Why or When should porters be tipped?

[retiredldo]

LSU traveler I do have a sense of humor and have always enjoyed your postings. But have to throw in the pin or wait is it the grenade to stir things up dont you know

 

Pete

[Cruising89143]

I have never had a porter ask for a tip. Of course I usually do not give them the chance as I have the money in my pocket prior to arriving at the port and give it to them as soon as they pick up the last bag.

 

Also, these guys do not work seven days a week. In Miami for example, unless there is a ship there for a special sailing the port has ships in on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Every other week the Imagination is in on Thursday.

 

We all have a choice and it is very simple. If you feel that they should not be tipped then by all means do not do it. It's your choice. No one is holding a gun to your head.

[madelinerose]

All of this over maybe $10 tops? :eek: :eek: :eek:

[dan40]

Those of you who9 are too cheap to tip the porters--Don't tip them, its as simple as that. Also do a websearch for a company that sells floating luggage.:D

 

 

I've told this story a few times before:

Barb and I were going on the Destiny when it was newer and sailing out of Miami. It was spring break time and we dropped our rental car and took their shuttle to the ship. 2 college guys were fellow passengers on the shuttle and we shot the breeze with them a bit. Arriving at the ship they very pointedly stiffed the porter. I made sure he knew which bags were ours and tipped him normally [well] About 11 that nite we ran into the college guys in one of the ships bars and had a drink with them. One of them pointed out that they were sure glad that they didn't tip the porter because they hadn't received their bags yet. I guess they no longer have any cause and effect courses in college these days.

 

Dan

[steveaaaa]

No Luggage is not always a bad thing. My Travel insurance insurance pays up to $200 per person per day. I still have the several hundred dollars worth of clothing my wife and I purchased on board along with my new razor,jacket,water shoes,ect. My wife purchased all new makeup along with a nice expandable carry on to carry the new stuff home in.We did finally get our luggage but not after spending almost $1200.

Steve

[SUSANITA]

I'm a good tipper, always have been. It's one thing for a porter to expect a tip for good service (by this I mean being prompt, friendly, helpful), but when they start demanding a tip "or else", that ticks me off. I have no problem tipping the guy $2 per bag, but I really kind of do have a problem with their threatening attitude. When the porter told me "IF you take care of me, I'll take care of your luggage", I wanted to ask what he would do if I didn't take care of him??? In other words "what are you threatening to do??"

 

I really don't think anyone here minds tipping the porter, but I do think that many of us mind being threatened with lost or damaged luggage if we don't tip "well enough".

[BDL]

A few years ago, a friend and I took Fantasy out of Pt Canaveral. We paid for Carnival tranfer bus to the port. Before boarding the bus, we were told to stay with our luggage until the bus driver put it on board. They said they wanted to make sure that everyone on the bus had their luggage loaded and not left behind. We were also told by another employee with a clipboard that the "next time you see your bags will be at your stateroom". We did as instructed and watched as the driver loaded our bags. He did this all by himself and was pleasant, so we tipped him $1 a bag. Later, as we arrived at the port we were told by the driver that the bus was going to make a stop at the luggage drop off area. The bus driver told us that one person in each traveling party was required to get off the bus, wait until the luggage was unloaded and then point your luggage out to the porters. This was to make sure all of your luggage was accounted for. We were then instructed to please not forget to tip the porter and told what the standard tip was. I think at the time it was $1 a bag, but 'if your bag is heavy, please consider tipping more'. We then had to get back on the bus, so they could drop us off closer to the building.

I felt that the 'requirement' to stay with the luggage while the driver loaded it pretty much insured all our luggage was there at the other end of the drive. Making us get off to identify our luggage for the porters was only so we could be sure to tip them. The bins they were loading were right there, so all they had to do was dump them on the pile. They barely had to walk three feet with each bag.

We did tip them, but probably only because we were afraid we'd never see the bags again.

[VentureMan_2000]

Clearly, most folks TIP Porters, not because of friendly over the top service, but because they feel threated or intimidated.

 

Some of the posters here think it is okay, or even funny, that someone would not receive their luggage because they did not TIP the Porter. Bottom line is Porters are paid by the Port Authority to load luggage onto the ship.

 

A TIP has always been optional and only given when earned. Many, Many stories here where the TIP is not even close to being earned.

 

MAny Port Athorities have banned TIPping of Porters. Geez, wonder why!