Excursion Tipping

[Kenato]

I know..."Oh No!!! Another Tipping Thread!!" I have not read all the "tip & gratuity" threads in detail but I think they largely deal with tipping on the boat.
My question relates to what do you tip your tour guide on an excursion? A flat amount? A percentage of the cost? and yes, this all assumes that the tour guide provided good service.

[savannahgirl1]

For us, its a flat rate. If service is exceptional we raise it, if not as good as we hoped, we lower it.

[kryos]

Oh, boy. Here is where I get into trouble again.

Depends on the excursion. If it's a super expensive HAL-sponsored excursion, my feeling is that the tip should be included in the high price they charged me for it. While I might dump a buck into the container for the driver, I'm not about to get involved in any substantial tipping unless there was an overriding reason for it. I had a tour guide take really good care of me on Moorea when I bit off more than I could chew with a certain part of the excursion that involved a hike. I was in trouble, and he really helped me out ... making sure I didn't lose my footing and stopping when I needed to. I felt bad, but honestly didn't realize the "hike" would be more than a short walk to take photographs (this was a photo tour). In that case, yes, I gave him a very nice tip.

But normally, nope. I don't tip excursion providers. For what HAL charges for these tours, I am sure there is a tip included in that amount, and that tip should cover normal services. Anything out of the ordinary is the only thing I would tip for.

Now, if it's a much lower cost private-type excursion ... snorkeling or whatever ... yes, I'll tip the guide and the bus driver because I know that the cost of my ticket did not include any tips ... and as long as they provide a good excursion, I really should tip them. I will usually tip about $5 bucks to the tour guide, and a few bucks to the bus driver if there is one.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[Krazy Kruizers]

Whether we take a HAL tour or a private excursion -- we always tip.

But to the amount -- it really depends on how long the tour is -- whether the guide(s) are good -- etc., -- sometimes we have only tipped a couple dollars per person -- other times -- higher amount.

[kakalina]

I don't understand this obssession with tipping everyone and their dog. When I book an excursion it with the understanding that they are providing a service and they have charged me what they feel is profitable for them. I paid, they provided. Where is the need for tipping? Perhaps if the tour did something totally above and beyond like save me from drowning or something.
I do tip when I am taking a "free" bus to or from a store as the ride is free and I feel I should pay my way.

[RuthC]

Unless the guide is hopelessly incompetent, I always tip on shore excursions.
For a half-day tour I will probably tip $5-7, and on a full-day tour $10-12. I guess $1 per hour is a rough (very rough) guide.

[lorekauf]

Yeah I tip too but a lot of times it's out of guilt.....I feel I should which is stupid. I'd say at least 50% of the time I've enjoyed it, and the person was good so I didn't mind...but the other times....

The one thing I don't like is when they ask for it. They are more likely to get a better tip if they don't beg for it.

[Typhoon1]

Start at $2.00 and work upwards depending on how informative the tour guide was.

[Kenato]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I too only think tips should be given in the case of exceptional, above and beyond service. Reading some of the threads I was beginning to get the idea that some people were giving out tips in the $20 range to their guides. Seemed a little excessive to me. Thanks again

[suse]

10 dollars is what we do.

[jhannah]

I'm with RuthC. A dollar an hour is a good place to start. I've also seen a rule of thumb of $2.50 per person for a half-day tour, and $5 per person for a full day tour. I've never been on a tour that I thought was worth a $20 tip!

[*Gigi*]

Please please please don't flame me for asking this. I am honestly asking because I don't get it. Why do we need to tip excursion guides? In a restaurant, you pay for the food but the service is extra, so you tip. In an excursion, you are paying for the service, so the tip is for.... ? I can understand providing something above and beyond. But if they provide you with exactly what you paid for, then why do you tip? :confused:

[unklez]

If you feel that the guide/driver went over and beyond or if you feel like it, give it. If not, you are under no obligation.

[Jemima]

Some tip excursion guides and some don't. My observation is that about half do and half don't, but it varies. On some excursions most parties hand something to the guide. On others very few do. Tips, when given, appear to be in the $2-$5 range per couple.
We tip a small amount, but I agree with Rita and Kakalina that you don't need to tip excursion guides.

[cb at sea]

I agree with Kyros---unless the guide goes ABOVE and BEYOND, doing much more than we felt we paid for, I don't tip...the excursions are expensive, and the "guides" either own the excursion or are well-paid employees. It's not necessary to tip them!

I think cruisers really go hog wild with the tips---while I'm not averse to tipping well in restaurants, I simply don't feel it's needed for every person you come in contact with to get tipped!

[Frick_&_Frack]

We will tip, like others have stated, for exceptional service. My DH has some health issues and, during various excursions, the driver or guide has talked/stayed with him at the bus while I'm off taking photos/video or souvenier hunting.

In most of those times, he's learned so much about the places we are visiting, that it is worth it to us to tip those who cared enough to see to DH's well-being.

We use the same "feeling" as we would on the ship - those that care and go above/beyond, get something "extra" to acknowledge that fact and the fact that we noticed their stellar service (or kindness).

No one should feel pressured to tip though.

[seabreezer]

We usually take small group tours - no more than 8 - 10 people and for a half-day we tip $20 and $40 - $50 for a full day total for my 3 family members. If it were a private tour we would double the tip if we receive great service. Now if we were on a full bus tour I would probably tip much less. I do not assume that any gratuity is already included in the fare unless so indicated.

[flag fan]

Please please please don't flame me for asking this. I am honestly asking because I don't get it. Why do we need to tip excursion guides? In a restaurant, you pay for the food but the service is extra, so you tip. In an excursion, you are paying for the service, so the tip is for.... ? I can understand providing something above and beyond. But if they provide you with exactly what you paid for, then why do you tip? :confused:

I don't know if your question was rhetorical, but in my opinion tipping is done/expected is because of custom. Your point is a good one, but logic has nothing to do with tipping. Why is there tipping at a buffet as well as a restaurant where orders are taken and food is brought to the table; why are tips given to doormen whose only "service" is hailing a cab that is waiting 8 feet away, why is a hair cutter tipped, but a shoe salesman not? Who knows? There is no logic to it. People have rationales for tipping or not tipping, but it is really just based on local custom which one can follow or ignore (once one figures out what the custom is). I hate tipping, mainly because I don't know what amount is reasonable/expected.

I always do tip ($5 for the guide/$2-5 for the driver), but mainly because I don't want to cheat the employee out of a part of his wages. For some jobs wages are based on the assumption that there will be tips. (For waiters, taxes are calculated and owed based on certain assumptions, regardless of what tips are actually received.) Its not a system I like, but I didn't create the world, I only live in it and accept things as they are and not how I think they should be. (This is based on the practice in the U.S.; I understand that other countries have different customs, but the tourism industries catering to U.S. travelers have certainly adopted U.S. customs on tipping--on ship and on shore.)

[kryos]

Start at $2.00 and work upwards depending on how informative the tour guide was.If it's a HAL excursion, I start at zero and work up to zero. The guide is being paid to be informative.

Sorry, just my opinion.

I agree with Trisha on this one. Next thing you know, I'll be providing doggie treats to the tour guide's dog too.

I think when I am charged the hefty price that HAL charges for many of their excursions, the tip should be included. I am paying for the excursion, and that would assume all normal services are included in that price, including a competent bus driver, an informative guide, etc. Short of something way out of the ordinary, I'm not tipping a dime extra. I'm already paying a bundle ... not just the tour operator's fee, but the nice healthy override that HAL has tacked onto the price of that excursion (which, according to that Cruising, Inc. television special could be 50% or more). So as far as I'm concerned, I'm paying quite enough for that excursion to cover any appropriate tip.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again ... in my opinion, this tipping crap is getting way out of hand. Soon the time will come when I won't be able to afford a vacation any longer. It seems like just about everyone has their hand out for a tip. I go for an aerobatics plane flight and there's a plaque on the instrument panel in front of me telling me that "while tips are never expected, they are certainly appreciated." I go for a tandem skydive and the "nice, helpful" lady at the manifest window "advises" me when I hand her my credit card that it is "appropriate" to tip my tandem instructor $20, plus my "vidiot" ... their term, not mine ... (skydiving videographer) another $20. Christ! The cost of my tandem skydive ... already well over $400 with the video and still pictures ... has just "jumped" another $40 bucks. Where will it end? Doesn't the price I am charged for these things include compensation for the people who provide the services? I can see tipping traditional service people ... waiters, my cabin steward, a bartender, etc., who gives me service ... and I have no objections to the $11 a day and the 15% surcharge on my drink tab for that purpose. Those are people who traditionally are paid a low wage and who are traditionally compensated with tips. But these other people? Where will it end? Will I one day have to tip my doctor, my dentist, or the pharmacist that fills my prescription too?

Sorry for the rant, but this tipping issue is really starting to get under my skin now.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

We will tip, like others have stated, for exceptional service. My DH has some health issues and, during various excursions, the driver or guide has talked/stayed with him at the bus while I'm off taking photos/video or souvenier hunting.

In most of those times, he's learned so much about the places we are visiting, that it is worth it to us to tip those who cared enough to see to DH's well-being.

That's an entirely different situation and, yes, in that case I too would tip them nicely. They are performing a service that is clearly beyond the scope of what they are technically being paid to do and, at least to me, that's what tipping in this case is for.

Blue skies ...

--rita

[kryos]

I agree with Kyros---unless the guide goes ABOVE and BEYOND, doing much more than we felt we paid for, I don't tip...the excursions are expensive, and the "guides" either own the excursion or are well-paid employees. It's not necessary to tip them!

I think cruisers really go hog wild with the tips---while I'm not averse to tipping well in restaurants, I simply don't feel it's needed for every person you come in contact with to get tipped!Trust me, when HAL hires these tour operators, I have no doubt the tour operators tell HAL ... included in the price is a $5 tip per person because your cheap passengers don't tip us. Then, HAL pays the tip and if we give them anything else, that's all gravy. They're probably doing quite nicely ... and, in fact, if you figured out their daily take (considering most of these tour guides own the excursion company), they are probably making more than most of us do when we're at home. :)

Blue skies ...

--rita