NCL. Three of the four seemed like they would do anything we wanted to make our vacation special. The last butler we had was extremely wiling and in fact at the end of the cruise almost refused his tip because he said we had not let him do anything for us. We tend to use the Concierge much more than the Butler.

 

McCall... honestly, I see no issue at all asking your Butler to help you in unpacking, especially since there are mobility issues involved. I think you know I consider you a CC friend, so I say that as a friend, not as someone who thinks you can't do anything you put your mind to, even with mobility issues. I know you can do anything you put your mind to. 8-). I think the Butler would be glad to be of assistance to you and it would help him feel he is earning his tip. I honestly believe the reason they made it to being a butler is because NCL could see that they really do enjoy helping people. Of course, NCL made a mistake with one of ours.. LOL.

[AdoptAtty]

Bottom line - to treat a butler as a valet would be a major social faux pas!

 

Pould, your response is educational and interesting!

 

My only comment would be that NCL has set forth the "duties" of the NCL Butler and has included that as their duty. So I would say it is NCL, not the pax, that has committed the faux pas.

 

Any comment on the "touching" incident... our First Lady touching the Queen? I know nothing of Royal etiquette or etiquette concerning dealing with royalty... doubt I ever will, but as an American unschooled in such things, I would say since the Queen touch the First Lady first, and while not Royalty, she is our First Lady, the First Lady was within boundaries to do the same.

[noreddye]

None of the butlers have ever asked to unpack our luggage, which is good because I like to unpack my own items and find the proper place to store them.

[cruis247g]

We returned about 2 weeks ago. Although some of the NCL literature said that Butlers will unpack for you, I don't remember that our Butler offered to do so. However, I really find it easier to do it myself, so I know where everyone's things are. Then, at least theoretically, we can find them quickly:D. Having said that, our butler was wonderful and I'm sure that if we had asked, he would have helped us with this task.

[pould]

Pould, your response is educational and interesting!

 

My only comment would be that NCL has set forth the "duties" of the NCL Butler and has included that as their duty. So I would say it is NCL, not the pax, that has committed the faux pas.

 

A gentleman upholds the correct standards even when those around him don't.

 

:)

 

Peter

[sjbdtz]

I find it amusing how many are so uptight about their undergarments.

 

Presumably if they are clean, and not "too" identifiable :rolleyes:, then I'm really not sure what the big deal would be, or the difference between a t-shirt & and undershirt.

 

I agree with Pould that this would not be the domain of the Butler, any good Merchant & Ivory movie will show this!

 

It would be nice however to have the services of a valet on embarkation day to collect, press & hang the clothes as they're unpacked.

[AdoptAtty]

A gentleman upholds the correct standards even when those around him don't.

 

:) Peter

 

Enjoy your commentary, but am not following you. Since it is not a butler's duty, he should not do it? Or perhaps he should then do as a valet would?

[pould]

Enjoy your commentary, but am not following you. Since it is not a butler's duty, he should not do it? Or perhaps he should then do as a valet would?

It's nothing to do with whether the butler is willing to do it. A gentleman would simply not ask a butler to do the work of a valet.

[NoPiratesPlease]

We've had lots of butlers over the years and some have unpacked and some have not-- but not usually. The one exception was when No Pirates Please was called home early as his dad was dying. He made it home, but i stayed on the ship with our son and our nanny. The connections were too tight for all of us and the luggage and we wanted NPP to be able to get home...even if the rest of us couldn't. So he left the late, great Caronia at Gibraltar.

 

That was a nightmare. I had to fly to Gatwick, then get over to Heathrow. A Cunard officer drove me. Then the 747 got out onto the tarmack, just about to get on the runway, when they sent it back to the gate for a security violation. They pulled us all off into a secure waiting area where we sat for hours while they searched the jumbo-liner. Finally, 3 1/2 hours late we took off. My cell phone didn't work--we only had a CDMA phone at the time, no GSM phones. I couldn't call the ship from the plane, so I called friends in England who then called the ship for me to let MsEscada know what was happening. Landed at JFK at 2am and luckily a car service we know bent over backwards to get me home by 3:30am.

 

Moral: Never go abroad without cell phones that work where you are going. For a couple of years we rented euro phones, then we found T-Mobile had international phones and service and went with them. AT&T has it now too, both without changing #s.

[AdoptAtty]

It's nothing to do with whether the butler is willing to do it. A gentleman would simply not ask a butler to do the work of a valet.

 

Now I am following you!!