Miscellaneous tipping question

Want to make sure enough small cash on hand. What is current amount of tip for the baggage handlers at the pier? NEW favorite bartender? Or a really helpful room steward?

No right or wrong answers to any of that. However, we give the dock porter $5 when we give them our checked luggage (usually 3 or so bags). We tip our room steward usually $40 at the end of a 7 day cruise. I usually tip $1 a drink. But....totally up to you.

Tip what you feel comfortable tipping based on the service and your budget.

I ususally give the porters upon embarkation $5 for 2 bags (usually heavy) and $5 to $10 on disembarkation depending if the the taxi stand is some distance away from where we get our luggage or not. Cabin Steward usually $30 to $40 depending on the service.

$5 for the porter. $1 a drink gets you favor at the bar. $5 per person per day for a steward.

Porters are $1-2 PER BAG.....

There is an 18% tip added to EVERY drink purchase.....so no additional is needed....If you frequent one particular bartender, then an extra tip on the last evening is nice...you can add additional tips to the tab, too.

Extra to the cabin attendant depends on what they've done that was so special....the DSC covers them, so consider if they went "above and beyond"....$20-40 extra (on top of what you've already tipped) seems fair to me!

I tip $1-$2 most drinks and if you frequent the same bars all you have to do is be seen or make quick eye contact with the bartender to get your drink next, even at a criwded bar. To me, that is very worth the "extra" tipping. And an extra tip at the end of the cruise.

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Thanks for the help. Wanted to make sure I had change when we got to pier!

$1-$2/bag for porter, $50 for steward, $20 to bartender if excellent service.

when i drop off my suitcases with the porter upon arrival, i have always given him 10. (one even picked up my suitcase and said oh thats heavy..geez how lame. dude you are in great shape..suck it up)

however. what exactly does he do other than put my bags on his cart. is he the guy that literally takes them to the ship.

steward is what he does for you . if you think he's fantastic, and added to your trip, give 100 like i did to my haven spa suite guy.

my balcony guy was pretty darn good but just not the same level as the haven guy. so got less.

You can always have an extra tip for your cabin steward added to your onboard account. Just go to guest services and fill out a voucher, giving them the steward's name. Then give a copy of the voucher to your steward.

when i drop off my suitcases with the porter upon arrival, i have always given him 10. (one even picked up my suitcase and said oh thats heavy..geez how lame. dude you are in great shape..suck it up)

 

however. what exactly does he do other than put my bags on his cart. is he the guy that literally takes them to the ship.

The person you give money to 'may' put your bag onto a cart, and that's about it.

Someone else comes and pushes the cart into the building, where they are sorted for what ship they go on. Then they are put into the ships own baggage carts, forklifts pick them up and put them onto the ship, where the ship sorts them for which floor, and which portion of the floor they go to, i.e.: fore, mid, aft.

The person you give money to does nothing further with your bag then put it on a cart.

So, what are you tipping him for?

Never given any porter any money as we have never seen any porter at any of our ports we have used to pick up any luggage. That has been in Ocho Rios, Venice and Barcelona. As soon as we have got off the NCL transfer coach, we have simply picked our luggage from the coach and put it straight onto the cart to be loaded on board.

if we are allowed to put the suitcases on the carts ourselves id gladly do it. didnt see anyone else doing it in NYC though. if there's an unattended cart i guess ill try it next time

The person you give money to 'may' put your bag onto a cart, and that's about it.

 

Someone else comes and pushes the cart into the building, where they are sorted for what ship they go on. Then they are put into the ships own baggage carts, forklifts pick them up and put them onto the ship, where the ship sorts them for which floor, and which portion of the floor they go to, i.e.: fore, mid, aft.

 

The person you give money to does nothing further with your bag then put it on a cart.

 

So, what are you tipping him for?

Frankly, in the ports where the dockworkers, i.e., porters, are unionized, which is pretty much everywhere, I tip them because I want to make absolutely sure my luggage gets on the ship. Amusing but possibly sad commentary -- I was embarking in NY a few years ago, and there was a loud, large, obnoxious family in front of us. They were Haven, and so were we. There were about 8 or 10 people in the group, including several teens and children, and they each had at least 1 suitcase -- so it was a huge pile of luggage. There was a line in front of them, but they waylaid a porter to take their luggage, and the guy got all their stuff, got them 2 tags for luggage that wasnt tagged, and then kind of stood there with his hand out waiting for his tip, and they turned their back to him and went on talking. We saw them the next day in the Haven, and the woman was ranting to the concierge that 3 of their suitcases hadnt appeared.... Was fairly sure it wasnt a coincidence....