Tipping before boarding

[angelsfort]

I was just wondering what the standard tip is for the people who are collecting your luggage at the terminal before you board the ship???

 

I don't want to insult the person that's in control of my luggage... I'd like to get it delivered to my room without any issues!!

 

Any ideas? Anybody want to share their experiences with this?

[jleq]

I was just wondering what the standard tip is for the people who are collecting your luggage

 

$1 per bag is fine

[sandy toes]

I was just wondering what the standard tip is for the people who are collecting your luggage at the terminal before you board the ship???

 

I don't want to insult the person that's in control of my luggage... I'd like to get it delivered to my room without any issues!!

 

Any ideas? Anybody want to share their experiences with this?

Carnival suggests $1 per bag on their web site

[T0AST]

The porters are $1 a bag, I don't know when you tip them though, or where they actually carry your bags.. From you car to the 'embarkment' line, i assume? then you tip them there?

[lookin4fun@sea]

Yep! $1. per bag is the right answer. Anything less, and you will be sure to hear something (as read from previous blogs!)

[tnrnchick74]

I would also add that if the bag is exceptionally heavy, $2 per heavy bag would be appropriate as well.

[Cotton]

..... I don't know when you tip them though?

 

When you hand your bags over to them is when you should tip them. They aren't Carnival employees, but are employed by the port authority. I tip $1 per piece of luggage, but yes if I had an extremely huge heavy bag, I'd tip $2 for it.

[Froufie]

Usually give a $5 bill for 3-4 bags (one of which is pretty heavy - ya that's mine :D:D)

 

Froufie

[angelsfort]

thanks so much everyone! I can rest easy knowing that I won't have any issues!! Woo Hoo!!

 

Now my cruise date just needs to hurry up and get here!!!!!!!!!

[kodiac]

I would say it depends on their attitude - if they are nice and try to make conversation, etc it is $2 per bag. Otherwise, they just get $1.

[truecruiser]

this has also been a button pusher topic, LOL. some have said that the porters don't really deserve anything b/c they toss the suitcases 2 feet from the car to the cage. others have said that the posters get peeved when not tipped, and make it known to the pax. and still others have said that they have had issues at port of miami, in particular, w/ porters telling them they must tip if they want to see their bags onboard.

 

i don't know how accurate any of this is. but, i do know that none of these things have ever happened to us on any cruise from any port we've sailed, including miami. but, then again, we always tip. (at least $1 per bag.)

 

remember, porters work for the port, not CCL, though i'm sure there is some contact for their employment btwn the 2 entities.

[jetflair]

Thanks for this - I'm still trying to figure out who to tip and how much. So, when you are getting ready to board and someone takes your bags, tip them?

 

Oh, and if I feel safer holding on to my own bags, is that allowed? Or to I have to turn them over?

[*Mach*]

Thanks for this - I'm still trying to figure out who to tip and how much. So, when you are getting ready to board and someone takes your bags, tip them?

 

Oh, and if I feel safer holding on to my own bags, is that allowed? Or to I have to turn them over?

 

It depends on the size of your bags. There is a max allowable size to carry on board as the bag must fit through the standard X ray machine that you would see at an airport.

 

From the Carnival web site:

 

"Since the delivery of checked bags may take some time to reach your stateroom, you may elect to bring your own bags on board if they do not exceed 24''w x 16''h (there is no restriction on the length of the bag). Additionally, we highly recommend that guests personally carry any boarding documentation (passports, visas, I.D.), valuables, medications, and items which require special handling on and off the vessel. This advantage will ensure prompt and easy access to your baggage. Please note that Carnival assumes no responsibility for carry-on baggage."

 

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/Baggage_Information__Embarkation_Debarkation.aspx

 

Also remember that your cabin may well not be ready when you board. Anything that you carry on board will be with you until your room is ready.

[jetflair]

Thanks so much for your reply!

[NolaGuy]

I find that $1 per bag is too cheap a tip IMO. Everyone on here is always screaming about how the stewards/waiters/ etc ONBOARD work so hard and deserve even more than the automatic gratuity added to their S&S card--what about the porters? They have to deal with the heavy luggage etc. I tip $5 for about 3 bags, or if I have a little more, usually $10. $1 just seems really cheap to me. And before I get everyone flaming me and saying the porters don't really do much---Then you carry your own bags and see how much they do.

[Wennfred]

I find that $1 per bag is too cheap a tip IMO. Everyone on here is always screaming about how the stewards/waiters/ etc ONBOARD work so hard and deserve even more than the automatic gratuity added to their S&S card--what about the porters? They have to deal with the heavy luggage etc. I tip $5 for about 3 bags, or if I have a little more, usually $10. $1 just seems really cheap to me. And before I get everyone flaming me and saying the porters don't really do much---Then you carry your own bags and see how much they do.

 

I guess the reason for that is that we spend a total of 15 seconds with the pier porter and spend 7 days with our wait staff.

 

 

Fred

[NolaGuy]

I guess the reason for that is that we spend a total of 15 seconds with the pier porter and spend 7 days with our wait staff.

 

 

Fred

 

Maybe you spend 7 days with your wait staff, but on my last cruise I only saw my room steward twice. Once at the beginning of the cruise and last at the end of the cruise when he wanted his extra tip I suspect. He made my bed everyday, but that was about it. I tipped him anyway.

The porter also works very hard and I just don't see why tipping a little more is that big of a deal. I mean geez, it's a buck or two more. I'm sure they need it a lot more than you.

[Wennfred]

I only saw my room steward twice.

 

Thats too bad because, on my cruises, (knock on wood) we saw our steward every day and like 5 times during that day while working hard in other cabins close by. Always a very nice happy polite "hello Mr Fred" :)

 

Anyone else have the same experience with your steward?

 

 

Fred

[rsinj]

I find that $1 per bag is too cheap a tip IMO. Everyone on here is always screaming about how the stewards/waiters/ etc ONBOARD work so hard and deserve even more than the automatic gratuity added to their S&S card--what about the porters? They have to deal with the heavy luggage etc. I tip $5 for about 3 bags, or if I have a little more, usually $10. $1 just seems really cheap to me. And before I get everyone flaming me and saying the porters don't really do much---Then you carry your own bags and see how much they do.

 

Here we go...pass the popcorn please.

 

Howard

[big_duck]

I guess the reason for that is that we spend a total of 15 seconds with the pier porter and spend 7 days with our wait staff.

 

 

Fred

 

Actually the reason is the Porters are union employees (longshoremen) who in most cases move the bags a total of 5 feet. A buck or two a bag is sufficient.

[emmysmommy]

Actually the reason is the Porters are union employees (longshoremen) who in most cases move the bags a total of 5 feet. A buck or two a bag is sufficient.

 

You actually mentioned both points that I was thinking.

 

1. There are signs at many ports that indicate the workers are salaried and no need to tip. (We always do anyway - but only about $5)

 

2. The shuttles that we have taken to the ports take you right next to where the baggage bins are located. Our shuttle driver did more work unloading the bags than the port guys. (And yes, the shuttle driver is tipped good as well!) The porters don't appear to move the bags very far but they are entrusted to my luggage so I want to make sure when I walk away, they have a few bucks from me!

[Yellow_Jacket]

Seems like we end up tipping several people on each leg of our travel. The airport porter/baggage checkin guy at our home city gets a buck a bag. The airport porter at the port city gets a buck. The shuttle bus driver gets a buck. And the guys at the port who sling the bags into the bins get another buck. We travel heavy, though. Lots of large bags.

[dan40]

I find that $1 per bag is too cheap a tip IMO. Everyone on here is always screaming about how the stewards/waiters/ etc ONBOARD work so hard and deserve even more than the automatic gratuity added to their S&S card--what about the porters? They have to deal with the heavy luggage etc. I tip $5 for about 3 bags, or if I have a little more, usually $10. $1 just seems really cheap to me. And before I get everyone flaming me and saying the porters don't really do much---Then you carry your own bags and see how much they do.

 

The porters are members of the longshoreman's union and are making double or triple time, probably $400 or $500 a day for working a Sat. or Sun. And are actually not supposed to be tipped. So a buck a bag for 50 to 100 bags [5 or 6 bags for tax purposes] on top of their union pay is not too bad.

 

Dan

[Wennfred]

Quick Story.

 

First Cruise onboard the Holiday back in around 1985, right off the bus in Miami, the porter told me that if I didnt tip I wouldnt see my luggage. I told him to Kiss my A$$ and took my own luggage to the bin.

 

 

Today I Tip :D

 

 

Fred

[izzyvet]

Maybe it's co-incidence, but the one time we forgot to tip the porters at the pier, we did not see any of our bags until after 9 pm. We had to report all of our bags as missing to the front desk, and they couldn't believe none of our bags had made it to our room. We had to go to dinner dressed in our jeans, but at least they were nice ones! Since then we always give a tip, and like most people, give $5 for our 3 or 4 bags.