Tipping at the port? How much?

[Dthomas1]

3 hours ago, MissP22 said:

It's just as easy to take your own bags onto the ship and bypass the porters altogether. 

I may carry on my next cruise. Just one with wheels.

[love to cruz]

In Florida they are part of the Teamsters union & get paid big bucks. We feel this is a scam, when they earn more than some cruisers.

[MissP22]

3 hours ago, WatchHill said:

Not all luggage fits through the scanners. Standardsized suit cases, like the ones we check in for a flight, will not go through. Tried it a few times and was sent to the back of the line.

 

The tipping at USA ports is one more reson I prefer leaving from Southampton UK.

 

Dacy

You must travel with fairly large bags.

My suitcase is 19 inches wide & I haven't had any problems boarding in the US port scanners.

Of course they'll tell you that they won't fit but I've found out years ago it's all bull. 

[Ombud]

1 hour ago, Dthomas1 said:

I may carry on my next cruise. Just one with wheels.

My biggest suitcase is 23" with wheels & my smallest is 17". I take one or the other. But I've been known for carrying a bottle of wine too. Plus my purse. Will look like this in 3+ weeks. I prepacked everything to see if I could walk a mile with it (Moxy Southampton  -> pier). Not glamorous but it has to do. 

[PrincessLuver]

We travel a lot usually with usually six 26 inch suitcases and 2 carryons.  We always appreciate the help and no matter where we are in the world it is usually $5.00 per case when we arrive and when we leave,  

 

Always appreciate people who provide a helpful service of any kind where ever we are. Love tipping street performers too.

[PrincessLuver]

2 hours ago, sloopsailor said:

 

A major difference is that restaurant staff aren't union members earning $100,000 per year BEFORE tips. Cruise ship porters belong to the Longshoreman's Union in most US ports, and are already being paid high union wages to do those porter jobs. These positions are highly coveted and are seniority based. By handling 200 suitcases at $5 tip each, the most well paid union dock workers are also getting $1000 plus PER DAY in tips. Quite the scam. 

 

Isn't America Great!!

 

More power to them for being really smart and resourceful in scoring such a beneficial and well paying job job.

[Outerdog]

1 hour ago, PrincessLuver said:

Isn't America Great!!

 

Not really. Take a look around.

[rbtan]

8 hours ago, LovetheSea said:

Years ago in Florida we tipped a porter who helped with our luggage at the port. We gave him $5. for two bags. As we were walking away he said "cheap". It has been a couple years since we cruised. Stopped after Covid hit. Seattle RT port. What would be a fair tip for two bags? After the cruise. taking it through the terminal to outside.

Normally we tip about $20. There was a time we handled our own bags & put them on the carrier. The guy still expected a tip. I mean really? We usually tip more the the porter does more..such as prints out luggage tags because(thank You, genius TA) we never got them in time. If they get you through customs really quick we'll always tip extra for that. I think they & the customs officials know it & split some of it.

[SinbadThePorter]

5 hours ago, memoak said:

Does that mean you don’t tip taxi drivers, waiters, bartenders etc ?  They are only doing there job. I tip my barber also

 

You have no idea how insane this all appears when looking from the outside in.

 

Who do you tip, when, how much and why? It all appears arbitrary and grotesque.

 

The answer to the question is "no".

[memoak]

40 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

You have no idea how insane this all appears when looking from the outside in.

 

Who do you tip, when, how much and why? It all appears arbitrary and grotesque.

 

The answer to the question is "no".

Then I would not go back to multiple restaurants as you may have extra things added to your soup. Most servers and bartenders get minimum wage and rely on tips so they can go on cruises with you

[WatchHill]

8 hours ago, ruimin said:

Do you tip them at Southampton port?

 Thanks 

When my nice dropped us at Mayflower Terminal, my husbad attempted to tip the person who removed the luggage from the boot of her vehicle and was told by the neatly dressed gentleman that tipping was "very American" and he refused to take the tip!  When we left from the new terminal at Southampton [probably about 3-4 cruises], the luggage drop process didn't involve direct contact with anyone. We were told to leave the cases  is a specific area and to proceed into the building and up the stairs to check in. Quite a cotract from the "hands out" and threats to put luggage onto another ship that we've encountered in SF, BOS, NY, NJ, Miami and Ft Lauderdale. 

 

Darcy

[sloopsailor]

7 minutes ago, WatchHill said:

When my nice dropped us at Mayflower Terminal, my husbad attempted to tip the person who removed the luggage from the boot of her vehicle and was told by the neatly dressed gentleman that tipping was "very American" and he refused to take the tip!  When we left from the new terminal at Southampton [probably about 3-4 cruises], the luggage drop process didn't involve direct contact with anyone. We were told to leave the cases  is a specific area and to proceed into the building and up the stairs to check in. Quite a cotract from the "hands out" and threats to put luggage onto another ship that we've encountered in SF, BOS, NY, NJ, Miami and Ft Lauderdale. 

 

Darcy

 

Threats? I've never experience threats. And I haven't heard of anybody else getting them, either. 

[WatchHill]

Just now, sloopsailor said:

 

Threats? I've never experience threats. And I haven't heard of anybody else getting them, either. 

"Got to feed the family and that cost money. So does buying things that have to be replaced because your suit case fell into the water/got on the wrong ship."  NYC 

 

"For a nice tip, I will personally take your suit cases onto the ship...otheriwse they may not get one"  SF

 

Over 200 cruises, so I have lots of stories.... Not as bad as it used to be, but sadly, it's the culture we live in that supports less than stellar behavior. 

 

 

Darcy

[Senga]

We recently cruised Princess to Alaska from Vancouver.  We decided we would tip double our normal since the people had been unemployed due to COVID.  Bags were unloaded from the bus and we never had ANY contact with porters.  Very surprised.

[lucksak]

I will never understand when people pay $$$$ to cruise why they worry about tipping a porter a few $. We are in our seventies . We are happy when we don’t have to touch our luggage till we get to the cabin. We tip the taxi driver at the airport , again when we catch another taxi and then the porter. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Tip for service. Enjoy your cruise. 

[Outerdog]

2 minutes ago, lucksak said:

I will never understand when people pay $$$$ to cruise why they worry about tipping a porter a few $

 

Many people's favorite hobby is counting other people's money.

[san diego sue]

$5-$10 depending on size of suitcase.

Got off ship in Brooklyn NY. Luggage handler came over to us as we found our luggage. He asked if we wanted to do it hard way or easy. We said easy. he took our luggage and went past  humongous line waiting to go through customs (we arrived from Europe and most passengers weren't U.S. citizens).

He signaled to someone . They opened a  rope for us to pass and we were the next in line. Then he took our luggage passed crowds and  brought us to where Car service guy could find us easily and  he was just arriving in the terminal area.Gave him $20 then. Today would have given him $30. He probably saved us a good hour.Normally we drag our own luggage from the terminal but that day so glad he asked the question.

[GUT2407]

Nothing, zero, zip or zilch.

[donaldsc]

29 minutes ago, san diego sue said:

$5-$10 depending on size of suitcase.

Got off ship in Brooklyn NY. Luggage handler came over to us as we found our luggage. He asked if we wanted to do it hard way or easy. We said easy. he took our luggage and went past  humongous line waiting to go through customs (we arrived from Europe and most passengers weren't U.S. citizens).

He signaled to someone . They opened a  rope for us to pass and we were the next in line. Then he took our luggage passed crowds and  brought us to where Car service guy could find us easily and  he was just arriving in the terminal area.Gave him $20 then. Today would have given him $30. He probably saved us a good hour.Normally we drag our own luggage from the terminal but that day so glad he asked the question.

 

That is totally different from tipping a porter $10 to carry your bags 5 feet because you are afraid he is going to throw your bags into the water.  The first is providing a real service.  The second is called extortion.

 

DON

[Princessfan20]

2 hours ago, WatchHill said:

When my nice dropped us at Mayflower Terminal, my husbad attempted to tip the person who removed the luggage from the boot of her vehicle and was told by the neatly dressed gentleman that tipping was "very American" and he refused to take the tip!  When we left from the new terminal at Southampton [probably about 3-4 cruises], the luggage drop process didn't involve direct contact with anyone. We were told to leave the cases  is a specific area and to proceed into the building and up the stairs to check in. Quite a cotract from the "hands out" and threats to put luggage onto another ship that we've encountered in SF, BOS, NY, NJ, Miami and Ft Lauderdale. 

 

Darcy

Really…..when we in London for 10 days this summer not one of the many times we tipped anyone was the tip ever returned but we always received a sincere appreciation response.  Some Brits are just full of themselves….boring!!

[pris993]

3 minutes ago, Princessfan20 said:

Really…..when we in London for 10 days this summer not one of the many times we tipped anyone was the tip ever returned but we always received a sincere appreciation response.  Some Brits are just full of themselves….boring!!

Agree, have traveled all over Europe and the MIddle East, as well as US, always tip.  Using about $10.  Now that my DH is senile and difficult, I tip even more, LOL. 

 

[Princessfan20]

4 hours ago, Outerdog said:

 

Not really. Take a look around.

All in the eye of the beholder!,

[JimmyVWine]

9 hours ago, voljeep said:

tipping as a % of the 'bill' - that's what I don't understand and like

 

a 20% tip on a $1,000 bottle of wine - $200

a 20% tip on a $50 bottle of wine - $10

 

 

 

In wine service, servers are never going to stop someone from tipping 20% on an expensive bottle, but it certainly isn’t expected. Good wine service is adequately tipped out at $5 per diner per bottle. So at a table for four, that comes to $20 for one bottle and $40 for two bottles which is the equivalent of a 20% tip on a $100 bottle. The service provided if the diners order a $500 bottle is no different except under extraordinary circumstances. Servers don’t (or shouldn’t) expect the windfall of serving diners who break the bank on wine. Now, one might say the same thing about different priced food, and to a degree that is true. But the price difference between the cheapest entree and the most expensive pales in comparison to the price range on the wine list. If you add in $5 per person per bottle, odds are that your overall tip will remain in the 20% range. And if you order a $500 bottle and are afraid that your overall tip will seem too low percentage wise, just write it out on the restaurant’s copy of the credit card slip for the server to see: “Food @ 20%=$40. Wine @ $20. Total tip $60”.  If your total bill is around $300, you are right at 20%. If your bill was $200 for food and $400 for wine, this is still a fair amount and any server at a fine dining establishment that sells $400 bottles will get it. 
 

4 hours ago, Outerdog said:

 

Not really. Take a look around.

People taking cruises don’t really have anything to complain about. Life is good. 
 

In answer to the original question, I offer a different perspective. Many times my tip is not based on what effort I think the service provider is expending and instead I ask myself: “If someone came along right now and offered me the opportunity to relieve me of my present burden, how much would I pay that person to do just that?”  So when I unload all of our luggage from the cab and am balancing and rolling and dragging it all around, and I ask myself how much is it worth to me to NOT have to do that, THAT is the amount that I tip. We usually have enough luggage to justify a $15-$20 tip. I don’t care if the porter is carrying it 2 feet or 2 miles. The point is that I don’t have to deal with it any longer. At the start of my vacation I am giddy and generous!

[rheathslc]

7 minutes ago, JimmyVWine said:

In answer to the original question, I offer a different perspective. Many times my tip is not based on what effort I think the service provider is expending and instead I ask myself: “If someone came along right now and offered me the opportunity to relieve me of my present burden, how much would I pay that person to do just that?”  So when I unload all of our luggage from the cab and am balancing and rolling and dragging it all around, and I ask myself how much is it worth to me to NOT have to do that, THAT is the amount that I tip. We usually have enough luggage to justify a $15-$20 tip. I don’t care if the porter is carrying it 2 feet or 2 miles. The point is that I don’t have to deal with it any longer. At the start of my vacation I am giddy and generous!

This has become my mindset as well. And when I cruise I budget in the tips I WANT to be able to give - to the porters, our steward, servers, etc. If we can't afford to tip, we can't afford the trip. Also, I worked as a server for most of my 20s and know how much a few extra $$ means. I'm not saying a ton extra. Even just a few bucks more than the "typical" 15% could make my whole day. And now that I'm in a position of not living paycheck to paycheck (or even shift to shift when I was in tipped roles) that few extra bucks doesn't impact me very much but I know it can make a big difference to the person who made my life a little easier for a few minutes. To be honest, I tipped extra even when I couldn't really afford to. I get that tipping is not customary everywhere and people have strong feelings about it. I have strong feelings about those who choose not to tip in places and situations where it's customary but I'll keep those feelings to myself. 🙂 

[rheathslc]

10 hours ago, Thrak said:

One more example of the idiotic "tipping culture" in the US. I will never understand why people expect to be tipped for simply doing their job.

It may very well be idiotic but it is baked into the system. In the U.S. lot of positions that are customarily tipped include the expected tips as part of the offered compensation. So when people don't tip, those workers literally don't get paid for their time. Or they at least don't get paid anything like a normal wage. There are several states where severs get an hourly wage that is less than a third of the federal minimum wage BECAUSE it's a tipped position. I get that that is absurd to a lot of people. To be honest, even I think it's absurd. And there are all kinds of arguments about how an expectation of tips allows business owners to pass on the costs of employing labor to their customers and that is wrong. And I actually agree with that.

For me, unless and until I take any of my time to fight for fair labor practices and fair wages to change those situations then not tipping on principal is just hurting the people who are already in some of the lowest paying jobs out there. (Yes, I know that some servers and bartenders working at high end places make a TON of money but they are the exception - not the rule) Not to mention those jobs take a considerable physical toll. Serving is still one of the least rewarding and physically hardest jobs I've had. But it was what was available to me at that time of my life. Of course continuing to tip also perpetuates an unfair system. I'm still going to land on the side of tipping people who help or serve me.

The above might not apply to porters, who many have pointed out are often in unions and get a decent hourly wage. But for porters, and more recently instacart delivery drivers, and others, I'm tipping based on the time and energy they save me. If I expect someone else to take their time and energy to save mine, I'm going to tip them well for it. 

But, I'm either a socialist or bleeding heart liberal depending on which phrase my dad prefers on any given day. 🤣