You Better Tip at Port Everglades - Or Else!

We boarded the Regal Princess on February 4th. We always tip the baggage porter $10 for 2 bags. We did the same this trip.

As we were walking towards the Princess terminal, I was a few feet ahead of my wife. All of a sudden, my wife starts calling out for me. I turn around and she is being verbally intimidated by a porter. I immediately go back and the guy starts berating me telling me "You have to tip". I tell this clown I did and he continues on telling me to identify who received the tip. I locate the guy and drag him over to talk to "The Intimidator" My guy tells "The Intimidator" I tipped him. "The Intimidator" starts yelling at the porter to turn over the tip to him. We picked up the pace and soon were safely inside the Princess terminal while the 2 porters were still jawboning at each other.

I don't know who oversees these guys, but you better leave a tip - or else.

:O Wow. I'd ask for it back.

perhaps 10 was too much.

We've never had issues with any porter. We do tip though and is common practice in the USA for porters, and for waitstaff, taxi drivers, etc.

Keith

Never had an issue.

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Literally told to "tip more if we wanted our bags onboard" at Port of Miami. Had tipped $20 for 4 bags. Took to bags and the $20 to another porter. Ridiculous but it happens!

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Literally told to "tip more if we wanted our bags onboard" at Port of Miami. Had tipped $20 for 4 bags. Took to bags and the $20 to another porter. Ridiculous but it happens!

 

 

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Good grief out of control. Would have given 10 max and that is too much based on the small amount of work they do

Good grief out of control. Would have given 10 max and that is too much based on the small amount of work they do

Should have reported it to the cruise line

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We carry on/carry off our luggage so have not had this experience even though we cruised out of FLL in January. It definitely needs to be reported to the cruise line !! In addition, there used to be signs up in the unloading area (maybe still are) that no tips are required. We always tipped when we used the service, but with elite status and our perfecting the art of packing light, all we need for a short 7 day cruise is one 24-26" suitcase. Since they are all on wheels, it is no hardship to roll it on/off ourselves.

Should have reported it to the cruise line

 

 

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Porters are not employees of the Cruise Lines. They are longshoremen, union members. Those working cruise ships bid for the work because it is very lucrative, and the irony is that those with the seniority to get the jobs are the highest paid, according to chengkp75, earning in excess of $100k/yr. EM

If you're going to report it, be sure to report it to Port Authority as the porters are in no way connected to Princess, at least in Port Everglades

Should have reported it to the cruise line

Oops!! I answered before I finished reading. Several others beat me to it. Union, supervisor or Port Authority.

If you're going to report it, be sure to report it to Port Authority as the porters are in no way connected to Princess, at least in Port Everglades

And maybe snap a photo of the offender(s).

And maybe snap a photo of the offender(s).

I would think again before doing that.

Literally told to "tip more if we wanted our bags onboard" at Port of Miami. Had tipped $20 for 4 bags. Took to bags and the $20 to another porter. Ridiculous but it happens!

 

 

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Gee...starting to sound like an extortion racket. Might want to bring it to the attention of the Captain - but I wouldn't count on them to do much other than shrug...

Wow !

$10 for just 2 bags, $20 for 4 ?

Way too much !

Half of that would be more than sufficient for the short distance that they handle your luggage.

It is no wonder that they are fighting over your tips.

Not a very pleasant experience. What a dreadful start to anyone's holiday !!!

Port authority definitely needs to be informed of this intimidation.

I have never really understood the American tipping philosophy, but do follow the old adage..

'When in Rome...............!' .

We have cruised out of Port Everglades many times and have never encountered what the OP did. We always do tip, maybe $5 for 2 bags. The porters never seem to be expecting or soliciting for tips. A couple of times we have had to chase after the porter to give him his tip, as he put our bags in the luggage cage then turned away to get someone else's bags. I guess we have just been lucky.

same here - $ 5 for 2 bags - never had any kind of encounter, or seen one...all bags have arrived basically undamaged in rooms

Wow !

$10 for just 2 bags, $20 for 4 ?

Way too much !

Half of that would be more than sufficient for the short distance that they handle your luggage.

It is no wonder that they are fighting over your tips.

Frankly, I think it is WELL beyond ridiculous. I will carry my bags on board. PERIOD. I mean, seriously folks - I worked all my life and never once was I "tipped". My Wife was an RN for over 30 years. Never tipped once.

So these clowns expect 20 bucks to carry a bag 50 feet? Nonsense.

At Port Everglades I always carry on and carry off my luggage. I simply don’t trust the porters to handle my bags due to their mercenary attitude.

As another poster said, there used to be signs at luggage drop off stating tipping optional.

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At Port Everglades I always carry on and carry off my luggage. I simply don’t trust the porters to handle my bags due to their mercenary attitude.

As another poster said, there used to be signs at luggage drop off stating tipping optional.

 

 

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We will consider carrying on our bags in the future. Once we reach elite status should not have to wait long to board anyway.

these guys are going to kill their golden goose and serves them right

I would have told the porter I already tipped someone. If he continued I would have hollered for law enforcement. This is way out of hand.

same here - $ 5 for 2 bags - never had any kind of encounter, or seen one...all bags have arrived basically undamaged in rooms

Same here too and never had any problems;)

Welcome to the world of the International Longshoreman Union. Some of these guys make around 6 figures (with overtime) and intimidation (and worse) have been a hallmark of this labor organization forever. The cruise lines hire "gangs" which consist of a specific number of workers and supervisors. Everything they do (and the time they work) is strictly governed by their Union contract). We once had to sit on our luggage outside the NYC Cruise Port (it was a nice day) while the Longshoreman were on their lunch break. It seems that HAL had not paid extra for another gang and did not want to pay the outrageous extra cost of having the "gang" work their lunch hour. So we were told, "you are not allowed to bring your own luggage into the cruise terminal or we will go out on strike." At exactly 1pm, when their lunch hour was over, and nice labor guy walked over to me, smiles, and said, we will take your luggage now (and of course he had his hand out).

In fairness to the cruise industry, there is little they can do about these practices other then to pay the cost and hope for the best. We know one cruise ship Hotel Manager who told us how he often would pay-off the gang "boss" with a case of booze....which helped avoid any kind of problems, slow downs, etc. Some foreman on the West Coast ports are said to make over $200,000 a year. And yet, these guys expect tips.

Hank