Tipping on excursions

What is customary for tipping on excursions not affiliated with our cruise ship? We have a day long catamaran excursion and I'm not sure what is appropriate. Also, do we tip the captain for the whole crew or tip individually? Is it rude to tip in American dollars?

Most excursions have a tip jar available - let the crew figure out how to split it up. We typically tip between 10-20% of the excursion fee, depending upon service. US dollars are fine.

Do not tip. You just make the locals more greedy. A hand shake and a big thank you is good enough.

At St. Maarten dock, ferry ticket seller has a jar for tipping. There is a tipping jar on the ferry. They really expect dumb tourist to tip everyone along the way.

I have a saying that says "tip for the service, not the work". Those excursions are their line of work so they have to do it or they don't take money home. But IF in doing that work, they have good customer service, they make you feel like they WANT you to be there and they go out of their way to make you fell good, comfortable, special, ect. then they are providing a good service. Those are the times you should tip if you're moved to do so. A tip jar on the exit of a ferry where the boat driver does nothing but drive the boat and the tender does nothing but say "watch your step" gets nothing from me. A crew that helps me with my bags/luggage, asks if I'm comfortable, cleans the seat for me if wet or dirty and genuinely tries to give me a good experience, then yes, I do put something in that jar.

What is customary for tipping on excursions not affiliated with our cruise ship? We have a day long catamaran excursion and I'm not sure what is appropriate. Also, do we tip the captain for the whole crew or tip individually? Is it rude to tip in American dollars?

I like vacations, and really love cruise vacations. I know many folks in the islands depend on tips as a partial source of their livelihood and I do tip most of the service workers, (excluding the operators of the 10 minute ferry ride in St. Marten). However, it's a relief to get back home where not everyone you meet has their hand out.

I usually throw a few dollars in the jar for most excursions... Probably more if good maybe 5 dollars or so... if just okay 2 dollars... I like to tip with the service... with great service I might tip 20 dollars... but I really do not plan on it being 10-20% of cost of excursion.

Normally, there are tip jars so you don't need to tip each person to cover the whole crew. US Dollars are happily accepted. ;)

In Barbados just a few dollars.

Keith