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Park and Cruise Hilton Gardens?

uneamie

By uneamie,
in Norwegian Cruise Line

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uneamie Great Review Rare

uneamie

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We booked a room for the park and cruise package at Hilton Garden Hotel in Ridgewood NJ. the night before our cruise on the 19th. My question is...they shuttle us to and from the hotel to the port and we want to know what a reasonable and fair tip we should give to the driver? There will be four of us to transport. I know some of you have used this hotel for the "park and cruise" package so if you remember what you tipped I'd appreciate it.

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njaloha

njaloha

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We booked a room for the park and cruise package at Hilton Garden Hotel in Ridgewood NJ. the night before our cruise on the 19th. My question is...they shuttle us to and from the hotel to the port and we want to know what a reasonable and fair tip we should give to the driver? There will be four of us to transport. I know some of you have used this hotel for the "park and cruise" package so if you remember what you tipped I'd appreciate it.

 

 

 

Ridgefield Park NJ I believe is location of hotel

 

 

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Diane123boys

Diane123boys

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we had 2 cars and lots of luggage for 7 of us - we tipped pretty well I believe $10/bag if I remember right = I have used this service twice and both times they were very punctual and very accommodating - the first time we had to meet them across the street from the port for the pick up but the second it was right at the port -

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uneamie Great Review Rare

uneamie

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we had 2 cars and lots of luggage for 7 of us - we tipped pretty well I believe $10/bag if I remember right = I have used this service twice and both times they were very punctual and very accommodating - the first time we had to meet them across the street from the port for the pick up but the second it was right at the port -
Wow...$10 per bag. That is a great tip! Did you do that BOTH ways? I would think the driver would be a different one.
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uneamie Great Review Rare

uneamie

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LOL we had some pretty big and heavy bags - but no it was just the one way because both times the drivers were the same
Hmm...did you tip at drop off or pick up? I am thinking if the driver is different at pick up then we will have to tip again....in which case I don't want to be spending more on tips and the room than I would have if we had just parked at the pier. LOL Just a thought! :D
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Diane123boys

Diane123boys

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tip what you feel is appropriate its never an issue , i am sure people dont tip - just like people dont tip any extra on a cruise - i am sure anything you do is appreciated - i just know how crazy it is to drive into the city and how much gas costs there - the trip is about 30 minutes depending on traffic

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uneamie Great Review Rare

uneamie

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tip what you feel is appropriate its never an issue , i am sure people dont tip - just like people dont tip any extra on a cruise - i am sure anything you do is appreciated - i just know how crazy it is to drive into the city and how much gas costs there - the trip is about 30 minutes depending on traffic
Thank you for your help. I was also wondering how long it took. 30 minutes does not sound too bad. Thanks again! :)
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uneamie Great Review Rare

uneamie

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For the two of us and baggage, on a 30 minute or so shuttle ride anywhere, I tip $10. A shorter ride more locally like airport to hotel, $5.
That sounds reasonable. For the 4 of us perhaps I should go $20 each way. Thanks for responding! :)
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PhD-iva

PhD-iva

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Wow! We must be tight. We often use the Hilton park-and-fly outside of Austin Texas. We’ve also used a similar service in Boston, but years ago. I don’t remember which hotel. The Hilton airport hotel shuttle runs every 20 minutes from the hotel to the airport and back, 24 hours a day. It’s about a 3 or 5 minute ride as the hotel is at the airport. I think my husband usually tips about three dollars for both of us. We’re not usually going on a cruise when we travel, so we probably just have one checked baggage and two carry-on. Of course, cost of living is lower in central Texas. But, maybe we have to reevaluate our tipping policy....

 

 

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uneamie Great Review Rare

uneamie

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Wow! We must be tight. We often use the Hilton park-and-fly outside of Austin Texas. We’ve also used a similar service in Boston, but years ago. I don’t remember which hotel. The Hilton airport hotel shuttle runs every 20 minutes from the hotel to the airport and back, 24 hours a day. It’s about a 3 or 5 minute ride as the hotel is at the airport. I think my husband usually tips about three dollars for both of us. We’re not usually going on a cruise when we travel, so we probably just have one checked baggage and two carry-on. Of course, cost of living is lower in central Texas. But, maybe we have to reevaluate our tipping policy....

 

 

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No you are not tight....your ride was only 3 to 5 minutes. Our ride to the port will be approximately 30 minutes. So I think a larger tip is proper in this case.
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DaisyGoldberg

DaisyGoldberg

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I tipped $10 each way , but I figure I always give porters and bag check people $5/bag. The driver dropping off and picking up handles the bag twice (into and out of the trunk), hence $10. When I got back to the hotel the driver was also kind enough to put the bag right in my own trunk. So to me, tipping on distance/time driven is for taxi rides without luggage -- if somebody's manhandling 40 lb suitcases for you, that merits more.

 

Just in case you hadn't picked up the hint elsewhere, be SURE to grab a porter after the cruise when you get your luggage -- they will hustle you around the crowds to a dedicated customs line and have you out of doors in minutes rather than an hour. The other people I was sharing the porter with were taking forever to move, so I asked him if I could have my bag and I went outside by myself, but I later saw him crossing the street with their bags to the cab pickup point. I would tip extra for that, but to take my bag and get me through customs I tipped $5.

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uneamie Great Review Rare

uneamie

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I tipped $10 each way , but I figure I always give porters and bag check people $5/bag. The driver dropping off and picking up handles the bag twice (into and out of the trunk), hence $10. When I got back to the hotel the driver was also kind enough to put the bag right in my own trunk. So to me, tipping on distance/time driven is for taxi rides without luggage -- if somebody's manhandling 40 lb suitcases for you, that merits more.

 

Just in case you hadn't picked up the hint elsewhere, be SURE to grab a porter after the cruise when you get your luggage -- they will hustle you around the crowds to a dedicated customs line and have you out of doors in minutes rather than an hour. The other people I was sharing the porter with were taking forever to move, so I asked him if I could have my bag and I went outside by myself, but I later saw him crossing the street with their bags to the cab pickup point. I would tip extra for that, but to take my bag and get me through customs I tipped $5.

Thank you for the porter tip...we usually don't put our luggage out...we take our own luggage and walk off. So I am not sure a porter would be of help.
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mjkacmom

mjkacmom

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Thank you for the porter tip...we usually don't put our luggage out...we take our own luggage and walk off. So I am not sure a porter would be of help.

Would definitely help, walk off of the ship, grab a porter, he’ll put your bags on his cart, walk you though the shorter line, you can then take your bags or have him cart them to your transportation, tip accordingly. Saves a lot of time.

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