Poll: Tipping Luggage Porters in Port of Miami

[balcony4u]

i have never had a pushy porter and i do not tip out of fear of not receiving my bag. i tip because i think they deserve it.

[Happy ks]

I do tip because I'm afraid if I don't, my luggage will mysteriously end up in the "Do not deliver 'til midnight" pile!

 

 

The porters merely place your bags in a container that is wheeled onto to ship, they don't have anything to do with delivering the bags to the cabin.

 

We tip because we want our bags put into the container that is wheeled onto the ship. It's not a big deal, we only have 2 bags, so it's only $2. We never use them on the way out.

[sullyair]

i do tip because i'm afraid if i don't, my luggage will mysteriously end up in the "do not deliver 'til midnight" pile!

 

x2!

[alphakitty]

I tip out of POM because I want to, not out of fear, though we too have had the porters threaten with lost luggage and/or ask for the tip. We tip the shuttle driver who handles our luggage, the porters who handle our luggage. We tip most everyone who provides a service to us to make our vacation better. We always keep a good stash of $1's with us when we cruise. :)

 

Not all ports or porters make you feel like you HAVE to tip. We cruised out of San Diego last year and we tried to tip the porter there, but he refused the cash and said to my husband, "spend it on her". Hubby tried to insist he take the tip, but he man refused.

[chil-laxin]

I ALWAYS tip!! I am wondering what someone thinks is "good salary" for a very hard job of lifting and lugging tons of luggage multiple hours of a day. Those guys live off theose tips!!! I will forever tip them!!:p:D:cool:

[restes]

When our group of 6 arrived at the POM on Dec. 19, the porter loaded our 13 bags and as he took off with them, he "notified" us that would be the last time we would see him as he was headed off to deliver our bags to the proper location. He then said "and you do have quite a heavy load here!". We were planning to tip him anyway, but he was definitely making sure that we knew when it was time.

[H_and_B_in_MD]

The porter we had in Miami for the MSC Divina cruise on 12/10 told us " this will be your last opportunity to tip your luggage handlers. You don't want anything to happen to your luggage."

Well, I always tip everyone who touches the luggage and gave $15 for 3 pieces of luggage. Apparently that was not enough because my wife's brand new, very colorful, 26 inch suitcase was damaged beyond repair on it's very first time being used! It came up to the room with a corner punched in about 2 inches and 2 of the 4 wheels broken completely through the polycarbonate shell. It looked like the only way for that to happen was to throw it down on the wheels and then turn it over and slam the corner into the concrete. It was a mess! BY the way, it was not even scratched on the Southwest flight from BWI to Ft. Lauderdale or the shuttle from there to Miami!

We have followed all the procedures to be reimbursed for the loss. We worked through MSC who passed it off to the insurance carrier, who then sent us back to MSC. We got estimates for repair from a luggage repair company (impossible to repair) and we are still dealing with the red tape of getting it replaced or at least some compensation. They have us running in circles but my wife will not give up!

I thought it was almost a firing offense to threaten a passenger with harm to their luggage unless the tip was acceptable. I guess mine was not acceptable. Very disturbing. I have heard stories like this from other people who have cruised out of Miami, also. One fellow traveler even saw suitcases that were "accidentally" knocked into the water while waiting to be put onto the ship.

[Addict]

Wow, a thread resurrected from 5 years ago.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

[Missus Makkem]

Wow, a thread resurrected from 5 years ago.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

just thought that myself.

[ryano]

Wow, a thread resurrected from 5 years ago.

 

 

Sent using the Cruise Critic forums app

 

Just means the search engine is working like it should :)

 

Had the OP just started another thread, likely she would have been told to do a search. Cant win around here.

[ryano]

Well, I always tip everyone who touches the luggage and gave $15 for 3 pieces of luggage. .

 

That is an incredibly high tip for 3 bags! :eek: I generally tip a dollar or two each bag and they seem just fine with that. So far, my luggage has made it onboard unscathed every time.

[OCruisers]

We tip because it is the right thing to do.

LuLu

~~~

[H_and_B_in_MD]

Yes, I tip well and always have. No one has ever complained.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[daxwise]

I asked fellow travellers and was told a dollar per bag.

But in all honesty I'm not comfortable giving tip everywhere and to anyone doing a job they're already being paid to do.

And here's the longer explanation to that.

 

As a European I'm not accustomed to the US way of tipping.

Within the European Union (with local exceptions) we have laws and regulations clearly stating that if anything costs money there's a price tag, and that's the price, a fixed price. Tax included, and when applicable, tip included.

Services are performed by employees. They have salary. Tipping is considered free money and of course some people take it if offered. But the people accepting a tip increases the younger they get. Older generations often consider it an insult to be offered a tip and there's a lot of explanations to that. One of them being that it can be seen as they're not happy with their job and the tip is to take pity on them.

I've worked within the service sector almost all my life and never accepted a tip though offered plenty. I'm already well paid.

 

In a restaurant the bill already have the tip included in the price.

 

When it comes to goods and the buyer starts bargaining over the price it's not unusual they get thrown out of the store.

 

When it comes to the luggage handlers in POM I'm really uncomfortable giving a tip to a guy that lifts my bags a meter in the air, doing a job he's paid for. Considering the amount of bags he's better paid than me, tip alone. One customer a minute and the cheap ones (like me perhaps) only giving him a dollar per bag and some giving him $5 or $10 that would give him $100 extra well within the hour. I'd like to think I'm not cheap, but I just don't think I should give him money for a job he's already been paid to do. Especially for lifting a bag that I just put in front of where it's supposed to be. And the horror stories about people tipping in fear of what's going to happen with their luggage if they don't, well, that would mean they're tipping him for not only doing a job he's supposed to do (and already getting paid for), it's tip for him doing his job well, as is already expected of him if he wants to keep his well paid job.

 

We're simply not accustomed to the tipping culture and really don't know when and to who we she should tip. So I love cruising where there's a line on the contract stating the exact amount of gratuities.

Over the years I've learned who should recieve an extra tip, and I gladly give it, depending on the service I got.

On the ship there are people giving the bartenders a tip for every drink they get, not considering they already paid 12% according to the receipt.

 

There's a bunch of unwritten laws when it comes to the culture of tipping. I've learned some, but defenitely not all. I don't even know everything there is to tipping in my own country, where it's still uncommon to give a tip.

[Keith1010]

I asked fellow travellers and was told a dollar per bag.

But in all honesty I'm not comfortable giving tip everywhere and to anyone doing a job they're already being paid to do.

And here's the longer explanation to that.

 

As a European I'm not accustomed to the US way of tipping.

Within the European Union (with local exceptions) we have laws and regulations clearly stating that if anything costs money there's a price tag, and that's the price, a fixed price. Tax included, and when applicable, tip included.

Services are performed by employees. They have salary. Tipping is considered free money and of course some people take it if offered. But the people accepting a tip increases the younger they get. Older generations often consider it an insult to be offered a tip and there's a lot of explanations to that. One of them being that it can be seen as they're not happy with their job and the tip is to take pity on them.

I've worked within the service sector almost all my life and never accepted a tip though offered plenty. I'm already well paid.

 

In a restaurant the bill already have the tip included in the price.

 

When it comes to goods and the buyer starts bargaining over the price it's not unusual they get thrown out of the store.

 

When it comes to the luggage handlers in POM I'm really uncomfortable giving a tip to a guy that lifts my bags a meter in the air, doing a job he's paid for. Considering the amount of bags he's better paid than me, tip alone. One customer a minute and the cheap ones (like me perhaps) only giving him a dollar per bag and some giving him $5 or $10 that would give him $100 extra well within the hour. I'd like to think I'm not cheap, but I just don't think I should give him money for a job he's already been paid to do. Especially for lifting a bag that I just put in front of where it's supposed to be. And the horror stories about people tipping in fear of what's going to happen with their luggage if they don't, well, that would mean they're tipping him for not only doing a job he's supposed to do (and already getting paid for), it's tip for him doing his job well, as is already expected of him if he wants to keep his well paid job.

 

We're simply not accustomed to the tipping culture and really don't know when and to who we she should tip. So I love cruising where there's a line on the contract stating the exact amount of gratuities.

Over the years I've learned who should recieve an extra tip, and I gladly give it, depending on the service I got.

On the ship there are people giving the bartenders a tip for every drink they get, not considering they already paid 12% according to the receipt.

 

There's a bunch of unwritten laws when it comes to the culture of tipping. I've learned some, but defenitely not all. I don't even know everything there is to tipping in my own country, where it's still uncommon to give a tip.

 

 

All I can say is we do some things differently around the world and I've learned to adopt when we travel.

 

And when one travels I believe they should do their best to follow the customs for the area they are visiting.

 

For example, that means when we go to Japan and someone gives me a business card I hold onto it and read it consistent with their culture and if given a gift there I do not rip the wrap off the gift but actually remove the wrapping paper with the goal of not tearing it.

 

So for example in the USA those working in restaurants are paid a salary that has been adjusted downward based on the fact that they will receive the majority of their salary from tips.

 

And in Australia where I know that the tour guide is not expecting a tip and their salary is at a level that assumes no tip I do not tip.

 

I actually am happy that we are different because that is part of what makes the world so special.

 

Keith

[Summerknight]

We tip the porters. That's the fourth tip from the time we park the car until we get to the ship.

 

Shuttle driver, airport porter, taxi driver, ship porter. I bring lots of $5's!!

[Big_G]

I tip anyone that handles my luggage and the only sign I look for at the terminal is the ENTER sign. Happy sailing. :D

[sparkopotamus]

Thank you, Gonzo70, for initiating this thread and poll. It's really interesting to read so many different viewpoints!

 

Unless there is a sign that says "not tipping" or "tipping not required", we give $1/bag.

 

We took =X= out of FLL in November. Mind you, we didn't have much luggage insomuch as it was only a 4-night itinerary. The taxi driver let us off at Port Everglades, and a porter swooped in (literally) to grab our light, minimal luggage. We politely declined his service (didn't need it) and off we went. He wasn't happy about it but we kept walking forward with happy thoughts of inaugurating our keycard at the Martini Bar once on board. ;)

[baxman]

This question is somewhat off topic, but something I have always wondered what is correct. If you arrive at a hotel for checkin and the bellhop unloads your luggage and takes it into the lobby, do you tip him. What if he remains with your luggage and ends up bringing it to your room after you check in, do you tip again? Don't want to tip him twice, but he may or may not be the person that brings our luggage to our room.

[Go-Bucks!]

I do tip because I'm afraid if I don't, my luggage will mysteriously end up in the "Do not deliver 'til midnight" pile!

 

 

Ditto!!!! And the same at the airport ---> otherwise, I'm afraid that the porter will give my luggage to the gorilla! It's worth a small tip to be sure my stuff isn't destroyed. It's worked so far. :o

[Go-Bucks!]

All I can say is we do some things differently around the world and I've learned to adopt when we travel.

 

 

Me too! Love it when I go to "non-tipping" countries so I don't need to tip. Great to save some money. Thanks world! :p