Can you avoid the porters in Miami?

[cantgetin]

In Barcelona, there were two options--we could hand off our luggage to porters or take it to a VV luggage check in desk with people wearing VV uniforms.

Is there anything similar for embarkation in Miami?  Our October cruise disembarked in Miami, and I was seriously unhappy with the aggressiveness of the porters who I had not even asked for help.  

 

Yes, I am well aware that they work for the port and that a tip is "expected" despite their union salaries.  I won't say that I like a tip for about 2 minutes of work (tag my bag and put it on the cart), but I liked their behavior a lot less.  And no, small enough bags to do as carry on will not be on option.

So back to original question--does VV have a luggage kiosk/desk/person where we can hand off our luggage?

[drewdawg199]

No, believe Porter is only option if you can’t carry the bags on yourself.  Likely union rules that no one except porters can touch the bags.

[CineGraphic]

If you have rolling luggage, bring it with you.

We used to do that with Princess, otherwise it would take hours for our bags to show up.

At least with Virgin, your cabins are ready when you board so you can just drop them off instead of lugging them around while waiting for your cabin.

Hopefully, have just had a 1-off experience, as I didn't witness any porters being overly aggressive while we waited outside.

[AdoraBelle]

14 hours ago, cantgetin said:

Our October cruise disembarked in Miami, and I was seriously unhappy with the aggressiveness of the porters who I had not even asked for help.  

 

Where were porters being aggressive with you during disembark in Miami? Do you mean the V terminal/luggage collection area? I'm sure there might be a few porters hanging around there to offer help to people but I've literally never seen one. That said, I wasn't looking. But I also have never been approached. x 3 disembarks in the second half of 2022. 

(What pings 'aggressive' on your metric? I can't imagine them saying anything at disembark other than asking if you need assistance. The drop-off porters at terminal V haven't been anything but polite and trying to make sure I'm in the right line.) 

[rebeccac]

I've never had a problem with the porters in Miami, but I do always have my tip money out and ready to go.  

[fndecker]

Still a little unclear. If you take an Uber directly to the correct place (the terminal?), and have just a shoulder bag each and one medium sized wheeled bag, where do you go and how do you avoid help you don't need?

[_tacocat_]

24 minutes ago, fndecker said:

Still a little unclear. If you take an Uber directly to the correct place (the terminal?), and have just a shoulder bag each and one medium sized wheeled bag, where do you go and how do you avoid help you don't need?

you can tell them you're good, pop your own suitcase out of the trunk, and proceed to the check in queues (can't miss them - bright red flags separated by check in time!)

[cantgetin]

You can tell them that you don't need help--I should have been more forceful with that. They only "help" if you are having the bags delivered to the ship (and ultimately to your cabin door by VV crew).  As long as you are "carry on only,"  you don't need to porters at all.

The porters take your luggage from your Uber/car/whatever, put an ID tag showing your room on them, and take them to a luggage cart which is then loaded onto the ship. The VV crew then take them from the luggage cart to your cabin Door.  On the reverse, they take your bags from the luggage hold area to your transportation waiting place (Uber pick up area).  

In Barcelona, we had 2 options at drop off.  We could give them to the porter curbside who went thru the process or take them about 10 yards to a VV luggage check in station who did exactly the same thing.

 

Edited December 15, 2022 by cantgetin

[gordiej]

We had no (real) issue with the porters on arrival via Uber at the V Terminal. They come over, you tell them your room number and they tag your bags and take them. Then you give them $5/bag. It’s just a cost of cruising. That said, make sure they write the correct room number (ours transposed 2 digits initially). 
 

I don’t anticipate using a porter for disembarkation. 

[CruisingWalter]

On 12/11/2022 at 6:13 PM, cantgetin said:

In Barcelona, there were two options--we could hand off our luggage to porters or take it to a VV luggage check in desk with people wearing VV uniforms.

Is there anything similar for embarkation in Miami?  Our October cruise disembarked in Miami, and I was seriously unhappy with the aggressiveness of the porters who I had not even asked for help.  

 

Yes, I am well aware that they work for the port and that a tip is "expected" despite their union salaries.  I won't say that I like a tip for about 2 minutes of work (tag my bag and put it on the cart), but I liked their behavior a lot less.  And no, small enough bags to do as carry on will not be on option.

So back to original question--does VV have a luggage kiosk/desk/person where we can hand off our luggage?

 

In terms of embarkation, no, you only have the porters who work for the Port Authority of Miami. You cannot drop your bags off with anyone else. I'm not following on them being aggressive. They were as pleasant as could be when we dropped off our bags. 

[CruisingWalter]

On 12/14/2022 at 7:11 PM, cantgetin said:

In Barcelona, we had 2 options at drop off.  We could give them to the porter curbside who went thru the process or take them about 10 yards to a VV luggage check in station who did exactly the same thing.

 

 

To my knowledge there is no port in Florida that gives you any option other than the porters. Ports are controlled by unions and you have two choices. Take all the bags onboard yourself or hand them off to a porter. 

[drewdawg199]

I’ve recently had an aggressive porter, basically if you don’t have some cash in your hand when you arrive, they will quickly remind you that they work for tips to take care of your bags.

[_tacocat_]

5 hours ago, WheresWalter said:

 

In terms of embarkation, no, you only have the porters who work for the Port Authority of Miami. You cannot drop your bags off with anyone else. I'm not following on them being aggressive. They were as pleasant as could be when we dropped off our bags. 

they're EXTREMELY pushy re: tips, and if your driver pops the trunk before you get out of the car, they'll start taking everything out and trying to tag all the bags.  maybe a coincidence, but someone either on here, reddit or FB said that they had no cash for tips, and mysteriously their bag "got lost" and took hours to get to their room.

[CruisingWalter]

1 minute ago, _tacocat_ said:

they're EXTREMELY pushy re: tips, and if your driver pops the trunk before you get out of the car, they'll start taking everything out and trying to tag all the bags.  maybe a coincidence, but someone either on here, reddit or FB said that they had no cash for tips, and mysteriously their bag "got lost" and took hours to get to their room.

 

So weird, not our experience at all at the VV Terminal. It was a very laid back, easy affair when we sailed in July. 

[raphael360]

I've taken dozens of cruises out of Miami and or Ft. Lauderdale and just give em $5 per bag tip. It's cheaper than a Starbucks coffee and I don't want worry about my bags and start to enjoy my cruise as soon as possible. As an FYI these porters do essentially work for tips in Miami and most ports.  Remember the old days where airport porters would take your bags out of the trunk, tag em and put em on the belt???  Back then it was a buck a bag.

As the age old saying goes: "The cruise starts when your bags are in the cabin and the life boat drill is OVER" :)

[Cloud9 Bob]

8 hours ago, raphael360 said:

Back then it was a buck a bag.

Guess I'm behind the times. Haven't cruised for ages until Scarlet Lady last June. I gave him $2 for a single bag. Not saying it was anything but a coincidence, but my bag never arrived at my room on time. Tag was missing and I got it 4 hours late. Just sayin'...

 

Next time I'm giving $5 🤑 LOL!

Edited December 27, 2022 by Cloud9 Bob

[cantgetin]

5 hours ago, Cloud9 Bob said:

Guess I'm behind the times. Haven't cruised for ages until Scarlet Lady last June. I gave him $2 for a single bag. Not saying it was anything but a coincidence, but my bag never arrived at my room on time. Tag was missing and I got it 4 hours late. Just sayin'...

 

Next time I'm giving $5 🤑 LOL!

Yeah, but that isn't extortion.....

[GateGuardian]

I never understand why we need to tag at the port. VV should just provide luggage tags so we can pre-print them at home if we want to. tip the porter and leave instead of waiting around for them to tag the luggage.

[cantgetin]

24 minutes ago, GateGuardian said:

I never understand why we need to tag at the port. VV should just provide luggage tags so we can pre-print them at home if we want to. tip the porter and leave instead of waiting around for them to tag the luggage.

It takes them about 10 seconds to tag the luggage.  Definitely under a minute for our 3 pieces last time.

 

[katie8203]

I have only cruised one other time, (Disney) and our first VV is coming up this summer. We don't plan to check bags on the flight and will just have a backpack and a small roller bag each. Can we not just roll/carry our own stuff to our rooms ourselves if there is no waiting on if our room is ready or not? 

[neverendingcruising]

We've walked on with small carry on bags and skipped the porters. Our travel companions with larger bags were told to check them. 

[cantgetin]

1 hour ago, katie8203 said:

I have only cruised one other time, (Disney) and our first VV is coming up this summer. We don't plan to check bags on the flight and will just have a backpack and a small roller bag each. Can we not just roll/carry our own stuff to our rooms ourselves if there is no waiting on if our room is ready or not? 

You can carry on your own bags if they are small enough to fit thru the luggage scanners.  On VV, rooms are ready when boarding starts.  Great system.  

[fndecker]

A normal checked-bag type bag will fit in the scanners. They did ask us to check a bag, but I think that was just as a courtesy, we said no thank you and carried our back up the escalator and then through the gangway. Easy with the ones with 4 wheels that can be lugged on all 4 or just 2.

[cantgetin]

I think our game plan will be to try to do only a medium sized bag  each and carry it on.  We'll see how packing goes.

[tinkr2]

On 12/14/2022 at 10:14 AM, fndecker said:

Still a little unclear. If you take an Uber directly to the correct place (the terminal?), and have just a shoulder bag each and one medium sized wheeled bag, where do you go and how do you avoid help you don't need?

You want to drag your luggage all that way tosave 5 bucks. You just give it to a porter and start relaxing.

On 12/26/2022 at 10:49 AM, drewdawg199 said:

I’ve recently had an aggressive porter, basically if you don’t have some cash in your hand when you arrive, they will quickly remind you that they work for tips to take care of your bags.

They do work for tips. Im not sur e that makes them aggressive. Can you lift 200 bags in a row, its hard work.