Tipping at the port? How much?

[rheathslc]

Just now, memoak said:

If you can afford a cruise you can afford a few dollars for tips. As for carting your own bags I can remember multiple people struggling with large bags on the escalators 

I will gladly tip for someone to take my bags off my hands. Can I struggle onto the ship myself hauling my own bags? Sure. Do I want to? NO! Haha! The only thing I walk on with is a medium sized cross-body tote bag with my necessities and the wine we're allowed to bring on.

[c-boy]

15 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

You have no idea how insane this all appears when looking from the outside in.

 

Who do you tip, when, how much and why? It all appears arbitrary and grotesque.

 

The answer to the question is "no".

and apparently confusing. Just remember, America is the land of do gooders.

Edited August 7, 2022 by c-boy

[caribill]

34 minutes ago, rheathslc said:

I'm not familiar enough with the baggage handling to know the answer to this: Are the people handling the luggage after the porters drop it off cruise line employees? If so do they get some of the pooled daily gratuity? 

 

The ones on shore that take it from the carts, put in into containers and then load those containers onto the ship are not cruise line employees. (They are in the USA likely well paid union members.)

 

I have no idea if those cruise line employees who are sorting the luggage in the cargo hold and delivering it to the appropriate deck are in the tipping pool or not.

[caribill]

45 minutes ago, rheathslc said:

 

For me it boils down to what is customary in the place you're visiting. But I know lots of people disagree. 

One problem is that many Americans think they should tip in places where it is not customary.

 

When they do this, they are, intentionally or not, trying to change the local culture. And some times they do with the effect that those who get tips from Americans will seek out Americans to serve and ignore the local population because they do not tip.

 

In other cases (Italy comes to mind), Americans will tip much more than the local population will tip for the same service.

 

Japan, China and Australia, for example, are countries without a tipping culture.

[sloopsailor]

5 minutes ago, caribill said:

One problem is that many Americans think they should tip in places where it is not customary.

 

When they do this, they are, intentionally or not, trying to change the local culture. And some times they do with the effect that those who get tips from Americans will seek out Americans to serve and ignore the local population because they do not tip.

 

In other cases (Italy comes to mind), Americans will tip much more than the local population will tip for the same service.

 

 Yeah, how dare Americans be generous! The nerve of those people. 😇 

[memoak]

5 minutes ago, caribill said:

One problem is that many Americans think they should tip in places where it is not customary.

 

When they do this, they are, intentionally or not, trying to change the local culture. And some times they do with the effect that those who get tips from Americans will seek out Americans to serve and ignore the local population because they do not tip.

 

In other cases (Italy comes to mind), Americans will tip much more than the local population will tip for the same service.

 

Japan, China and Australia, for example, are countries without a tipping culture.

We.always follow local customs when it comes to tipping. But the fact is that in many of those countries the prices you pay are higher to account for the higher wages being paid. Believe me you pay one way or the other

[sloopsailor]

6 minutes ago, memoak said:

We.always follow local customs when it comes to tipping. But the fact is that in many of those countries the prices you pay are higher to account for the higher wages being paid. Believe me you pay one way or the other

 

Absolutely. If the cruise lines included the service charges in the base fare, the price for cruises would be higher - which is what we are seeing with the additional cost of the Princess Plus and Premier options.

 

And along with paying higher prices, I have found that the service is underwhelming in no-tipping countries, the UK being the clear winner in that category. That they do not have to excel at their jobs because they are already being paid a reasonable salary, they have very little incentive to do better. After visiting 40+ countries in my lifetime, the no-tip countries were almost always the worst for service. Surely, inattentive, impatient, and even rude - all traits we have encountered in those countries. 

 

 

[Thrak]

The absolute best "luggage experiences" I have had involve a specific TA for one cruise and a Princess disembarkation excursion for the other.

 

I booked a PC cruise - LA to FLL - via a specific TA who offered "escorted" cruises and included luggage handling. We met a bus in Sacramento where they took our luggage and bused us to the port in SF. We didn't see our luggage until it arrived in our cabin. It was great! (That was the cruise where we boarded the bus and I asked my wife if she had packed the camera. She just looked at me and said she thought I had packed it. D'Oh!)

 

The other great luggage experience was when we sailed Southampton to Norway and back. We took a Princess excursion that took care of our luggage. We went from Southampton to Stonehenge and then to Heathrow. We didn't have to deal with the luggage for that portion of our trip. (Of course we then flew to Barcelona and spent a few days before sailing back to Florida but that's a different segment where we did have to deal with the luggage.)

[KLM3164]

37 minutes ago, Thrak said:

I booked a PC cruise - LA to FLL - via a specific TA who offered "escorted" cruises and included luggage handling. We met a bus in Sacramento where they took our luggage and bused us to the port in SF. We didn't see our luggage until it arrived in our cabin. It was great! (That was the cruise where we boarded the bus and I asked my wife if she had packed the camera. She just looked at me and said she thought I had packed it. D'Oh!)

We use this same TA as well for escorted departures. So convenient to get picked up in Sun City Roseville and dropped off at the pier. Got another booked with them in January.

[PrincessLuver]

4 hours ago, sloopsailor said:

 

Absolutely. If the cruise lines included the service charges in the base fare, the price for cruises would be higher - which is what we are seeing with the additional cost of the Princess Plus and Premier options.

 

And along with paying higher prices, I have found that the service is underwhelming in no-tipping countries, the UK being the clear winner in that category. That they do not have to excel at their jobs because they are already being paid a reasonable salary, they have very little incentive to do better. After visiting 40+ countries in my lifetime, the no-tip countries were almost always the worst for service. Surely, inattentive, impatient, and even rude - all traits we have encountered in those countries. 

 

 

 

I second that.  Go to Scandinavia where much of my family lives and "quality service" is a foreign concept and almost non-existent.  

[mellon1]

On 8/6/2022 at 12:45 PM, WatchHill said:

Not all luggage fits through the scanners. Standardsized suit cases, like the ones se check in for a flight, will not go through. Tried it a few times and was sent to the back of the line.

 

The tipping at USA ports is one more reson I prefer leaving from Southampton UK.

 

Dacy

What size did you try to check?  I am thinking of packing a medium sized bag, bigger than carryon but smaller than a really large bag.  I wanted to get a head start on cleaning the room and setting things up.  Last cruise we didn't get our luggage until after we came back from dinner, and that was like 9:30 p.m.   Oh, and yes I tipped porters $5 a bag!  

[mellon1]

While talking about porters, we are looking to drive this time and leave our car at a lot by the pier.  Can we drop off our bags at the ship first and then leave and park the car at the lot?  Didn't know if that is allowed.  Thanks.

[donaldsc]

11 minutes ago, mellon1 said:

What size did you try to check?  I am thinking of packing a medium sized bag, bigger than carryon but smaller than a really large bag.  I wanted to get a head start on cleaning the room and setting things up.  Last cruise we didn't get our luggage until after we came back from dinner, and that was like 9:30 p.m.   Oh, and yes I tipped porters $5 a bag!  

 

As mentioned earlier on this thread, the porters have no involvement in actually getting your luggage on the ship.

 

DON

[SinbadThePorter]

5 hours ago, sloopsailor said:

And along with paying higher prices, I have found that the service is underwhelming in no-tipping countries

 

The obverse is that service in the US favours servility, obsequiousness and obtrusiveness in the grab for cash. I suppose that they are the qualities some passengers most appreciate.

 

Anyway we've already seen that many posters tip in order to avoid having their luggage end up in the drink or having their food adulterated unpleasantly, not for so-called "superior service".

 

It's an insane system, which as far as I'm concerned could carry on forever if it confined itself to US borders, but it's like an infection that spreads from country to country.

[mellon1]

3 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

As mentioned earlier on this thread, the porters have no involvement in actually getting your luggage on the ship.

 

DON

  Yes, I do know that.  I was being sarcastic.  LOL  Sorry for the confusion.  We tip them just to make sure it gets on the cart!

[caribill]

20 minutes ago, mellon1 said:

While talking about porters, we are looking to drive this time and leave our car at a lot by the pier.  Can we drop off our bags at the ship first and then leave and park the car at the lot?  Didn't know if that is allowed.  Thanks.

 

Yes.

[LovetheSea]

When we get to the Port of Seattle you basically hand them your luggage and take your carry-ons with you. But after you cruise your luggage is in a huge room with thousands of bags . You have to find your luggage, find a porter with a cart, and he will go with you to customs and out to the pick up. My son is picking us up. We live 1 hr North of Seattle .That is the Porter I want to tip.

I think I will tip $10 for two bags unless he is with us for a long time and then I will tip him more 🙂 We are seniors and both have mobility problems. Not supposed to lift heavy things. I know my suitcase will be 50 pds. Cant wait. Only one week now!

[PrincessLuver]

12 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

The obverse is that service in the US favours servility, obsequiousness and obtrusiveness in the grab for cash. I suppose that they are the qualities some passengers most appreciate.

 

Anyway we've already seen that many posters tip in order to avoid having their luggage end up in the drink or having their food adulterated unpleasantly, not for so-called "superior service".

 

It's an insane system, which as far as I'm concerned could carry on forever if it confined itself to US borders, but it's like an infection that spreads from country to country.

 

Talk about insane fears......luggage in the ocean and food spiked......wow....never heard of such a thing nor do I worry about it....but I have no problem practicing generosity with others who are helpful......keep those conspiracies from down under coming.  ROFLO!!

Edited August 7, 2022 by PrincessLuver

[The Mikado]

I tip everybody. Simpler that way. 

[mellon1]

18 minutes ago, caribill said:

 

Yes.

Great!  That will make it easy.  Thanks for letting me know.

[SinbadThePorter]

16 minutes ago, PrincessLuver said:

Talk about insane fears......luggage in the ocean and food spiked......wow....never heard of such a thing nor do I worry about it..

 

Then read back in this thread. Those are not my claims, they are reasons people have given for tipping.

[SinbadThePorter]

12 minutes ago, The Mikado said:

I tip everybody. Simpler that way. 

 

You've never tipped me.

[mellon1]

17 minutes ago, LovetheSea said:

When we get to the Port of Seattle you basically hand them your luggage and take your carry-ons with you. But after you cruise your luggage is in a huge room with thousands of bags . You have to find your luggage, find a porter with a cart, and he will go with you to customs and out to the pick up. My son is picking us up. We live 1 hr North of Seattle .That is the Porter I want to tip.

I think I will tip $10 for two bags unless he is with us for a long time and then I will tip him more 🙂 We are seniors and both have mobility problems. Not supposed to lift heavy things. I know my suitcase will be 50 pds. Cant wait. Only one week now!

Thanks.  I think $10 for 2 bags is good.  We now have the luggage with the wheels that move any which way and I can easily move 2 myself.  We have gotten the porter at times though to take us to the shuttle pickup area.

[sloopsailor]

52 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

As mentioned earlier on this thread, the porters have no involvement in actually getting your luggage on the ship.

 

DON

 

Yep. After watching many Mighty Cruise Ship shows, I can report that the porters immediately load them on carts. A dock forklift driver picks up the loaded cart and places it onto a fold down loading platform on the ship. Only then does the ship staff get involved. They use small electric forklifts and will move the carts into the ship for unloading and eventual delivery to the cabins. The ship's staff only is involved with the luggage after it has been placed at the loading door platform. 

 

Once on the ship, the luggage is handled by staff who are part of the tipping pool. So, by keeping the cruise line recommended tips in place you are also tipping them.

 

One poster commented in post #55:

Yet you are not tipping the people who actually do most of the work getting the suitcases to your cabin when you reach the pier:

 

o The person who puts your luggage onto the ship  (dock worker, well paid union member)

o The person who sorts your luggage once on the ship (ship staff - in tipping pool)

o The person who brings your luggage to your deck  (ship staff - in tipping pool)

o The person who delivers your luggage to your cabin. (same staff member that brings luggage to your deck - in tipping pool)

 

 

 

Edited August 7, 2022 by sloopsailor

[Tedferg]

1 hour ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

You've never tipped me.

Don't lick a frozen lamppost. There's a tip for you 🙂