How to avoid tipping in Miami port?

CruiserBruce · October 10, 2012

I think you actually put your bags on the scale (for weighing the bags), not on the conveyor belt. Can't remember the last time I didn't put our bag(s) on a conveyor belt. At least for checked bags.

Carryon bags, yes, on the conveyor belt into the xray machine.

goose30 · October 10, 2012

These guys work hard, do their jobs and deserve a tip. Bob:)

Yes they do! But consider this. If they handle 100 cabins of luggage( 2 per) at $5 each that's $500 on top of their pay. I'll bet they don't tell the IRS about it.

Even at one ship per week that's over $25,000 per year in tips!!!!

Good work if you can get it.

calliopecruiser · October 10, 2012

I think you actually put your bags on the scale (for weighing the bags), not on the conveyor belt. Can't remember the last time I didn't put our bag(s) on a conveyor belt. At least for checked bags.

Carryon bags, yes, on the conveyor belt into the xray machine.

No, we actually put them on the conveyer belt - that whisks them away into the bowels of the airport. Only for US flights, when we've pre-cleared customs and immigration. For Canadian flights and other international flights, they're taken from the weigh scale onto the belt by the agent.

Actually, I think there are two discussions going on here, which might be causing some confusion.......one is about actually transporting/carrying your bags from the dock onto the ship (that would be the stevedores), and the other is about transporting/carrying your bags from the curb when you step out of the taxi to the loading area where the ship is docked (that would be porters). I think that's what I've been reading here (my interpretation is like Lou33's).

At the previous ports where I've sailed, we were allowed to transport our own bags to the dockside if we wanted, though porters were available to help if we desired. We were not required to hand over our luggage as soon as we stepped out of the cab......and I can't think of a single reasonable reason why we would have to. That would be like everyone being required to use a red-cap porter to transport your luggage from the door of the airport terminal building to the ticketing agent.

Keith1010 · October 10, 2012

In USA ports you need to give your luggage to the porters. There are no crew members who are allowed to work on the pier.

That's the way it works.

Keith

LHT28 · October 10, 2012

I think you actually put your bags on the scale (for weighing the bags), not on the conveyor belt. Can't remember the last time I didn't put our bag(s) on a conveyor belt. At least for checked bags.

Carryon bags, yes, on the conveyor belt into the xray machine.

Actually in Toronto you can get the baggage tags from the machine , then you go through to the US section & YOU put your bags on the conveyer belt

You then go through security

Not all airports operate the same

DanJ · October 10, 2012

In USA ports you need to give your luggage to the porters. There are no crew members who are allowed to work on the pier.

That's the way it works.

Keith

That depends on who the porters are and who the stevedores are. I typically see who I think the porters are after the cruise, trying to take you through immigration and outside. When we arrive at the start of the cruise, we hand the luggage over to the people who put them in the bins that get taken to the ship and I tip them. If I arrive in a car, I pull right up to the bins, if it's a bus or shuttle van, we carry our stuff to the bins. I believe those people I'm dealing with are the stevedores. If not, no biggie. I don't really care what their title is. I tip them.

And yes, as a few have said, when you go through a Canadian airport to the US, that has US pre-clearance, you carry your luggage through immigration and put it on the luggage belt yourself.

Wallyworld3370 · October 11, 2012

the last cruise i went on the porter ACTUALLY SAID...if you want to see your luggage on the ship i would recommend tipping...after that i do not sympathize with these people, is it hard work, sure it is and they have a choice. will i tip them, yes because i dont want to be ghetto blackmailed to not receive my luggage.

Keith1010 · October 11, 2012

Like just about every occupation there are those who are great, average and poor. Don't take it out on all porters because of one bad apple.

Keith

erby2283 · October 11, 2012

I have not seen a place at the port where you can just drop off the luggage yourself.
You would have to hand it over to a porter.

Keith

On our last cruise out of San Juan, the porters were still helping people get off the ship when we got there and no porter was around to help. It wasn't a big deal since we didn't have much stuff but just wanted to point out that we did drop all our luggage off inside the terminal in front of the x-ray machines where others had left their bags and that no porters were available to help.

Edited October 11, 2012 by erby2283

miamiyogi · October 11, 2012

Even at one ship per week that's over $25,000 per year in tips!!!!

Good work if you can get it.

That's some really kooky math. You don't get work every week, there are more members of the union than there are jobs. You have to pay union dues, get credentialed at your expense...and then do some serious wait time to get a porter job. Its also really expensive to live here in Miami.

End of day, do what you feel is right. But if $5.00 is going to make or break you, then I really think you should consider skipping the expense of a trip.