I can't help myself, porter problems in Ft. Lauderdale

[NorbertsNiece]

And what planet do you live on??,,the porters have had their hands since time and memorial,,,even the airport porters do the same,,,We make sure we one dollar bills in our possesion coming and going off the ships and planes..Just a fact of life,,,if you want your luggage to get to your cabin or plane,,as the saying goes "grease my palm"...

 

 

Excuse me?

Feet firmly planted on planet earth here. Currently Northern Hemisphere.

And to think I'd given up on this thread.......

 

Read what I said.

I am not coerced if I give the tip freely. If I'm asked for a tip that's a whole different ball game. I have never, ever, had someone hold their hand out to me in expectation of a tip. I have always, always, given a tip either before a service in expectation of it, or afterwards, having received it.

I'd have gotten the popcorn out if I'd known this thread was going to run and run.

[Ocean Boy]

Port of Tampa, 2008 - we arrived at the same time a bunch of 20 something girls did. They dropped off about 10 bags and took off. We had 2 bags, gave the porter $2 and he started yelling at us, asking me who was going to pay him for all the bags the girls dropped off. He was literally screaming at us, insisted someone needed to "pay" him. Great way to start a cruise...

 

How many times have you sailed out of Port Everglades? :D:p:cool:;)

 

I wonder how many times he has cruised out of the Port of Tampa? This question should be good for another 50 posts to this thread.:D

[jmraggs]

that's a good letter you got from them. who should i email b/c i ran into the same problem getting on Indy of the Seas on Mar 14? just to let them know that you are not the only one with this problem.

 

These were the two email addresses that I sent my diplomatic respectful email to:

 

porteverglades@broward.org;

portevergladescruise@broward.org;

 

I hardly complain about anything, but this porter issue seemed to bother me a little since they are already salaried employees and want more on top of that besides lying to me. Maybe it's only one person out of 30 who does this, who really knows unless they conducted a survey of every passenger walking through the terminal and asked them if the porter asked for a donation or such.

 

I don't doubt the people that sit on their porch overlooking the water don't have problems because they probably walk up to the porters with the money strapped to their foreheads! My tip money was in my pocket, my bad! If they would have lugged my luggage the 30 feet from where the cop told me to stop and park, then I would have gladly tipped the porters some extra cash for doing this for me.

[J & G]

Is the "reminder" to tip the porters always in a threatening manner? Now, chasing someone down in the parking lot is a bit over the top, I have to admit, but otherwise, do passengers feel that they are being threatened with something unfortunate happening to their luggage if they fail to tip? And could it be that some porters feel a reminder is needed because in the US tipping is customary, where it may not be so for those from other countries.

 

We recently sailed on Celebrity out of San Juan. We (3 couples) rented a minivan for our pre-cruise stay. When we piled out of the van at the cruise terminal with our MANY bags stuffed into the back of the van (think Beverly Hillbillies), I ran to find a porter. I located a Celebrity employee (or at least he was wearing a nametag with Celebrity on it) who summoned a porter with a cart...interestingly, he (the =X= employee) left his post and walked with us a short distance to the van. He said, in a bit of a condescending tone, something to the effect of, "You will need to tip him well for this." I assured the =X= gentleman that the porter would be taken care of. Since there were many Europeans and Canadians on our cruise, perhaps he felt that it was necessary to remind us that tipping is customary at that port. What was so hilarious is that the porter got a REALLY good tip, since each of the men in our group tipped him well, not knowing the others had. I'm sure he thought he had hit the jackpot!

 

As an aside, I have to agree with those who say that if the porters are well-paid, then why do we tip them for doing their jobs? And do we know that they are well-paid? Those who employ food servers count tips as part of the servers' pay, and often pay a very low hourly wage in our area. The tip is just part of the meal cost.....and really is an expectation.

[jmraggs]

How many times have you sailed out of Port Everglades? :D:p:cool:;)

 

I needed another laugh to start the day!

[jmraggs]

I just received an email from the President of the local ILA. I wasn't out to make a big deal over this, just to let them know what is sometimes happening at the port. I am very impressed with the responses I have received from the Port and ILA:

Dear Mark:

My name is Darryl “Mike D.” Payne and I am the President of ILA Local 1526. Port Everglades, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and R.O. White & Co., the stevedoring company that hire members of my Local as Porters (Baggage Handlers), all forwarded to me your complaint from last Thursday, March 25, 2010.

I am very sorry to hear that you had such an unpleasant experience with your luggage loading process at our great port, and I am personally investigating this matter. In the meantime, the Porter in question has been suspended until further notice.

All of us in the Port Community are committed to ensuring our guests/passengers have a safe and enjoyable experience when they are in our care. We have all worked very hard to make certain that Porters treat our customers with courtesy, respect, and professionalism. Please be assured that we do not, and will not tolerate failures to meet those standards.

We hope that you will continue to make Port Everglades your choice for future voyages. If there is anything I can do personally to improve your experience, please feel free to contact me at my office.

Sincerely,

Darryl "Mike D." Payne

President

ILA Local #1526

440 N.W. Sistrunk Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311

 

Office: (954) 527-3947

Fax: (954) 463-2531

Cell: (954) 850-1146

www.ilalocal1526.net

[marci22]

I just received an email...

 

My name is Darryl “Mike D.” Payne and I am the President of ILA Local 1526. Port Everglades, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and R.O. White & Co., the stevedoring company that hire members of my Local as Porters (Baggage Handlers), all forwarded to me your complaint from last Thursday, March 25, 2010.

 

I am very sorry to hear that you had such an unpleasant experience with your luggage loading process at our great port, and I am personally investigating this matter. In the meantime, the Porter in question has been suspended until further notice.

 

All of us in the Port Community are committed to ensuring our guests/passengers have a safe and enjoyable experience when they are in our care. We have all worked very hard to make certain that Porters treat our customers with courtesy, respect, and professionalism. Please be assured that we do not, and will not tolerate failures to meet those standards.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Darryl "Mike D." Payne

President

 

ILA Local #1526

440 N.W. Sistrunk Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311

 

Office: (954) 527-3947

Fax: (954) 463-2531

Cell: (954) 850-1146

www.ilalocal1526.net

 

Wow, they suspended him. It's good to know that they are taking your complaint seriously. Anyone who has a problem should do what you did. You'd be surprised at how much response you can generate simply by posting on an internet forum.

 

I also noticed that neither one of them asked you how many times you had cruised out of Port Everglades.

[Gonzo70]

Thanks for sharing the e-mail. It is very nice to see the response. Hopefully this will encourage more people to step up and do like you did if they encounter a disrespectful porter. If a few people were to step up and do this, it would prevent countless people from having a negative start to their cruise.

 

Thanks :)

[Minoushka]

My policy is to tIP no matter what .

When we were on Miracle my hubby's cousin DID not tip and guess what They---do not know who at Port - helped themselves to 2 suits and 2 gowns the porter insisted they leave in the garment bag. :( :( :(

Rule ##1 LOCK all suitcases

RULE #2 tip these guys or else ...yes it is pressure but I need my luggage

 

Even curbside luggage at airports is risky They HINT ...a lot at tipping

 

I agree it is not right but I want my clothes and if a couple of bucks Guarantees I get them so be it

I SJU the guy DEMANDED 2$ per bag ...I thought it was OUTRAGEOUS for 10 feet!!!!

[Gonzo70]

My policy is to tIP no matter what .

When we were on Miracle my hubby's cousin DID not tip and guess what They---do not know who at Port - helped themselves to 2 suits and 2 gowns the porter insisted they leave in the garment bag. :( :( :(

Rule ##1 LOCK all suitcases

RULE #2 tip these guys or else ...yes it is pressure but I need my luggage

 

Even curbside luggage at airports is risky They HINT ...a lot at tipping

 

I agree it is not right but I want my clothes and if a couple of bucks Guarantees I get them so be it

I SJU the guy DEMANDED 2$ per bag ...I thought it was OUTRAGEOUS for 10 feet!!!!

 

It is not a tip if you are paying a fee to prevent someone from intentionally damaging or stealing your belongings - it is extortion. Sorry, but your attitude about this only reinforces the bad behavior some of the porters are exhibiting. Taking a few minutes to report the bad behavior would go a long ways towards helping hundreds (if not thousands) of future cruisers. Well salaried employees threatening/bullying people into giving them a "tip" to move their luggage a few yards (while already being paid approximately six figure salaries with outstanding benefits) should NOT be tolerated.

[NorbertsNiece]

It is not a tip if you are paying a fee to prevent someone from intentionally damaging or stealing your belongings - it is extortion. Sorry, but your attitude about this only reinforces the bad behavior some of the porters are exhibiting. Taking a few minutes to report the bad behavior would go a long ways towards helping hundreds (if not thousands) of future cruisers. Well salaried employees threatening/bullying people into giving them a "tip" to move their luggage a few yards (while already being paid approximately six figure salaries with outstanding benefits) should NOT be tolerated.

 

That's exactly what I was trying to say.... only put much more succintly. Thank you :D

[jmraggs]

Thanks for sharing the e-mail. It is very nice to see the response. Hopefully this will encourage more people to step up and do like you did if they encounter a disrespectful porter. If a few people were to step up and do this, it would prevent countless people from having a negative start to their cruise.

 

Thanks :)

 

I overlook a lot of things, but I felt that I couldn't overlook this matter. I usually put my money where my mouth is, some people let this happen and complain about it on this forum but never let the individuals in charge know. If nobody lets the officials know what's going on, they'll never know and nothing will change (if it ever does!). Of course you'll need badge numbers and pictures to back up the complaint.

 

I think that's why they took my matter more seriously; I had the badge number and picture of the porter from my cell phone. I had to laugh as one picture showed him with his wallet open counting his tip money which was a huge wad.

 

My policy is to tIP no matter what .

When we were on Miracle my hubby's cousin DID not tip and guess what They---do not know who at Port - helped themselves to 2 suits and 2 gowns the porter insisted they leave in the garment bag. :( :( :(

Rule ##1 LOCK all suitcases

RULE #2 tip these guys or else ...yes it is pressure but I need my luggage

 

Even curbside luggage at airports is risky They HINT ...a lot at tipping

 

I agree it is not right but I want my clothes and if a couple of bucks Guarantees I get them so be it

I SJU the guy DEMANDED 2$ per bag ...I thought it was OUTRAGEOUS for 10 feet!!!!

 

This is completely your choice; I refuse to pay extortion fees though when I haven't received any type of service.

 

Wow, they suspended him. It's good to know that they are taking your complaint seriously. Anyone who has a problem should do what you did. You'd be surprised at how much response you can generate simply by posting on an internet forum.

 

I also noticed that neither one of them asked you how many times you had cruised out of Port Everglades.

 

LOL you're too much! that's because the third person is at his home overlooking the bay with his wife discussing this.

[Esmerelda]

WOW...thank you so much jmraggs for posting this letter!! You can best be sure that if I have another crappy experience as I have twice at two different ports, I will be sending my email from the ship before I pull out of port.

 

People tend to forget; you tip AFTER for good service, not BEFORE because someone made a threatening comment to you. That is total hogwash and I will not tolerate it. (and it was a wonder my Marine hubby didn't pounce on the one guy...you don't want to know..LOL)

 

I have to admit though, our last experience out of Miami, I had my camera in my hand just in case. Fortunately, our experience was a good one with a very nice older gentleman. For the record, my husband was happy to tip once our bags were handled and moved. :D

 

Thanks again for the info. I hope I never have to use it personally. :D

[MojitoMadness]

How many times have you cruised out of Port Everglades?

 

survey says......hundreds! LOL

[Minoushka]

My hubby;s cousin did not tip Well they took her hubby's suits and her gowns out of her garment bag.She did not lock them .He hinted he wanted one she ignored him .I always tip WHY ...because I want to get my stuff Some are bolder then others and demand so much PER bag

Extortion Yes but what can you do ?????

[Submariner]

Why? The OP was simply having the porter do what the porter is salaried to do. No tip is expected anymore than one would tip the people at the airport that take your luggage off the plane and put it on the conveyor belt in the baggae claim area. It does not matter the number of bags or weight of the bags. That would be like saying that it would be worth tipping one's dentist a buck or two if their teeth were particularly dirty.

 

Best damn comment on this thread! By far ....

[Adri204]

I still plan to tip a couple of dollars to the porter(s) when I take my cruise. I have no problem doing so and dont even view it as extortion. Its my way to say thanks for taking care of my bag(s).

 

Adri :)

[oncruisecontrol]

I just received an email from the President of the local ILA. I wasn't out to make a big deal over this, just to let them know what is sometimes happening at the port. I am very impressed with the responses I have received from the Port and ILA:

 

Dear Mark:

 

My name is Darryl “Mike D.” Payne and I am the President of ILA Local 1526. Port Everglades, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and R.O. White & Co., the stevedoring company that hire members of my Local as Porters (Baggage Handlers), all forwarded to me your complaint from last Thursday, March 25, 2010.

 

I am very sorry to hear that you had such an unpleasant experience with your luggage loading process at our great port, and I am personally investigating this matter. In the meantime, the Porter in question has been suspended until further notice.

 

All of us in the Port Community are committed to ensuring our guests/passengers have a safe and enjoyable experience when they are in our care. We have all worked very hard to make certain that Porters treat our customers with courtesy, respect, and professionalism. Please be assured that we do not, and will not tolerate failures to meet those standards.

 

We hope that you will continue to make Port Everglades your choice for future voyages. If there is anything I can do personally to improve your experience, please feel free to contact me at my office.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

Darryl "Mike D." Payne

President

 

ILA Local #1526

440 N.W. Sistrunk Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311

 

Office: (954) 527-3947

Fax: (954) 463-2531

Cell: (954) 850-1146

www.ilalocal1526.net

 

The porters may be in the Longshoremans's union, but I do not believe they are making $60-$90 per hour as one poster stated a few pages (2 months ago) back. There are several pay scales in unions, and probably only Journeymen make the top dollar (and I'd bet the Journeymen are not working as porters but rather crane operators or other skilled positions where the merchant ships dock). After viewing the local's website, I am pretty sure that (at least some of) the workers report to the union hall daily to be sent out on assignments at area ports. And, the fact that their union hall is located on Sistrunk Blvd in Ft. Lauderdale (among other factors) tells me that, while they may be making a good salary (comparatively speaking) they are not making a $60 per hour. They (many of them) also may not be working full time (40 hrs per week). A friend of my boyfriend works the RCI docks at Port Everglades loading provisions and equipment (but not luggage) and he makes $40-$50 thousand, but the work is up and down depending on how many RCI ships are porting year to year. He has senoirity, though. Some years he's made a lot less (before Oasis). But, I'm sure he's not a member of this local.

[Annieeee]

I know how the ports work, so I can clear this one up. All the porter does is walks the cart full of bags back to the security area. He leaves it there, and then grabs an empty cart and walks right back out to the curb. He has nothing to do with the security scanning. In fact, the security scanning is manned by ship security personnel.

 

 

 

OOps sorry wrong thread I was about to post too!

 

Annieeee

[Nebr.cruiser]

I can top you all - in San Diego in October, DH tried to tip a porter for taking our bags and he refused it, saying that they're not allowed to accept tips.

 

I know that they are well compensated longshorepeople, but I've never had a problem with giving a few bucks to them. Luckily for all of us, I've never had anybody "ask" for a "donation."

 

We had the same experience in San Diego too; at least, the porters just took our bags so fast we didn't have time to tip, and they obviously were not looking for or accepting tips.

 

A couple of other ports we've had the same thing--no obvious expectation of a tip. We are normally prepared to tip a dollar or so a bag, if necessary, but I agree that it is a shake-down, in a way.

[CosmoLover]

I'm sorry but if more cruisers simply refused to tip these extortionist porters then maybe these porters wouldn't be pushy. If there is a large percentage of "missing" luggage and angry cruisers who complain that porters are demanding tips, then the cruise lines will be forced to take action since customers will complain and drive business lower.

 

I for one, won't be scared into tipping because some jerk porter tells me " well your bags may not make in to the ship if you don't tip me.." I'll just say " oh yeah? Let me take your picture and name, and if everyone here refuses to tip you, and half the cruise passengers are swarming customer service desks on board because their luggage got lost...well then, do you really think you'd still have your job?????!!"

 

Honestly I'm not going to get bamboozled into tipping money to someone for doing a job they are already paid to do! And what hurts the cause are other cruisers who just wantonly like to give their money away for the sake if doing so! Thanks for screwing up things for the rest of us!

 

Heck no. Thank god this thread is opening my eyes, now I'll be vigilant about this at Port Everglades!

[donaldsc]

do you tip your cabin attendant before he does anything too?

 

Some people do. I have never figured out why they do it. I assume that these people also tip the waiter before they serve the meal.

 

DON

[Darkwolfe]

Curious, last time I was in PE, there were signs that specifically said "Do not tip". Granted that was fall of 2007. Guess during the redesign of the port someone got convinced to remove them.

 

No porter tips on my next cruise though. We're hyper-compressing our luggage into carry-ons and still getting a week's worth out of it. That's mostly to chop baggage fees for the airlines, but hey, it saves on this too.

[Morecruisesplz]

Curious, last time I was in PE, there were signs that specifically said "Do not tip". Granted that was fall of 2007. Guess during the redesign of the port someone got convinced to remove them.

 

No porter tips on my next cruise though. We're hyper-compressing our luggage into carry-ons and still getting a week's worth out of it. That's mostly to chop baggage fees for the airlines, but hey, it saves on this too.

 

Where will you pack the cowboy outfit? Not taking it this time?

[bridge&golf]

My DH went to the front of the room for a porter coming in. While we were going thru customs my DH asked him if he would take us to the garage for our car. No fee was mentioned. The porter cheerfully agreed. No, we were NOT the last passengers off the ship. When we got to the car, he unloaded all of the luggage, including our changing where

certain pieces of luggage would go. (When we were in the Miami Port a couple of years ago, we were charged $20 for the service. This porter was so nice that he got $25. I

told him of my experience in Miami. Anyway, some of the porters are very nice. I'm sorry I didn't think to get his badge number. I will the next time.

 

joann