Another Porter question- sorry

[cheermomof2girls]

We have only cruised out of Galveston and New Orleans, so maybe it varies by ports. I just carry my luggage to the place that has a sign stating luggage and take my bag in that room/area, and say thank you to the guy who reads the tag and tells me where to put it.

 

We always carry off our own luggage, so I've never used a porter on debarkation but have seen them there. But at the terminal, when are you getting the porter? Where we are always dropped off is very close to the area we take our luggage to and I never even see porters, but again, I'm not looking for them.

 

After reading all of these posts about tips, I wonder if I'm doing it wrong? People tip the porter as insurance that it will help make their bags on the ship? What are they doing with said luggage if it's not making it on the ships? I have no problem tipping, as a thank you, but not as insurance someone will do their job. We tip the shuttle drivers as they unload our heavy suitcase, and drive us from the hotel to the port.

[bluewater5]

I always tip as courtesy for their assistance. Just as I do at airports and shuttles. Just my thing

[sanmarcosman]

I have no problem tipping, as a thank you, but not as insurance someone will do their job. We tip the shuttle drivers as they unload our heavy suitcase, and drive us from the hotel to the port.

Some people here think of it as insurance. I do not. The Port Authority hires, trains and schedules these porters to perform a job to ensure the baggage is processed in accordance with the Port's rules and regulations.

 

I tip the porters for their services.

[RWolver672]

The porters are usually right by the area where you drop off your luggage. It's pretty much a wives tale that if you don't tip them, your luggage will disappear. Countless times I've had to tap the on the shoulder to give them a tip, because they are so busy and don't even see you. Since getting FTTF, I've waited until they see me and make sure that they put the orange tags on our luggage.

[LakeWobegon]

I think that's something people like to say for some reason but I doubt your bags would not bag it on to the ship in the absence of a tip in 99.999999999% of instances. I tip. Others choose not to. Its not mandatory. I also tip $2-5 housekeeping a night at hotels (scale depending on how many star hotel it is). Other people think that's insane. When I'm tipping $5 a night, its usually a 5 star work has paid for and I get reimbursed for the tip too!

[summersigh]

If the porter touches my bags I would tip. If I was in a port where I put my own bags on a cart I probably would not.:)

[cheermomof2girls]

I guess my question is less with the tip, I have no issues tipping, but more with why is it even needed to use a porter? Am I not suppose to be taking my luggage to the luggage area myself? They are always friendly there and have never acted like I wasn't suppose to. They see my FTTF tag and tell me where to put my luggage. But I never get an orange sticker either.

[linbobky]

We have only cruised out of Galveston and New Orleans, so maybe it varies by ports. I just carry my luggage to the place that has a sign stating luggage and take my bag in that room/area, and say thank you to the guy who reads the tag and tells me where to put it.

 

We always carry off our own luggage, so I've never used a porter on debarkation but have seen them there. But at the terminal, when are you getting the porter? Where we are always dropped off is very close to the area we take our luggage to and I never even see porters, but again, I'm not looking for them.

 

After reading all of these posts about tips, I wonder if I'm doing it wrong? People tip the porter as insurance that it will help make their bags on the ship? What are they doing with said luggage if it's not making it on the ships? I have no problem tipping, as a thank you, but not as insurance someone will do their job. We tip the shuttle drivers as they unload our heavy suitcase, and drive us from the hotel to the port.

why tip the shuttle driver? they are also doing their job!

[mdsgu]

I tip the porters. Not as insurance, but for their service. I don't particularly like lugging my bags all over the place (I could, but I don't enjoy it), so, other than a backpack, I let them do it.

[SLCfirsttimer]

We have only cruised out of Galveston and New Orleans, so maybe it varies by ports. I just carry my luggage to the place that has a sign stating luggage and take my bag in that room/area, and say thank you to the guy who reads the tag and tells me where to put it.

 

 

 

We always carry off our own luggage, so I've never used a porter on debarkation but have seen them there. But at the terminal, when are you getting the porter? Where we are always dropped off is very close to the area we take our luggage to and I never even see porters, but again, I'm not looking for them.

 

 

 

After reading all of these posts about tips, I wonder if I'm doing it wrong? People tip the porter as insurance that it will help make their bags on the ship? What are they doing with said luggage if it's not making it on the ships? I have no problem tipping, as a thank you, but not as insurance someone will do their job. We tip the shuttle drivers as they unload our heavy suitcase, and drive us from the hotel to the port.

 

 

 

Tipping them as a form of insurance is the talk of paranoid people. No sane porter is going to risk his or her job by making your bags not make the ship over a few bucks. They aren’t going to throw your bags in the water or any of the other horror stories you’ve read here.

 

 

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[cheermomof2girls]

why tip the shuttle driver? they are also doing their job!

 

We tip them because our suitcase is really heavy and like I said, most of them are friendly and help get our vacation off to a great start.

 

My issue is not with tipping at all. I only pointed out that we tip the shuttle drivers as an example that it's NOT with tipping. I'm happy to be able to tip.

 

My question was more why the need to even use a porter. And I wondered if it was different by ports. In Galveston, I just follow the signs on where to take my luggage. I honestly can't remember in New Orleans. But I wondered if it was different at other ports.

[Micahs Grandad]

why tip the shuttle driver? they are also doing their job!

 

Sometimes we do most we do not especially when they mention tips more than once from hotel to pier.

[Micahs Grandad]

Tipping them as a form of insurance is the talk of paranoid people. No sane porter is going to risk his or her job by making your bags not make the ship over a few bucks. They aren’t going to throw your bags in the water or any of the other horror stories you’ve read here.

 

 

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There is a school of thought that if you do not tip your bags might get wet. We do tip a buck or two a bag but these ports make more money than the vast bulk of us for doing very little work. Great job if you can get it

[SLCfirsttimer]

There is a school of thought that if you do not tip your bags might get wet. We do tip a buck or two a bag but these ports make more money than the vast bulk of us for doing very little work. Great job if you can get it

 

 

 

It’s a school of thought based on myth. Is a porter really going to risk their high paying job over someone that didn’t give them a couple bucks? I’m extremely skeptical that they would. At worst they might be a bit rough when they load your bag into the carts.

 

 

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[Schoifmom]

I guess my question is less with the tip, I have no issues tipping, but more with why is it even needed to use a porter? Am I not suppose to be taking my luggage to the luggage area myself? They are always friendly there and have never acted like I wasn't suppose to. They see my FTTF tag and tell me where to put my luggage. But I never get an orange sticker either.

 

You use a porter, whether you realize it or not. They don't simply put your bags onto the carts, but they take the carts to the ship. If you don't wish to use a porter, carry your bags onto the ship yourself.

[sanmarcosman]

I guess my question is less with the tip, I have no issues tipping, but more with why is it even needed to use a porter? Am I not suppose to be taking my luggage to the luggage area myself? They are always friendly there and have never acted like I wasn't suppose to. They see my FTTF tag and tell me where to put my luggage. But I never get an orange sticker either.

I attempted to explain earlier that it is the Port Authority who requires the presence of the porters to perform their jobs in accordance to the Port's regulations. The Port is a money making enterprise that pays insurance premiums as part of doing business. Good business practices and safety regulations require the porters presence to ensure good order for the Port.

[2 cruzen]

There is a school of thought that if you do not tip your bags might get wet. We do tip a buck or two a bag but these ports make more money than the vast bulk of us for doing very little work. Great job if you can get it

 

Exactly they are UNION workers not Carnival employees.

[Herbaltees]

I guess my question is less with the tip, I have no issues tipping, but more with why is it even needed to use a porter? Am I not suppose to be taking my luggage to the luggage area myself? They are always friendly there and have never acted like I wasn't suppose to. They see my FTTF tag and tell me where to put my luggage. But I never get an orange sticker either.

 

I guess it really does vary by port.

 

I cruised out of Baltimore, once, and the baggage handlers were manning the carts during the procession of cars that entered the port. You stopped your car, unloaded the bags and then were either were dropped off at the port entry by your taxi or you could drive on to the parking lot. At this port there wasn't a place/room to drop off luggage. We happily tipped the guy because as soon as hubby opened the trunk, the porter reached in and took out the bags.

 

Now at FLL, (where we had our incident) the Porters were waiting along the sidewalk. As cars pulled up, they didn't help unload the cars/taxis (at least ours didn't) but demanded tips for placing the bags on the cart. Which is why I asked the question...

 

I don't remember seeing a room or designated place for bags at either of those ports, but I did read in another thread that in Seattle(?) they have a conveyor belt for baggage.

[Saint Greg]

We have only cruised out of Galveston and New Orleans, so maybe it varies by ports. I just carry my luggage to the place that has a sign stating luggage and take my bag in that room/area, and say thank you to the guy who reads the tag and tells me where to put it.

 

We always carry off our own luggage, so I've never used a porter on debarkation but have seen them there. But at the terminal, when are you getting the porter? Where we are always dropped off is very close to the area we take our luggage to and I never even see porters, but again, I'm not looking for them.

 

After reading all of these posts about tips, I wonder if I'm doing it wrong? People tip the porter as insurance that it will help make their bags on the ship? What are they doing with said luggage if it's not making it on the ships? I have no problem tipping, as a thank you, but not as insurance someone will do their job. We tip the shuttle drivers as they unload our heavy suitcase, and drive us from the hotel to the port.

 

I usually have a porter meeting me at the shuttle to take bags. The one time that didn't happen was last year in galveston and I took it into that luggage area you were talking about. I think it's fine either way. If you see a guy loading luggage on a cart you can give it to him. If not you can take it to the luggage area yourself.

[Bookworm1985]

I guess it really does vary by port.

 

I cruised out of Baltimore, once, and the baggage handlers were manning the carts during the procession of cars that entered the port. You stopped your car, unloaded the bags and then were either were dropped off at the port entry by your taxi or you could drive on to the parking lot. At this port there wasn't a place/room to drop off luggage. We happily tipped the guy because as soon as hubby opened the trunk, the porter reached in and took out the bags.

 

Now at FLL, (where we had our incident) the Porters were waiting along the sidewalk. As cars pulled up, they didn't help unload the cars/taxis (at least ours didn't) but demanded tips for placing the bags on the cart. Which is why I asked the question...

 

I don't remember seeing a room or designated place for bags at either of those ports, but I did read in another thread that in Seattle(?) they have a conveyor belt for baggage.

I was in Seattle last June on the Legend, and they did have a conveyer belt. I personally did not see any other people that looked like porters with the carts that I have seen at the Florida terminals. I did not tip them because I put my bag on the belt myself. and no one around me that I saw tipped either. To me, this was the easiest embarkation experience I ever had, and I would gladly to this again at all the ports I go to in the future.

[StolidCruiser]

I have no problem tipping, as a thank you, but not as insurance someone will do their job. We tip the shuttle drivers as they unload our heavy suitcase, and drive us from the hotel to the port.

 

If you'll tip a shuttle driver for unloading your heavy suitcase, you should tip a porter for loading your heavy suitcase.

 

If, as you say, porters never touch your bag and make you load/stow it yourself, no tip required.

 

In two dozen cruises from numerous ports I've never had to load/stow my own suitcase at the port so I find it odd that in in Galveston and New Orleans you've had to do it yourself. Regardless, if they never touch/handle your bag, no tip required.

[cruzinlisa]

We usually cruise out of NOLA, but I have also cruised out of Ft Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, Miami and Galveston. We never park at the port, so it is always Taxi or hotel shuttle taking us to the ship. They always drop us off at the curb and there is a guy there taking luggage. Not much other option except to take everything with you.

We have found porters more useful at Debarkation. Our suitcases are heavy. And we usually cruise with our daughter who just turned 7, so not only is she not much of a resource for carrying stuff, one of us had to push the stroller (when she was younger) or hold onto her hand- meaning that person (me, always me) also was not much of a resource. Porters have carts so we can load up our suitcases and carry on bags so we don't have to manage them through line. Plus, a couple of times, the porters have been able to get us into shorter lines at customs. We noticed that in Miami especially. To me, not having to push a suitcase, hold onto my kids hand and manage a heavy carryon bag which hurts my shoulders is worth the few dollars in tips I give.

[lennythenose]

My experience is it does vary by port. In Galveston we did the same as you and took our bags into the luggage room. One time there was a porter there and another time there was not. I honestly don’t remember if we tipped him because I’m dont think he ever touched our bags. Just pointed where to go. Other ports they meet us at the car and help unload the bags. We always tip then.

[cruzinlisa]

My experience is it does vary by port. In Galveston we did the same as you and took our bags into the luggage room. One time there was a porter there and another time there was not. I honestly don’t remember if we tipped him because I’m dont think he ever touched our bags. Just pointed where to go. Other ports they meet us at the car and help unload the bags. We always tip then.

 

Its funny because Galveston was my most recent cruise (less than a year ago) and I remember less about embarkation than I do any other cruise. It just must not have been memorable to me. The only reason I remember debarkation was we had to pay stupid tax on our alcohol, even though we were driving home to another state and not consuming any of it in Texas.

[cheermomof2girls]

My experience is it does vary by port. In Galveston we did the same as you and took our bags into the luggage room. One time there was a porter there and another time there was not. I honestly don’t remember if we tipped him because I’m dont think he ever touched our bags. Just pointed where to go. Other ports they meet us at the car and help unload the bags. We always tip then.

 

Thanks! Sounds like Galveston is just different! I honestly can't remember in NOLA. When we got to the port, we realized my husband forgot his phone at the hotel, so he had to go back and get it, and it was just hectic for a bit, so I'm sure that's why I don't remember the luggage part there. Only trying to get his phone back. :)