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Tipping Porters


denmarks
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What is the current reasonable tip per bag? 

 

Have you ever traveled with others in the same car and only paid a tip for your own bag? I had a porter get upset until I clearly stated that the tip was just for my one bag and someone else will tip for the others.

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6 minutes ago, denmarks said:

What is the current reasonable tip per bag? 

 

Have you ever traveled with others in the same car and only paid a tip for your own bag? I had a porter get upset until I clearly stated that the tip was just for my one bag and someone else will tip for the others.

There is a recent thread on this question.

We give $2 to $3 per bag.

This will probably go the way of other tipping and formal dress threads really quickly.

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When arriving at the pier in Ft. Lauderdale I found the bag handlers had their hands out, literally. When we checked in in Quebec a few weeks ago no one was looking for a tip and in fact the way the operation went it was not easy to tip. This past winter in San Pedro my bags were grabbed so fast there was no time and no place to tip. No one had their hands out.

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From what I have read on these boards some baggage handlers in PE are quite aggressive in demanding tips.  We used PE last November arriving in a taxi and did not see the aggression.  Perhaps it is only a few who do this.  We are about to sail out of San Pedro again this fall so we will see how aggressive they are or are not.  Demanding tips is a real downer IMO.  

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Much depends on which country your ship leaves from. I have departed from almost every port that Princess uses in the US and around the world. (Hong Kong, Southampton, Sydney, Auckland, BC, Bangkok etc.) Tips for porters (along with other tipping issues) seems to be more prevalent in the US. That being said, I worked at the pier in San Francisco for many a year and saw the porters at work. First and foremost--In San Francisco, Los Angeles (SAn Pedro), Seattle and FLL there are signs that say in various words--Porters are paid and tipping is not necessary. True those signs are not highly visible but they are there!! That being said it was always amazing to see the porters work the travelers. They were very pushy with folks they could identify as not native. They would be pushy to get to the cars that looked to be carrying high end folks and VERY slow to get to a certain ethnic group. They are highly paid (over $35 an hour in SF) and get the assignment by seniority. I actually turned in at least two porters that were overly pushy and they were left off the next couple of ships.   

 

When we travel (cruise) we usually tip $5 for a couple of bags and higher if we have more.  Blame that on us being crazy Americans who like to tip 🙂 In most countries with UK ties. we have actually been told that our tips are not wanted.

 

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Any porter who reaches into the Uber to pull our 80 lb bags out without being asked and is then responsible for getting them to the right place so they automagically appear at the door to our stateroom gets $10 from this unsophisticated rube. 

 

You’re on vacation; make it easy on yourself. 

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2 hours ago, The Mikado said:

Any porter who reaches into the Uber to pull our 80 lb bags out without being asked and is then responsible for getting them to the right place so they automagically appear at the door to our stateroom gets $10 from this unsophisticated rube. 

 

You’re on vacation; make it easy on yourself. 

  🤣  wonderful !

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In FL the porter said "We will make sure your bags make it onto the ship. Would you like to make a donation?"  I really wanted to ask if they are a charitable 501(c)3 and how much does the charity get from my donation. My husband almost had to sit on me to stop me!

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If it were me it would be a big fat 0. I am big enough and strong enough to carry my own luggage and always do. Makes life a lot easier by actually having your luggage get on the ship as the same time as you. Being ex-Navy I know how to pack bags properly with methods designed to conserve space and weight.

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They are union long shoremen and earn a more then decent wage. They do not expect a tip at many ports but at some they do. If it's aggressive $1 per bag. Some ports have signs that tipping is not expected. Many people are intimidated and over tip, some don't. Make up your mind when you get there. 

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3 hours ago, SargassoPirate said:

We have sailed out of Fort L many times and the porters there are the worst - only one or two steps from being muggers.  We avoid them and schlep our bags right on through security and onto the ship.

A couple of years ago the guy in front of me gave the Porter $5.00 for two bags. The porter said that’s all. The guy said i’m Sorry

took out his money and asked for the five back. I thought he was going to give him more. He grabbed his bags and walked away.

The porter that took my bags and my $5.00 said thank you. Then just started laughing at his friend. 

Tony

 

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4 hours ago, satxdiver said:

From what I have read on these boards some baggage handlers in PE are quite aggressive in demanding tips.  We used PE last November arriving in a taxi and did not see the aggression.  Perhaps it is only a few who do this.  We are about to sail out of San Pedro again this fall so we will see how aggressive they are or are not.  Demanding tips is a real downer IMO.  

Some people also think a porter holding out their hand is being aggressive.  

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37 minutes ago, Eaglecw said:

The Porters at most Ports are union longshoremen and they get paid very well. I have a friend who works the Seattle piers and he loves it when the cruise ships are in port.  .

Everyone who works loading or unloading at docks belong to a union.  Porters are the lowest and least paid position.

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39 minutes ago, Eaglecw said:

The Porters at most Ports are union longshoremen and they get paid very well. I have a friend who works the Seattle piers and he loves it when the cruise ships are in port.  .

We tip $10 for 2 suitcases.I have never encountered an aggressive person at a port taking luggage.

In Baltimore I know for a fact that baggage handlers average $10 to $12 an hour.

In NYC Many union tradesmen work on weekends as baggage handlers.They are not longshoremen.

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I'm sincerely confused.  When we take a taxi/Uber to an airport, the driver gets our bags out of the back and we take them up to check in.  They roll.  Why would a cruise port be any different?

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The bottom line is that for many, their world revolves around tips. If I just spent $2k on a cruise, the difference between a $5 tip and a $10 tip is not moving the needle for me, but it may for the person doing his best for me on the receiving end.

 

Despite my, sometimes, combative nature, I come from the Franciscan tradition, one tenet of which is the notion that if your charitable giving doesn't make you uncomfortable, you're not giving enough.

 

I have been richly blessed and I don't mind sharing that with porters, waiters, room stewards, tour bus drivers, et al.

 

I'm on vacation and I ain't sweatin' nothin'.

 

Except people who wear shorts and flip-flops to formal night.

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6 minutes ago, clo said:

I'm sincerely confused.  When we take a taxi/Uber to an airport, the driver gets our bags out of the back and we take them up to check in.  They roll.  Why would a cruise port be any different?

So, you don't tip the guys at airline check-in, either?

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3 minutes ago, The Mikado said:

The bottom line is that for many, their world revolves around tips. If I just spent $2k on a cruise, the difference between a $5 tip and a $10 tip is not moving the needle for me, but it may for the person doing his best for me on the receiving end.

 

Despite my, sometimes, combative nature, I come from the Franciscan tradition, one tenet of which is the notion that if your charitable giving doesn't make you uncomfortable, you're not giving enough.

 

I have been richly blessed and I don't mind sharing that with porters, waiters, room stewards, tour bus drivers, et al.

 

I'm on vacation and I ain't sweatin' nothin'.

 

Except people who wear shorts and flip-flops to formal night.

I was on a cruise in 2017 .Many men wore shorts on formal nights including a famous actor who happened to be on the cruise traveling with his family.

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1 minute ago, The Mikado said:

So, you don't tip the guys at airline check-in, either?

We go inside, get our baggage tags and then go to the counter.  So no.  But are those guys outside airline employees?  I have no idea.

PS:  I just did the math for, say, SF.  $35/hr x 40 hr/wk x 50 wks is $70k

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