Are using Porter's Worth It?

[evert9]

What exactly do they do and how does it benefit you (outside of the fact that someone else is carrying your luggage? How much should you tip them?

[spongerob]

Absolutely, yes, they are very handy if Point A and Point B are very far apart. I usually tip about $5 for our stuff if it's not too far, maybe a few dollars more if it's a longer trip.

[Toto2Kansas]

We always use porters, especially on debarkation day. They can get you through the customs line quicker as they have their own seperate line so they can get back in to assist others.

They can also take your things right to the taxi stand and for the right tip, you don't wait long.

Usually $5 for the porter and maybe another $5 to get us a taxi. Well worth every cent.

[mii]

Absolutely I agree with the above posters in that we use them for embarkation and debarkation and ususally tip $5.00 for 3-4 bags. Worth every single dime.

 

marilyn

[spindrift]

Proper tipping is at least $2.00 per bag or a minimum of $10.00.

[Fuzzyape]

Let me add a question. Where do you find the porters? I don't recall seeing them, but then I'm usually overwhelmed with the whole pier experience. Are they at embark? Disembark? I'm interested in anything that I can pay someone else to do that saves me from any labor (I hope that doesn't make me a bad person, just trying to enjoy my vacation to the max).

[Merion_Mom]

Let me add a question. Where do you find the porters? I don't recall seeing them, but then I'm usually overwhelmed with the whole pier experience. Are they at embark? Disembark? I'm interested in anything that I can pay someone else to do that saves me from any labor (I hope that doesn't make me a bad person, just trying to enjoy my vacation to the max).

They are all over the place at both embarkation and disembarkation. They usually are wearing some sort of distinguishing clothing - not always a *uniform* per se - and they are pushing big luggage carts! Most of the time, THEY approach YOU.

 

I agree with the $5 for my bags - I usually have two checked bags. I disagree with the "$10 minimum", and don't understand that statement at all.

[KreinKrunker]

Where do you find the porters?

 

How did you miss them on embarkation? They attack the taxi as it pulls up, of course we usually get there early, so it isn't very busy. Upon return, it's the job of one of our group to grab a porter as they come back into the building, while the rest roundup luggage. Customs is a whiz, and they get the taxi for you. Never have had to wait for a taxi.

[Fuzzyape]

How did you miss them on embarkation?

 

Ah, we've always used the transfers, and like I said I've always been amazed at the boat. They could be throwing themselves at me, and I might miss it. I'll try to keep my eyes wide open this time.

 

Thanks for the info.

[SHayesShip]

I tip $1 per bag with a $5 minimum. Have never heard of the $10 minimum. There is no way that I would carry all of my luggage in our group on or off the ship without assistance from a porter. We usually need wheel chair assistance which we give an additional $5 tip also.

Also, like said before, they can usually get you through the lines quicker also.

[jlp20]

What exactly do they do and how does it benefit you (outside of the fact that someone else is carrying your luggage? How much should you tip them?

 

 

Here is an excerpt from a reveview I did on the Diamond out of Seattle, May 2005:

 

The last 200 yards to the pax terminal seamed to take 10 minutes, taxies, cars, buses and shuttles all going for the right hand lane to spit out their riders as fast as possible. As we stand on the sidewalk, we are confused as to what is happening. There is a line of about 200 people, all with their luggage, yet there are porters standing idly with empty carts. We get the attention of one porter who in short order picks up out three checkable bags and takes us past the line to the front of the cruise terminal. We there show our tickets and identification to a Princess worker, takes custody of our luggage and then directs us inside the building. We tip the porter and get the low down on the line of people, which is a bit longer now. All these pax are personally riding heard on their bags up to the one security scanner for that line. The people using the services of a porter use a different scanner, to save the price of a tip they are standing in the sun for an hour. We are directed into the building and get into the check in line, which moves quite quickly. Show the ID again, a credit card and the tickets and two minutes later were on the very long pax gangway that zig zags up to the ship. Looking at a clock, it has taken 75 minutes from hotel room to gangway, not bad at all. Numerous pallets of supplies are still on the dock, cages of luggage being brought to the ship by fork lift and as we step foot on the ship, looking back, we see the line of pax dragging their own bags outside the cruise terminal appears to have grown to 400.

 

In short, $10 gets more than just a bag handler

[LonghornKJK]

The people using the services of a porter use a different scanner, to save the price of a tip they are standing in the sun for an hour.

 

Or maybe they don't know that a porter can get them through the line more quickly. If I saw a long line of people, I would assume that I should get in that line. It would have nothing to do with being cheap.

 

I'm glad you figured it out and I appreciate you sharing your experience with others so we can learn from it. :)

[janetz]

Ditto! Walking into the luggage terminal, we hold up a ten, call for a porter, he grabs our luggage, flies us through the line and grabs us a taxi..As we drive away we look at the line of people just waiting. P.S. It is a good idea to tip when you arrive and hand your luggage over to them also. :)

[Charliesmom]

I have found different procedures in different ports. In Fort Lauderdale, they come to the taxi, unload your bags and put them onto a cart that actually gets loaded onto the ship. You wait in the security line with your carry-ons.

 

In LA, you get a porter who takes your baggage to a conveyor belt. You stand in line with your carry-ons.

I remember a porter taking our stuff in Buenos Aires, but do not remember a security line. Of course, that was before 9/11.

 

Generally, we do not get a porter at disembarkation. We have rolling bags and DH is always in a hurry to get to the airport.

 

Roberta

[Studebaker59]

We were leaving our car at Red Hook so my DH dropped me off with the luggage at the terminal door before parking the car. A porter came over immediately. I gave him $5 to take our two bags. I waited just inside the front door for my husband. He arrived in a few minutes.

 

At debarkation, we rolled our bags to the car ourselves because the parking lot is so close. By 9:50 A.M., we were driving home.

 

We usually give a porter $2 per bag, or round it off to a $5 bill for the two bags. We follow this formula at the airport and hotels too.

[madelinerose]

oops

 

Proper tipping is at least $2.00 per bag or a minimum of $10.00.

[criuisingurl079]

These porters are horrible! All they do is throw your bag on a cart and expect $10 bucks- it rediculous that they allow as many as they do. Especially, when you are getting off the boat and they but in front of you in line:mad: They should have to wait in the line as everyone else does. Just because I carry my own bags, doesn't mean that I should have to wait 2 hrs in line!!

 

I understand if you are physically unable to carry them- but it gets a bit overdone. We always form a wall in line so they can't but in front of us!!!!!

 

The first time we ever cruised we were stupid enough to use them to place the bags in the cart for the Carnival Paradise in Miami- and our bags ended up on the Victory- so much for that extra 10 we gave them. I see they take great pride in their job:eek:

[dresch25]

Proper tipping is at least $2.00 per bag or a minimum of $10.00.

 

We always use porters at the airport and any where else but I tend to be an over packer, for a 10 day cruise I brought 6 suitcases, 5 were mine and 1 was DH, anyway I usually tip about $30.00, This also helps at the airport if your luggage is heavier than normal the porters tend to over look it.

 

 

Vicki