For a seven-night cruise, consider tipping about 2 to 3 per person, per day. If you are in a suite or aboard a luxury cruise, you may have a butler assigned to cover the needs of 12 to 16 suites, meaning 24 or more guests per cruise. The decision to tip your butler is very personal, and the average tip amount for a butler on a cruise ship usually ranges from 5 to 10 per day per passenger. This average tip amount is based on the expectations of the industry.
Passengers tend to tip cruise butlers more than other crewmembers because they tend to offer more services and are more hands-on. On a Celebrity Cruise, it is common to tip a butler between 50 to 100, depending on the level of service and how much you utilize their services. In standard cabins, Carnival charges 16 per person, per day in tips. Travelers in suites are charged 18 per person, per day. Some cruisers give an additional tip to their bartender of choice, butler, or cabin steward early in the cruise, then a little more at the end of the cruise.
Tip amounts vary among cruise lines and stateroom categories. For a high-end cruise, and the butler has made your trip, slip them a million and they should be more than happy. Gratuities amount to 15 per person per day for guests in staterooms and 23 per person for guests in Penthouse, Oceania, Vista, or Owners Suites.
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I was on Celebrity and our butler was terrific. I wasn’t feeling well and thought that I was coming down with a cold. So I stayed in our cabin to rest and missed out on my excursion that was planned.. When our butler found out he ordered some chicken soup for me and checked in on me a few times to make sure that I was ok and I had everything that I needed. I really appreciated this gesture.
A butler is a wonderful asset to have. I usually dont make too terribly much use of mine, but I definitely take advantage of the packing and unpacking. On Celebrity my butler also arranged for a tour that I really wanted to do at one of my destinations but the cruise line didnt offer exactly what I wanted on their excursions. A few phone calls from the butler and I had a wonderful excursion arranged that was nothing short of perfect. The only problem with having a butler, is once you have experienced one, you never want to go back to cabin classes without one!
Butlers are also your line avoidance go to. For those large cruises ships that have long waits for tenders, shows, even dinner events etc. We utilize the butler to walk us to the first tender for that private island stop and, with a simple phone call (they will provide the phone btw), they will even be ready for our return with ether a lunch waiting or refreshment. Shows? dinner shows? Even “sold out” speciality restuarants- Our NCL butlers simply would ask us “when would you like to go?” and reply “done!”. Walked to front row seats…or even passing through the kitchen (avoiding the lines) to dinner is never uncommon in our experiences. We even have been introduced to the chef during trips (who always will make his way to your table to see how your experience was). Also be aware. Butlers DO talk to each other and often know each other across ships. Be good to them! We found notes are kept on your preferences for such things as bed pillows, drinks, and even minor details. Some of these are company routines; others are due to the professionalism of the staff. Also, most notabley as Gary mentioned but I will expand upon, being greeted upon arrival on the ship is good but actually being met at arrival at your port of deparature (usually by other staff), being quickly checked in (they ussually have a small buffet or bar ready in case you need to wait for friends) and walked on board the ship by-passing the thousands -literally – in line is worth every cent alone. As is being escorted off the ship first when you have returned home.
We had a butler on a cruise we did to Alaska with Celebrity. We being Mum 75 and me daughter her full time carer. He brought us breakfast every morning in our suite even on last day when he shouldn’t of had he literally smuggled it in under covers! He arranged my spa appointments and restaurant reservations. If we had gone out he left us a flask of tea and cakes for our return. He re rearranged our visit to the bridge and gave us lots of info on ship. He told us you could always tell British clients as we always dress for dinner compared to Americans I spend my day looking after people I consider it a treat to be looked after for a few days by someone else. We did tip him extra as we felt he had gone the extra mile for us. Even tho we had prepaid tips. If you need something just ask if it’s in their remit they will do it if not they will just tell you that.
Excellent article. As a personal butler, and a former trainer of butlers on cruise ships, I fully concur with what you said. A fun detail to mention and I wonder if you might have noticed but some cruise liners with the ‘ship within a ship’ concept offer a partial butler training to all staff working in that part of the ship. For instance pool boys might be able to easily arrange certain things for you if you ask them (all through team work with your butler of course).
We had a butler with a Yacht Club room on MSC last year. We didn’t ask him to much, besides the daily housekeeping and room service for one lunch. Last day of the cruise, he comped us a full day use of a cabana while in Nassau. We were pleasantly surprised. Took full advantage of the cabana and handed him a very nice tip at the end of the cruise.
Great article as usual. We have been fortunate to sail with Silversea a few times and on 3 or 4 of our Cunard cruises we have very happily been in a Queens Grill Cabins. Each came with a ‘Butler’. The cruises were wonderful, but if asked did you enjoy having a ‘Butler’ the answer would have to be “well they were certainly good Cabin Stewards, but not much else”. For us the ‘Butlers’ seemed to be very well trained and very experienced ‘Stewards’. Excellent but the service was really no different from a non ‘Butler’ serviced cabin. During our cruises in non ‘Butler’ cabins we had all the same sevrices. We ordered evening canapes on formal nights, we had the bars stocked with spirits and wines, we ordered room service breakfasts/lunches and dinners, we have asked out ‘steward’ to collect laundry/ironing. With Cunard friends in a Britannia cabin asked their Steward to organise an in cabin party, no problem. The one thing we never have done is ask a ‘Butler’ to unpack and pack for us, just not what we would want. – So our conclusion is a ‘Butler’ seems to be a marketing add on for some suites on some cruise lines = nice but not really that different from a very good steward/room service/tour desk/pursers office team.
We always have treated our cabin person well, and in return, all of them have given us the butler level of support, sometimes arranging with nearby staff to make it happen. Whoever is the staff assigned to you, the better you trest them, the better your cruise. Which makes me wonder what more would a butler do for me… probably not much. (For our own style of cruising)
Hello Gary, Thank you so much for a very thorough and informative article. I have already seen many of your articles, special regarding the ultra Luxury cruises. They are all excellent, always an inspiration to watch, and makes me more eager to explore the world. I wish you a happy New Year, best regards from Norway
I’d have zero idea how to interact with a butler. Would relish an informal “initiation.” As a retired firefighter/EMT/911 Dispatcher, I’m used to self-sufficiency ot teamwork. It would be like I’d encourage him to sit back, chill and watch the match with me whilst I send the fiancée out for drinks and snacks for us (hope she’s not reading this!). I wouldn’t mind one like Manuel from Fawlty Towers. But it would be awkward if he follows me to the bathroom and shakes off Little Elvis with salad tongs when I’m through, hopefully with no eye contact! But seriously, I took a Princess Cruise in January. I love Princess, but the room attendant I had this time was invisible after the first day, when I tipped him reasonably generously. Had to get ice from Room Service. No big deal, but….
I really love your vids. They are so informative and helpful. I was wondering about tipping butlers. I know other crew members depends on the cruise. Some cruises charge a flat rate for that. Others you have to figure it out yourself with each crew member. But what about butlers? I’m a generous tipper and really don’t like the set rate system. I really like to reward even beyond my norm for excellent service.
As a butler, I can help you to delegate. Then you should let go of it. Stop micro-managing and let the magic happen. Be communicative and let me lead you. Hold no worries; entrust them to me, please. I will act as your agent, and protect you as my fiduciary client. Perfect synchronicity. You have your own responsibility: To be generous. It is a worthwhile exchange. Enjoy it.
I like the idea of having a butler having said that after hearing all the aspect you mention, I don’t think I would want anyone pretty much shadowing me all over my cruise experience. Someone packing and unpacking for me would be completely out of the question as I don’t like anyone going through my stuff. But then again these are problems I don’t have to worry about because I’m clearly not in a financial position to afford one in the first place
I have been perusal your website for 8 months now very informative.I am going on my first cruise with my wife next year for our anniversary. I chose NCL Haven. How much do you recommend to tip the butler and concierge for a 5 day cruise. Thank you and keep up the good work. I hope my wife will like to cruise
We had a butler on our last NCL cruise. At first, it seemed that she was only concerned with refilling the supplies for the coffee maker, but we realized that she also would bring room service meals and set up our dining table with no extra charge as opposed to having to pay for normal room service. It was great being able to eat our breakfasts in our pajamas! This came in very handy as we were at the bow of the ship and the dining rooms were aft. The weather was pretty rough about seven of the fourteen days and we didn’t feel like trying to deal with a dining room environment.
Gary, got a question. Would a standing order to deliver coffee and continental breakfast setup to the suite at 06:30 AM, every day of the cruise be considered fair game? We did this on a recent Cuba cruise in the top suite and we felt the Butler was inconvenienced? This is a legit question folks, we are disabled, so don’t flame us.
I think I’d like to unpack my own clothes… On shorter cruises, I live out of the suitcase anyway. And a butler booking my gym classes; cruise ships have gyms? I think that might be the part of the ship I’ve always walked by on my way to the nearest bar :goodvibes: But the course-by-course service of in-room dining sounds like a good idea.🍛
How does laundry service work on ultra-luxury cruises? Looking towards a 14day Alaska cruise w SilerSeas. Just watched your Silver Cloud expedition vlog that offers self service laundry. Would I expect as much on the Silver Muse / Silver Whisper? And is there a cost of service? Thank you, your vlogs rock.
On both cruises and in luxury resort hotels, so-called butlers really cannot provide these 10 services to everyone to whom they are assigned. Most passengers and guests will see the butler primarily at the beginning of their travel experience, and then, quite often, never again. Those that do receive significant assistance will find the service is in no way “included.” It is for sale, and you will be expected to pay at every step. I would prefer to pay once, regardless of amount, but have never been offered a butler on such terms, even when spending $1000 a day.
I hate the cruise ships in Venice. They are destroying the foundations of the city. They vomit out 50k people a day, who clog the main area around San Marco, buy nothing but crap, leave an incredible amount of litter, spend next to nothing in restaurants etc. Btw, except for the relatively crappy amount of money they generate. the Venetians generally can’t stand them either. Venice is treated like a location at Disneyland. Breaks my heart.😡😢😷🇨🇦
Butler is not for me. First of all the butler may like you or not, second I can do my own stuff at ease and the way I want them. Third having someone do something for me kind of take away from the experience of traveling/cruising alternating with different people and situations. If you want to have a butler, that is fine with me … BUT if an idiot, male or female idiot, want to put me down or gives you a haughty look then this piece of garbage should be thrown overboard.