A little help from veteran cruisers

[officerstinson]

I know we are to tip tour guides and such...but what is a decent tip without going overboard...is it like the states where in an eatery it is 15 to 20 %. Just wondering how much money to bring for tips in general, thanks for any help.

[cruzsnooze]

I do not tip tour guides on ship excursions, they are well paid and I pay double for using the ships excursion. I tip if the tour is private and then according to the service rendered, did they just do their job or were they personable? It's an individual choice. If you watch people get off the tour bus you will see some people tip and some don't, it's about 50/50 so make your decision after you experience the tour.

[jessed]

Same here with the ship sponsored tours. On my last private tour I tipped $10 on a $40 tour.

[dk1]

I will normally tip a driver/guide about $5 per person, more if they actually do something special for me or provide over & above service.
I know that the ship's excursions cost more, but I do not believe that the people who actually do the work get double.
I'm not a rich man in the US by any means, however in most ports I am richer than most any of the folks doing the work. If they make me smile and help me enjoy the day it is worth a "thank you", and the best way to say thanks is in green.

Cheers
dk

[cellalot]

We usually tip 5 to 10. there have been times when it has been substantially more because of outstanding service. When you pay more on the ship, it is because the ship gets a cut... not the people doing the tour. We book on the ship when the tour travels a significant distance from the boat... for instance anything in Belize... in Grand Cayman we always book on shore. Often you are on the same tour as the one with the boat.

[Beebob1]

In Mahogany Bay we had a private tour for two of us. It was a tour of the island and had the guide for all day. We bought his lunch and tipped him 50 since it was all day and he was great.

[lazydayz]

If the guide makes our day special, we tip more. But I would say $5 per person is our minimum, unless service was terriible.

[ncshp955]

Originally Posted by dk1

I will normally tip a driver/guide about $5 per person, more if they actually do something special for me or provide over & above service.
I know that the ship's excursions cost more, but I do not believe that the people who actually do the work get double.
I'm not a rich man in the US by any means, however in most ports I am richer than most any of the folks doing the work. If they make me smile and help me enjoy the day it is worth a "thank you", and the best way to say thanks is in green.

Cheers
dk

I agree 100%. It is a small price to pay for a good time while on vacation.