Do you HAVE to use a porter?

[n8nally]

When you get to Port Canaveral (whether you drove yourself and parked at the port garage, got dropped off by a shuttle service from a hotel or offsite parking facility or had a friend or relative drop you off curbside) do you HAVE to use a porter, or can take take your luggage somewhere by yourself?

 

[drb116]

Assuming you are not carrying on, you do have to give your luggage to a porter, but you don't have to have them get it out of your car.

We always skip the bag drop off and just park our car, then get our luggage out ourselves and drop it at the porter stand on our way to the terminal.

 

[n8nally]

Assuming you are not carrying on, you do have to give your luggage to a porter, but you don't have to have them get it out of your car.

We always skip the bag drop off and just park our car, then get our luggage out ourselves and drop it at the porter stand on our way to the terminal.

We will each have one carry-on and one rolled suitcase that we will be checking. Last time I felt like the porters were so pushy and I had to give them my bag and my tip. But I have very able bodied teenagers who are very capable of pulling their own rolled luggage the ten feet over to the porter stand that is manned by DCL staff. I am glad you were able to handle your own bags.

 

[Made Up Name]

We will each have one carry-on and one rolled suitcase that we will be checking. Last time I felt like the porters were so pushy and I had to give them my bag and my tip. But I have very able bodied teenagers who are very capable of pulling their own rolled luggage the ten feet over to the porter stand that is manned by DCL staff. I am glad you were able to handle your own bags.

You don't have to tip them if you don't want to.

 

[plutolovr]

You don't have to tip them if you don't want to.

But then don't complain that your bags "missed the boat."

 

[n8nally]

It's not a matter of tipping them. If they do a job, they deserve to be properly tipped. It's that having someone perform a service for me that I am fully capable of performing without my choice (if I have a choice) kind of bothers me. Also, I dislike how pushy they are. So I'm trying to establish if it is required or optional.

 

[MouseMomx2]

I don't know if you can check your bags in on your own. We have never tried to do it.

We have never encountered pushy porters but we have dealt with some who were a little more "all business" than others. I think it is because they are trying to move a lot of people through the process as quickly as possible. We just try to give them our luggage quickly and get out of their way.

 

[Weedy]

To quote the American Express commercial $2 per bag. Worth every penny.

 

[Angiedee]

But then don't complain that your bags "missed the boat."

Cheers to that M8

 

[allears]

I may be wrong about this, and I'm sure someone will quickly correct me, but I think that the porters are the ones that once bags are collected at drop off, get them on the carts and move them into the terminal for processing. So even if they aren't helping get your bags from your vehicle they are still performing some service. Even when we get dropped off right at the baggage collection spot, I tip the porters for handling my bags from whatever point.

 

[CruznLexi]

I have never felt the DCL porters pushy. I can certianlly cary my bags but why? I am on vacation.

 

[lanejudy]

It's not a matter of tipping them. If they do a job, they deserve to be properly tipped. It's that having someone perform a service for me that I am fully capable of performing without my choice (if I have a choice) kind of bothers me. Also, I dislike how pushy they are. So I'm trying to establish if it is required or optional.

I don't know that you have a choice to put the bags on the cart yourself. If I recall, the carts were somewhat behind where the porters were collecting bags curbside. We have not encountered pushy porters, but it's such a quick stop-drop-go that maybe I just never notice. I'm also more than willing to tell them "I'll get the bags out of my trunk to make sure you have the right ones."

While you may be capable of performing the service yourself, I dno't believe you are allowed. Don't tip or offer minimum tip if you feel the service was not to your expectation (that includes being too pushy or not allowing you to complete a task yourself - such as removing bags from the car trunk).

Enjoy your cruise!

 

[KanataDad]

To quote the American Express commercial $2 per bag. Worth every penny.

That's sounds about right. We had 10 pieces between 2 families and one porter was able to take them all - we tipped $20 for that.

 

[Racer X]

Just give him/her a folded over $5 and say thanks have a great day - they really do work hard to get all that on/off the ship is very little time.

 

[Gigi22]

From what I've seen of the baggage handling area, my bet is that there is a labor code requirement that safety gear (proper work boots and gloves, and possibly hard hats in some dockside areas) be worn by everyone entering the baggage handling area. It's a safety issue. We always tip the people who handle our luggage.

Of course, passengers are perfectly free to pickup their own luggage and carry it all to their vehicles at disembarkation.

 

[Gigi22]

From what I've seen of the baggage handling area, my bet is that there is a labor code requirement that safety gear (proper work boots and gloves, and possibly hard hats in some dockside areas) be worn by everyone entering the baggage handling area. It's a safety issue. We always tip the people who handle our luggage.

Of course, passengers are perfectly free to pickup their own luggage and carry it all to their vehicles at disembarkation.

 

[Justacruiser]

You are not just tipping a person to get a bag from you or your vehicle. You tip for the process of handing someone your bags at the dock and them appearing at your stateroom door once on board. Seriously $2 a bag is sufficient. The folks do a hard job not only loading, but unloading your luggage upon your return. You won't tip anyone on the back end unless you request a porter to assist. And then you SHOULD be obligated to tip.

 

[cgolf]

We only didn't tip the first time, but have every time since. The strange part is that they are so busy handling the bags it is tough to get the tip to them, and they almost seem surprised when they get the tip. It could be because so many don't tip?

 

[n8nally]

I don't know that you have a choice to put the bags on the cart yourself. If I recall, the carts were somewhat behind where the porters were collecting bags curbside. We have not encountered pushy porters, but it's such a quick stop-drop-go that maybe I just never notice. I'm also more than willing to tell them "I'll get the bags out of my trunk to make sure you have the right ones."

While you may be capable of performing the service yourself, I dno't believe you are allowed. Don't tip or offer minimum tip if you feel the service was not to your expectation (that includes being too pushy or not allowing you to complete a task yourself - such as removing bags from the car trunk).

Enjoy your cruise!

Thank you, lanejudy and everyone else who understood what I was asking and responded.

The people who took our luggage curbside last time were NOT DCL employees. They were Port Canaveral employees I think. Or maybe independently contracted? I'm not sure. Regardless, they were NOT the ones who delivered my luggage to my stateroom. They took my luggage and walked it over to the Disney people and handed it to them. I can do this myself. I WILL do this myself. Once they handed the bags to the Disney people, I imagine they then took it through processing and onboard and then to be delivered to my stateroom. Those people I never saw. I would gladly tip them! But the non-Disney pushy people grabbing my luggage out of my hands curbside and rudely demanding a tip.........nope. Not unless I have no other choice. Especially since I will have already tipped the Park-n-Cruise people for taking my luggage on and off the shuttle. Especially not when I can roll my own luggage over to DCL myself (apparently). I would prefer to do that and hand the DCL cast member a $20 for all our suitcases to get to our stateroom.

 

[stitchlovestink]

I have never felt the DCL porters pushy. I can certianlly cary my bags but why? I am on vacation.

DCL does not have porters curbside. Those are employees of Port Canaveral not DCL.
And the people who deliver your luggage to your room are usually your stateroom hosts along with other Cast Members.