How much tip for luggage handler?

[wilson9112]

I love stories about how wonderful cats are! I have 2 of my own & worry when they are home alone (I think they do too much partying when they know i'm not coming 'round for a while :D).

 

A few years ago I had to put my 8-month old kitten to sleep... lt was TOO SAD! We always say no more pets when this "round" is gone, but i don't think we can stick to it. The house is too empty without their little cat paws on the floor and no one to rouse me early in the morning :)

 

& no... i didn't have anything to add to the bags conversation :p

 

Sorry, such a young kitty. Thats sad. I cant believe this turned out to be a pet thread. I bet a pet thread would go over big. I love pet stories.

[TravlGrl]

We tip $1/bag when someone is handling our smaller 22" bags. When it's a larger bag, we tip $2/bag. We tip the shuttle person who handles our bags as well as the porter at the pier who handles our bags.

[TravlGrl]

Speaking of kitties, I keep having to re-load Cruise Critic because my kitty is laying across my arms right now and he keeps trying to either close my browser or open up my email. Goofy boo! :)

[Jim_Iain]

We usually tip $2.00 a bag or a Fiver if we don't have change.

 

 

 

Jim

[Plant]

Sorry, such a young kitty. Thats sad. I cant believe this turned out to be a pet thread. I bet a pet thread would go over big. I love pet stories.

 

There is a pet thread, somewhere :confused: . I can't remember where it started, but it was moved to the Floataway Lounge and, like about 90% of threads moved there, disappeared into the page depths :D .

 

We tip anyone who does anything for us! We start with the shuttle driver who takes us from the parking garage to the airport here at home and keep tipping... until he delivers us back to our car :) !

 

Be sure to bring plenty of one's and five's!

 

maxamuus, you're fighting a loosing battle! The cat does own the house-you just haven't been notified yet :) !

[ProvGirl27]

I work with the Long Shoreman that are Porters in my area, and let me tell you.. they are making well over 6 figures and don't depend on your tips... Its overtime for them to be there... so lets just say 40-50 dollars an hour to work... and then they get tips....

 

This is in New England, not sure if its the same every where else...

Just some food for thought and discussion

[blindrid]

So you say the porters will act criminally when you do not bribe them?

 

Not really. It's just an old tale. Most of them are so busy, they really don't notice that much. I always go $2 a bag and round up to a denomination i.e. $5's, $10's etc. They certainly make my life easier when humping luggage around.

[Icyhill]

Hey, hockeymom97, how do you get away during hockey season? I had to schedule our cruise for AFTER the season. (March 30)

I'm a hockeymom from MN. Last year I made the executive decision that we NEED (read I) to take a vacation to somewhere warm each year. So we did Disney. This will be our first cruise and I'm so excited.

[Nicki61]

We sailed from Miami on our 1st cruise. We took Carnivals transportation from the hotel. We were getting off the bus when, I assume it was the "luggage guy" stopped everyone of us getting off the bus and asked:

HOW MANY PIECES?

Without thinking we said 5,

his next phrase was: $5 dollars right here right now!

We were afraid if we didnt pay him we wouldn't get our luggage.

 

Since then it has been a living joke.

 

So from that $1 a bag.

[mosel]

I used to work at the port of Baltimore cruise terminal. I worked with the luggage when it came off the ship. I also was there when the porters would take the luggage from the passengers. The porters there were all longshoreman working extra hours. They fought over who got to work the cruises. If a supervisor ever heard them ask for a tip or threaten a bag they would not only not be able to work the cruises but they would be in trouble with the union also. I met a couple who grumpled about the tips but they were reprimanded by their boss. Also if you knew how the whole process worked, you would understand it would be very difficult for a porter to make a piece of luggage "disappear". There is really very little time that the porter has possesion of your luggage and really know place to "hide" it if he wanted to. I didn't know anyone that would risk their regular union long shoreman job just because of a couple dollars.

 

I am not saying that you should not tip if the porter helped you just don't feel that you are being held at gunpoint. I had one instance in San juan where I tried to get a porter to help me and my family move about ten pieces of luggage from the drop off point, inside to the bins. None of the porters would come outside. The were all standing next to the bins where they would put your luggage after you dragged it in and then demand a tip. One of the porters was even going through the line in the terminal tellling people he thought didn't tip him that they should. I dragged my bags in with several trips, dumped them in the bin by myself and told the porter where he could go to get his tip!! If this had been after I started working for a cruiseline I would know to complain to the supervisor if I am ever harrassed or my bag is threatened for tip. These workers do deserve tips but they do not get to threaten your bags. Please if you feel someone is doing this tell someone, there are other more deserving people who would love to be doing that job. Cindy

[Name game]

I usually tip $2 per bag, or I will give $5 for two bags. It just seems the right thing to do. I think we are all made to feel so guilty if we don't tip. We are actually bullied into tipping, which I don't like. I don't mind tipping for good service but when you are bullied into it, it is very annoying.

 

So sorry for everyone that lost a pet. I will be devastated when it's time for my dog to go.

[candelle]

On a cruise out of Galveston, we were dropped off by car, right by the ship. We unloaded our luggage from the car and saw men in brightly coloured shirts milling around - we realised they were baggage handlers.

 

One came over and hovered, and I suggested to my husband we ought to pass our bags to him for loading on to the ship. However, my husband had noticed that ingress to the holding bay for the ship's luggage was only a few yards from our car, and it was just plain silly to ask someone to 'take care of our bags' for all of 30 seconds (or even less). Incidentally, our bags are on four wheels and are pulled along - no lifting involved.

 

The baggage guy came closer and asked if we would like him to unload our bags. We politely declined and he walked away mumbling and muttering under his breath.

 

However, many other cars pulled up around ours and many people did use the baggage handlers even although the distance involved to the baggage store was minimal.

 

I understand that many people, perhaps elderly or inform, could not lift un-wheeled bags and needed help, but it also seemed that some people were almost intimidated by the luggage handlers.

 

On another occasion in Miami, we were intimidated by luggage handlers! We were travelling with another couple who had told us that we should ensure that the baggage handlers actually put our cases into the loading area for the ship. When my husband and friend walked over to check that our bags had made it, they had a mouthful of verbal abuse.

 

I can understand that no one would actually enjoy being watched whilst they work, but my husband and friend stood well back from the area and were looking from a distance: they were not in the way and did not directly impeed any loading. Why the abuse?

 

That's better!

[suzyl62]

We always tip $2.00 a bag or more.

[Jimmers]

I can understand that no one would actually enjoy being watched whilst they work, but my husband and friend stood well back from the area and were looking from a distance: they were not in the way and did not directly impeed any loading. Why the abuse?

 

 

Most likely they took your lack of trust as an insult. Perhaps understandable but still in no way justifies their verbal abuse. I always give them a buck a bag and hope that my "bribe" will be enough to secure safe passage for my our luggage.

 

Shame that we have to fear that if we don't "bribe"them something will happen to our luggage but that's the reality. The ironic thing is that these workers are probably already paid a good wage, hence the often posted do not tip signs

 

 

Jimmers:)

[Jimmers]

I used to work at the port of Baltimore cruise terminal. I worked with the luggage when it came off the ship.

 

Good insights into the "system". Thanks for the inside tips. I kind of figured that these were unionized workers and thus already making a pretty decent wage.

 

Jimmers

[Jimmers]

We sailed from Miami on our 1st cruise. We took Carnivals transportation from the hotel. We were getting off the bus when, I assume it was the "luggage guy" stopped everyone of us getting off the bus and asked:

HOW MANY PIECES?

Without thinking we said 5,

his next phrase was: $5 dollars right here right now!

 

That was pretty bold of him. I've never had one ASK or demand a tip. You should've told him afterwards that you usually tip $3 a bag and thanked him for the discount.

Jimmers:)

[Nicki61]

That was pretty bold of him. I've never had one ASK or demand a tip. You should've told him afterwards that you usually tip $3 a bag and thanked him for the discount.

Jimmers:)

 

Virgin cruisers...that is what we were. Scared we would miss the transportation to the ship, scared to take a taxi on our own, scared we would never see our luggage again.

Virgin cruisers not any longer.