Tipping in the Islands

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Tipping isn't always the same everywhere around the world. So my question is it customary to tip in the islands when out to dinner or after an excursion? I've been asked this question and don't know the answer.

It's a generational thing in FP. If they are older than 35 they won't expect a tip. Under 35 and they might. Fact is if you try and tip an older person (50+) it actually might offend them.

When your at a nicer resort/restaurant the government has already added a tip in the price. At food stands and small cafes a tip could be in order for a person under 35.

Tour vendors are now sort of expecting a tip especially if they are under 35.

Tipping offends Polynesian customs and notions of hospitality. Personally, I never tip anyone in the islands. Unfortunately, Americans have a habit of exporting their own rather degrading tipping culture wherever they go and I'm afraid Tiki is right - younger Tahitians tend to expect it. Just remember, though, Tahiti is an overseas territory of France so welfare standards and employment law is far more advanced than it is in the USA.

We never tipped, including on the dive boats and it was a nice change.

In 22 years of travel to FP every year (accept 2013) we have never tipped ..........

Many people around the world aren't accustomed to the level of service typically expected and provided in the U.S. -- Where those who provide service have more incentive to provide quality service.

Due to this, Americans are sometimes shocked to discover the lack of quality and efficiency for everyday service when travelling abroad to certain places (like the UK for example -- Where providing voluntary gratuities is not the societal norm, and often the service in places like restaurants is sub-par, compared to that of the U.S.).

That stated, while some regressive social customs may harken back to the archaic days of server/master feudalism, and such concepts like tipping may still remain socially uncomfortable, part of being a respectful traveler is making an effort to observe the social etiquette of the various locales that one may be visiting.

Much like a person coming to the U.S. and not observing the tipping culture for good service would be considered extremely rude and offensive, someone travelling to FP ought to equally be conscious in an attempt not to offend or create an awkward situation for both parties involved.

Personally, I have found levels of service in high-end American hotels and restaurants about the same as in Europe though nothing beats Asia for truly astonishing levels of service - I recently stayed four nights at the Four Seasons Hong Kong and service levels there were off-the-scale.

Personally, as a European, I hardly ever tip - not even in the USA - though I do tip the maids/valets when I stay with friends and expect my guests to leave a little something for my staff when I hold shooting weekends.

Thank you for all your responses. I'm glad I asked the question. :D

Polynesians in general are very giving and loving people. Part of their heritage was the gift of hospitality. Many of my best memories over the years was from older Polynesians who always went the extra mile, not because they were trying to get a better tip, it's just who they are ........... the younger generation has been westernized.

IMO, this has nothing to do with servant/master mentality, Polynesians were doing this long before the Europeans showed up ........

Personally, I have found levels of service in high-end American hotels and restaurants about the same as in Europe.

Well, that would make logical sense considering that the term "high end" would lead one to reasonably expect a 'high' level of service.

As for 'everyday' service.....

On our trip to FP a few years back, we decided to grab a few drinks and perhaps a bite at one of the restaurants near the port in Papeete.

Our waitress came and took our drink orders and returned fairly promptly with our drinks. After we had finished them, and we were ready for another, our waitress was nowhere to be seen. We waited for a bit, figuring that she might be busy with another table inside that we couldn't see. 15-20 minutes passed and so I decided to ask another waiter passing by where she was.

This led to a funny exchange as I tried to practice my French that I had learned in HS -- Not being able to recall the word for waitress, I tried to ask him "Ou est notre femme" (translated as: "Where is our woman?").

As if that wasn't already a strange enough thing to ask, with my awful pronunciation it came out sounding more like "Ou est notre faim?" (translated as: "Where is our hunger?"). Needless to say, he looked at me with a state of bewilderment.:o

After a little clarification, I was able to relay my query correctly and was told that our waitress was taking her dinner break. Apparently she had failed to notify any of the servers to cover her tables while doing so. Or perhaps that is just standard protocol?

In the states, that action could definitely affect any potential tip being provided. In French Polynesia, we didn't have to fret about it.:)

Polynesians in general are very giving and loving people. Part of their heritage was the gift of hospitality. Many of my best memories over the years was from older Polynesians who always went the extra mile, not because they were trying to get a better tip, it's just who they are ........... the younger generation has been westernized.

 

IMO, this has nothing to do with servant/master mentality, Polynesians were doing this long before the Europeans showed up ........

Much like their kinship to the North in Hawaii and what Hawaiians refer to as 'Aloha spirit', we found the 'Aroha/Maeva spirit' to be alive and well in FP.

It may at times seem harder to recognize, but a similar spirit (giving and going the extra mile) still exists in our Westernized world too.

Jan Prince, in her guidebook, isn't very helpful on the matter, saying that she tips and has tipped quite regularly in the islands. She concludes that Americans tend to tip because it makes them feel good and because it's just like back home.

So my advice is don't tip in FP and no one will mind, no one depends on tips and no one will go bankrupt if you don't.

On the other hand, before you leave you can always 'share' your local currency with someone who has helped you out. A polite thank you and off load the spare xpf's to someone who will use them....:)

Personally, as a European, I hardly ever tip - not even in the USA - though I do tip the maids/valets when I stay with friends and expect my guests to leave a little something for my staff when I hold shooting weekends.

Sandringham I guess?

Personally, as a European, I hardly ever tip - not even in the USA - though I do tip the maids/valets when I stay with friends and expect my guests to leave a little something for my staff when I hold shooting weekends.

 

Sandringham I guess?

My guess too, a lovely little place in the county............;)

Personally, I have found levels of service in high-end American hotels and restaurants about the same as in Europe though nothing beats Asia for truly astonishing levels of service - I recently stayed four nights at the Four Seasons Hong Kong and service levels there were off-the-scale.

 

Personally, as a European, I hardly ever tip - not even in the USA - though I do tip the maids/valets when I stay with friends and expect my guests to leave a little something for my staff when I hold shooting weekends.

And how is Lord Grantham?? Shrimpie back from India?:p;)

Americans don't see tipping as "degrading". We see it as a warm THANK YOU for good service. We think NOT TIPPING is degrading.

Americans don't see tipping as "degrading". We see it as a warm THANK YOU for good service. We think NOT TIPPING is degrading.

You just need to remember that the most important thing is how the receiver views it. In Polynesian culture tipping can be seen as degrading and impolite by the older generations, so its best to follow their customs, not what you are used to at home.

Americans don't see tipping as "degrading". We see it as a warm THANK YOU for good service. We think NOT TIPPING is degrading.

You just need to remember that the most important thing is how the receiver views it. In Polynesian culture tipping can be seen as degrading and impolite by the older generations, so its best to follow their customs, not what you are used to at home.

When we were in FP we did not tip the local tour operators or food venues, we thanked them warmly and let them know how much we appreciated their hospitality. They seemed to react much better to this than a US $10 bill that some others in our group threw at them at the end of the trip.

Americans don't see tipping as "degrading". We see it as a warm THANK YOU for good service. We think NOT TIPPING is degrading.

Then please do so in your own country and try to respect the customs of other countries when you go abroad.

There are surely other ways to say 'Thank you' than simply putting your hand in your pocket and handing out cash as if every other country in the world was somehow backward and poor. In some places - like Haiti or Malawi or the borders between Nebraska and South Dakota - poverty is a real issue.

But in fact, French Polynesia has a fairly high standard of living with excellent health care and employment laws.

So just try saying, "Thanks a bunch" or even better, "Merci monsieur."

Then please do so in your own country and try to respect the customs of other countries when you go abroad.

 

So just try saying, "Thanks a bunch" or even better, "Merci monsieur."

Right on! Shouldn't we all strive to respect local culture, traditions, and customs when we travel and explore the world? Should it not be, "Hmmm...I wonder how they do things there?", rather than, "That's how we do it at home"? Isn't that what travel's all about...to explore, to learn?

We are just back from a 14-night French Polynesia/Cook Islands cruise, and not once were we even made to feel that a tip of any kind was expected (and, coming from who just might be the most genuinely friendly people we've ever come across)...kind of refreshing, actually, coming from North America as we do, where the "tip jar" has gone viral.