Ladybug18 Posted June 17, 2023 #1 Share Posted June 17, 2023 We have never sailed out of Southampton so I am curious what is the standard tip for porters when boarding in Southampton? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumshoe958 Posted June 18, 2023 #2 Share Posted June 18, 2023 Tipping isn’t mandatory or expected like it is in the US. But if you must, £1 a bag is fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bull Posted June 18, 2023 #3 Share Posted June 18, 2023 Folk don't tip porters when they drop off luggage - baggage handlers just put bags onto a conveyor, the man-handling is done on-board by ships' crews. Same as airports, most folk don't use porters for luggage from terminal to onward transportation - I don't know the normal tip, but I guess a couple of pounds or dollars. From what I've seen, it's much the same elsewhere in Europe JB 🙂 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matamanoa Posted June 18, 2023 #4 Share Posted June 18, 2023 Southampton is one of the most civilized ports we've sailed out of. Their porters are friendly and never have their hands out for tips as you see in a lot of American ports. They take your bags, say "thank you" and "welcome" and you're on your way. One of the many things that we love about Southampton. Barb 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ladybug18 Posted June 18, 2023 Author #5 Share Posted June 18, 2023 Thank you so much for your responses! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare markeb Posted June 19, 2023 #6 Share Posted June 19, 2023 I don't have experience in Southampton, but when we sailed out of Harwich in the past the porters grabbed our bags and moved on so fast we couldn't have tipped them if we'd tried! Have a couple of pounds handy, but if you have to reach into your pocket or a purse, they're likely not going to be there any more to tip anyway... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globaliser Posted June 19, 2023 #7 Share Posted June 19, 2023 4 hours ago, markeb said: I don't have experience in Southampton, but when we sailed out of Harwich in the past the porters grabbed our bags and moved on so fast we couldn't have tipped them if we'd tried! That exactly mirrors my experience in Southampton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getaway101 Posted June 26, 2023 #8 Share Posted June 26, 2023 On 6/18/2023 at 5:49 AM, John Bull said: Folk don't tip porters when they drop off luggage - baggage handlers just put bags onto a conveyor, the man-handling is done on-board by ships' crews. Same as airports, most folk don't use porters for luggage from terminal to onward transportation - I don't know the normal tip, but I guess a couple of pounds or dollars. From what I've seen, it's much the same elsewhere in Europe JB 🙂 Only in America do we go overboard on the tipping. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare debsjc Posted June 26, 2023 #9 Share Posted June 26, 2023 I gave them £1 a bag, especially as they were kind enough to take then straight out of the boot of the car (AB parking) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catchum Posted July 4, 2023 #10 Share Posted July 4, 2023 Have cash in hand before leaving car or you won't get the chance. Honestly not expected. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottbee Posted July 5, 2023 #11 Share Posted July 5, 2023 Tipping in Europe is much less prevalent than in the USA. And you certainly wont come across porters like those in Fort Lauderdale who give the impression that they'll throw your bag in the ocean if you don't tip. 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
getaway101 Posted July 6, 2023 #12 Share Posted July 6, 2023 21 hours ago, scottbee said: Tipping in Europe is much less prevalent than in the USA. And you certainly wont come across porters like those in Fort Lauderdale who give the impression that they'll throw your bag in the ocean if you don't tip. Isn't that the truth. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare PATRLR Posted July 7 #13 Share Posted July 7 I found this topic while trying to determine if I need to get myself any GBP at all. On Thursday I arrive LHR, private car to hotel in Southampton, maybe do a tour to Stonehenge/Salisbury on Friday, Saturday we get on the cruise ship. The porters were the only point that I thought I might need GBP and it sounds like I won't need them for the porters. Is there any other point in those couple of days where I'll want to have some GBP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gumshoe958 Posted July 7 #14 Share Posted July 7 Others may disagree but I would say no, you won’t need any cash as long as you have and are happy to use a contactless credit/debit card or Apple/Google Pay. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bull Posted July 7 #15 Share Posted July 7 I rarely need cash in the UK. But "rarely" doesn't mean "never". Always wise to have mebbe $20 of local currency in any country. And for that sort of sum it matters little whether you pay over the odds at an airport exchange bureau. JB 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare carlmm Posted July 7 #16 Share Posted July 7 5 hours ago, PATRLR said: I found this topic while trying to determine if I need to get myself any GBP at all. On Thursday I arrive LHR, private car to hotel in Southampton, maybe do a tour to Stonehenge/Salisbury on Friday, Saturday we get on the cruise ship. The porters were the only point that I thought I might need GBP and it sounds like I won't need them for the porters. Is there any other point in those couple of days where I'll want to have some GBP? You might like to lit a candle or leave a donation at Salisbury cathedrale or another church. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globaliser Posted July 7 #17 Share Posted July 7 3 hours ago, John Bull said: I rarely need cash in the UK. But "rarely" doesn't mean "never". I agree. But it must be three / four months or more since I last bought anything with cash here. So a visitor could easily get away with not having any if they're only here for a couple of days. Places that don't take cards are very rare now, but places that don't take cash are pretty common. I was at a service at St Paul's Cathedral this morning. The collection basket came along my row at the appropriate point, but it only managed to accumulate about five pounds' worth of assorted shrapnel. However, there was a decent stream of people using the contactless reader to give as they left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Harters Posted July 7 #18 Share Posted July 7 20 minutes ago, Globaliser said: Places that don't take cards are very rare now The cafe at al garden centre I went to recently only takes cash if the order is less than £5. Fortunately, I wanted a slice of cake with my coffee, otherwise it would have been no coffee. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Globaliser Posted July 8 #19 Share Posted July 8 10 hours ago, Harters said: The cafe at al garden centre I went to recently only takes cash if the order is less than £5. Fortunately, I wanted a slice of cake with my coffee, otherwise it would have been no coffee. Does anyone really need an excuse to add a slice of cake to a coffee? 😉 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgans Posted July 8 #20 Share Posted July 8 21 hours ago, PATRLR said: I found this topic while trying to determine if I need to get myself any GBP at all. On Thursday I arrive LHR, private car to hotel in Southampton, maybe do a tour to Stonehenge/Salisbury on Friday, Saturday we get on the cruise ship. The porters were the only point that I thought I might need GBP and it sounds like I won't need them for the porters. Is there any other point in those couple of days where I'll want to have some GBP? Tip for driver of private car ? We give the luggage porters a small tip if they are physically moving our luggage out of the boot of the car for us - if they give us time that is ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Harters Posted July 8 #21 Share Posted July 8 1 hour ago, Morgans said: Tip for driver of private car ? Tips will always be accepted but are never required or expected. My brother in law used to drive a private hire taxi (near Manchester). When he first started it was fairly common to be tipped - not everyone but several tips during a shift. It declined over the years and by the time he finished, he would go for whole shifts without one, not even of the "keep the change" variety. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Bull Posted July 9 #22 Share Posted July 9 19 hours ago, Harters said: Tips will always be accepted but are never required or expected. My brother in law used to drive a private hire taxi (near Manchester). When he first started it was fairly common to be tipped - not everyone but several tips during a shift. It declined over the years and by the time he finished, he would go for whole shifts without one, not even of the "keep the change" variety. ...........for which the massive switch of payment from cash to card is a major factor. JB 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Harters Posted July 9 #23 Share Posted July 9 2 minutes ago, John Bull said: is a major factor BiL's experiences go back over several years of tips declining. His favourite story is driving footballer, Cristiano Ronaldo, home during the time he was playing for Manchester United (2003 - 2009). Multi-millionaire Ronaldo paid in cash - and waited for his 10p change. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phabric Posted July 9 #24 Share Posted July 9 On my 2015 British Isle cruise, our dining table mates, an older couple was telling us while on an excursion they had stopped at a small cafe for a lunch. He tried to pay in US$ and was told only £ cash. The wife stayed at the cafe and the husband went to the post office to get the £ cash. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ontheweb Posted July 9 #25 Share Posted July 9 20 minutes ago, phabric said: On my 2015 British Isle cruise, our dining table mates, an older couple was telling us while on an excursion they had stopped at a small cafe for a lunch. He tried to pay in US$ and was told only £ cash. The wife stayed at the cafe and the husband went to the post office to get the £ cash. Did they really expect them to take US dollars? Would they expect a small care in the US to take British pounds or to take Euros? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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