luggage handling at pier & tips question

[erdoran]

I have always tipped the guys who we hand over our luggage to at the pier..but I saw a posting somewhere on this board where OP was approached by one of the porters and told "you can pay me $2/bag". Some of the responses were that these guys don't even really handle our bags, they just load them on a cart and that's all, and NCL has folks who do the real work and those guys don't get tipped. I always thought they did, but honestly if someone had come up to me, hand out, I'm not sure how I'd react. We'd only have a couple of bags and at $1 or $2 each that isn't terrible, but multiply that by hundreds of bags/hour and that becomes an absurd amount of $$ for what amounts to about a minute's worth of work per person (not per bag).

 

What do other people do about tipping for luggage handling at the pier coming & going? thanks

[time2cruise1]

 

Above from the UK

 

 

and from NYC

 

[endymion6942]

I usually tip the porters $2.00 per bag. There guys are no out there for their health.

No one has ever quoted me an amount per bag.

When you drive up to the valet to check into a hotel. Do you tip the bellman for handling your bags while you go to check in?

[FLAHAM]

$2 per bag is pretty standard for anyone who touches baggage in the U.S. The port baggage porters may have a high hourly tip rate, but they don't get that many weekly hours.

[akupupule]

I tip waitresses, i tip the Bellman, I tip the valet, the curb bellman, my room attendant, barservers, waitresses, driver, taxi, maitre d, cabin attendants, bellhops (especially the bellhops who really can expedite the disembarkation process, etc. Sorry if i missed anyone. And i tip them extra if perform extra duties for me. Oh, sorry, i missed the parking attendant. It hopefully lets them know that I appreciate the job they have done for me, and thank them for doing it. Usually $2.00 per bag, $5 for the car valet. $5 tip for the room service waiter, AND $2 PER BAG for the porters.

[5326jan]

At the end of each cruise we have always been provided envelopes to leave a tip for the waiter, maitreD, sommelier, cabin steward, etc. There is usually a "suggested" amount per person/per day. Aside from those tips, who and when do you leave a tip. I can see tipping the bartender, if you've been a frequent visitor and received personal service. I can see tipping the child care person if your children have been using the kids club. And there is a wealth of debate about the porters.

 

When are other tips appropriate? Cruise sponsored excursions: how much to you tip your guide? Do you give your cabin steward "a little something extra" at the beginning to sweeten the service?

 

I'm trying to figure out how much tip money to bring in small bills. It's never nice to ask for change when tipping! ;)

[erdoran]

Thank you, that's pretty much what I thought and have been doing! I'm accustomed to tipping but someone pretty much demanding a tip puts me off!

[Bgem75]

In our past cruises minus the last one we tipped the porters. Some are more pushy than others. Since 1998 the typicall tip has been $2 per bag.

However on our last cruise they were pushing us through so quick that we were all told identify your bag and move on. Once we did we were told to go directly to the terminal. We didnt even get a chance to tip as our heads were spinning (no one on our bus from our hotel was able to tip bcs of how quick we were pushed through.)...Everything was fine and our bags reached us without any problems. Matter of fact by the time they let us go to our rooms most of our luggage was already there and the last bag came 5 mins after we got to the room.

[david_sobe]

Do not confuse Euros or the UK with the USA. Europe does not have a tipping policy for restaurants, bars, etc. I know at the port of Miami, the luggage handlers will even ask you for a tip. I usually tip $2 per bag or just give them a $5. You dont have to tip but even $1 per bag is not too bad. Yes, they make alot on tips but they dont make that much and those tips allow them to have a living.

But the OP is correct. The handlers that should get tipped the most are the ones that deliver the luggage to your cabin. Sadly, we usually never get to meet these guys. But no doubt they deserve it.

[Bgem75]

In our past cruises minus the last one we tipped the porters. Some are more pushy than others. Since 1998 the typicall tip has been $2 per bag.

However on our last cruise they were pushing us through so quick that we were all told identify your bag and move on. Once we did we were told to go directly to the terminal. We didnt even get a chance to tip as our heads were spinning (no one on our bus from our hotel was able to tip bcs of how quick we were pushed through.)...Everything was fine and our bags reached us without any problems. Matter of fact by the time they let us go to our rooms most of our luggage was already there and the last bag came 5 mins after we got to the room.

 

ps our last cruise was out of Ft Lauderdale..this was also the first time we didnt leave out of Miami.

[sdmike]

Unless very unhappy with the service, I tip anyone who handles my bags, my car, my food when I know they rely on those tips for most of their income. I don't like being told I have to tip, and avoid restaurants that have mandatory tips built into their checks. Don't read this as being cheap. I will overtip almost as much as I tip.

 

As for porters...if someone is helping me take my family's 5 suitcases from the back of the cab and start the process of getting them to my room, there's at least a $10 bill in their hands and a gracious "thank you".

[travelagentlucy]

Coming from the UK we are not accustomed to the tipping policy. I have noticed on NCL you can pre pay the tips prior to travel... is this something Americans do also and is it recommended? Not long left to the TA now but not sure whether to just pay for the tips in advance, would this tip also include your cabin steward?

[erdoran]

Coming from the UK we are not accustomed to the tipping policy. I have noticed on NCL you can pre pay the tips prior to travel... is this something Americans do also and is it recommended? Not long left to the TA now but not sure whether to just pay for the tips in advance, would this tip also include your cabin steward?

Lucy, I don't think you have a choice, I think they automatically charge your tips to your room. I guess you can pay them to your TA in advance, so it's whichever you prefer--one way or another you WILL be paying them :> And yes, this includes the cabin steward, at least a standard tip. People here talk about tipping the steward extra for superb service, but you are at least covered for a reasonable tip with DSC (daily service charge). It probably says somewhere on NCL website how the DSC is distributed. The people who aren't tipped with it are any services you pay extra for (drinks--an automatic 15% tip is added so you don't need to tip beyond that). Spa services too you tip for separately too, I'm not sure whether or not a tip is automatically added.

[sdmike]

I despise automatic tipping. Tips should be for quality service. I wish companies would increase pay and spread this across the fares. Let tipping be what tipping is supposed to be.

 

Yes..I know... If NCL advertised a $700 room instead of a $650 room because it includes the cost of increased base pay, this would look like a competitive disadvantage. However, I think if you consider the % that don't tip, spreading a reasonable tip across ALL passengers might keep the overall price to most passengers lower.

 

Yeah, a bit of an OT rant, but it irks me :D

[travelagentlucy]

Lucy, I don't think you have a choice, I think they automatically charge your tips to your room. I guess you can pay them to your TA in advance, so it's whichever you prefer--one way or another you WILL be paying them :> And yes, this includes the cabin steward, at least a standard tip. People here talk about tipping the steward extra for superb service, but you are at least covered for a reasonable tip with DSC (daily service charge). It probably says somewhere on NCL website how the DSC is distributed. The people who aren't tipped with it are any services you pay extra for (drinks--an automatic 15% tip is added so you don't need to tip beyond that). Spa services too you tip for separately too, I'm not sure whether or not a tip is automatically added.

 

Ahh okay thanks for the info. So it doesnt seem to make any difference pre-paying them or paying for them at the end of he cruise. Its not that I dont like tipping as it makes part of thier wage and therefor work hard for a great tip but just wanted to clarify who was inc on the DSC. Thanks again

[erdoran]

I despise automatic tipping. Tips should be for quality service. I wish companies would increase pay and spread this across the fares. Let tipping be what tipping is supposed to be.

 

Yes..I know... If NCL advertised a $700 room instead of a $650 room because it includes the cost of increased base pay, this would look like a competitive disadvantage. However, I think if you consider the % that don't tip, spreading a reasonable tip across ALL passengers might keep the overall price to most passengers lower.

 

Yeah, a bit of an OT rant, but it irks me :D

Mike, I agree 100% and not only the auto-tip but tipping expectations in general. I always feel like I have a dollar sign on my back when I go on a tip-intensive vacation, with people looking for opportunities to do things so they can get tipped. I don't mean when I ASK for something, but even if I don't want a service! I would gladly pay a higher base fare to not have to tip! It's not the out of pocket dollars, it's the dollar sign on the back and being directly responsible for paying the staff a "living wage". I've always believed it's the business's responsibility to pay their staff properly, and pass that along in the cost of their goods & services-at which time I have a choice of whether or not I want to pay the price.

[FLAHAM]

Spa services too you tip for separately too, I'm not sure whether or not a tip is automatically added.

 

It is automatically added as a separate item to the spa bill. Moreover, my experience is that spa personnel will strongly urge you to add an additional amount.

[sdmike]

Mike, I agree 100% and not only the auto-tip but tipping expectations in general. I always feel like I have a dollar sign on my back when I go on a tip-intensive vacation, with people looking for opportunities to do things so they can get tipped. I don't mean when I ASK for something, but even if I don't want a service! I would gladly pay a higher base fare to not have to tip! It's not the out of pocket dollars, it's the dollar sign on the back and being directly responsible for paying the staff a "living wage". I've always believed it's the business's responsibility to pay their staff properly, and pass that along in the cost of their goods & services-at which time I have a choice of whether or not I want to pay the price.

 

My feelings exactly. I don't think I should be responsible for a living wage for workers, and tips should be earned.

 

Seems more and more places are going to mandatory tips. When I get room service in hotels I will generally see a "delivery charge" plus a 15% tip already added. I can only guess this is being done because a fair percentage (I wonder what it really is) don't tip, and this is their way of ensuring adequate compensation

 

Oh, and Erdoran, another one that gets me is tip jars at the counters of take-out places, like my local Pizza Hut. They walk 3 feet, take my pizza box off the rack, turn around and give it to me, then take my money. This is tip worthy? /end rant

[erdoran]

I did an excursion on my Carnival cruise that was a catamaran/snorkel which was a total waste of $$$. There was a bar on the boat where they poured premade rum coolers which had a huge tip jar. When you got off the boat the staff stood there and shoved a tip jar in your face. I had, out of habit, taken out a $10 bill and when I saw that I very visibly put it away!

[jon46]

On shore excursions If I see a tip jar or basket in the front of the bus after ill put a dollar or two in it. But if they hold it out expecting something no way will i give anything.