tipping on boarding day?

[splash_in_the_water]

I usually just give them mcdonald's coupons. Talk about exited!

 

 

trololol :D

[knittinggirl]

We usually tip between $5 and $10 bucks depending on number of bags. Going on board, it's usually $5 for 2 bags, but disembarking it can be as much as $10 depending on how many bags make it onto the dolly.

 

No one's mentioned luggage tags. We put one luggage tag on each bag when we board the plane, then put extra tags before we hand it over to the porter. We make sure there is a cruise tag on each handle! It's amazing how many luggage tags disappear before they reach our cabin.

 

We always attach a cruise tag before flying, because the airline's lost our luggage a few times, and the baggage people seem to appreciate it.

 

We also put luggage tags on our carry-ons. Someone mentioned leaving their carry-on in the taxi, and since it had a tag, they found it in their room later. It also helps me find my room, since I can't remember my room number.

 

Back to tips, that's just one of the expenditures I must figure into when cruising. We have to have to calculate for taxis (always overestimate), bell hops, porters. Then there's the tips onboard. We tip the shore excursion guides, room service, bar people, etc. It's a good idea to bring between $50 in ones for each 7 days.

Edited July 11, 2015 by knittinggirl

[CookieDiva]

 

It's a good idea to bring between $50 in ones for each 7 days.

 

 

Never considered this before. That's 15% of our cruise price (including gratuities, taxes, and fees) just for extraneous tipping. Woah! Then we add in travel to and from, a hotel room the night before, maybe one or two excursions, a few adult beverages and we've easily doubled the base cost the of the cruise.

Maybe cruising isn't as economical as I had originally convinced myself. [emoji53]

[Midwestgal]

Hey, I'm flattered! I was that memorable that they REMEMBERED me after all these years!

 

Not to get off topic but I wish others would sometimes take a step back and think before the post negative things. Isn't there enough ugly in this world already....we can't be nice to one another here on a cruise board? That's great that you let it roll off your back but this is another case of people hiding behind the computer screen and feel that can just be nasty. This person felt the need to go back through eight years of your posts just to throw this out at you.

 

Now on topic

When we sailed out of Miami a few years ago two of the gals decided to check an extra bag (2) without thinking they didn't have any tags on the ,not sure if the porter put tags on them or someone from the ship did but all bags arrived in good time. Like I posted I'm a $5.00 tipper for the port guys.

[deliver42]

I usually have two checked bags and give them $10.00 tip. No reason except I have no problem with tipping. On disembarking, I usually give $20.00 because they do get you through customs, and take the luggage wherever you want, be it a shuttle or cab stand, or to the garage.

[ConnecticutFlamingo]

Always tip porters, airport or cruise terminal. 3-4 bags $5. I go to the bank before we leave and buy a strap of singles ($50) and have plenty for tipping throughout the cruise.

[Setting sail for fun]

We usually have 4 bags and tip $20. They are working out in the hot sun and our bags are heavy! This is just what we feel like doing and is definitely an individual choice.

[Grandprix]

As the most interesting man in the world, I have always received tips FROM the porters.

[Langley Cruisers]

Not to get off topic but I wish others would sometimes take a step back and think before the post negative things. Isn't there enough ugly in this world already....we can't be nice to one another here on a cruise board? That's great that you let it roll off your back but this is another case of people hiding behind the computer screen and feel that can just be nasty. This person felt the need to go back through eight years of your posts just to throw this out at you.

 

Aww, really? It's not unusual for me to click on someone's screen name and see the previous things they have posted. It's one of the features here and I find it helps me out. You don't have to scroll back through years of posts; you can click on "Find threads started by xx" and have the info quickly. The member who did this was not being nasty or negative. I found it rather amusing, and obviously OP did too. :)

 

OP, I'm sure you've gathered enough information here concerning this. Tipping anyone is always a personal decision.

.

Edited July 11, 2015 by Langley Cruisers

[NightOne]

Not to get off topic but I wish others would sometimes take a step back and think before the post negative things. Isn't there enough ugly in this world already....we can't be nice to one another here on a cruise board? That's great that you let it roll off your back but this is another case of people hiding behind the computer screen and feel that can just be nasty. This person felt the need to go back through eight years of your posts just to throw this out at you.

 

 

 

 

 

Lady, I was not being negative or nasty. You are reading something in there that wasn't there. Go back and read my post again. See that LOL? That means I am saying it is funny.

 

Not that you are owed an explanation but here it is:

 

1. I clicked to see her previous post history because I wanted to see if there was another thread where she read about people not getting their bags if they didn't tip. I did not see one.

 

2. Then I noticed she had been around here a long time. However, maybe she had not cruised or been active in awhile so clicked the button for the earliest posts and the original message was there and I spotted it easily and with no effort.

 

3. So jokingly I asked about it and then proceeded to tell her that in my opinion that it is no different than the last time it came up for her.

 

4. For someone like myself who has been using message boards since the early 1980s, looking something up takes very little time or effort.

 

This was in good humor and I also provided a practical answer so please get off your electronic high horse lady and leave it alone already. I was not being negative, nasty, or hiding behind anything. Please ask OceanBoy to write you a prescription for some chill pills. :)

 

We now return to your regular scheduled porter tipping info. :)

[yolanda1]

Is it true that if you don't give a nice sized tip to the folks handling your luggage when you arrive at the cruise terminal, that your bags will either not make it on the ship or that they will take longer than usual to get to your cabins?

 

I've heard that you have to give GOOD tips... I had to save for a very long time to be able to afford this trip, do I now have to use a good chunk of our spending money to ensure that we actual have our luggage on the cruise?

 

 

No it's not.

[cb at sea]

The people who take your bags as you board the ship are DOCK employees...they have NOTHING to do with delivering your bags to your cabin....they never get on the ship!

 

It is customary to tip $1-2 per bag...whether on a cruise, or in a hotel or airport. Use that in your budgeting. You are expected to tip anyone who has to move your luggage from one place to another. Does everyone do it? Nope! Do their bags show up? Yep.

[nolesrule]

Never considered this before. That's 15% of our cruise price (including gratuities, taxes, and fees) just for extraneous tipping. Woah! Then we add in travel to and from, a hotel room the night before, maybe one or two excursions, a few adult beverages and we've easily doubled the base cost the of the cruise.

Maybe cruising isn't as economical as I had originally convinced myself. [emoji53]

 

You're getting a floating resort where your room and meals are included. I don't know if your 15% was based on per person or total cost, but $333 for a week is a great deal for a cruise.

 

Every type of travel/vacation has hidden costs that you don't realize. Luggage assistance and transportation tipping are usually the most forgotten of them.

Edited July 11, 2015 by nolesrule

[rjrice1]

We always give them a nice tip

had a case of water for each cabin

Potter just put a luggage tag on them and told us they will reach the cabin.

They did...

[Midwestgal]

LOL, ok there,I've added it so it makes me only posting it in fun:rolleyes:

Whatever....My chill pills have kicked in now.

[spookwife]

Is it true that if you don't give a nice sized tip to the folks handling your luggage when you arrive at the cruise terminal, that your bags will either not make it on the ship or that they will take longer than usual to get to your cabins?

 

I've heard that you have to give GOOD tips... I had to save for a very long time to be able to afford this trip, do I now have to use a good chunk of our spending money to ensure that we actual have our luggage on the cruise?

 

 

not true at all.

 

one dollar per bag is standard and all you need to give.. all the porters do is transport it to the ship. the SHIP employees get it to your cabin and that is done first come first served. after it has been screened by security

[Grandma Dazzles]

 

No one's mentioned luggage tags. We put one luggage tag on each bag when we board the plane, then put extra tags before we hand it over to the porter. We make sure there is a cruise tag on each handle! It's amazing how many luggage tags disappear before they reach our cabin.

 

We always attach a cruise tag before flying, because the airline's lost our luggage a few times, and the baggage people seem to appreciate it.

 

We also put luggage tags on our carry-ons. Someone mentioned leaving their carry-on in the taxi, and since it had a tag, they found it in their room later. It also helps me find my room, since I can't remember my room number. A

.

 

Have always been advised not to put cruise tags on bags until after the flight. In fact our local airport staff routinely rip off any unnecessary tags. They explain it can confuse/delay bags which makes sense. We always have at least one flight connection so I try to make it as simple as possible. Extra tags can delay bags if baggage handlers have to sort through which is the "correct" one.

 

The official airline tags are very hard to rip off. I do tape a note inside the bag with cruise information in case bag is lost and not recovered in time for sailing. Have found bags tend to be delayed rather than actually lost - airport personnel usually can tell where the bag is. Another reason to fly in day ahead.

[cb140]

I've never tipped (port employees - I pay gratuities on the ship!). Never had a bag go missing. Never had anything damaged. 20+ cruises over ten years. (We did have a bag go to the naughty room once, for either having a power strip or hair straighteners, can't remember).

 

In fact I've never paid anything in extraneous tips (beyond the gratuities). But we don't use the bars, don't use room service, and don't use the spa, so maybe that's why. As far as I'm concerned, that's what my gratuities are for.

[CookieDiva]

You're getting a floating resort where your room and meals are included. I don't know if your 15% was based on per person or total cost, but $333 for a week is a great deal for a

 

 

I guess that I didn't explain my math very well. We are paying right around 2K for 2 of us for a 7 night cruise - including prepaid gratuities, taxes and fees. The pp said to bring 50 singles for EACH of the 7 nights - $350 for extraneous tips. $350 is just a little over 15% of $2000.

[nolesrule]

I guess that I didn't explain my math very well. We are paying right around 2K for 2 of us for a 7 night cruise - including prepaid gratuities, taxes and fees. The pp said to bring 50 singles for EACH of the 7 nights - $350 for extraneous tips. $350 is just a little over 15% of $2000.

 

Probably will depend a lot on what you do, how much you do, how many people in your party and how many bags. For a one week cruise with a few ports, you'll need a lot of cash if you need transportation or perhaps buying something at a place that doesn't take credit cards, but it's not all going to be for tipping. When you are off the ship doing things, it's going to cost money one way or the other.

 

On our cruise we just got back from, we cash tipped $8 for baggage handling (including the hotel stay the night before), a couple dollars for room service on the ship, $5 for the beach shuttle driver (round trip), and $10 for our excursion guide. I spent more on tolls on the drive from NJ to Baltimore and back than on miscellaneous tipping.

 

We did tip extra to certain people on the ship, but that's outside the scope of this conversation.

 

$50 a day is probably a good rule of thumb for cash on hand, but it's not all going to be for tipping.

[LMaxwell]

I guess that I didn't explain my math very well. We are paying right around 2K for 2 of us for a 7 night cruise - including prepaid gratuities, taxes and fees. The pp said to bring 50 singles for EACH of the 7 nights - $350 for extraneous tips. $350 is just a little over 15% of $2000.

 

They said $50 for each 7 day (cruise), not for $50 for each day of a 7 day cruise. For example: $50 in singles is sufficient for a 7 day cruise.

[marci22]

$1-2 per bag is perfectly fine. Tipping is not mandatory. They are dealing with your bags for less than 60 seconds, even if they write out your tickets. If they just take your bag and put it on the cart it is like 10 seconds.

 

You can tip $5 per bag if you want to but there is no reason to unless you just like giving people extra money for fun.

 

If one porter takes 2 bags per minute, and he makes $1 per bag, he is making $120 per hour on tips alone. I wonder how much these guys make in tips for real.

[S.A.M.J.R.]

We always attach a cruise tag before flying, because the airline's lost our luggage a few times, and the baggage people seem to appreciate it.

Which baggage people? The airlines? The ship's? And why do you think they "seem to appreciate it"?

[Thoie]

At the port in Ft. Lauderdale they were calling people out if they did not tip. If they were that bold to call people back to remind them about tips, I wasn't going to be the one with my luggage left behind!! :D

 

That's the complete opposite of what I found. Not coming from a tipping place, I hadn't thought of tipping the porters in Fort Lauderdale until I started reading Cruise Critic. Last two years in Fort Lauderdale I tried to tip, and both times was told there was no need. Maybe I just look poor or something :)

[knittinggirl]

Which baggage people? The airlines? The ship's? And why do you think they "seem to appreciate it"?

All baggage people! They usually act grateful. If they see you holding the tip, you may get better service. One porter at the airport saw my tip, and stayed with us until it was checked in. But these days, that may not happen if you get to the airport too early.

 

I had our butler on Celebrity actually refuse our room service tip, because he appreciated our smiles more. We did give him more at the end of our cruise.

 

I meant $50 for each 7 days cruise. $50 for 7 days, $100 for 14 days, etc. We probably need more these days since we have the Diamond Lounge, and you get better service with a tip.

 

Check out the tightwad cruising. Lots of good ideas on how to save money.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=785229

Edited July 12, 2015 by knittinggirl