tipping porters

[katluc]

How much do you tip the porters at the piers?

Thanks

[Aerogirl]

I check one bag and tip $5.00

[Queen of Oakville]

look forward to reading all the replies.

I note a huge difference in environment between DCL and the other piers(?). The other piers, the porters all have their hands out - big time. Not at all with Disney - to the point where we may have forgotten to tip on our last cruise.

with the other piers, we feel obligated to tip, kinda like insurance so that our bags make it on the ship. I remember one cruise where one porter was basically singing a song about making sure you tip your porters.

I notice the same thing with Southwest at FLL. The skycaps are shouting for tips - telling you that if you don't tip, you gotta stand in line. The same SW skycap at BUF, has probably never been tipped.

[krunch]

We're from Canada and I did a lot of reading before our first cruise about this. Tipping people like this in the US seems to be more common than in Canada. We mostly tip at restaurants here and that's about it. It is easier in the US too though because you still have $1 bills. If staff like this in Canada were receiving $1 and $2 tips like this all the time they'd all have back problems from all the $1 and $2 coins they would have in their pockets !

When we started back in 2006, all I read seems to indicate that $1 per bag was customary in the US. I usually go $1 per bag +$1 just to make it a bit better. Is this still the customary tip amount?

Krunch

[Moiraine]

Krunch, I usually hand the porter a $5.00. The first time we cruised the porter may have been shorted because there were four of us, although there were no more than four or five bags. Since then it's only been two people. I don't pack heavily.

Queen, the only time I experienced the type of porter you mentioned was in Miami getting on the NCL Sun. He got his tip. I was going to tip him, anyway. I did not need the reminder, but I think he got less than he would have if he'd kept his mouth shut.

[Mike M]

I give them $5.

The "interesting" thing is that the porters are all part of the Longshoreman's Union and many do the baggage handling for extra money.

The average wage for a Longshoreman is around $69,000 a year. This is according to U.S. Department of Labor. http://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/NAWWinfo.htm

The cruise line employees are not allowed to touch your luggage until it is on board the vessel.

I really don't like tipping these people but do so out of custom and an irrational, or maybe rational, fear that my luggage will end up in the water or sitting at curb if I don't.

I agree that tipping can seem to get a little out of hand.

Take care,
Mike

[Aerogirl]

I don't tip in places like Subway or Dunkin Donuts, it has gotten way out of hand but I'm with you Mike $5.00 buys me a little extra comfort with my bag getting on the ship!

[Queen of Oakville]

OMG. Mike is that with tips???? 69,000?? Around here, that is a pretty decent wage that people with a university degree are more than happy to make. If they are making 69K plus tips, I'm sorry but that is absurd. Like Krunch said, tipping in Canada is much more reserved. We generally leave four bags. I doubt my DH tips $20 bucks. He always handles it, I will have to ask him what he does. Now that I think about it, I might recall porters saying $5 per bag.

Originally Posted by Mike M

I give them $5.

The "interesting" thing is that the porters are all part of the Longshoreman's Union and many do the baggage handling for extra money.

The average wage for a Longshoreman is around $69,000 a year. This is according to U.S. Department of Labor. http://www.dol.gov/owcp/dlhwc/NAWWinfo.htm

The cruise line employees are not allowed to touch your luggage until it is on board the vessel.

I really don't like tipping these people but do so out of custom and an irrational, or maybe rational, fear that my luggage will end up in the water or sitting at curb if I don't.

I agree that tipping can seem to get a little out of hand.

Take care,
Mike

[krunch]

Originally Posted by Mike M

I really don't like tipping these people but do so out of custom and an irrational, or maybe rational, fear that my luggage will end up in the water or sitting at curb if I don't.

I agree that tipping can seem to get a little out of hand.

Take care,
Mike

I think you pulled this comment directly out of my head MikeI couldn't agree more.

Aerogirl: $5 per BAG?!?!?! Thats high!!!

krunch

[cruisingrandma]

I usually tip $5 and I have one bag. But it is heavy! Well worth it to me. They work hard out in the heat usually.

[seadog2]

When we travel it's usually me and my wife. We have a total of 3 bags and one backpack. The backpack stays with me and I tip $2 per bag.

[Aerogirl]

Originally Posted by krunch

Aerogirl: $5 per BAG?!?!?! Thats high!!!

krunch

I'm on vacation so five bucks why not!

Pay attention at the different carts at the pier, I wonder if the non tippers go one one and the good tippers go on another

[krunch]

I dunno. I just try my best to be fair as I'm in a different country than where I come from so I try to "Fit in" and do the "Norm" that everyone else does. Again, maybe my porter tipping is now outdated from my 2006 homework

We usually have 3 bags, and based on my scheme above, I would give them $4. But being so close to $5 anyway, I think I might have given them $5 for 3 bags.

I must be doing something right if there's a "Good tip" and a "Bad tip" luggage pile because after 5 cruises with Carnival, my luggage has always arrived at my room, in good condition, and the "12-pack" in every suitcase is still there

Krunch

[Mike M]

Originally Posted by Queen of Oakville

OMG. Mike is that with tips???? 69,000?? Around here, that is a pretty decent wage that people with a university degree are more than happy to make. If they are making 69K plus tips, I'm sorry but that is absurd. Like Krunch said, tipping in Canada is much more reserved. We generally leave four bags. I doubt my DH tips $20 bucks. He always handles it, I will have to ask him what he does. Now that I think about it, I might recall porters saying $5 per bag.

Queen:

That is for their regular jobs. Many of the porters at the pier are doing this on their off hours for extra money. I spoke with one of the stevedores and he said his "regular" job was as a crane operator for the loading and unloading of cargo. A crane operator, in most ports, will earn over $100,000/year.

Take care,
Mike

[Manuel]

Originally Posted by Aerogirl

I'm on vacation so five bucks why not!

I feel the same way.

TM

[Queen of Oakville]

Mike - thanks for that added detail. I thought they were making $69K as porters plus getting tips.

I'm not knocking that its hard work and physical labour. But if everyone is tipping $5 a bag .... they could be making $100 an hour [I have no idea how many bags are moved in an hour!]


I'm with you Krunch. I would guess that my DH probably tips 5 to 10 bucks for all four of bags - and our luggage has always made it on with not problem and no damages.

[krunch]

Sounds like I might be getting a little cheap by today's standards. So when my group (20 of us) arrives at the port (limo) and all the bags (assuming 1 bag per guest, likely a few more though) the tip a the end of it to the porter @ $5 per bag should be $100!?! Ouch!

Krunch

[Donna]

We normally have two bags and tip $5.00 total....They seem quite happy with that.

[Dave Beers]

In Baltimore the word 'tip' has never been uttered when we were cruising from there. Of course you pull right up to the luggage trailers they use and it is almost self-serve although they make sure you have tags on the bags and aren't any help if you don't. "Go to that tent at the end of the parking lot" is what they said and you have to go there to get luggage tags if you don't have any. In our case we'd been upgraded to a different cabin so our tags were no good. So, off I went to the tent, came back and tagged the bags, and tossed them on the trailer and went inside. Thus, no tips were offered and they didn't seem to care one way or another. They weren't jerks, just aloof.

In Seattle once, we had a lady porter and she took the bags with a smile and walked away before any tip could be offered. She looked out of place and I got the sense she didn't normally handle luggage.

[Aerogirl]

Originally Posted by krunch

I must be doing something right if there's a "Good tip" and a "Bad tip" luggage pile because after 5 cruises with Carnival, my luggage has always arrived at my room, in good condition, and the "12-pack" in every suitcase is still there

Krunch

I was joking

[thecruisequeen]

We tip $3. per bag and are always friendly to the porters. My dad is a retired longshoreman also I have alot of friends and relatives that are longshoremen both retired and still working.....I have heard stories though the years of luggage not making it to the cabin floating in the water, luggage being ripped or damaged. I don't think it happens now a days it was more back in the day.

Most of my relatives still working are into six figures. My uncle is very close to $200,000. It is very hard nonstop work not a 9 to 5 desk job.
Six weeks vacations, excellent pension and outstanding medical benefits.....My parents never had any medical bills to this day...everything was paid for and 0 deductibles.

It's a great career if you like very busy physical work and like a six figure income and no college education needed.

Too bad they are not currently hiring...

[zydecocruiser]

Originally Posted by Mike M

The "interesting" thing is that the porters are all part of the Longshoreman's Union and many do the baggage handling for extra money.

What I think is more interesting is that AFAIK, it isn't cruise line dependent.

Unless maybe a cruise line is also paying them not to beg?

[Cruizer]

Originally Posted by katluc

How much do you tip the porters at the piers?

Thanks

No more than 45 degrees, or they might fall down.

Actually $1 to $2 per bag is fine.

[Queen of Oakville]

My guess is that Disney, with all its clout and might, has a special arrangement in place with the ports requiring that their own staff are used.

I could be wrong (it's been a few months) but I recall these guys wearing their own special (Disney) uniform and sporting the typical Disney cast-member badges.

But that was months ago, and maybe I'm remembering it wrong.

Originally Posted by zydecocruiser

What I think is more interesting is that AFAIK, it isn't cruise line dependent.

Unless maybe a cruise line is also paying them not to beg?

[hpotterfan77]

We tipped $5 total for two bags on our last cruise out of New York. Our luggage arrived safe and sound...lol

[elainmir]

Hey I'm a teacher now but in the good ole days I bartended and waitressed. I'm big on tipping. I don't care how much they make each year if I pull up and they are going to schlep my baggage to my ship..AWESOME..I usually tip 15 to 20 bucks for three bags..one of which has my water and soda in it

[erinmarie424]

$5 for one large suitcase and sometimes another smaller one. Interesting to read everyone's responses.

[Trip]

Generally for us, $2.00 per bag.