New Angle on Porter Tipping Question.

[mbrown2097]

Hello all,

I have read through many of the porter tipping posts and there are as many perspectives as there are posters. I saw a few post where people felt like they had "better tip" if they wanted to see their bags again. So with that in mind, I post this question.

 

Has anyone ever given their bags to a cruise terminal porter and then not received their bags at their stateroom? Bags were completely lost....

[hancock]

Know of one ocassion that the suitcases ended in the drink! Don't know if lack of tip had any bearing.

[greatam]

Hello all,

I have read through many of the porter tipping posts and there are as many perspectives as there are posters. I saw a few post where people felt like they had "better tip" if they wanted to see their bags again. So with that in mind, I post this question.

 

Has anyone ever given their bags to a cruise terminal porter and then not received their bags at their stateroom? Bags were completely lost....

 

At most ports in the USA, those handling luggage to/from the ship (but not on the ship) are longshoreman (off duty making extra money or retired but still on the books with the union).

 

I have never lost my bags but always tip. I own an international logistics company. We deal with longshoreman almost every day of the week. I wouldn't think of not tipping just as my drivers wouldn't think of not forking over the $20-50 fee for "drayage" or "dunnage use" fee. Is it bribery or extortion??? We won't even go there. But I will tell you that if we don't fork over the money, our trucks are the last to be loaded. So essentially, the driver and truck have lost a full day's productivity which is a lot more $$$ than any "tip" we refused to give them.

[beachbum53]

We've been on 7 cruises so far, and once our bags have been dropped off for loading onto the ship, it has never occurred to us to tip someone for the simple task of putting our bags into one of the containers for luggage that is loaded onto the ship. Never had any problems with our bags being mis-handled, or any unusually long delays in being delivered to our cabin. Whether or not you tip someone for something, and how much, should be at each person's discretion, and you should not feel intimidated for not tipping.

[LHT28]

The only port I have sailed from where they try to intimidate you is MIAMI

There are signs all over saying NO TIPPING but the porters will stand there until you do

 

we sailed from SFO the porter was gone with our bags before DH could get the $ out of his shirt pocket

 

Europe they do not expect tips for doing their job

Have not lost any luggage to date

[Dayenu]

LHT28, when we sailed from SF I had tipping cash ready, and the woman looked at me like I fell off the moon. I stayed for a minute - didn't see anyone tipping!

 

Ha, SF is good for something :D

[Gonzo70]

The people serving as porters at US ports are union longshoremen earning upper middle class salaries. There are signs up saying they do not need to be tipped. You are already paying handsomely for their service in your port fees. All they do is put your luggage on a cart (next to them) and push the cart a few yards once full (from there others take over and do 99% of the work). No need to tip them and if they threaten or intimidate you their behavior should be reported.

[Tyler80]

Miami: The porter or longshoreman said "You better tip me if you want to see your bags on the ship".

 

Canaveral: Saw many signs posted in the loading area that read: "Porters are paid a salary. Tips are strictly optional." No one ever approached and asked for a dime.

 

I must say, I was very surprised by the rude response in Miami. I felt I was polite and was going to give him a tip anyway, but that experience did change my perception. It's not like my waiter at a restaurants says that I better tip him or he'll spit in my food. :rolleyes:

[Aquahound]

The bottom line is tipping porters is 100% optional and at your discretion. Don't let others tell you what you should or shouldn't do. Just do what you think is right.

 

Has anyone ever given their bags to a cruise terminal porter and then not received their bags at their stateroom? Bags were completely lost....

 

But to answer this question, I know of an incident where someone got in to an argument with a porter and was condescending toward him. He was boarding the Oasis, but mysteriously, his bags ended up on the Navigator, which was on the complete other end of the port. That does not happen on accident. I don't know what ever came of it or if that porter still exists.

[ZIPPY5150]

I always tip at the rate of $5 a bag. After 14 cruises on 5 different cruise lines, all my bags show up at or in the cabin within an hour or two of dropping them off. I don't know if the tip had anything to do with that, but they are service people and they do rely partially on tips.

 

Just my 2 cents

 

Zippy

[LHT28]

I always tip at the rate of $5 a bag. After 14 cruises on 5 different cruise lines, all my bags show up at or in the cabin within an hour or two of dropping them off. I don't know if the tip had anything to do with that, but they are service people and they do rely partially on tips.

 

Just my 2 cents

 

Zippy

But the guy you tipped did not deliver it to your cabin ...one of the cabin stewards did

[Gonzo70]

I always tip at the rate of $5 a bag. After 14 cruises on 5 different cruise lines, all my bags show up at or in the cabin within an hour or two of dropping them off. I don't know if the tip had anything to do with that, but they are service people and they do rely partially on tips.

 

Just my 2 cents

 

Zippy

 

Your throwing money at them has ZERO to do with you receiving your luggage in an hour or two. The longshoremen only have your luggage for about 30 seconds. Several additional people (most earning a tiny fraction of their upper middle class salaries) do 99% of the work and since they are unseen, do not receive any tips. The longshoremen do not rely partially on tips; they are upper middle class. You are essentially tipping them $10 per bag since you have already paid for their service in your port fees. Not bad for 30 seconds of work.

[scchasgal]

In Charleston we brought a tour bus to the luggage drop and they wouldn't touch the luggage until they had their large tip in hand.

[Cruzaholic41]

I always tip at the rate of $5 a bag.

 

Yep. And that is exactly your right and your decision. Don't let others try to force their ways on you.

 

Anyone who thinks a porter makes a 6 figure salary is an idiot.

[youngestof9]

I just think it's funny that people will spend (sometimes) thousands of dollars on a cruise but won't throw the porter $5.

[rvsullivan]

At New Orleans three sets of people handle your bags. The first are porters, not longshoreman, these porters are just like the porters at the airport. They hand off you bags to be loaded into containers to longshoreman. The longshoreman load the carriers with forklifts onto the ship. On the ship, staff deliver the bags to the rooms.

The porters work three days a week for about 8-10 hours and mostly for tips. Each individual can choose to tip or not. We always do.

Other ports may or may not do it the same way.

We feel that after spending the kind of money it takes to go on a cruise, we don't begrudge the porters 5-10 bucks for taking care of our bags They're service people just like many others we deal with daily and here in the US, it is customary to tip. :cool:

[BallFour4]

At most ports in the USA, those handling luggage to/from the ship (but not on the ship) are longshoreman (off duty making extra money or retired but still on the books with the union).

 

Just to clarify, ILA staffed ports use a union hall of active members for cruise ships, they are not retired. Most days they clamor for the opportunity to work a ship, with the top seniority members getting the job, these are called A-men due to the highest level of tenured membership.

 

The jobs are worked off of a "labor board" with a union business agent making calls the night before to the members that put themselves on a list for a job the next day. The stevedore company (or in this case the cruise agent) orders a gang of longshoremen for the job. They are paid an hourly wage for the time spent there.

 

The aluminum carts and uniforms you see are required for the job and they furnish both. That's why you see chain and locks on them.

 

Once a longshoreman has spent several years and passes a certification exam they can join the clerks and checkers union. Those are the better jobs with higher hourly wages, less labor, etc but they require a knowledge of handling bills of lading, loading and unloading cargo, managing a team of longshoremen and more.

 

I learned about this first hand, as my dad followed my grandfather to work a career on the docks in Houston in the clerks and checkers union. He worked long hours and lots of weekends to provide for my family. Even with a white-collar job I think about that when my flights get cancelled or delayed and I don't get home on Friday nights to my own family.

 

Our experiences have been nothing short of smooth with baggage. My family of three carries enough luggage to fill the car to a dangerous capacity for the drive to Galveston or if we fly they push the limits for weight. I've tipped $20 bucks since cruising came to Texas.

 

Does it make a difference? Not sure, but even with platinum boarding and the stop for lunch our bags have been at our cabin door for more than half our cruises. We have never had a bag misplaced.

 

Call it what you want, don't tip if you feel like it's a waste, but for me I just roll it into the cost of a vacation, which for a per day/ per person value is a bargain regardless if we cruise from here or fly to Florida.

 

.

 

 

 

[jimjamxx]

At New Orleans three sets of people handle your bags. The first are porters, not longshoreman, these porters are just like the porters at the airport. They hand off you bags to be loaded into containers to longshoreman. The longshoreman load the carriers with forklifts onto the ship. On the ship, staff deliver the bags to the rooms.

The porters work three days a week for about 8-10 hours and mostly for tips. Each individual can choose to tip or not. We always do.

Other ports may or may not do it the same way.

We feel that after spending the kind of money it takes to go on a cruise, we don't begrudge the porters 5-10 bucks for taking care of our bags They're service people just like many others we deal with daily and here in the US, it is customary to tip. :cool:

 

I have also found this to be true at the Port of New Orleans. Last cruise (February 2012) Our group arrived on a charter bus. The porters unloaded the bus. Then made sure everyone had their cruise documents in hand. Documents are needed to get into building.

 

He was making sure nobody had them in their soon to be check luggage. I left my 'walking' cane on the bus. The porter(s) had boarded the bus to make sure nothing was left behind. Found my cane, ran to find me.

 

Did everyone tip them, hell yes. They were providing a service: Unloaded bus, checking documents, clearing the bus.

 

jimmyjames

[notentirelynormal]

My brother was intimidated in Miami. He refused to tip. His luggage tag was ripped off and his suitcase accidently fell in the water before reaching his cabin. Took quite some time for the ship to find his luggage. After the cruise he went looking for the guy to get his name and lodge a complaint. When the guy saw him coming he quickly went the other way. Not sure anything happened but it was made clear, no tip, no suitcase. This was around 20 years ago.

[GORDONCHICK]

I've always heard about the harrassment at Miami but we didn't experience any when we were there March of 2009.

[Gonzo70]

I just think it's funny that people will spend (sometimes) thousands of dollars on a cruise but won't throw the porter $5.

 

Total nonsense. So since I'm paying thousands for my cruise should I also tip the flight attendants on my plane, the clerk who checks me in at the cruise port, the activities staff and everyone else I come into contact with? I have already compensated the "porters" (longshoremen) with my port fees. They have upper middle class salaries. That is why there are signs up at all US ports saying they do not need to be tipped! If you went to a restaurant and it said a 20% gratuity had been added to your bill, would you then tip another 20% if you received basic, average service? After all you just spent hundreds on your meal. I will save this money to give as extra tips to the hard working crew on the ship who work much harder for a tiny fraction of the money and benefits the longshoremen receive.

[ZIPPY5150]

My Dad had a saying; "Money talks and BS walks".

 

To those who tell me they only have the bags for 30 seconds and thats a big tip for little work. I just spent over $500 per ticket to get on the ship, so another $10-$20 is not going to break me. I pay for service, no matter how short that service may be. As far as the Poor crew members I also do my part to tip them heavily all cruise long and at the end. All in all for a week long cruise I usually spend another $150-$200 in tips including the auto tips on board.

 

I tip the room steward heavily, I tip the waiter their assistant & head waiter, and the Matre' D (sp?) early in the cruise, & throughout, they trip over themselves to treat me the way I expect, I also tip room service every time they bring something to my room. My special requests are always met immediately with a smile.

 

PINCHING A DOLLAR OR TWO IN TIPS WILL COME BACK TO BITE YOU ONE DAY. Besides it makes me feel good.

 

Again I say "Money talks and BS walks".

 

We were asked a question and I answered with MY opinion. an that is all it is. It's what I do and I will continue. So call me what you will. I am very appreciative of the service I expect & get.

 

In some cases the tips are expected, but in most cases they are very much appreciated as well.

 

Just my $10-$20 dollars worth

Zippy

[youngestof9]

Total nonsense. So since I'm paying thousands for my cruise should I also tip the flight attendants on my plane, the clerk who checks me in at the cruise port, the activities staff and everyone else I come into contact with? I have already compensated the "porters" (longshoremen) with my port fees. They have upper middle class salaries. That is why there are signs up at all US ports saying they do not need to be tipped! If you went to a restaurant and it said a 20% gratuity had been added to your bill, would you then tip another 20% if you received basic, average service? After all you just spent hundreds on your meal. I will save this money to give as extra tips to the hard working crew on the ship who work much harder for a tiny fraction of the money and benefits the longshoremen receive.

 

We can agree to disagree. No, I'm not giving the flight attendant a tip. But if I have an auto 15% on my bar tab, but I like the bartender, I give him a few bucks. The guys standing outside in the heat in FL slugging luggage all day long, I will give a few bucks to - I don't care what his salary is. He takes my luggage, says hello and is the first stop on my vacation. I'm not going to worry about my luggage not making it on the ship (which I never have worried about - but there's obviously people who do worry) for $5.

[CruiserChloe]

Total nonsense.

 

Why do you insist on forcing your tipping habits on others? You said your peace. Folks don't agree with you and/or do different than you. Get over it and move on.

[Gonzo70]

Why do you insist on forcing your tipping habits on others? You said your peace. Folks don't agree with you and/or do different than you. Get over it and move on.

 

I am not forcing my habits on anybody else. I provided some objective information on an area where many people have misconceptions. If someone wants to write the longshoremen into their will, I could care less. I do think that it is important that people have the facts though, as a lot of people are throwing money at them without realizing they are only doing 30 seconds of work and are already being well compensated for this with money you have paid in your port fees. If you know that you have already paid for their service in your cruise fare, that they are doing 1% of the work in getting your bags to your stateroom, that they are being paid much more than the other people doing 99% of the work and still want to tip them then good for you. I personally feel this money is better served as extra gratuities for the hardworking people on the ship who earn almost zero money in salary than people earning upper middle class salaries. Call me crazy.