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

[publicpersona]

First, I should admit that I sometimes give a few dollars to the porter if that gets me through the awkward moment.

 

But it is extortion. They are salaried, and the individual that touches your bag handles for two seconds and then expects a tip almost certainly has nothing to do with how those bags are treated from that moment on.

 

Porters don't make me quite as upset about the tip extortion as "Taxi Dispatchers" who do absolutely nothing but to tell you that, yes, that is a taxi cab right in front of you and then attempts to put the luggage into the trunk. If I can't handle that simple task, I probably ought not be travelling. And even if I can't, the driver can .. I usually tip him anyway.

[TahoeBob]

 

I call this extortion

 

Tipping out of the fear of having the bags left behind or dunked in the sea is not tipping but blackmail.

 

Did you call the FBI on these crimes?

[kdlog]

IMO a tip is not a tip if it is either required or asked for. A tip should be earned through good service, which I am very happy to give if it is indeed earned. I agree with the op. If someone demanded a tip from me, or made me feel like I HAD to tip, I would definitely NOT tip.

[Minoushka]

We were asked 2$ PER BAG including carry-on by porter HIGHWAY ROBBERY I paid I feared for my stuff ...YUP blackmail 'Plus Taxi charged me 27$ when the rate was published at 19$

I did not want to argue so I paid up

The world is FULL of THIEVES!!!

[ivansbride1955]

Quote:

 

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!

 

I totally agree with this post and couldn't have said it better myself. We are sailing out of Ft. Lauderdale in January and IF a porter blatantly asks for or even "hints" at a tip, I will ask VERY LOUDLY if he is asking me for a bribe to do his job. I will make a LOT of noise and hang onto my luggage until I get the attention of someone in charge. Maybe if all cruisers did this, the harrassment would stop.

 

And to poster who doesn't believe this has happened to others because it hasn't happened to him in his 24 depatures from Ft. Lauderdale: WAKE UP! Just because I haven't gotten cancer, or aids, or had a heart attack doesn't mean those things don't happen to good people thousands of times every freaking day!

[gbcruise]

This thread is 8 months old and has been revived. We just got back from a Port Everglades cruise. This is the first cruise that we have been told that we needed to tip the porter. We were prepared to tip, just not expecting to be told before the porter had even touched the luggage, so yes this is still happening. It was a uncomfortable situation but we moved on. When we found our room for the first time our luggage had already arrived.

[Dall]

I am certainly going to have my camera ready when we arrive at the Port in Feb. We always tip and usually have the money in hand when we get out of our vehicle so they know they are getting a tip. I'm pretty sure if we meet up with some of these porters people are complaining about that they will not get a tip.

[Ocean Boy]

This thread is 8 months old and has been revived. We just got back from a Port Everglades cruise. This is the first cruise that we have been told that we needed to tip the porter. We were prepared to tip, just not expecting to be told before the porter had even touched the luggage, so yes this is still happening. It was a uncomfortable situation but we moved on. When we found our room for the first time our luggage had already arrived.

 

Who told you that you had to tip?

[appgirl]

On our last cruise in Seattle. We had money ready for a tip but no porters came up to us when we got out of the cab. So we kept walking and there ended up being a line to put our own bags on the security belt. I thought this was great, that way I knew for sure the bags were going on the ship and I kept my ten bucks. I guess this would have been difficult if we had several bags but since we only had one rolling bag each, it was no big deal.

[canucks4]

The phrase to us on our recent OASIS cruise after we left the taxi & opened the trunk, the porter was on our heels. He asked "do you want me to make sure the luggage gets on the boat for you" .....hmm... subtle....yes, we paid.

[Ocean Boy]

The phrase to us on our recent OASIS cruise after we left the taxi & opened the trunk, the porter was on our heels. He asked "do you want me to make sure the luggage gets on the boat for you" .....hmm... subtle....yes, we paid.

 

I would have been tempted to say.... No, I have more faith in myself.

[dennbr9]

I would have been tempted to say.... No, I have more faith in myself.

 

 

And your bags will be waiting for you on your return:-)

 

Tipping the Porters is just an excepted part of the "process

 

We just have to except that.

 

They are useful as part of the disembarkation process to expedite you through customs and taxi service.

[bmarchal]

Please don't loose site of the fact that the porters are part of a very strong union and recieve a very good wage to do the job they do. The tip is just the gravy on top of their huge mountain of potatoes. Yes, the job they do is very hard and if your bags are a little over the top as far as weight goes then by all means tip a little extra. We usually give adollar a bag and a minimum of $5 if we only have 1 or 2 bags.

 

In my opinion, for them to ask who is going to pay the tip or to insinuate that your bags won't be handled correctly if you don't pay a tip is in bad taste and should be reported to the supervisor. I'm glad to report that we have never experienced this behavior and I even had one porter refuse to take my money because my sister-in-law had already tipped for both of us. Of course I insisted he take my money also since he had been so honest. I think that should be rewarded also.

 

Good cruising to you all.

[Ocean Boy]

And your bags will be waiting for you on your return:-)

Tipping the Porters is just an excepted part of the "process

 

We just have to except that.

 

They are useful as part of the disembarkation process to expedite you through customs and taxi service.

 

I did not write that I would say that to them, I said that I would have been tempted. I am not stupid.;)

[24butterfly]

It just dawned on me that I had a similar experience. I hate to say it, but Carnival says that their tipping of the porters is included. We tip anyway. This is what happened on RCCL Serenade last summer: (Port of San Juan) I was reall surprised and a bit appalled in them asking for a tip. All they did was take the luggage from us when we were standing on line, and put it 4 feet in front of us onto a rack/cart. We probable would have tipped, but they had the audacity to ask.

[Ocean Boy]

It just dawned on me that I had a similar experience. I hate to say it, but Carnival says that their tipping of the porters is included. We tip anyway. This is what happened on RCCL Serenade last summer: (Port of San Juan) I was reall surprised and a bit appalled in them asking for a tip. All they did was take the luggage from us when we were standing on line, and put it 4 feet in front of us onto a rack/cart. We probable would have tipped, but they had the audacity to ask.

 

Yup, been there...done that.

[monn_a]

I always tip the porters (after they take the bag) because I tend to pack heavy...luckily I have never encountered one demanding a tip. I did, however, have to go through the same unloading process in Port Everglades once (a large group and no one helped up unload our van until we were ready to walk away with the bags).

[Neiner]

The phrase to us on our recent OASIS cruise after we left the taxi & opened the trunk, the porter was on our heels. He asked "do you want me to make sure the luggage gets on the boat for you" .....hmm... subtle....yes, we paid.

 

 

I will be sailing again in a few months, no, not out of Port Everglades, and in case anyone asks I have sailed from there exactly ONE time. Anyway, I think if this question is posed to me I would just innocently look at the porter and ask, "Why of course, Isn't that your job?" I wonder where that question would lead? I would like to think that I would just keep asking questions until he spells it out for me. Maybe he'll get embarrassed.

 

As to the Porters salaries I find it very hard to believe that they make $60-100+K. My employer sends a yearly "Benefits Statement" and after they add all my benefits; sick leave (which I get in trouble if I use) vacation pay, retirement, 401K matching, uniform allowance (which I have to use at the company store), their portion of my medical insurance (whether I have it or not), and even their portion of my social security taxes, they claim that I make almost twice as much as I do. So whenever I see a newspaper article or news report on tv that tells how much so and so worker earns I take that with a very large grain of salt.

[UNV-IT!!!]

I have always tipped everyone up front. and i have never once had bad service in any part. I find giving them a tip they will work for up front shows i get they are working hard for their money. and when i show that i apprciate that up front they work double as hard for me. its never failed me yet.

[Ocean Boy]

As to the Porters salaries I find it very hard to believe that they make $60-100+K. My employer sends a yearly "Benefits Statement" and after they add all my benefits; sick leave (which I get in trouble if I use) vacation pay, retirement, 401K matching, uniform allowance (which I have to use at the company store), their portion of my medical insurance (whether I have it or not), and even their portion of my social security taxes, they claim that I make almost twice as much as I do. So whenever I see a newspaper article or news report on tv that tells how much so and so worker earns I take that with a very large grain of salt.

 

But maybe it gives you a better idea as to just what the costs are to your employer to have you as an employee.

[Neiner]

But maybe it gives you a better idea as to just what the costs are to your employer to have you as an employee.

 

Believe me, having been a small business owner, I know exactly what the costs are per employee, including State, Federal, local, unemployment taxes, and workers comp insurance. That was MY cost as a business owner. I didn't consider it part of my employees salary nor did I notify the news about what a great employer I was by giving the impression that they earn that money.

 

I now work in the public sector and have seen my so called salary published and I guarantee that they are listing the "whole package".

[MrsPete]

Your luggage should make it on board without having to tip. Tipping out of the fear of having the bags left behind or dunked in the sea is not tipping but blackmail.

You're totally right, but I'll keep paying $1 per bag -- my bags've always appeared quickly, and that's worth something. Also, we bring only one bag per person, so it really isn't much money.

 

Is it right? No.

Is it a battle worth fighting? No.

[Slowboat2]

We just had an experience in San Juan. We were walking out of the terminal, and this guy asks if we need a taxi, and I said yes, assuming he was a driver.

He then takes the small bag from my wife and leaves me with my 2 bags. We walk by three empty taxi's, when we get next to the next empty taxi, the driver gets out.

This first guy was a porter, and was expecting a tip. I told him, nice try. He actually wouldn't let me close the door of the taxi, until the taxi driver warned him.

 

If he had said, do you need a hand with the bags, I would have known he was a porter, not a taxi driver.

[Puffinater]

Had this happen in Miami. One bag. Asked the porter if he was asking for a tip. Of course he said no. Did not tip. Bag never arrived. Located it at guest services minus the luggage tag.

Just might do what I have read here. Video the process.

[jmraggs]

Our experience out of Boston last October was very enjoyable, a nice young guy helped us with our luggage and we started walking away not having given him a tip, the porter didn't say a word. Since he was actually taking our luggage a distance into the terminal, I turned around and started walking back to him in order to give him a tip. As he was loading our luggage on his cart, he noticed me approaching and asked me if we had all of our personal belongings and passports out of the luggage as we would need them. He was very nice and I handed him the cash in my hand, that was probably the best porter experience I have ever had.