TIPPING baggage porters in FT LAUDERDALE not necessary

[tamariadawn]

Just to let you know that it is *not*necessary. We recently cruised 10/4/04-10/14/04. As soon as we got off the bus at Ft Lauderdale, the porters were telling us to "take care of your porter who takes care of your bags". So we tipped the customary $1/bag (large).

 

We come back 10 days later and what do you know......there are signs facing the other direction that say "tipping not necessary. porters are salaried". I personally would not have tipped them $1/bag had I discovered that sign. It is not that I cannot afford $3 coming and $3 leaving but that these persons are already paid by the city (?) or whomever operates the terminal. I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH THEY MAKE in salary, though. I would have said, "thanks" and tipped the bus driver more.

 

I know that at airports, it is rumoured that baggage porters make over $60G/year (cash mostly) and that there is a waiting list to get one of those jobs.

 

This post is just to inform whomever may be cruising out of this busy terminal.

[dmk]

Are you referring to the porters at the Cruise "Terminal" or the Airport "Terminal or both? I sure would like to know? It's not a matter of being cheap but if you add up all the tips you give on a cruise....enough for a deposit on a new cruise.

[Nitemare]

It's NEVER "necessary" to tip, but if someone helps me with my bag and is reasonably courteous about it, I'm gonna tip him anyway, regardless of what rumors say they make in a year.

[lougee1043]

......there are signs facing the other direction that say "tipping not necessary. porters are salaried". .

the sign didnt say tipping not allowed it said not necessary which to mean means you can tip if you want to--ive seen my tips turned over to a steward of someone and i would think that the tips are divided among everyone on the shift- this is just like the old hal tipping policy of tipping not required ----i dont know of a longer series of threads then the discussion of the hal policy

[katrain]

I agree with Nitemare if they are courteous I'm going to give them a little something. I mean it's like the pizza guy you don't have to tip them but it's just something you do.

[tamariadawn]

Tipping is definitely a personal thing. BUT for this writer,I would not rather tip a baggage handler if he is making a ton more money a year than I am (assumed) and probably will not claim most of the cash tips as income to boot.

 

I do tip my cruise persons, local restaurant servers, hair dressers,etc. BUT if you are budget cruising this bit of info about the Ft Lauderdale cruise port/terminal may be helpful to someone out there. Afterall,this is the money saving tip section.

[mafig]

I will always tip the baggage handler at the cruiseport.

 

Nothing worse than looking out your hallway and seeing luggage in front of everyone's door but yours. I consider it "insurance."

[cruzincurt]

Who cares how much they make, I want my luggage to get on the ship. If you're jealous, apply for one of those jobs to stand there in the heat of the day, suck in car and bus fumes, and toting heavy luggage around. Do you think they have a pension plan, health insurance, 401K, and go on cruises?

[vijoge]

http://f2.org/humour/stevedore.html

[cruzincurt]

I'm not sure "budget" and "cruise" belong in the same sentence. $2 or $3 out of hundreds or thousands seems trivial. Yes I know, every little bit adds up.

[zurmoly]

I would not even think not to tip.

[wieslaw]

Does anyone know if the baggage handlers in the cruise ports are longshoremen?

 

Wes

[vijoge]

I don't know for sure, wes, but I read somewhere that they are, at least the ones in the US.

[wieslaw]

Hi vijoge, thanks for your answer.

I, similar to others have (in the past) tipped the person who took my luggage in the port when boarding the ship.........but even that tipping is so personal, I am wondering why I did or do that.

Somehow I thought that I should 'tip' for some personal service that is not paid for in any other way........but if the baggage handler is a Long Shoreman, is he/she not paid by the port ? (and if I am not mistaken, a rather very good wages ?)

So, I agree with 'tamariadown' and I am becoming more confused about the whole issue of 'tipping'.

Should I tip the person at the air line checking counter, when they take my bag from the counter scale and put it on the cart or conveyor belt.......they just did the same thing what the baggage handler (maybe Long Shoreman) did. How about the baggage handler who puts my bag on the plane or takes it off the plane.......how do I tip them? It is just so confussing who does what and who gets pay for what they do from their employer.

Wes

[lougee1043]

Should I tip the person at the air line checking counter, when they take my bag from the counter scale and put it on the cart or conveyor belt.......they just did the same thing what the baggage handler (maybe Long Shoreman) did. How about the baggage handler who puts my bag on the plane or takes it off the plane.......how do I tip them?

i have never thought of tipping the person at the check in counter--but i do tip the skycap who tags my bags at curbside and then takes them to the screeners-the same way i tip the porter at the dock or in a hotel --- tipping the baggage handler is out of the question because you cant get near enough to them to hand them a few bucks

[dmk]

My rule of thumb is to tip people who give me a personal service where their salary is dependant on tips.

[mafig]

How would you feel if you were without luggage on your cruise because you chose not to tip a couple of bucks.:confused: Your luggage can very easily be directed to another ship.

 

You are on vacation. Live a little.

[zurmoly]

After all we are talking just a few dollars.

[dmk]

Why would you be without luggage on a vacation because you chose not to tip? What does one thing have to do with other:confused: ?

[mafig]

The porters load your bags onto the containers that are then loaded onto the ship. Hopefully it is your ship. There are people whose bags are not delivered to their cabins until late, some have their name tags off, some have gotten wet, some get on a different ship, some never make it at all. The porters are responsible for loading your luggage onto the ship. :rolleyes:

[vijoge]

dmk,

Some people believe if you don't tip the baggage handler who takes your luggage at embarkation that they will cause you luggage to be "misplaced".

[wieslaw]

How would you feel if you were without luggage on your cruise because you chose not to tip a couple of bucks.:confused: Your luggage can very easily be directed to another ship.

 

You are on vacation. Live a little.

 

OK, it is still confusing but I am beginning to understand why I need to tip the baggage handler in the cruise port (regardless if he/she gets pay for doing this job by the port authority) .......I do it to make sure that my baggage gets on the right ship, I guess.

Now, that explains why some of the luggage gets lost by the airlines: the people at the check in counters do not get enough tips and the ones at the points that the luggage gets transfered from one plane to another....get none.

Wes

[vijoge]

Yeah, it's not so much that you're tipping the baggage handler but rather more like paying "protection" so your lugaged doesn't end up at the bottom of the ocean wearing cement luggage locks!

[Ta421sBtrHalf]

OK, it is still confusing but I am beginning to understand why I need to tip the baggage handler in the cruise port (regardless if he/she gets pay for doing this job by the port authority) .......I do it to make sure that my baggage gets on the right ship, I guess.

Now, that explains why some of the luggage gets lost by the airlines: the people at the check in counters do not get enough tips and the ones at the points that the luggage gets transfered from one plane to another....get none.

Wes

 

 

Remember the Seinfeld episode where Jerry and Elaine were flying and Elaine refused to pay the skycap more than $1.00 a bag? He put two of the suitcases for their flight and another on a plane to Hawaii.

[wieslaw]

It all makes sense. Now I can understand why there was so much interest in the new jobs that are to be open to the new applicants on the West Coast.

I read someplace that even the applications were costly.......now I know why.

 

Wes