Tipping for Excursions

Trying to budget for our various excursions we have planned, and the thought of tipping came to me.

We are doing the following excursions:

1) UTV tour (prepaid around $400 for four people) - should I tip about $40 ($10 per person in our crew)

2) Private owner / tour guide: $265 - Tip about $50???

3) Snorkel tour for 4 at $45 each = $180 - Tip about $20-30?

What are your thoughts? These are not cruise line excursions. All private.

I think 10% would be fine.

I think those amounts are a bit much...but it really depends on the VALUE of the experience to you! There really are no guidelines.

We typically tip the Guide and Bus Driver on Royal excursions. $5 to $10 each, depending how the trip was.

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We usually tip $5 -$10 to our guides. There have been a few occasions when the guide has done (in our opinion at least) a phenomenal job. In those cases we have tipped more.

I think those amounts are a bit much...but it really depends on the VALUE of the experience to you! There really are no guidelines.

We typically tip the Guide and Bus Driver on Royal excursions. $5 to $10 each, depending on how the trip was.

 

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We are the same, almost. We tip $5-10 per couple. There have been a handful of excursions that were truly made remarkable by the tour guide, where we have tipped more.

I've also seen lots of people that don't tip at all.

We usually tip $5 -$10 to our guides. There have been a few occasions when the guide has done (in our opinion at least) a phenomenal job. In those cases we have tipped more.

Do you tip them $5 or $10 per person in your crew? Or in total? The one I am most concerned about is the lady that will be spending the whole day with us, driving us around and being our tour guide. I also plan on paying for her lunch.

Traveling as a couple, I would tip a driver (short transfer) $5 and a tour guide/boat operator about $20. That's for both of us. I've seen plenty of people tip nothing, especially on snorkelling trips. I think these people have seen it all so do what's comfortable for you.

Trying to budget for our various excursions we have planned, and the thought of tipping came to me.

 

We are doing the following excursions:

 

1) UTV tour (prepaid around $400 for four people) - should I tip about $40 ($10 per person in our crew)

 

2) Private owner / tour guide: $265 - Tip about $50???

 

3) Snorkel tour for 4 at $45 each = $180 - Tip about $20-30?

 

What are your thoughts? These are not cruise line excursions. All private.

Number 1 sounds good.

Number 2 if the owner owns the business no tip is necessary but if you think the day was exceptional tip about $25.00

Number 3 around $20.00

Make your final decision the day of the tour based on the quality of the quides.

Keith

Where are you cruising?

Where are you cruising?

Yes - I'm surprised folk have already answered without wanting to know that.

Local customs, local levels of tipping.

JB :)

Where are you cruising?

ABC islands

The answers I provided would apply to ABC Islands.

Keith

ABC islands

I see no difference with that destination.

I see no difference with that destination.

Neither do I. Even in Europe we tipped our bus drivers and guide.

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Where are you cruising?

I wanted to say that you were so right to have asked about this since whether or not to tip and how much does vary arond the world. Your question is a good reminder about needing details for these types of questions.

Keith

I wanted to say that you were so right to have asked about this since whether or not to tip and how much does vary arond the world. Your question is a good reminder about needing details for these types of questions.

 

 

 

Keith

Explain please. The way I read this, there are some areas where tipping in not warranted? I know there are areas that don’t generally tip but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t if we choose too.

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Explain please. The way I read this, there are some areas where tipping in not warranted? I know there are areas that don’t generally tip but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t if we choose too.

 

 

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There are some places where tips are just not part of the culture. That is what I meant.

Keith

Trying to budget for our various excursions we have planned, and the thought of tipping came to me.

 

We are doing the following excursions:

 

1) UTV tour (prepaid around $400 for four people) - should I tip about $40 ($10 per person in our crew)

 

2) Private owner / tour guide: $265 - Tip about $50???

 

3) Snorkel tour for 4 at $45 each = $180 - Tip about $20-30?

 

What are your thoughts? These are not cruise line excursions. All private.

Tipping is always a bit of a confusing matter at least for us. We've settled on carrying a possible 20% with us and varying according to service received. For a large group tour which often has a driver and a guide we'll usually just tip $5 to each. For a private tour with just us and maybe a few friends or family we'll at least give 10%.

If they really go above and beyond we'll up it a bit. My hubby likes to make lighthearted fun of me for saying I tip $5 just for them showing up when and where they say they will without me having to search around wondering where they are. :D

Explain please. The way I read this, there are some areas where tipping in not warranted? I know there are areas that don’t generally tip but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t if we choose too.

 

 

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I cannot agree.

And by asking if there are countries "where tipping is not warranted" you've shown that you really need to research the subject for countries that you're going to visit.

In Japan and South Korea it's considered rude to tip.

Other countries like Australia & Hong Kong don't have a tipping culture, though sadly that's starting to change.

In most countries it's customary to tip - but at half the US level or less.

I don't know of any countries where more than US levels is expected. But someone might chip in & put me right on that :D

Will staff accept whatever's offered? In most countries yes, of course - money is money. But locals regard over-tipping as arrogant and demeaning. I regard it as just plain dumb.

When I dine out in the UK I'll tip anywhere from 10% to zilch, depending on the standard of service.

And zilch if the food or value-for-money are poor. Not the server's fault - but they should go work in a better restaurant..

And zilch if a service charge has been added to the bill - although I do my damnest to avoid places which add a service charge (difficult to avoid in tourist hot-spots).

The big difference is that I know that servers throughout the European Union are by law paid a living wage, and that tips (and service charges) are the jelly on top of the bread-and-butter wages..

What say you to my tipping the same when I'm in the USA?

You'd quite rightly kick up about me coming to the States & not complying with US norms.

So you can't be surprised if I kick up about Americans exporting their tipping culture to other countries.

When in Rome etc

Rant over ;)

btw to the OP. Yes, the ABC islands, like much of the Caribbean, nowadays expect tips at or close to US levels. But don't be afraid to change those figures up or down according to how they've enhanced your experience

JB :)

I cannot agree.

 

And by asking if there are countries "where tipping is not warranted" you've shown that you really need to research the subject for countries that you're going to visit.

 

In Japan and South Korea it's considered rude to tip.

 

Other countries like Australia & Hong Kong don't have a tipping culture, though sadly that's starting to change.

 

In most countries it's customary to tip - but at half the US level or less.

 

I don't know of any countries where more than US levels is expected. But someone might chip in & put me right on that :D

 

Will staff accept whatever's offered? In most countries yes, of course - money is money. But locals regard over-tipping as arrogant and demeaning. I regard it as just plain dumb.

 

 

 

When I dine out in the UK I'll tip anywhere from 10% to zilch, depending on the standard of service.

 

And zilch if the food or value-for-money are poor. Not the server's fault - but they should go work in a better restaurant..

 

And zilch if a service charge has been added to the bill - although I do my damnest to avoid places which add a service charge (difficult to avoid in tourist hot-spots).

 

The big difference is that I know that servers throughout the European Union are by law paid a living wage, and that tips (and service charges) are the jelly on top of the bread-and-butter wages..

 

 

 

What say you to my tipping the same when I'm in the USA?

 

You'd quite rightly kick up about me coming to the States & not complying with US norms.

 

So you can't be surprised if I kick up about Americans exporting their tipping culture to other countries.

 

When in Rome etc

 

 

 

Rant over ;)

 

 

 

btw to the OP. Yes, the ABC islands, like much of the Caribbean, nowadays expect tips at or close to US levels. But don't be afraid to change those figures up or down according to how they've enhanced your experience

 

 

 

JB :)

I thought we were talking about cruise ships and cruise ship excursions. If you choose not to tip while on a cruise Ship, that is your business. We just happen to leave our pre paid gratuities in place and time over for drinks and good service.

We will tip the bus driver and guide from $5-$10 each for the two of us. We generally only do Royal Excursions. Boat excursions generally have a tip jug onboard, maybe others can’t see it. [emoji23]

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I thought we were talking about cruise ships and cruise ship excursions. If you choose not to tip while on a cruise Ship, that is your business. We just happen to leave our pre paid gratuities in place and time over for drinks and good service.

 

We will tip the bus driver and guide from $5-$10 each for the two of us. We generally only do Royal Excursions. Boat excursions generally have a tip jug onboard, maybe others can’t see it. [emoji23]

 

 

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We too leave ships' auto-tips in place

Duty done, anything extra is up to us. But since auto-tip is the same as a service charge in those UK establishments that I ranted about, you can probably guess that we rarely add to it. That's the problem with words like "tips", "gratuities". Since I've been surcharged for tips, why would I put my hand in my pocket again to add a second tip??

There are still one or two UK lines that don't add tips - in fact, they promote "tips included" in the headline cruise price. Like most of their passengers, at the end of a cruise we still put our hands in our pockets cos the service is just as good as other cruise lines.

I think there's also an up-market US line or two with a no-tipping policy?

But shore excursions, regardless of whether they're ship-sponsored, are conducted by locals.

And IMHO local tipping culture should prevail.

JB :)

I think 10% would be fine.

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I thought we were talking about cruise ships and cruise ship excursions.

To be fair, you did say: "Explain please. The way I read this, there are some areas where tipping in not warranted? I know there are areas that don’t generally tip but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t if we choose too."

Doesn't sound as if you were limiting your question to cruise ships, but John Bull is correct that even when cruising one needs to be aware of the tipping culture of the countries one is visiting -- people often take private tours, eat a meal ashore, etc. And yes, there are countries where tipping is decidedly NOT part of the culture and in fact are considered an insult.

To be fair, you did say: "Explain please. The way I read this, there are some areas where tipping in not warranted? I know there are areas that don’t generally tip but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t if we choose too."

 

 

 

Doesn't sound as if you were limiting your question to cruise ships, but John Bull is correct that even when cruising one needs to be aware of the tipping culture of the countries one is visiting -- people often take private tours, eat a meal ashore, etc. And yes, there are countries where tipping is decidedly NOT part of the culture and in fact are considered an insult.

When we were off the ship in Barcelona, France, and Italy, we tipped with Euros. On ship, with US Dollars.

Nobody seemed to mind or let us know in anyway that we insulted them.

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