Tipping on Shore Excursion Tours

[calex]

What is the local custom regarding gratutities for self-booked shore excursion tours on a Panama Canal cruise (Columbia, Costa Rica, and Mexico)? If the tour charges $60 per person, should the tip be $20, $10, or $$$ ?

 

 

Also, I heard the cliff divers in Acapulco show up at the tour vans in the parking lot after each performance expecting to receive tips. What is a customary amount to give them?

[NH Cruisers]

I don't know what is customary for the tour people, but I give about $15-$20 tip between the tour guide and driver. Unless they really stink at what they do. Then who knows.

[newmexicoNita]

I don't know what is customary for the tour people, but I give about $15-$20 tip between the tour guide and driver. Unless they really stink at what they do. Then who knows.

 

Is that per person or for 2 of you? I guess we are on the cheap side; we usually give about $5 per person. Yes, we give something to the driver as well.

[NH Cruisers]

Is that per person or for 2 of you? I guess we are on the cheap side; we usually give about $5 per person. Yes, we give something to the driver as well.

For the two of us, or three of us when we have the boy with us.

[NLH Arizona]

It depends on if the tour is good or not. For a really good tour, I will tip $20 to the tour guide and $5 if there is a bus driver. For a not so go tour, I will tip $5 for the tour guide and $5 for the bus driver.

[Stillfloatin']

It depends on if the tour is good or not. For a really good tour, I will tip $20 to the tour guide and $5 if there is a bus driver. For a not so go tour, I will tip $5 for the tour guide and $5 for the bus driver.

 

This is pretty much what we tip also for 2 of us. There have been a couple of extraordinary unforgettable tours where the guide went way above and beyond and we've doubled the tip for those. But they are rare and very special.

[newmexicoNita]

ok, now I don't feel so bad. I thought NHcruiser was giving $15 or $20 per person. I still think we might not be tipping quite enough. Oh well, I guess we will think of adjusting our tipping ideas on our next cruise.

[NLH Arizona]

This is pretty much what we tip also for 2 of us. There have been a couple of extraordinary unforgettable tours where the guide went way above and beyond and we've doubled the tip for those. But they are rare and very special.

Mine is per person, not per couple.

[rbrugler]

We are three adults. for a half day tour, we give the guide 5 and the driver 3. For a full day, double that. For the divers, one or two would work.

[SissasMomE]

Is that per person or for 2 of you? I guess we are on the cheap side; we usually give about $5 per person. Yes, we give something to the driver as well.

 

Agreed with the $5 pp.

[newmexicoNita]

We are three adults. for a half day tour, we give the guide 5 and the driver 3. For a full day, double that. For the divers, one or two would work.

 

that is pretty much what we had been told awhile back. I don't know where I read it, but we had heard $5 for 1/2 day and $10 for the whole day or something like that plus $2 to $3 or a little more for the driver.

[calex]

It appears there is a consensus that an appropriate tip for the tour guide is $5 to $10 per person depending on the length of the tour. This number would be bumped up if you have an extraordinary experience. If there is a separate driver, $2 to $3 per person is appropriate.

 

For the Acapulco cliff divers that show up in the parking lot after the performance at the tour vans, a buck or two per person is adequate. It is too bad there are only 4 ships making a port of call in Acapulco in 2014. But, considering the strong Mexico Travel Warnings from the U.S. State Department for the state of Guerrero and city of Acapulco, the cruise industry’s caution is understandable.