The bigger the tip the faster you get your luggage?

[mcatmcat]

Hi

is it true that giving a big tip to the porters will get your luggage faster to your stateroom?  I dont know how a porter has any control on a luggage once its in the ship but Im reading it about it over and over and I was wondering if its something new now that I dont know or simply a rumor. In my case I wont pay more to get my luggage a few hours early but its always good to know what is trending now 

Thanks 

 

[Ashland]

This is absolutely incorrect.....it has nothing to do with it.

[sandebeach]

No, never heard of it. Terminal porters are not the same as the ship staff who deliver the luggage.  

[handbellplayer]

2 minutes ago, Ashland said:

This is absolutely incorrect.....it has nothing to do with it.

Truth - there are some that will argue otherwise, but it makes no logical sense!

[marci22]

Nothing to do with it. 50-50 I get it before muster. One time there were no porters around and we just stuck it on the cart ourselves. It was there pretty early.

[George C]

We always tip but this has nothing to do with when luggage gets to cabin , but waving money will get you a baggage handler quicker

[not-enough-cruising]

I never tip the porters, it's ludicrous to tip someone for doing the bare minimum in their job description, all the while making well north of $150,000 a year PLUS union benefits. My luggage comes about the same time as all the people around me.

[Palmetto Pilot]

The earlier you drop your luggage off the the quicker you get your luggage.

[skyking]

I do tip a tad more, and ask them to put in a full cart rather than start a new cart. The full bins get taken to the security area for screening while the new cart will sit, and wait to fill up.  There is a little logic behind it 🙂 

[johnbob7]

3 minutes ago, Palmetto Pilot said:

The earlier you drop your luggage off the the quicker you get your luggage.

I’m not even sure that is consistently true...

 

bobj

[h20skibum]

5 minutes ago, Palmetto Pilot said:

The earlier you drop your luggage off the the quicker you get your luggage.

This is also not true.  The one time we dropped off early AND gave the biggest tip, was the one cruise it took longest to get our luggage 

[blueridgemama]

11 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

I never tip the porters, it's ludicrous to tip someone for doing the bare minimum in their job description, all the while making well north of $150,000 a year PLUS union benefits. My luggage comes about the same time as all the people around me.

 

Where did you get that figure of $150,000? That is so not true.

 

[voyager70]

I'm a generous tipper and often don't get my bags until 5-6 o'clock.  Don't believe it matters.

 

[skyking]

it sounds crazy I know, but I tip about 5 bucks a bag, and ask them nicely to put it on a full cart.   98% of the time my bags have been at my door when the cabins open.   We are alway at the port by 10:30am!

[not-enough-cruising]

24 minutes ago, blueridgemama said:

 

Where did you get that figure of $150,000? That is so not true.

 

It most certainly is true.  The porters at the terminals (USA Terminals) are part of the Longshoreman's union.  Starting salary average $130,000. The guys working the cruise terminals are more senior members of the union, as this is a highly desired assignment (thus they are higher paid and are making an overtime and weekend differential as well) Tack on paid vacation, union medical and dental, and they are VERY well compensated for moving y bags 20 feet or so from the curb to the nearest trolley (where they then hand it over to RCCL staff)

Edited August 8, 2019 by not-enough-cruising
clarity

[GUT2407]

Rubbish, your luggage is given to a bloke on the dock (who stay on th3 dock after you sail away)who you may or may not tip. It is then loaded onto cages and thence the ship, then yet another set of hands (crew) who see none of your tip deliver it to your cabin.

 

[not-enough-cruising]

9 minutes ago, skyking said:

it sounds crazy I know, but I tip about 5 bucks a bag, and ask them nicely to put it on a full cart.   98% of the time my bags have been at my door when the cabins open.   We are alway at the port by 10:30am!

Being early top the port probably has a bigger influence on luggage delivery than a tip.

[nelblu]

29 minutes ago, Palmetto Pilot said:

The earlier you drop your luggage off the the quicker you get your luggage.

Not necessarily so.  It's just like airlines, you would think if you checked your luggage early, it should be one of the first, after priority labeled, off the carousel.  The same applies to ship's luggage, as I've checked early and still get them at about 3-4 PM.  

[skyking]

Just now, not-enough-cruising said:

Being early top the port probably has a bigger influence on luggage delivery than a tip.

 

 

If you say so!

[biomedbob]

I've found (after 104 cruises) the earlier you give your luggage to the guys at the port, the later they arrive at your room.  I think they get moved to the rear of the holding area to make room for the incoming luggage, thus handled later.

[not-enough-cruising]

13 minutes ago, skyking said:

 

 

If you say so!

All I know is a dropped my bags at 1015 2 weeks ago on Freedom, and they were outside the door when I got to the room at 1315

But I agree with everyone else stating that there is no consistency. 

 

Back to the topic at hand,  tipping the porter has zero influence. 

Edited August 8, 2019 by not-enough-cruising

[skyking]

2 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

All I know is a dropped my bags at 1015 2 weeks ago on Freedom, and they were outside the door when I got to the room at 1315

But I agree with everyone else stating that there is no consistency. 

 

Back to the topic at hand,  tipping the porter has zero influence. 

 

 

   it is super nice to get that luggage early, that's for sure, 

[voyager70]

7 minutes ago, biomedbob said:

I've found (after 104 cruises) the earlier you give your luggage to the guys at the port, the later they arrive at your room.  I think they get moved to the rear of the holding area to make room for the incoming luggage, thus handled later.

 

You may very well be true.  I tend to get to the port early and usually get my bags late regardless of the tip.

 

[Baron Barracuda]

Timing of luggage delivery is a crap shoot.  Early arriving bags can end up on bottom of pile while being sorted below decks.  Cabin stewards need to finish their regular work before starting on luggage delivery.  

 

The only benefit we see in tipping (and we never tip more than a buck a bag) is greater confidence our luggage won't get left behind or damaged and our luggage tags remain intact. 

[Wanderista]

46 minutes ago, not-enough-cruising said:

It most certainly is true.  The porters at the terminals (USA Terminals) are part of the Longshoreman's union.  Starting salary average $130,000. The guys working the cruise terminals are more senior members of the union, as this is a highly desired assignment (thus they are higher paid and are making an overtime and weekend differential as well) Tack on paid vacation, union medical and dental, and they are VERY well compensated for moving y bags 20 feet or so from the curb to the nearest trolley (where they then hand it over to RCCL staff)

 

Wow, forget working for Royal. How do I get that job? 😄