what is customary tipping of your porter?

[SMerritt]

Do you realize that the porters are not the ones who deliver the bags to the cabins? All porters do is put the bags in the bins.

 

But they put your luggage in the CORRECT "bin" for your ship.....

 

If you luggage is placed on the wrong cart (bin), it may go into the hold of the wrong ship and not be discovered until your ship has headed south, and your luggage has left and headed north.....

 

I always tip, thank the person for caring for my clean underwear, and also re-check that our luggage tags are for the same as all of the other bags on the cart.

 

My luggage is brightly marked, once, in PR at the airport, I spotted my bag and others in our group going on the wrong truck/to the wrong ship.

[sail7seas]

Your statement shows how uninformed you are about longshoremen and how wrong you are about their wages.

They make not nearly the wage you claim.

They are not paid by the port and RCCL. They are paid by the stevedore company that hires them.

The stevedore company contract with cruise lines are somewhat in line with the current mater contract that is in place from Maine to Texas.

The union members have reworked the contract for cruise ships allowing them more flexibility for less wages than the contract calls for.

Working as porters on cruise ship is a very small amount of work they do.

Most of their work is on container ships and ro-ro ships along with other types of vessels.

The longshoremen only get paid when they work and many do not work 40 hours a week but a lot less

 

Very informative post. Thank you..

 

 

 

 

Do you realize that the porters are not the ones who deliver the bags to the cabins? All porters do is put the bags in the bins.

 

 

While it is true the shore side stevedores deliver the luggage to the cut in the ship and do not handle it past the entry of it onto the ship, they are the ones that operate the loaders ashore that carries it up to the sailors who take it aboard.

 

We once debarked early in Boston and the ship's steward assisted with our luggage right to the gangway door but they were not permitted to take it through the door. We were met at the opening to the gangway by shore side stevedore and he took our bags from the steward to the taxi waiting for us at the bottom of the gangway.

 

We tipped each and were very appreciative for both of their help.

We consider tipping an expense included in total cost of travel and say thank you by tipping when someone helps us. It isn't my business how much money he or she may make for the week or month. It is only my business how much their help has been appreciated by me.

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I give $5 for 4 bags