Tipping luggage handlers

[billet]

Absolute nonsense! When we join a cruise from the UK, we just give the luggage to a porter and he puts it straight on to the conveyor belt and doesn't expect a tip.

 

I agree

[Ethel5]

Absolute nonsense! When we join a cruise from the UK, we just give the luggage to a porter and he puts it straight on to the conveyor belt and doesn't expect a tip.

 

I agree

 

That's because you don't come from the US where tipping is expected. We once handed a FLL porter $15 with the $5 on the outside-he looked at it and said "Is this all" until he opened the folded bills and saw the $10. It may be nonsense but that's the way it is.

[billet]

That's because you don't come from the US where tipping is expected. We once handed a FLL porter $15 with the $5 on the outside-he looked at it and said "Is this all" until he opened the folded bills and saw the $10. It may be nonsense but that's the way it is.

I come from Canada which has the same tipping expectations as the US.

[Stevesan]

Absolute nonsense! When we join a cruise from the UK, we just give the luggage to a porter and he puts it straight on to the conveyor belt and doesn't expect a tip.

 

Not at the Southampton cruise terminal. The porters are obvious about having their hands out.

And there isn't even a forelock tug after the tip. :p

[hubofhockey]

At the Fort Lauderdale port, it is really hard to justify anything more than $1 per bag. It takes 45 seconds for them to get your bags to the cages. Even at a buck a bag, these guys are doing extremely well.

[Putterdude]

At the Fort Lauderdale port, it is really hard to justify anything more than $1 per bag. It takes 45 seconds for them to get your bags to the cages. Even at a buck a bag, these guys are doing extremely well.

 

I am inclined to agree with you....in fact I have even seen the taxi driver but bags in the basket and the porter put his hand out for a tip.:eek: They have also got pretty spoiled at Canada Place where the time frame might be 50/55 seconds.

[framer]

In NY yesterday they had a shortage of porters as we disembarked. We had 6 bags to find + 2 carry offs so I grabbed a porter and started loading bags as I found them. Three were missing. The porter directed me to the next stack of bags, I was cream 1, and the next stack was cream 2. He asked my name and started checking cream 2 tags. He found them before I did. He took them through customs and to a special spot by the curb. I tipped $20. When I got my car from the parking lot and started to find a spot to load the bags I noticed a truck parked near my bags with a space in front for me to slip in and load my bags. This truck was not being used by a passenger but just parked toward the top of the loading area with the idea to leave a space to load bags left by the porters.

 

Worth every penny.

 

:cool:framer

[Colo Cruiser]

I come from Canada which has the same tipping expectations as the US.

 

Then next time you depart from LA or FLL give the porter your bags and stiff him and let us know what happens. :rolleyes:

[cruiserbryce]

we do $1 per bag also...2 things to think about...

-there is the thought that they are handling your stuff and to insure that it is handled in the best manner possible it wouldnt be a bad idea to give a couple dollars for a couple bags (that being said it is their job so I would hope its done anyways)

-additionally though...by toting around my heavy bags they are doing me a service that is very convinient so I dont really mind giving a little $

[50cruiser]

Thats interesting about the UK. I was there this summer on RCL Jewell Europe tours. Every where we went from airport , taxi and Cruiseport Everyone seemed to expect a tip . Maybe its because we were americans but not once did anyone refuse a tip . I might be a little diferent than some but I tip for any service rendered. Sometimes Ill do it myself and politely tell a porter i dont need any assistance but on our trip it was raining cats and big dogs in England and the porters took our bags out of bus and took them through ticketing and to customs for our group. 4 of us with 3-4 bags each . Id given him $20 at bus . I noticed most others on our bus fighting customs lines with their luggage wheras my porter took our luggage to front of line and waited there till we got there . We were really grateful to that porter as Bruce {my friend ] was having a hard time walking . I suspect if others in England tiped they might get beter service. I also gave him an aditional $10 . I also give my room steward an extra $20 per person on checkin and have never had a problem with our room , in fact my room steward would open door for us if he saw we were going to our room. I know some expect services for their paynents but a little extra goes a long ways. CARL

[silvercruiser]

Since we live in Florida and take the Cruise Connection bus from our city to FLL, the bus is often parked out in the lot and the porters bring out a huge cart. I too was under the impression that tipping them wasn't necessary, as there were signs that said just that. After I heard a few horror stories I decided to tip. I gave the guy five dollars and he said, "Is this all?" When the luggage arrived in our cabin a leather luggage tage had been cut off one of the bags.

The next time I gave the guy $20 and said "Oh, thank you so much!" Hey, Fort Lauderdale is famous for the need to tip, as is LA. I asked the guy at the airport how much it cost for curbside check-in and he gave me the price, then added, "...plus $5 tip,"

My advice is to sail out of San Diego. Airport and dock personnel just couldn't be nicer.

[billet]

Then next time you depart from LA or FLL give the porter your bags and stiff him and let us know what happens. :rolleyes:

I have sailed in the past two years from both Fort Lauderdale pier and San Pedro pier and have never tipped the longshoreman who is moving luggage from the bus/taxi/car to the cage and there has never been a problem with any of our luggage. They are paid well to do the job and they have never held our their hand, asked, or given any indication that tipping is expected.

 

On disembarkation it is very different since we always get a porter to get our luggage, walk us through immigration and take the luggage to catch the bus/taxi and we tip generously.

[Colo Cruiser]

I have sailed in the past two years from both Fort Lauderdale pier and San Pedro pier and have never tipped the longshoreman who is moving luggage from the bus/taxi/car to the cage and there has never been a problem with any of our luggage. They are paid well to do the job and they have never held our their hand, asked, or given any indication that tipping is expected.

 

On disembarkation it is very different since we always get a porter to get our luggage, walk us through immigration and take the luggage to catch the bus/taxi and we tip generously.

 

 

Then you are flirting with disaster.

[steponboard]

Then you are flirting with disaster.

I sail out of San Pedro frequently and have never once had damaged luggage or missing luggage and I tip $1 per bag. If the porter were to say to me "is that all" I would take it back and say "is that better".

[hansi]

That's because you don't come from the US where tipping is expected. We once handed a FLL porter $15 with the $5 on the outside-he looked at it and said "Is this all" until he opened the folded bills and saw the $10. It may be nonsense but that's the way it is.

 

If he had said that to me, my answer would have been, "Why? do you have a problem with $10! It is nonsense. $15 tip for a baggage handler! What!!!

[1 HappyCruiser]

Since we live in Florida and take the Cruise Connection bus from our city to FLL, the bus is often parked out in the lot and the porters bring out a huge cart. I too was under the impression that tipping them wasn't necessary, as there were signs that said just that. After I heard a few horror stories I decided to tip. I gave the guy five dollars and he said, "Is this all?" When the luggage arrived in our cabin a leather luggage tage had been cut off one of the bags.

The next time I gave the guy $20 and said "Oh, thank you so much!" Hey, Fort Lauderdale is famous for the need to tip, as is LA. I asked the guy at the airport how much it cost for curbside check-in and he gave me the price, then added, "...plus $5 tip,"

My advice is to sail out of San Diego. Airport and dock personnel just couldn't be nicer.

 

The guys from the cruise connection work 10 times harder than the port guys do crawling under the bus to loan & unload luggage. They would get my tip & I wouldn't think twice about the others.

[billet]

Then you are flirting with disaster.

 

I respectfully disagree. I will tip those who provide a service that is worthy of tipping such as the bus/taxi drivers and porters who do more than lift a bag 1' from the ground once and who are not as well paid as longshoremen. I am certainly not flirting with disaster it is a piece of baggage we are talking about not a ship sinking!

[Colo Cruiser]

I respectfully disagree. I will tip those who provide a service that is worthy of tipping such as the bus/taxi drivers and porters who do more than lift a bag 1' from the ground once and who are not as well paid as longshoremen.

 

And such is your right. Good Luck!

[bigmjh]

I respectfully disagree. I will tip those who provide a service that is worthy of tipping such as the bus/taxi drivers and porters who do more than lift a bag 1' from the ground once and who are not as well paid as longshoremen. I am certainly not flirting with disaster it is a piece of baggage we are talking about not a ship sinking!

I agree ... the ship's personnel that cart the luggage from the dock ... up to your floor ... and down to your stateroom do a LOT more work and at far LESS pay than the longshoremen on the dock. THESE are the unseen faces that deserve the tip. Yes, despite this, I'll usually give the guy on the dock a dollar or two for each bag that he loads unto a curbside cage. I have never had a problem with my luggage being damaged, etc.

[Ethel5]

If he had said that to me, my answer would have been, "Why? do you have a problem with $10! It is nonsense. $15 tip for a baggage handler! What!!!

 

It will be interesting to hear what happens to your luggage if you pull that on them! It's easy to be brave when they are not looming over you.

[woodofpine]

I'm with the British on this and will join their chastisement of our culture. Those that snark that conservative or none tippers are 'naive' to the property danger of luggage handlers... Who's naive (?) none of the naive report losses - maybe the heavy tippers are just cowed AND naive!

 

I travel with a fairly large family (6) - no I'm not tipping $5 a bag or even $2. "Maybe' $5 or $10 for 6-7 bags... maybe. Depends on the 'tude of all concerned (but we handle our own stuff generally). Sure they deserve a tip but $5 a bag - get real! That's a full days wage in some less developed countries. $1 a bag is just fine.

 

I read in the NY Times many years ago that curbside baggage handlers at larger urban airports in the northeast often make make as much as $100,000 (or more) annually in tips alone. Easy to believe $350-400 per day with the tip promoters here.

 

Cruise terminal guys must be making excellent money too. They're not in a foul and vindictive mood. If they are, money won't matter because they're doing just fine.

 

Human nature isn't so course as the cowed here claim. I'll bet it you surveyed it, luggage loss and damage would be found equally spread among heavy, light, and non-tippers.

[sunshine nana]

We always pull our own bags from taxi to our cabin. The larger bags will fit on the conveyor.We never lose sight of our bags and don't bring more than we can pull ourselves.