tips for shuttle drivers

My wife and I are staying at a hotel on one of those deals where you park your car for the duration of the cruise, spend one night at the hotel and are shuttled to the Manhattan Pier for the cruise and picked up after the cruise. I know the hotel covers the shuttle but do they prepay the tip or do we pay the tip? Hard to believe but we have never taken a cab, what would be a typical tip?

Thanks

Usually tips are not included for shuttle drivers. I tip between $2 and $5 depending on how much luggage I have and how heavy it is (I'm an over packer).

We let them handle our luggage and give them $2. I used to drive a taxi and was satisfied with that tip, and I think it's equally fine for a shuttle driver, especially if they are handling our bags. (Assuming you received satisfactory service).

I'm a $5 tipper for shuttle drivers for the two of us.

We are actually doing the same thing and wondered about the toll. I am assuming that is covered but hotel. We were planning on $2 per bag.

I'm a $5 tipper for shuttle drivers for the two of us.

Ditto. We tip a 5 dollar bill too.

I normally tip but last time I took the NCL shuttle from MIA to POM the bus driver wouldn't let us off the bus until he finished about a two minute speech on tipping him. He got nothing.

We tip $1 or $2 a bag, depending on weight and if we do most of the maneuvering of the bag.

Good for you ColinIllinois! If I'd been held "hostage" such as you were, the driver wouldn't have gotten anything from me, either!

THere will be 4 of us coming from a "park and drive" hotel with a shuttle to and from the pier and we plan on tipping $10 each way.

I always tip the shuttle driver $5.

I don’t tip them. Everyone without an education expects tips because their employer pays them very little. Here’s a tip...get an education and you won’t need to rely on tips.

The hotel shuttle driver...we tip about $5, too....

Cabs, tip about 15% of the fare.

Cruise line shuttles....depends...we've had drivers that were available to be tipped, and some that disappeared as soon as the bus stopped! Porters were unloading the bags.....so the driver got no tip, and we tipped the porters $2 per bag.

I don’t tip them. Everyone without an education expects tips because their employer pays them very little. Here’s a tip...get an education and you won’t need to rely on tips.

If you don't tip or under tip as per the driver's expectation, he/she may make you walk a block with your luggage to the terminal. It happened to me once. Crappy way to start a cruise vacation.

If you don't tip or under tip as per the driver's expectation, he/she may make you walk a block with your luggage to the terminal. It happened to me once. Crappy way to start a cruise vacation.

So more extortion.

But how will he know if, or much you are going to tip, before he drops you???

So more extortion.

 

But how will he know if, or much you are going to tip, before he drops you???

I made the mistake of paying and tipping her before I got on.

Usually tips are not included for shuttle drivers. I tip between $2 and $5 depending on how much luggage I have and how heavy it is (I'm an over packer).

That's what we do as well. Two suitcases, a carry on, and a CPAP case so we usually tip $5.

I don’t tip them. Everyone without an education expects tips because their employer pays them very little. Here’s a tip...get an education and you won’t need to rely on tips.

This is ridiculous. To assume all those with education have non-service jobs is inaccurate. Also, to assume all should get a formal education is misguided. I'd also like to point out that a shuttle driver is in the work force, doing what s/he can to earn an income. Tips are a part of U.S. socioeconomic culture. They are typically awarded to those in the service industry. Not in all low paying industries. When was the last time you tipped a fast food worker, or saw it happen? Probably rare. There are many other low paying workers that don't expect tips. Those who directly provide a personal service to you, such as handling your luggage, opening your door, and driving you are not necessarily expecting a tip, but it is a common,nominal gesture of showing appreciation.

To answer the OP's question: If I receive acceptable service, I tip about a dollar a bag. If service is below standard I adjust. If they do not open my door, or handle my luggage, or drop me off close to destination, I have been known to offer nothing (very rare).

I tip everyone whether onboard the ship or on land, shuttle drivers, housekeeping, bar tenders/servers, etc. Most of those folks are paid a minimum wage or slightly higher and should be tipped in my opinion.

Having said that, there is one group of land based workers associated with cruise ships that I tip and I hate doing so. Those workers are the baggage handlers at the cruise terminals in the U.S. Most, if not all, belong to a union and are paid a higher than average hourly wage.

Maybe I’m just a grumpy old man but my feeling is if you’re paid a livable wage to do a job, then do your job and don’t expect tips. Like I said, I do tip them cause I don’t want my suitcase at the bottom of the harbor.