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Tipping Porters

EBM

By EBM,
in Royal Caribbean International

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Gonzo70

Gonzo70

Posted
Posted
I even slip the Captain a couple of bucks when we shake hands in the reception line :D

 

And don't forget to tip the activities staff $5 for each trivia event. I would hate for at the next one for them to not credit me for my correct responses.

 

I also like to tip the bingo caller as I find I am more likely to win.

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UCF_Knight

UCF_Knight

Posted
Posted
I am not sure why so many feel the urgency to tip these people for performing fifteen seconds of work, but feel no need to tip the behind-the-scenes people who do 99% of the work (and most of these people are earning far less than the "porter" who takes your bags).

 

I usually just tape a stack of dollar bills to each of my bags with a note (in both English and Haitian Creole) telling each person who touches my bag to take one.

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Gonzo70

Gonzo70

Posted
Posted
I have no reason to doubt that what you say is correct. Many people, including myself, like to give a tangible "thank you" to someone that has personally assisted us. I don't feel obligated, it just seems right to me. I don't ask myself what someone does or doesn't earn prior to tipping. Way too much thinking on vacation!!

 

Agreed. In many service professions people automatically know who is meant to be tipped, and who not. Almost nobody in the U.S. would tip a flight attendant for serving them a cocktail yet almost everybody in the U.S. would tip a cocktail waitress at a bar for performing the identical service. With porters at U.S. cruise terminals people tend to tip them because they mistakenly lump them in with skycaps at the airport or bellhops at hotels (people who perform similar duties but earn much lower salaries than longshoremen). Others are aware of how much money the longshoremen earn, but tip them out of fear their bags will be thrown into the sea if they are not tipped (more of a bribe than a tip in this scenario). Still others tip out of a naive misconception that tipping them has something to do with how fast they receive their bags or whether or not their smuggled booze makes it into their stateroom (all the porter does that takes your luggage as you enter the port is places it on an adjacent cart, and when the cart is full pushes the cart a few yards - others do 99% of the work).

 

Again nothing wrong with tipping them if one wants to, but one should not feel that tipping them for taking your bags as you enter the terminal is expected.

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Gonzo70

Gonzo70

Posted
Posted
I usually just tape a stack of dollar bills to each of my bags with a note (in both English and Haitian Creole) telling each person who touches my bag to take one.

 

Nice idea; I might have to try that one! :D

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mation101

mation101

Posted
Posted

You also have to remember no tip and all the cases of booze may not make it. For the future, I will just write my visa number with all the pertinent info so they can pay themselves what they think they should get. If I use my RCCL Visa do I get the bonus points?:D

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Gonzo70

Gonzo70

Posted
Posted
I know, but the question has been answered and OP thanked him/her for the reply. It could have ended at post 3 but didn't! It never does. :o

 

If it ended at post 3, the OP would not have had the whole story. I think if people truly realized how much money these people were earning and how little work they actually did with the bags that very few would be tipping them.

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Gonzo70

Gonzo70

Posted
Posted
You also have to remember no tip and all the cases of booze may not make it. For the future, I will just write my visa number with all the pertinent info so they can pay themselves what they think they should get. If I use my RCCL Visa do I get the bonus points?:D

 

Yet another good idea! :D

 

I think for my next cruise I might bring along a copy of my will and add whoever takes my bags. Perhaps 1% of my inheritance per light bag and 2% per heavy bag. :D

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mrpayroll

mrpayroll

Posted
Posted
I usually just tape a stack of dollar bills to each of my bags with a note (in both English and Haitian Creole) telling each person who touches my bag to take one.

 

Why are you so cheap. I do it with Fives and have always gotten my bags delivered very prompt. :eek: Sometimes they are even already opened.

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galavant3

galavant3

Posted
Posted
A

Again nothing wrong with tipping them if one wants to, but one should not feel that tipping them for taking your bags as you enter the terminal is expected.

 

I agree. I wouldn't tip at all if I felt it was a bribe. A popular cruise tip website basically says to tip the porter or be prepared to file a missing bag claim.

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ryano

ryano

Posted
Posted
I know, but the question has been answered and OP thanked him/her for the reply. It could have ended at post 3 but didn't! It never does. :o

 

While very true, that goes for about 90% of the threads on here :p LOL!

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PH8

PH8

Posted
Posted
Insinuating someone ripped your tags off because you didn't tip....? :eek:

I believe it........once i didn't have change to tip a porter at DFW.......needless to say,my luggage didnt make my flight. Ever since then,I always tip.

 

For 3 bags we tip $5.....

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Aquahound

Aquahound

Posted
Posted
I know, but the question has been answered and OP thanked him/her for the reply. It could have ended at post 3 but didn't! It never does. :o

 

True dat! Funny how the usual topics always play out exactly the same, huh? ;)

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karena1

karena1

Posted
Posted
I have no reason to doubt that what you say is correct. Many people, including myself, like to give a tangible "thank you" to someone that has personally assisted us. I don't feel obligated, it just seems right to me. I don't ask myself what someone does or doesn't earn prior to tipping. Way too much thinking on vacation!!

 

There you go - you just said it perfectly. I am on vacation. I will pull out a couple $$ for the driver from the hotel to the port or the parking place to the port and my hubby goes, "we are on vacation" give me a fiver! We are normally tip good, same as in the islands where we tip our buffet waiters, staff etc, just a normal thing for us.

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MrsToad

MrsToad

Posted
Posted
I even slip the Captain a couple of bucks when we shake hands in the reception line :D

 

:D Potentially my favorite CC quote ever. :D

 

I usually just tape a stack of dollar bills to each of my bags with a note (in both English and Haitian Creole) telling each person who touches my bag to take one.

 

I think for my next cruise I might bring along a copy of my will and add whoever takes my bags. Perhaps 1% of my inheritance per light bag and 2% per heavy bag. :D

 

:D Runner ups to my favorite quote. :D

 

I never came to CC before my first cruise. Oh how simple life was then...

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