Carnival tipping to Bag Porters

[DoCboYY]

3 hours ago, coevan said:

 

 

This is pure bull. The guys outside have nothing to do once the baggage is loaded on the ship and Carnival takes over the distribution. These guys have no idea if you tipped a porter or not.

 

 

 

 

cruises are booked to capacity year round. The summer months are always packed with families.

 

Sorry if you think it's bull. Generally when you tip the guys in the front and your luggage is loaded, they tell the pullers to come get this cart/basket to the scanner room once it's full. The faster that cart gets to the scanner room the faster it is put through the X-ray, sent to the fork and loaded onto the ship. The workers for the cruise line distribute the luggage as it comes aboard the ship. So if your luggage among the carts that came aboard the ship earlier, the faster you get your luggage. It's not rocket science, it's common sense.  Not sure why you are trying to argue otherwise, especially when your not a longshoremen and really don't even know lol..

 

In the summer months, cruise lines send there biggest ships to other ports in different parts of the world, away from the US. They will usually leave 1 or 2 and have other smaller ones come and go here and there. This is called the "slow season" or "off season" It is no where near as busy as the "cruise season" aka "winter season" that's Nov-April. You can easily look this info up as cruise lines post their seasonal schedules on public sites and in cruise books.

 

In the off season during the summer with only 1-2 cruise ships coming in on the weekend days, it is very hard for those with lower seniority to get work aboard these ships, only those with the highest seniority like 20 years or better will work these boats. It is nothing like the busy season when 5-9 ships are coming in every weekend both Sat and Sun and for the longshoreman many are unemployed or rarely working during this period until the next busy season arrives.

 

Too many are clearly misinformed.

[DoCboYY]

1 hour ago, Cushing985 said:

I just received my Consumer Reports magazine and it had an article about tipping.  The closest equivalent to a porter at the cruise terminal is an airport skycap or porter.  The magazine stated $1 to $3 per bag for multiple bags or $5 for a single bag.  Personally I tip $3 per bag.

 

No tip is required. 3 per bag is def sufficient, although 1 per bag if you knowingly have heavy luggage will kind of be taken as an insult, better to leave no tip at all in that case or take your luggage on board with you. In a way it's more about the weight of the luggage vs how many pieces you have, unless it's just a lot of luggage.  

[chengkp75]

Don't know how you know what happens to the bags once on the ship, since the longshoremen do not handle it once onboard,  but they are not distributed as they arrive on the ship.  Due to the schedules of turn-around, the carts are stored on "I-95" while crew are utilized in other duties, and while I-95 is needed for other operations.  Typically, the bag carts can sit undelivered on I-95 for an hour or two before the elevators are clear for baggage to be distributed.  And, the first onboard can be some of the last distributed, as they are stored while other carts come on.  I've been the "air traffic controller" for I-95 on cruise ships, so I know the process and schedule of activities on this main artery of the ship, especially during turn around.

[DoCboYY]

3 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Considering as the previous poster stated, there are several longshoremen between the one you tipped and getting your bag on the ship (and who is going to share a tip?), and then, once the bags are on the ship, in no particular order on the carts, they are no longer handled by longshoremen, but by crew, I would say that your "expedited" bags were just luck.

 

The bags are in a order on the carts by room, now sometimes the greeting porters are so busy trying to get tips they forget to send your cart to the scanner room right away or take too long to load them onto the cart. Often people will insist there luggage is sent while they are there or other times they will down right wait and watch as their luggage is pulled to the scanner room to the X-ray. Those that do this will see their bags arrive at their cabin faster.

 

That said, the earlier you arrive to the port the faster you will receive your luggage as well in general, now if you show up at rush hour or the end of the day I'd say maybe anywhere from 1:20pm-3:00pm+ all bets are off at that point, you'll get them when you get them. A ton of luggage has arrived and waiting to be scanned at this point. but still doesn't hurt to tip to make sure the porter checks your tags and correctly loads your luggage onto the right cart for your side of the ship. Timing to that x-ray and correct cart is everything.

Edited January 9, 2019 by DoCboYY

[coevan]

22 minutes ago, DoCboYY said:

In the off season during the summer with only 1-2 cruise ships coming in on the weekend days

 

 

Where are you getting this info. I lived on and off in St.Thomas for 2 years, 5-6 ships are in every Tuesday. The locals call it cruise ship Tuesday and stay far away from Havensite and Waterfront. The summer is one of the cruise ships busiest times, other than Christmas. We try and not cruise during the summer as there are too many kids. 

[coevan]

2 minutes ago, DoCboYY said:

now if you show up at rush hour or the end of the day I'd say maybe anywhere from 1:20pm-3:00pm+ all bets are off

 

 

again, where are you getting this info? If you arrive after 1:30, you will walk right on the ship with literally no lines. 3:00 pm + you might not get on the ship at all.

[DoCboYY]

18 minutes ago, chengkp75 said:

Don't know how you know what happens to the bags once on the ship, since the longshoremen do not handle it once onboard,  but they are not distributed as they arrive on the ship.  Due to the schedules of turn-around, the carts are stored on "I-95" while crew are utilized in other duties, and while I-95 is needed for other operations.  Typically, the bag carts can sit undelivered on I-95 for an hour or two before the elevators are clear for baggage to be distributed.  And, the first onboard can be some of the last distributed, as they are stored while other carts come on.  I've been the "air traffic controller" for I-95 on cruise ships, so I know the process and schedule of activities on this main artery of the ship, especially during turn around.

 

We board the ship all the time man lol. Do you think the longshoreman just porter and that's it? We also have gangs called "personnel" that are aboard the ship and operate the pallet jacks, groceries, and also often assist the crew on board with luggage operations, we just don't deliver them to the cabins.

 

But you are right sometimes the crew will leave the luggage carts sitting for a while aboard the ship, usually early while they conduct other business, but once the busy time starts kicking in they have to start delivering the luggage to the cabins they can't just leave 300-400 loaded carts sitting around the cruise ship plus the forklifts have to retrieve them for reuse, we don't have endless supply of carts, so yes the earlier your luggage is aboard that ship then the quicker you will get the luggage.

Edited January 9, 2019 by DoCboYY

[DoCboYY]

6 minutes ago, coevan said:

 

 

again, where are you getting this info? If you arrive after 1:30, you will walk right on the ship with literally no lines. 3:00 pm + you might not get on the ship at all.

 

Are you reading the posts? I am a longshoreman! I'm also referring to operations in South FL not sure about your neck of the woods. Also you may be boarding the ship right away at 1:30 but your luggage isn't.

[DoCboYY]

4 hours ago, Cafedumonde said:

This is interesting and I agree about bags getting priority with tips.  A couple of cruises back I didn't have any change and was in a particularly jovial mood and gave the baggage handler a $20 for 3 average size bags and the handler said, "You're a smart girl."  I didn't know what she meant and didn't really think about it.  We got on the ship, meandered a bit, but basically went first to our cabin (it was around 1 or so), and our bags were at our door!!  It clicked when I saw the bags-- wow, did our bags get expedited because of the tip? I think they did.  Lol.

 

Yes she likely told one of the pullers that pull the luggage to the x-ray to come get the cart that your bags were on very soon after you left to board the ship, and they must have been scanned relatively quickly with no issues.

Edited January 9, 2019 by DoCboYY

[Jeffn57]

We usually tip $5 a bag and carry 4 bags with us. I was once told by a baggage guy in Miami that without a tip your bag could end up leaving the port with a homeless person or just left on the curb with no ID on them. Nice guy!!!

[DoCboYY]

16 minutes ago, Jeffn57 said:

We usually tip $5 a bag and carry 4 bags with us. I was once told by a baggage guy in Miami that without a tip your bag could end up leaving the port with a homeless person or just left on the curb with no ID on them. Nice guy!!!

 

lol you sound like a very good tipper that wouldn't happen to. Often times these are just scare tactics, but when it comes to longshoremen, everyone is different with different personalities. Generally with no tip one just won't tend to your bags right away or as fast, they'll just get to them when they get to them. Now, I have seen more sinister things take place, but generally your luggage will make it aboard the ship somehow, just might be late, in the wrong part and/or may end up in the lost and found section as less care is taken. Kind of one of those better safe than sorry scenarios..

Edited January 9, 2019 by DoCboYY

[bingomamma19]

1 hour ago, DoCboYY said:

 

lol you sound like a very good tipper that wouldn't happen to. Often times these are just scare tactics, but when it comes to longshoremen, everyone is different with different personalities. Generally with no tip one just won't tend to your bags right away or as fast, they'll just get to them when they get to them. Now, I have seen more sinister things take place, but generally your luggage will make it aboard the ship somehow, just might be late, in the wrong part and/or may end up in the lost and found section as less care is taken. Kind of one of those better safe than sorry scenarios..

Attitudes like this is exactly why we carry all our luggage on with us now.

 

For these thugs to threaten people for tips, then destroy or "lose" their luggage if they don't is criminal!!  Tips started out to be meant for very low income people to make up for that low income...now its all kinds of jobs that pay well.   Why not tip the check in lady to try to get a better boarding pass?   Or the lady that directs you to a line to get a shorter line?   NOPE...I don't tip people that get regular and good salaries.

 

Never will check any bags for any of our cruises.

[DoCboYY]

19 minutes ago, bingomamma19 said:

Attitudes like this is exactly why we carry all our luggage on with us now.

 

For these thugs to threaten people for tips, then destroy or "lose" their luggage if they don't is criminal!!  Tips started out to be meant for very low income people to make up for that low income...now its all kinds of jobs that pay well.   Why not tip the check in lady to try to get a better boarding pass?   Or the lady that directs you to a line to get a shorter line?   NOPE...I don't tip people that get regular and good salaries.

 

Never will check any bags for any of our cruises.

 

I wouldn't say it's a regular occurrence. Sometimes bags get lost anyway due to other circumstances that may occur. Like I said, every longshoreman is different. Some are very pleasant welcoming and professional and others can be a holes, these are usually the older guys that have over stayed their welcome and really should be retired but just refuse to for whatever reason, primarily cash money I'd assume.

 

Tipping porters at the end of the day is still optional, but customary. However, If you do not desire to tip to avoid the few bad apples out of the bunch you may encounter or already have some preconceived notion that all of them are "thugs", then you are doing exactly what you should do in bringing your own carry on bags to avoid dealing with them altogether. I would say that your understanding of the origin of tips is quite flawed though.

[bingomamma19]

51 minutes ago, DoCboYY said:

 

I wouldn't say it's a regular occurrence. Sometimes bags get lost anyway due to other circumstances that may occur. Like I said, every longshoreman is different. Some are very pleasant welcoming and professional and others can be a holes, these are usually the older guys that have over stayed their welcome and really should be retired but just refuse to for whatever reason, primarily cash money I'd assume.

 

Tipping porters at the end of the day is still optional, but customary. However, If you do not desire to tip to avoid the few bad apples out of the bunch you may encounter or already have some preconceived notion that all of them are "thugs", then you are doing exactly what you should do in bringing your own carry on bags to avoid dealing with them altogether. I would say that your understanding of the origin of tips is quite flawed though.

Not flawed....I have experienced the thuggish behavior of these longshoreman threatening over tips.   This is when I decided we will pack smart, bring 1 bag per person and carry them on ourselves.

 

Plus side...we always have our bags, not waiting for them ever.

 

We also take 1 carryon for our drinks.   Very manageable luggage and I don't have to deal with these guys anymore.   They still try to get the bags and give us dirty looks when we say we are taking them ourselves.

[coevan]

1 hour ago, bingomamma19 said:

For these thugs to threaten people for tips, then destroy or "lose" their luggage if they don't is criminal!! 

 

 

Absurd, never, never, and never have I heard such commentary. A person like you should carry your own bags. Your bags are getting on the ship, tip or no tip, lost bags are extremely rare

[DoCboYY]

13 minutes ago, bingomamma19 said:

Not flawed....I have experienced the thuggish behavior of these longshoreman threatening over tips.   This is when I decided we will pack smart, bring 1 bag per person and carry them on ourselves.

 

Plus side...we always have our bags, not waiting for them ever.

 

We also take 1 carryon for our drinks.   Very manageable luggage and I don't have to deal with these guys anymore.   They still try to get the bags and give us dirty looks when we say we are taking them ourselves.

 

Bring your bags, never wait on them, keep your embedded preconceived notion that Porters are all thugs that will threaten to lose your luggage if you don't tip them. ✌️ ✌️

 

 

[Cafedumonde]

8 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Considering as the previous poster stated, there are several longshoremen between the one you tipped and getting your bag on the ship (and who is going to share a tip?), and then, once the bags are on the ship, in no particular order on the carts, they are no longer handled by longshoremen, but by crew, I would say that your "expedited" bags were just luck.

 

Maybe, but it would be quite a coincidence.  We would usually do $10 for 3 bags, and it was the fastest we have ever received our luggage.  Normally we are lucky to get it by dinner which seems more standard.   And sometimes there is a straggler bag that panics us and doesn't arrive until even later.  We've been on 12 cruises (3 different lines).  

Edited January 9, 2019 by Cafedumonde

[bingomamma19]

33 minutes ago, DoCboYY said:

 

Bring your bags, never wait on them, keep your embedded preconceived notion that Porters are all thugs that will threaten to lose your luggage if you don't tip them. ✌️ ✌️

 

 

umm...it was you in your own post above that said there are some that "lose"  or tamper with passengers luggage  LOL

Edited January 9, 2019 by bingomamma19
additional inof

[DoCboYY]

22 minutes ago, bingomamma19 said:

umm...it was you in your own post above that said there are some that "lose"  or tamper with passengers luggage  LOL

 

What it said was your luggage may end up late or in the lost and found area aboard the ship, which can also happen in some other unforseen circumstances. Then you went on some unrelated rant about thugs and criminals which is quite common with people from your neck of the woods it seems..

[DoCboYY]

46 minutes ago, Cafedumonde said:

 

Maybe, but it would be quite a coincidence.  We would usually do $10 for 3 bags, and it was the fastest we have ever received our luggage.  Normally we are lucky to get it by dinner which seems more standard.   And sometimes there is a straggler bag that panics us and doesn't arrive until even later.  We've been on 12 cruises (3 different lines).  

 

Sometimes a bag or 2 will arrive later if all the luggage is not put on 1 cart, also if u arrive later in the day around/after rush hour time it can also take longer because so much luggage is waiting to be scanned, you've had a bag flagged for a suspicious item or an x-ray machine may have broken down from the volume...ect 

 

This is why I generally recommend checking in the large pieces of luggage but to carry on the small stuff if possible. You will have less issues if they arise.

[DoCboYY]

55 minutes ago, Cafedumonde said:

 

Maybe, but it would be quite a coincidence.  We would usually do $10 for 3 bags, and it was the fastest we have ever received our luggage.  Normally we are lucky to get it by dinner which seems more standard.   And sometimes there is a straggler bag that panics us and doesn't arrive until even later.  We've been on 12 cruises (3 different lines).  

 

Sometimes a bag or 2 will arrive later if all the luggage is not put on 1 cart, also if u arrive later in the day around/after rush hour time it can also take longer because so much luggage is waiting to be scanned, you've had a bag flagged for a suspicious item or an x-ray machine may have broken down from the volume...ect 

 

This is why I generally recommend checking in the large pieces of luggage but to carry on the small stuff if possible. You will have less issues if they arise.

[bingomamma19]

10 hours ago, DoCboYY said:

 

What it said was your luggage may end up late or in the lost and found area aboard the ship, which can also happen in some other unforseen circumstances. Then you went on some unrelated rant about thugs and criminals which is quite common with people from your neck of the woods it seems..

Ha ha.."people from my neck of the woods"...sounds like some of the trash talk of the guys who work where you do.    Not sure where you think my "neck of the woods is" but I live in a beautiful area in Wisconsin with great neighbors and a great house :):)  and a great job BTW...that lets me travel the way I do.

 

here is a part of what you said..

"Now, I have seen more sinister things take place", and the criminal reference is to the guys that threaten that your bags will be lost or destroyed if you don't tip them.   That IS criminal behavior.    I have heard it myself and others have stated it plenty of times here.

 

Not exactly the kind of "people in your neck of the woods" that I want touching my bags. 

 

But I will leave it at that.    I am responsible for my own bags, so I don't have to worry about the more"sinister things" anymore.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2019 by bingomamma19
add info

[DoCboYY]

1 hour ago, bingomamma19 said:

Ha ha.."people from my neck of the woods"...sounds like some of the trash talk of the guys who work where you do.    Not sure where you think my "neck of the woods is" but I live in a beautiful area in Wisconsin with great neighbors and a great house :):)  and a great job BTW...that lets me travel the way I do.

 

here is a part of what you said..

"Now, I have seen more sinister things take place", and the criminal reference is to the guys that threaten that your bags will be lost or destroyed if you don't tip them.   That IS criminal behavior.    I have heard it myself and others have stated it plenty of times here.

 

Not exactly the kind of "people in your neck of the woods" that I want touching my bags. 

 

But I will leave it at that.    I am responsible for my own bags, so I don't have to worry about the more"sinister things" anymore.

 

 

 

 

You should leave it at that. Your obviously not too bright. I never mentioned or referenced anything about seeing something criminal taking place by thugs. Sinister can be anything from a dirty look to telling a passenger off for not tipping, being too cheap..or even having preconvinced notions that a group of people are all thugs like you do.. nothing criminal about that, and it is a rare occurrence btw because most people don't come in town with your negative mindset about people. They are greeted, check in, tip, smile and are on their way to another great cruising experience. The bags make it aboard the ship either way, tip or not.

 

That said, you've obviously proven yourself to be the type of person who's dirty bags the good professional and courteous Porter's wouldn't want to touch anyway. So it works both ways. Good riddance!

 

Edited January 9, 2019 by DoCboYY

[DoCboYY]

12 hours ago, coevan said:

 

 

Absurd, never, never, and never have I heard such commentary. A person like you should carry your own bags. Your bags are getting on the ship, tip or no tip, lost bags are extremely rare

 

Exactly. People's lack of comprehension skills and negative assumptions can be astounding at times.

[oldmanonthesea]

The porter at the cruise terminal is the only longshoreman you interact with, therefore the only one you can tip. You can't follow your bags and tip everyone along the way.