Need tip info for luggage handlers

[Cornelius Earthling]

Help,,, I have been on a dozen cruises and still have a question.. I live within a short drive from Tampa and like to park near the terminal.. I need information from someone with inside knowledge of tipping practices and incomes of port workers.. My problem is that I do not like to be HUSTLED . I am not a high roller (these idiots ruin it for all others).. my question,, I usually have 3 bags that I give to the porter and I give a 3 dollar tip.. ( THE PORTER NEVER SAYS THANKS , implying that the tip is not high enough )These bags are then rolled about 50 feet behind a wall and the porter then returns to take bags from another vehicle.. Are the porters day laborers working the terminals for tips or are they highly paid longshoremen that earn as much as 150K plus and deliberately not thanking me because they have a code of silence where they try to hustle me for the next time.......

[Cotton]

The porters at the pier are not employees of the cruiselines. They are Port Authority personnel. I have no idea of what wages they earn, but being unionized, I'm sure they do well on their usual salaries.;)

 

The standard tip is $1 per piece of luggage, so you did enough. If I had two bags, I'd probably tip the guy $3. Logic? I don't know; it's just what I do...round up sometimes.

[scapel]

You have posted a very good question. I wish I knew the answer. Some might consider me one of the high rollers, but I still believe a tip is a tip and nothing more.

If I did not receive a thank you, I would ask if that was enough tip. If he said no, I would ask him to give it back. If he was rude, I would ask who his boss was and report him as rude. Someone has to make a stand somewhere.

When I was a young student I remember giving a tip to a waiter somewhere and it was a very small tip. I don’t know if the waiter was being nice or trying to insult me but he gave the tip back and said. “ Here, you probably need this more than I do” He was probably correct, so I didn’t take offense. He may have been trying to insult me, but since I considered him to be correct, he did not insult me.

Situation: I arrive at the airport and tip the porter $2/bag equal $4

At my arrival airport I tip another $4

I arrive at the hotel an tip the doorman $4

The hotel porter brings my bags to the room $4

Bags go downstairs to be loaded to ship $4

Bags unloaded at pier $4 to porter.

Now $24 in tips and $48 if I tip for my wife’s two bags.

 

It does add up.

Now do they have to report this on their income tax or is his tax free.

If they report it, I should get it as a deduction –right. Ha!

[isujim]

I'm not sure if you are asking if you tip enough or if you are asking at all.

 

I look at it this way.............I consider a tip to the porters at the pier INSURANCE........I want to make sure my bags make it to the cabin.......

 

Yes tips add up........the previous poster gave a good example of how they can add up.........but I always look at it this way........that the cruise has already cost me X........so what is another $10 if it means my bags get to my cabin?

 

I do understand where you are coming from however........believe me I do.

[scapel]

On a cruise some years ago we were late arriving in Atlanta and rushed to the gate and arrived at the gate at the scheduled departure time of the overseas flight. Unfortunately the flight had been closed and we watched as the aircraft waved good by to us.

This can be upsetting since it was not our fault. Weather was the reason we were late. Let me caution you to take a deep breadth and don’t pass on animosity in your voice along to any one else.

Case in point: We had to rebook a flight to get to Copenhagen and now had to go through Amsterdam the next day. The agent that was rebooking us seemed not to be getting the information correct and I may have been too pushy rather than being a subdued passenger with pleading eyes and calm voice.

We got to Copenhagen and I had no luggage. Thankfully my wife had hers. I think that agent must have said: “I’ll fix this guy” “I’ll let his wife get hers.” As it turns out, if he really wanted to fix me he would have sent my wife’s luggage elsewhere. It would have been much worse on me if my wife was without luggage for 8 days.

I boarded the ship and went 8 days without any luggage. I had a wonderful time and Celebrity loaned me a tux, shirt and shoes. I had extra pants & undies in the carryon. Bought a sweater (Norway Fjords Cruise) and bathing suit.

Now, I can’t be sure if the agent did anything on purpose, accidentally or not at all, and it was just an honest loss of luggage. Hopefully it will teach me to be more polite. Of course I don’t know that I am not being polite. I need my wife at my side to monitor me.

[maja651]

Scapel/Joe -

 

Your story really hits home for me. I 100% agree with you about treating airline employees VERY WELL. They control your destiny, in a sense, as they can "misplace" your luggage, they can get you the exit row seats (if they are available), etc. I myself can be a very particular customer, as I expect good customer service from all, as I myself give when I am the person working with customers. That said, I do whatever it takes to be very nice to those airline workers. These days, their jobs are very stressful as they have to put up with a lot with angry customers, security issues (and ignorant customers who don't seem to understand those security issues), long hours, etc. A nice smile and a "please" and "thank you" can go a long way!

 

Michelle

[Arwenmark]

The standard expected tip is $1 for small bags and $2 a bag for larger bags and has been for at least 3 or 4 years now, I notice not many on here tip that, but that is non the less what is expected. Is the service of picking up the bag off the ground and putting it on a cart or throwing it in a bin worth $2? no but that is the rate.

[Kurbanfan]

$1.00 per bag regardles of what size it is period...........

[traveler/]

Help,,, I have been on a dozen cruises and still have a question.. I live within a short drive from Tampa and like to park near the terminal.. I need information from someone with inside knowledge of tipping practices and incomes of port workers.. My problem is that I do not like to be HUSTLED . I am not a high roller (these idiots ruin it for all others).. my question,, I usually have 3 bags that I give to the porter and I give a 3 dollar tip.. ( THE PORTER NEVER SAYS THANKS , implying that the tip is not high enough )These bags are then rolled about 50 feet behind a wall and the porter then returns to take bags from another vehicle.. Are the porters day laborers working the terminals for tips or are they highly paid longshoremen that earn as much as 150K plus and deliberately not thanking me because they have a code of silence where they try to hustle me for the next time.......

We usually tip $1.00 per bag, and thank the person for the service with a smile showing appreciation. We have not received a negative response yet. We don't try and analyze or speculate about the tip.

[johnql]

I'm with the majority here - I usually tip $1-2 per bag. For three bags, assuming one was fairly large, I would probably just round up and tip $5. And, as others have said, I don't give it any thought. Not because I'm rolling in dough but because I factor tipping expenses into my budget. It's a given.

[BallFour4]

The US ports that have porters are almost all under contract from the ILA (International Longshoremans Association) Union. They work off a labor board and put their name on a list and are ordered out by seniority. They don't work directly for the Port Authority. That organization oversees port operations and commerce for the port itself.

 

The longshoreman do earn a good hourly wage, and also do well on tips from cruise passengers. With that, most (if not all) are Class A seniority badge holders at their union and are veterans of the waterfront. I learned this when my dad was a Clerk and Checker union man at the Port of Houston for 40 years.

 

To your question: most of our cruises are from the Port of Galveston since it's about 30 minutes from my home. My wife and teenage daughter take enough luggage to outfit a family for a two week vacation so the porter does well on our ticket.

 

For my ten bucks (twenty if we have an additional guest) the lugggage finds its way to the next bin loaded aboard the ship and is usually at my cabin door after a leisurely lunch and stroll around the ship. For the past five cruises we've had our luggage unpacked and stored away long before the muster drill. I don't know if it's scientific, but it does work for me to tip them well.

 

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[montekat]

We generally tip $1 per bag. Always be sure to take plenty of ones, it never ceases to amaze me that if you only have larger bills they never have any change, even though many people do give them ones. Most people will just walk away and let them keep the extra rather than face the hassle of trying to get change.

[Cathy p]

We always give them $5 for our 3 bags. We never have less than that when we travel. It is alot easier to carry the $5 bills than a bunch of ones. Plus a nice smile and a thank you so much goes a long way.:)

[discjoker]

Always have 3 bags, always tip $5 total.

[jakieemma]

For my ten bucks (twenty if we have an additional guest) the lugggage finds its way to the next bin loaded aboard the ship and is usually at my cabin door after a leisurely lunch and stroll around the ship. For the past five cruises we've had our luggage unpacked and stored away long before the muster drill. I don't know if it's scientific, but it does work for me to tip them well.

 

.

 

I have had the same experience, we check 5 bags and always tip a saw buck. The bags always arrive early and safe.

 

I also tip another 10. when we do self assist and I need a porter to find a bus driver willing to transfer us to the airport at a greatly discounted rate.;)

 

We have never been dissapointed.

[Cornelius Earthling]

:) First off,, thanks to the 14 replys that were received so far,, they have been helpful in my analysis,,, I now understand why when I give a 3 dollar tip I never hear a thanks.. The reason is that compared to those that over-tip I come off as a cheapskate and do not deserve a thank you.I was given many reasons to overtip,,, it is insurance , bags go promptly to your cabin , etc.. I place the blame on this situation on those that over tip.. They are nice cruisers but they are caving in to extortion,, what are they afraid of ,, their bags ending up in the ocean ,, afraid to wait your turn for bags to the cabin,, these over tippers are spoiling these porters that earn 150K plus tips..It is not easy to criticize someone who over tips ,, after all they can do what they want with their money,, however , their reasons for over tipping are selfish and to the detriment of cruisers that are careful with their expenditures.. It is silly to tip ten dollars a day for 24 hours on a cruise ship and then tip ten dollars for the minute of service by a baggage handler..............thank you