appropriate tipping amount for wheel chair assistance on and off the ship

[hiltonhjr]

As we are now new to having to have assistance of a wheel chair to get on and off the ship, what would be considered the appropriate amount for tipping?

[BJzink]

My husband needed W/C assistance for about 4 years prior to his passing.  We tipped anywhere from $2 to $5, depending on how much assistance he was given.  Some "pushers" were more congenial than others.  

[hiltonhjr]

Thank you!!!

[keeponcruising]

We always give $5.

[hiltonhjr]

48 minutes ago, keeponcruising said:

We always give $5.

Great.  Thanks

 

[RuthC]

I generally give $5.00 both on and off the ship.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I give $10 -- to get on the ship and another $10 to get off the ship.

[GRACECRUISE]

We give $5.00 each way.  In the spring when we disembarked in Ft Lauderdale, we had a very nice young man wheel out my dad.  He was chatty and told me to go ahead and get the luggage and they would be down on the next elevator.  I got a porter and was getting luggage and the next thing I know he handed dad off the a red jacket lady who wheeled us out to transportation.  My dad felt terrible since he did not get his tip.  My mom said it was quiet and seemless.  One minute he was there and the then poof he was gone.  So when we disembark on 12/16/18, he will get his tip on the way down when they are chatting.  Not waiting to say goodbye this time.  We have always have the nicest fellas!

[luvteaching]

I second the $5.00. We sail exclusively (so far) out of Seattle and that seems to be a going rate. I was told that the port personnel don't accept tips but I'm wondering about that one. Maybe pierless cruiser can chime in. 

Karen

[knittinggirl]

Can't remember what I tipped, probably depended on what I had in my pocket.   I think it was $5 when they brought me to my room.  

 

On Royal Caribbean it was less since they brought me just inside the ship.

 

We also tip the wheelchair pushers at the airport.  In the airport, we learned they have to push you backward down the jet bridge, to avoid runaway wheelchairs.

 

In Vancouver, we had $50 CAD allotted for disembarkation tipping, because we needed special treatment, and the porters never showed up.  (Didn't need a wheelchair by then.)

 

 

Edited November 2, 2018 by knittinggirl

[JeffElizabeth]

Depends on the distance but I have been known to give $20 for the big port terminals. 

[Ineke]

$5.00 for us, both onto and off the ship.  Very grateful for the people who do this!

[Djptcp]

$10 each way since I am taken right up to our suite and at the end of the cruise right out to valet parking. Worth it.

[Djptcp]

HiltonhJr, did you make a reservation with the special needs dept. for the wheelchair for embarkation and disembarkation? They will email you a form to complete and email back to them. I haven't done it previously and often had to wait for those who had made reservations, so I did it for our next HAL cruise in Feb.

[Ferry_Watcher]

On 11/1/2018 at 7:22 PM, luvteaching said:

I second the $5.00. We sail exclusively (so far) out of Seattle and that seems to be a going rate. I was told that the port personnel don't accept tips but I'm wondering about that one. Maybe pierless cruiser can chime in. 

Karen

Karen, you are correct that the port-side staff in Seattle do not (and should not) accept tips.  However, it would be appropriate to tip the ship crew member who transports (pushes the wheelchair) from the post-check-in ADA waiting area to the ship or guest's  stateroom. 

At the end of the cruise it would be appropriate to tip the longshoremen porter who carts the luggage to whatever ground transportation the guest has arranged.  Again, no tipping for wheelchair assistance by Seattle port-side staff.

[luvteaching]

15 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Karen, you are correct that the port-side staff in Seattle do not (and should not) accept tips.  However, it would be appropriate to tip the ship crew member who transports (pushes the wheelchair) from the post-check-in ADA waiting area to the ship or guest's  stateroom. 

At the end of the cruise it would be appropriate to tip the longshoremen porter who carts the luggage to whatever ground transportation the guest has arranged.  Again, no tipping for wheelchair assistance by Seattle port-side staff.

Thanks for the confirmation. I ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS tip the propers and the ship crew members who get the DH on board. They are my heroes in so many ways! I have seen a few folks tip the port staff after I was told that tips were not accepted (by one of the staff who we recognize each year) so wondered if the policy had changed. A couple of times we've had a bit of a wait and the port staff have been so kind and friendly visiting with us until they could get us upstairs (Seattle). 

Karen

[Cycles upside]

Do you tip even when in a port for a day?