Carnival tipping to Bag Porters

[Pellaz]

We usually tip a couple of bucks per bag, or maybe a $5 for two or three bags. Not from pity and not on moral grounds, though; those guys make more than double what I do. :o

[phoneman69]

I always tip 3 bucks a bag usually 3 bags between the two of us. Bus Driver gets 5 dollars for the transfer from airport. The ONLY PORT i feel like i am getting fleeciest is Miami. Porters $2 a bag or they don't make it to the ship what a way to start a Vacation.

[coevan]

I tip waitresses and the like very well- knowing they are making crumbs per hour-long shoreman making $147000-do not need my tip-I will save for the guys on the ship.

 

 

You should carry your own bags aboard and not worry about tipping.

[GTO-Girl]

I am always amazed that people will spend hundreds of dollars on a cruise yet have a problem giving the last person who will touch their luggage a few bucks!!

 

I am so blessed to be able to cruise!!! The last thing I am going to do before I start my vacation is worry about whether or not to tip the porters.

 

Happy Sailing Everyone!!!

[Palmetto Pilot]

These threads always turn into how much porters make. I don't think that should matter. I tip them for the service the provide me.

No body tips me when I grease the landing, that's a service right?

[Purvis1231]

http://work.chron.com/average-wage-longshoreman-20463.html

 

Are the porters actually longshore men? They may be in some ports but I do not think they are in the Gulf ports and Florida ports.

[Micahs Grandad]

I am always amazed that people will spend hundreds of dollars on a cruise yet have a problem giving the last person who will touch their luggage a few bucks!!

 

I am so blessed to be able to cruise!!! The last thing I am going to do before I start my vacation is worry about whether or not to tip the porters.

 

Happy Sailing Everyone!!!

 

Actually the last people who touch your bags are the crew that brings it onto the ship and up to your floor and to your door

[riclop]

When I fly and check my bag at the airline counter , no tip. If I use curb side, I tip.

 

When I pull up to a cruise ship and drop off my bag, I am expected to tip although I won’t see my bag for many hours after that. And I’ve never had a bag lost between drop off and the ship.

 

We do usually tip about $5 a bag but that just seems too much (although I have no idea if these guys are getting paid a decent wage).

 

What do you tip ? What’s fair ?

 

Any insights welcome

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

$2.00 per bag.

[GTO-Girl]

Actually the last people who touch your bags are the crew that brings it onto the ship and up to your floor and to your door

 

I have cruised for many years so I do realize that....BUT the porter is the last person I hand my bag over to before boarding the ship.

 

I prepay my tips so hopefully those crew members handling my bags are being included in those tips as well.

[k_y30]

"work for free or nearly free"? How much do you make if you think 6 figures is "nearly free"? Besides, the guys working the cruise ships work about 5 hours doing bags and get paid for a full 8 hours, and Saturday/Sunday (familiar days for embarkation?) are premium rate days.

I agree with you but I also agree with the other guys point of "ensuring your bags make it onto the ship". I don't mind throwing the guy a $5 as "insurance" that my bags make it onto the ship, but I do think it's a scam. You know who I DON'T tip? The bus guys. I somehow wind up with the same bus driver every time and I'm a pretty recognizable guy and that guy begs for handouts from everyone but he knows by now not to even look at me for at tip. No way I'm tipping after I pay $100 to park my vehicle with a $30 surcharge for 5 minute bus ride to the cruise terminal.

[deadmoney]

We usually have three bags, one of which is pretty heavy(DW) and my standard tip is $10,

[harry0]

You should carry your own bags aboard and not worry about tipping.

 

I should carry my own bags because I do not feel I should HAVE TO tip a guy making 6 figures for doing the job he is getting paid for-If I dont tip I might see my bags floating down the canal.

And this seems right to you?

The whole "tipping" culture is a very mysterious concept anyway- Do I tip the mailman-trash men-how much do I tip in the jar where I get my $2 coffee? How about the bagger at the super market? The cashier at Walmart? Do I tip cash or put it on my credit Card? Should I use the recommended rate on the reciept? 18 or 20%?

maybe I should move to a non tipping country like Australia-JUST KIDDING

We tip $2 a bag

[chengkp75]

Are the porters actually longshore men? They may be in some ports but I do not think they are in the Gulf ports and Florida ports.

 

Yes, they are. Virtually any public pier facility (anything owned by the state or city, or port authority) anywhere in the US has a contract with one of the two major longshore unions. Any article moved on those piers must be moved by union longshoremen. The only piers that typically do not use longshoremen are the "private" piers at refineries or oil terminals, since those facilities are owned by the company, and they can set their own labor standards. Even the line handlers that tie up and untie the cruise ships are union longshoremen.

[silversneakers]

They get paid extremely well....union, longshoreman I believe. There are signs posted that they are salaried employees and tipping is not required although they will hustle you for a tip. Your judgment whether you want to tip or not.

When I fly and check my bag at the airline counter , no tip. If I use curb side, I tip.

 

When I pull up to a cruise ship and drop off my bag, I am expected to tip although I won’t see my bag for many hours after that. And I’ve never had a bag lost between drop off and the ship.

 

We do usually tip about $5 a bag but that just seems too much (although I have no idea if these guys are getting paid a decent wage).

 

What do you tip ? What’s fair ?

 

Any insights welcome

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Havingfun2010]

Do you go to a restaurant and say the cook does more work than the server for less pay so you shouldn’t tip the server much?

 

The server is a "tipped" position. The "cook" is not a tipped position.

 

Is it 20 feet at every port?

 

Most ports, it's less than 20 feet.

 

Do they not load and unload the bags from the cart?

 

No they don't. They only load the cart. They take your bag, and put on cart. Total time for handling is less than 1 minute. That guy, only touches your bag once.

 

It’s a job I wouldn’t want to do...loading and unloading bags in the hot sun.

 

Many jobs pay more than what I make, but it doesn't mean I want the job. The porter that you drop your bags off, only puts the bag on a cart. Anther person, lifts the cart with a forklift, moves it to a staging area. Another person comes and lifts it to the ship. It goes on the ship, and is sorted by the ship. It is delivered to your room. Total number of people handling the loading of your bag can exceed 20 people. You only tipped the guy that touched it for 30 seconds.

I don't tip. Some ports have signs up that even say that. I have actually loaded bags on a cart myself. Some ports, I placed on a conveyor belt.

[Havingfun2010]

I agree with you but I also agree with the other guys point of "ensuring your bags make it onto the ship". I don't mind throwing the guy a $5 as "insurance" that my bags make it onto the ship, but I do think it's a scam.

 

So, the shop loads 3500 passengers. That is at least 3500 bags. 20% of the passengers do not tip. (The smart ones). That means 700 bags get lost, and are not loaded on the ship. So many bags that they have a special room at the port. Every weekend at a busy port where 3-4 ships leave each day, times 2 days. That leaves about 5600 bags left behind. Out of those 5600 bags, the owners never complain, and it never makes the news. They just all sigh, and say, I should have tipped.

 

 

You know who I DON'T tip? The bus guys. I somehow wind up with the same bus driver every time and I'm a pretty recognizable guy and that guy begs for handouts from everyone but he knows by now not to even look at me for at tip. No way I'm tipping after I pay $100 to park my vehicle with a $30 surcharge for 5 minute bus ride to the cruise terminal.

 

The employees who are union employees on the ship docks, who help make the 5600 bags disappear, would be risking their very lucrative paycheck. It's time to put the "insurance" silliness to rest.

[meatloafsfan]

I usually tip $1 - $2 per bag with the total rounded to the nearest $5 increment (so 2-4 bags is $5; 5-8 bags is $10).

 

When getting off the ship, I tip higher because they walk us to our car and have been generally extremely helpful - even sticking around to load my mom's wheelchair after we've helped her into the car.

 

The only time we didn't tip is one time at port everglades when embarking on one of our Royal Caribbean cruises. We pulled up to the curb, got the luggage out of the trunk, brought it onto the sidewalk and the porter said, "Put your luggage over there [pointing to the luggage cage], oh and tipping is optional."

 

If we're unloading our own luggage and putting it onto the luggage cart ourselves, darn right tipping is optional. :eek:

[robertlanajean]

These threads always turn into how much porters make. I don't think that should matter. I tip them for the service the provide me.

 

Well said.

[gotscrapz]

I always tip 3 bucks a bag usually 3 bags between the two of us. Bus Driver gets 5 dollars for the transfer from airport. The ONLY PORT i feel like i am getting fleeciest is Miami. Porters $2 a bag or they don't make it to the ship what a way to start a Vacation.

 

 

 

I always tip but am sailing out of Miami in 2 weeks do this post scares me. I have always tipped and since my son has been a valet ave Bell man running to the hotel lot (across a multi lane highway to their parking lot) in both hot sun in summer and snow in winter - I’ve upped my Game.

 

My son says he appreciates the tips and makes less than minimum wage because he works at casino and relies on tips that often don’t come. He says he does his best for every client and if they don’t tip he tells me they must need it more than him lol. He had a great attitude though...

 

Can you explain lol?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[bigcraig]

No body tips me when I grease the landing, that's a service right?

Or when I do an overhaul on your Triple 7

[Alaskan Joe]

3 bags= $10 except on our last cruise out of San Pedro (Princess). When we got to the baggage drop off we were not staying at the terminal due to the fact we had delayed boarding because of the last cruise had the norovirus :o. When we got there they had shuttle buses to take us to Long Beach. So we were to just drop of luggage when we got there, and I was getting out the usual tip. Upon doing so, an unseasoned cruiser asked how much does this service cost? The porter said $20 I believe they had 5-6 bags between 3 people. Someone (a seasoned cruiser no doubt) jumped right in and said "Wait this service is free, and you tip them what you think it is worth". The porter was shall I say not happy, and made a remark about the seasoned cruiser's luggage :ooops getting lost. They kept their luggage and carried it on themselves, and said they were going to report him. I in returned only gave him $5 because that is all he deserved after making that comment. Not sure if he was worth that, but I wanted my luggage delivered to my state room:D.

[kc58ab]

These threads always turn into how much porters make. I don't think that should matter. I tip them for the service the provide me.

 

 

 

I’ve done $5 a bag typically. But after reading this that sounds steep if they are pulling in 6 figures. How much they make does make difference to me. Tipping is typically to supplement a low wage salary. I don’t tip everywhere I go which would be necessary if use the premise of I am getting a service. Every job provides some type of service and not every job is expecting tips. To me the difference is the wage.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[cathyoo]

I consider myself a decent tipper (daughter of a waitress) I wish I could be a big tipper but due to limited financial circumstances I can only do what I do. Coming in we usually give $20 for whatever is our car. Leaving is a different story cause we will be with other family members and the porter will pile our bags up on a cart and lead us out to our cars. Usually somewhere between $40 and $60 dollars.

 

No interest in what they make. It is not an easy job and I am thankful they are there to assist.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

I usually tip $1 - $2 per bag with the total rounded to the nearest $5 increment (so 2-4 bags is $5; 5-8 bags is $10).

 

 

 

I like this idea but if I had 4 bags, I’d likely tip $10 ($2.50 a bag).

 

Also with a previous comment, I agree to throw away the notion of this tip being insurance to make sure your bag gets on the ship. Kind of ridiculous don’t you think

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Sparky2]

$5 for the 2 bags we check with the porters.