Do porters at the port have luggage tags?

[KKB]

I typically do not print my tags (gotta buy special tags or bring tape or bother hotel for stapler....), and just prefer to have the porter do this. (don't worry we tip well)

On Celebrity, RCCL & NCL this is easy peasy--they either ask for your cabin number or your boarding pass, write it on & slap them on.

Princess & Carnival insist on looking up your number from a list...extra step but whatever.

Does MSC have porters that do this?

Thx, 

[morpheusofthesea]

YES.

[mmbcater]

Just go onto Amazon and get the cruise luggage tag holders, they are plastic and we put them on just before going to the port and take them off when we get the get the bags delivered. 

 

We've used them for at least 10 cruises so far....

[mcoler181]

Whats the going rate for a tip for the porters, its a good few years since we have been on a cruise and being a Brit tipping isn't really the norm for us.

 

Would you treat it like a hotel porter tip?

[Morgsmom]

7 minutes ago, mcoler181 said:

Would you treat it like a hotel porter tip?

Yes, but mo' money doesn't mean your bags are getting any better or faster service. The porters just chuck them on a trolley.

[morpheusofthesea]

59 minutes ago, mcoler181 said:

Whats the going rate for a tip for the porters

"You should tip the outside baggage handler according to the number of bags you have. "Consumer Reports," Trip Advisor and "U.S. News and World Report" all agree that the standard tipping amount is between $1.00 and $2.00 per bag. Use your best judgment. If it's raining, snowing or over 90 degrees and you get good service, tip towards the $2.00 per bag side of the scale. Remember to bring dollar bills with you to the airport. If your baggage handler takes two or three bags from you and all you have is a five dollar bill, do not ask for change back."

  My DW travels with 12 suitcases for a one week cruise. (No we do not fly). Seen too many go on cruise with lost luggage, even those driving to the port. So we tip $50 as insurance nothing gets misplaced or wet. If the porter takes us all the way back to our parked car in the parking lot or garage and loads the car, $100.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, morpheusofthesea said:

................

  My DW travels with 12 suitcases for a one week cruise. (No we do not fly). Seen too many go on cruise with lost luggage, even those driving to the port. So we tip $50 as insurance nothing gets misplaced or wet. If the porter takes us all the way back to our parked car in the parking lot or garage and loads the car, $100.

I just had a thought.  We have an upcoming Asia cruise (an 8 week trip with 6 week cruise) and cannot even imagine how one who takes 12 bags on a simple Caribbean cruise would deal with that problem.  You would need to hire a trucking company to move your luggage in Japan (you can actually arrange for this) but what a problem.  And many Japanese hotel rooms would not even have enough space to hold 12 bags  :).

 

Hank

[KKB]

2 hours ago, mmbcater said:

Just go onto Amazon and get the cruise luggage tag holders, they are plastic and we put them on just before going to the port and take them off when we get the get the bags delivered. 

 

We've used them for at least 10 cruises so far....

Different cruise lines have different sized luggage tags, and we aren't brand loyal (tho we have our preferences).

Plus one more thing to pack, gotta remember to print the tags. I'm good.

I had to PRINT boarding passes for my Divina cruise this week. 

I do not remember the last time I did that!!! Been using cruiseline apps for several years.

 

[morpheusofthesea]

22 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I just had a thought.  We have an upcoming Asia cruise (an 8 week trip with 6 week cruise) and cannot even imagine how one who takes 12 bags on a simple Caribbean cruise would deal with that problem.  You would need to hire a trucking company to move your luggage in Japan (you can actually arrange for this) but what a problem.  And many Japanese hotel rooms would not even have enough space to hold 12 bags  :).

 

Hank

There was a secret I employed years ago when doing those sort of cruise adventures. I convinced DW that there would be absolutely no room in the limited weight restrictions imposed on flights if she packed anything. That we should travel with just the clothes on our backs and when we get to our pre-cruise destination (usually Hong Kong, Bangkok, Bali, Itaewon, Beijing) that we would go cloth shopping there and bought luggage there to bring it all home after the cruise. She became pen pals with authors of the shopping guides the world over.

  P.S. But to pay for the trip and clothing she would have to 'bite the bullet' and not overspend at home so we would have the funds for just such a cruise.( delayed gratification).

Edited February 8, 2023 by morpheusofthesea

[toledo_cruiser]

7 hours ago, KKB said:

Different cruise lines have different sized luggage tags, and we aren't brand loyal (tho we have our preferences).

Plus one more thing to pack, gotta remember to print the tags. I'm good.

I had to PRINT boarding passes for my Divina cruise this week. 

I do not remember the last time I did that!!! Been using cruiseline apps for several years.

 

Sailed on Carnival in October and Norwegian in January. I used the same luggage tag holders for both cruise lines. The MSC tags are slightly smaller, but I will still use my existing holders. I do have really narrow tag holders for those cruise lines which use them (MSC tags are too wide for those). My tags go right into the upper zippered luggage pocket immediately after getting to our room so I always have them available for the next cruise. Just got tired of trying to staple the cruise tags around the handles and never felt secure with that method. But use whatever works for you. 

Cheers!

[HardToPort]

On 2/8/2023 at 10:07 AM, morpheusofthesea said:

"You should tip the outside baggage handler according to the number of bags you have. "Consumer Reports," Trip Advisor and "U.S. News and World Report" all agree that the standard tipping amount is between $1.00 and $2.00 per bag. Use your best judgment. If it's raining, snowing or over 90 degrees and you get good service, tip towards the $2.00 per bag side of the scale. Remember to bring dollar bills with you to the airport. If your baggage handler takes two or three bags from you and all you have is a five dollar bill, do not ask for change back."

  My DW travels with 12 suitcases for a one week cruise. (No we do not fly). Seen too many go on cruise with lost luggage, even those driving to the port. So we tip $50 as insurance nothing gets misplaced or wet. If the porter takes us all the way back to our parked car in the parking lot or garage and loads the car, $100.

 

oh Morpheus, I feel for you!!!
 

on a solo of 7-10 days I’m using a carry on and a back pack. Learned long ago that I don’t wear half the stuff I used to take.

 

Reading your post reminded me of the scene in “Titanic” of First Class Passengers boarding with hatboxes, wardrobes, safes, vehicles etc.