Tipping Baggage Handlers at Embarkation

[Ships R Great]

I often think it's how you approach them, the smile (or not!) on your face, what have you, that can make the difference.

 

 

Youa re so right. 99.9999999% of the time, it is the way you approach people---or approach ANY situation. The smile on your face goes a long way in helping any situaltion be a pleasant one. You get back what you send out.

[phoenix1181]

I often think it's how you approach them, the smile (or not!) on your face, what have you, that can make the difference.

 

A smile is a great start but don't forget to show some respect! I see too many people who leave their manners home when they go on vacation......... Why is it some people think those people working in the service industry are less than those they serve?

[Happy ks]

On our last three cruises I tipped very generously, and miraculously, our bags were delivered to our cabin by 2 p.m. In fact, when we got to the terminal in Bayonne last summer, after I handed over my tip, the person taking our bags made a note on his clipboard. Coincidence? I think not....;)

 

Karen

 

 

As someone has already pointed out to you, it was a complete coincidence. Once your bags are in the bin, they are treated like every other bag in the bin...rolled onto the ship, sorted by deck, taken to the cabin by stateroom attendants. The bins hold a couple hundred bags and there are dozens of bins. Stop and take a look inside the facility once, or watch them load the bins sometime.

 

While I'm not particularly happy about tipping the longshoremen at the terminal, I do think there can be some truth to the fact if you're not nice and tip, your bags may be delayed from getting into the bin or onto the ship. A $1-2 tip to ensure its making it onboard will certainly not break anyone, but I feel it is extortion. The guys are probably not making big bucks, but my guess is for embarkations they do pretty well. With a few thousand bags and people giving $1 - 5 a bag (yes some people do tip that much) those 30-40 guys on embarkation days take home some decent cash.

 

Personally, I think the tipping should be done to the cabin atttendants but we're never there when our bags arrive, we're out having a cocktail by that time :)

 

We avoid porters like the plague at disembarkation.

[phoenix1181]

 

We avoid porters like the plague at disembarkation.

 

And we do just the opposite............. We find that we get through the whole process much faster with a porter. We frequently travel with friends who wouldn't think of using a porter. ($$) We're always waiting for them at our transportation point. And they're generally more than a couple of minutes behind us!

[cruisinfanatic]

On our last three cruises I tipped very generously, and miraculously, our bags were delivered to our cabin by 2 p.m. In fact, when we got to the terminal in Bayonne last summer, after I handed over my tip, the person taking our bags made a note on his clipboard. Coincidence? I think not....;)

 

Karen

Those porters have absolutely no say in when you get your bags. They go on the cart with many others all together.

[fireofficer5]

I never tip the luggage handler, I place my checked bag into the bin.

[icemang31]

Usually drop bags and then park the car and walk bacto pier. That's what we did at Port everglades, Port canaveral ,and Port of Miami. Bayonne is pretty much the same, exept you have to take shuttle from terminal to ship after you check bags in. $2 per bag is what we usually do. Hope this helps you out. Happy crusing!

[marci22]

$2 per bag is very generous considering that tipping is not required!

 

I usually give $1 per bag, always pleasant, my bags always get there by 5pm. However...once they have 'checked' me in, 50% of the time, my bags are left waiting by the curb, until someone can throw them on a cart. I am sure that person does not know whether I have tipped or not!

 

Last trip, I gave the guy $7 for 5 bags and he did not know who I was 1 minute later! Meanwhile, my bags sat in a pile in the middle of arriving passengers. They were still sitting there when I entered the terminal. We got all our bags by about 4pm, which was early!

 

I think it's all coincidence.

[Aquahound]

I'm really amazed how many people think that the porter has anything to do with when you receive your bags.

 

All the porter does is wheel the cart to the warehouse. Then, different people scan the bags. Then, different people drive them to the pier and ship. Then, ship's crew deliver the bags to the rooms.

 

So, the porter has nothing to do with the delivery time of your bags.

 

By the way, I tip...only because I view it as a rendered service, not because I'm paranoid about my bags. ;)

[Guest maddycat]

When sailing from Bayonne, drop off your bags at the terminal. Tip the porter $2 per bag. We always watch to make sure that our bags are put in the baggage transfer bin and not left at the curb. We then drive to the long term parking. From there you can either take the shuttle with your carry on bags back to the terminal or walk back. It's only about a one block walk.