Tips for Guides and Ship Personnel

Having just returned from our fourth cruise in Asia, this subject is fresh in my mind. Whenever I return from any cruise, but most especially, when I return from Asia where there is such crushing poverty, I am disgusted again by the unwillingness of people who have paid $15,000 or more to get there and take shore excursions and enjoy a great cruise, to give their servers and their excursion guides a plumb nickel. We saw the long lines of people trying to get out of paying the waiters and stewards. For shame. We go on many excursions and are often the only people who part with money to tip a guide who has done a good job for us all day. Again, for shame!!! Oh, you say, I am against tipping on principle. I am going to make these tour companies and the ships pay their people better. Really? Why should they? You're coming anyway. I have never heard of anyone boycotting a line because it doesn't pay its servers well enough. So you walk on by that guide standing at the door of the bus, and you smile graciously, hands empty, at your room steward. How nice. Your principles; his livelihood.