Make a wish: Royal Caribbean to call its butlers ‘Royal Genies’

Royal Caribbean International will offer butlers when it debuts its Royal Suite Class of service in May — but that won’t be their title.

Instead, Royal Genies will be at the beck and call of passengers in top-level cabins, such as Royal Loft Suites or Aqua Theater Suites, on Royal’s newest ships.

“It’s really someone who’s there to make everything happen for these suite guests,” said Royal spokeswoman Lyan Sierra-Caro.

Butler service is just one of many Suite Class amenities, which depending on the level, could include gratuities, Internet, drink packages and VIP seating at shows.

Royal Genies will mark the first time Royal Caribbean offers butler service and will make it the largest cruise line to do so. It joins sister line Celebrity Cruises, which introduced a suite class with butlers earlier this year.

“It’s really part of our focus on segmenting the market, segmenting our distribution and making sure that we can provide the kind of product that we think people are willing and able to pay a premium for,” Royal Caribbean President Michael Bayley recently told Wall Street analysts.

Suites are already the top-dollar product on most cruise ships, but by bundling amenities into this “class” of service, Royal hopes to further up their prices. Travel agents benefit from this bundling because the included amenities, usually sold a la carte without an opportunity for commission, will become part of the base fare.

Royal is applying a light touch to its new suites, with marketing that includes the tag line “Luxury that’s anything but boring,” touting the fact that the line’s onboard offerings distinguish it from other luxury cruises and hotels.

Royal Genie attire has not been decided, but their duties will include shining shoes, pouring drinks, unpacking luggage, pressing clothes and reserving show tickets or space on shore excursions.

Cruise lines have increasingly added butlers in recent years, corresponding in part to the addition of separate areas for premium-fare passengers.

For example, butlers come standard in the Haven section of Norwegian Cruise Line ships, MSC Cruises’ MSC Yacht Club area and with Cunard Line’s Queen’s Grill accommodations.

Silversea Cruises provides them to every cabin; on Crystal Cruises, Costa Cruises, Azamara Club Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the service comes with penthouse-level accommodations.

Butlers are certified by a variety of professional groups, mostly British. The Royal Genies will be trained by the British Butler Institute.

The butler positions will be filled mainly by current crew members. At launch, they will be available only on Oasis and Quantum class ships, including the Harmony of the Seas and the Ovation of the Seas, which debuts in spring 2016.