Arrival Porter Tipping

[rere101399]

It’s our 4th DCL cruise but the two year break has my brain feeling foggy. DH and I remember porter tipping differently when arriving at Port Canaveral. What’s the going rate these days for arrival porters? $5 a bag, $10 a bag, $20 a bag? A flat $50 or $100? What’s everyone doing?

 

[hrhdhd]

We usually do $5 for a couple of bags.

 

[ArielRae]

I believe it is recommended $2.00 a bag but it has been a while for us as well.

 

[Clojel]

It’s our 4th DCL cruise but the two year break has my brain feeling foggy. DH and I remember porter tipping differently when arriving at Port Canaveral. What’s the going rate these days for arrival porters? $5 a bag, $10 a bag, $20 a bag? A flat $50 or $100? What’s everyone doing?

I'd say $5/bag...or minimum of flat $20. $100 would be VERY generous - haha!

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We usually do $5 a bag, but will tip $20 when we have a third bag for longer cruises like the Transatlantic or Panama Canal cruises. We pack extra fancy clothes for those, since we enjoy the multiple formal nights.

 

[SnowWhite2]

If the porter gets the bags from the car or comes to the car to take the bags and exchanges pleasantries, we give him/her $2+ per bag and round up for the total. If we get the bags out of the car and take them to the location where they put them on the luggage carts, then only $1/bag.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I usually tip $10 regardless of number of bags.

 

[shoes99]

Watch out for the Miami porters. I was giving him 2 checked bags and had a $5 in my hand. He said “aren’t you going to tip me” handed him the $5 in my hand and walked away. Very aggressive.

 

[Capt_BJ]

been a while but I remember signs all over the Canaveral terminals saying tipping was not required ... and if you knew what these UNION workers made, you'd never tip 'em ...... BUT some always worry that no tips means their bags won't get to the ship and the porters LOVE you for that . .

 

[OKW Lover]

been a while but I remember signs all over the Canaveral terminals saying tipping was not required ... and if you knew what these UNION workers made, you'd never tip 'em ...... BUT some always worry that no tips means their bags won't get to the ship and the porters LOVE you for that . .

Interesting! I understand that the DCL porters are non-union.

 

[Starwind]

been a while but I remember signs all over the Canaveral terminals saying tipping was not required ... and if you knew what these UNION workers made, you'd never tip 'em ...... BUT some always worry that no tips means their bags won't get to the ship and the porters LOVE you for that . .

According to a WSJ article quoted on the International Longshoremen's Association Local 1359-1860 website (the union representing at least some of the port workers at Port Canaveral, including porters for some of the cruise lines operating out of there), "...a 50-year-old porter, who used to earn $27 an hour wrangling passengers and their luggage." (see https://www.ila1359-1860.com/videos.html)

It looks like from the photos in the union website's gallery that the porters for at least some of the cruise lines are union. Also per the "work orders" page on the union website. e.g. Carnival

However, there are also pictures - undated - of informational pickets about DCL using non-union stevedores and paying wages and benefits for stevedores "substantially below union standards" [per the picket signs].

I found this 2012 National Labour Relations Board decision but don't know if the DCL porters/stevedors subsequently unionized ? https://casetext.com/admin-law/ambassador-services-inc-4

Disney ships in Port Canaveral are not listed on the union's work order website in October which suggests their porters/stevedors are NOT part of the Longhoreman's union: https://www.ila1359-1860.com/work-orders.html

Doing some more digging online, it looks like DCL's porters not being unionized goes back to at least 1999. There is an article form 1999 where the union is quoting as saying they bid on the DCL contract but it was awarded to a company who pays less and is not unionized [that company has since been replaced with another which was the subject of the NLRB ruling and the union's information pickets]. [this is a related article from1999: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1999-02-09-9902080405-story.html ]

Finally, this is a quote from someone's Linked-In page, found with a Google search. I have added the bold to highlight the important parts:

dock worker/ porter
Ambassador Services

Oct 2010 - Present11 years 1 month

Port Canaveral, Florida

Ambassador Services is the primary contractor hired by Disney cruise lines and we handle all embarking as well as debarking luggage for the Disney Dream and the Disney Fantasy. We are a non-union company and the majority of our job is customer services but at the same time we handle all luggage by hand from the front curb were passengers drop off luggage and get the luggage through security and up to the state room. We work from 5am to 5pm every Friday, Saturday, and Monday, unless the Magic or Wonder is also at our terminal them we work a little more. I've been working here for 5 years loading luggage and because of this job I was able to start going back to school when I was twenty-three years old because I was able to make a semi-stable living off of my 9 an hour and tips.
Even if that was written 5 or 6 years ago, $9/h is not likely to have increased into the range of the $27 an hour the porter quoted in the WSJ was making.

I think at the end of the day it appears that the DCL porters at Port Canaveral may not be unionized and may be making less per hour in hourly wage than their unionized peers who service other cruise lines.

DCL has exclusive use of their terminal at PC so they have more control over the contractors they hire to provide services. They may not have that kind of control at other ports.

Does anyone have more concrete info ??

SW

 

[mmouse37]

We just tipped $10 for 2 bags last week in September.

 

[DisneYE]

are there people that seriously tip $1 ?? or $1 per bag?! - I'd be beyond embarrassed to hand a $1 bill (or even a $5) to a porter that is helping me with our bags.
That is... well... disgusting, sorry. How can ppl be such cheapskates? I guess it's the same type of ppl that go to GS to complain about the automatic tips taken off their accounts and want them either reduced or eliminated...
I can't believe folks spend x,000 or xx,000 on a cruise but don't want to tip more than $1 per bag..
Same for ppl that go eat at restaurants and feel like not tipping or tipping less < 15% because...entitled reasons..
If you can't give at least $10 (I give them $20 regardless of number of bags, which are always 3-5) to a porter that has little or no base salary - then don't go on a flipping cruise!.
Gosh, cheap ppl disgust me. - Sorry/rant off.

 

[ArielRae]

I went looking online and found this about bag tipping at the cruise ports.

”It’s customary to tip them $1 to $2 a bag.” From link below.
https://touringplans.com/blog/10-tips-for-tipping-on-a-disney-cruise/
“Usually $1-2 per bag is what most people pay.” From link below.
https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/...he-porters-take-your-luggage-your-cruise-ship
“Give the luggage handler a $2- $5 tip per bag, depending upon size, weight and amount of luggage.“ From link below.
https://cruisemaven.com/cruise-ship-gratuities/

 

[PrincessShmoo]

are there people that seriously tip $1 ?? or $1 per bag?! - I'd be beyond embarrassed to hand a $1 bill (or even a $5) to a porter that is helping me with our bags.
That is... well... disgusting, sorry. How can ppl be such cheapskates? I guess it's the same type of ppl that go to GS to complain about the automatic tips taken off their accounts and want them either reduced or eliminated...
I can't believe folks spend x,000 or xx,000 on a cruise but don't want to tip more than $1 per bag..
Same for ppl that go eat at restaurants and feel like not tipping or tipping less < 15% because...entitled reasons..
If you can't give at least $10 (I give them $20 regardless of number of bags, which are always 3-5) to a porter that has little or no base salary - then don't go on a flipping cruise!.
Gosh, cheap ppl disgust me. - Sorry/rant off.

It's my understanding that porters at cruise ports actually make pretty good money. In most cases the porter is moving the bag approximately 10 feet (or less) from car to baggage cart. How much work is that?

We do tip, but as with all tipping, it's totally a personal comfort zone as to how much anyone tips.

 

[OKW Lover]

Wondering if the porters have to pool their tips. It seems unfair that those who take your luggage from the curb to a cart should get all the money when others have to actually move it from the cart to the ship.

 

[sparrow10_]

are there people that seriously tip $1 ?? or $1 per bag?! - I'd be beyond embarrassed to hand a $1 bill (or even a $5) to a porter that is helping me with our bags.
That is... well... disgusting, sorry. How can ppl be such cheapskates? I guess it's the same type of ppl that go to GS to complain about the automatic tips taken off their accounts and want them either reduced or eliminated...
I can't believe folks spend x,000 or xx,000 on a cruise but don't want to tip more than $1 per bag..
Same for ppl that go eat at restaurants and feel like not tipping or tipping less < 15% because...entitled reasons..
If you can't give at least $10 (I give them $20 regardless of number of bags, which are always 3-5) to a porter that has little or no base salary - then don't go on a flipping cruise!.
Gosh, cheap ppl disgust me. - Sorry/rant off.

I've so many issues with this rant

 

[n2mm]

Normally $2 a bag, always round up, usually $10 for 3 bags, depends if they are filling out our luggage tags too. If coming home and they take our bags to the parking lot, we double tip.

 

[nu2dvc]

We always have at least 5 bags if not 7 or 8 (we pack heavy b/c I hate being caught without something I need and we have 2 staterooms). I would be embarrassed to give less than $20 but more seems excessive. It's 3 minutes of work.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

$2 per bag