Tipping for excursions

[Garth2]

We would love to know your rule of thumb for tipping tour guides and/or drivers at the end of a Carnival excursion.  We never know whether to base it on the cost of the excursion, the length or just a flat amount.

[Doggielover68]

10 minutes ago, Garth2 said:

We would love to know your rule of thumb for tipping tour guides and/or drivers at the end of a Carnival excursion.  We never know whether to base it on the cost of the excursion, the length or just a flat amount.

For us, $5-10 is sufficient regardless of what the excursion is. In general we are not very needy and don't drink much on all inclusive excursions. However, if it is an excursion where we interact with many different people/servers, we tip individually. For example, when we went on the all inclusive passion island by twister boat excursion in Cozumel, there were the crew members on the boat and different servers at the beach. 

Edited March 1, 2019 by Doggielover68

[Garth2]

Thanks.  That's what we usually do.

[jimbo5544]

54 minutes ago, Doggielover68 said:

For us, $5-10 is sufficient regardless of what the excursion is. In general we are not very needy and don't drink much on all inclusive excursions. However, if it is an excursion where we interact with many different people/servers, we tip individually. For example, when we went on the all inclusive passion island by twister boat excursion in Cozumel, there were the crew members on the boat and different servers at the beach. 

Agree on all counts

[Steve551]

8 hours ago, Garth2 said:

We would love to know your rule of thumb for tipping tour guides and/or drivers at the end of a Carnival excursion.  We never know whether to base it on the cost of the excursion, the length or just a flat amount.

Tip what you want to.  Most of the guides/drivers are grateful for whatever they get. Depending on the excursion we usually we tip at least $20 each for the driver and the guide.

[jemz1949]

On 3/1/2019 at 11:45 PM, Steve551 said:

Tip what you want to.  Most of the guides/drivers are grateful for whatever they get. Depending on the excursion we usually we tip at least $20 each for the driver and the guide.

$20 per person to both the driver and to the guide?

[brookeq]

We also do $5 to $10 when on group tours.  We are doing a private driver on one of the island this trip.  I am trying to figure out what we will tip for that.   

[teknoge3k]

We always do something with a local operator, never through the cruise line. Usually it's some sort of island tour or having them take us to the places we want to go and serve as our personal driver for the day. For the 4 of us, I usually tip $40 and also buy their lunch. 

[crooooze]

We don’t have a hard and fast formula for tipping.

It depends on how much the guide contributed to our experience.

 

In some cases, we give generously to each guide. Other cases, we’ll drop something less in the jar they hold out as we get off the bus or catamaran. Other times, we have not given anything.

 

My advice is to give what you feel is appropriate for each circumstance. You’ll know when the guides did a great job and when they phoned it in. Don’t feel swayed to give what others say they give

[Saint Greg]

On 3/1/2019 at 2:28 PM, Doggielover68 said:

For us, $5-10 is sufficient regardless of what the excursion is. In general we are not very needy and don't drink much on all inclusive excursions. However, if it is an excursion where we interact with many different people/servers, we tip individually. For example, when we went on the all inclusive passion island by twister boat excursion in Cozumel, there were the crew members on the boat and different servers at the beach. 

 

That’s what I do.

[GradUT]

2 hours ago, crooooze said:

We don’t have a hard and fast formula for tipping.

It depends on how much the guide contributed to our experience.

 

In some cases, we give generously to each guide. Other cases, we’ll drop something less in the jar they hold out as we get off the bus or catamaran. Other times, we have not given anything.

 

My advice is to give what you feel is appropriate for each circumstance. You’ll know when the guides did a great job and when they phoned it in. Don’t feel swayed to give what others say they give

 

Well said, Croooze.  That's exactly what we do and what I would recommend.  

[Butterbean1000]

On 3/1/2019 at 11:45 PM, Steve551 said:

Tip what you want to.  Most of the guides/drivers are grateful for whatever they get. Depending on the excursion we usually we tip at least $20 each for the driver and the guide.

Wow, I bet they love to see you coming. 😎

[soonernstlouis]

3 hours ago, teknoge3k said:

We always do something with a local operator, never through the cruise line. Usually it's some sort of island tour or having them take us to the places we want to go and serve as our personal driver for the day. For the 4 of us, I usually tip $40 and also buy their lunch. 

One of the reasons I would prefer a local guide rather than one thru the cruise line is (I assume)

the tour company makes less net profit with cruise line getting their cut.  It’s definitely a business choice they make with volume & less fluctuations over word of mouth business.

 Oh well, that’s a different topic anyway.  So I’ll throw in that I have budgeted a $20 tip for our private tour & don’t plan to take a lot of extra

cash off the ship since we pay the operator at the end & will be swimming some of the tour.

[dmdiver]

It just depends.  Some excursions require more interaction than others, so the tip may be a bit more, but seems it is usually $5-10.  There have been excursions where we didn't tip - our first cruise we didn't realize that the vendors are expecting a tip.  Seems there have been 1 or 2 that just weren't that great for what we paid & the staff did nothing - for example,  there's a difference between a bus driver who simply drives and one who also announces points of interest or gives info about the area or those who offer assistance getting on/off.  

[kona_wahine]

For me it depends on the type of excursion, number of people working, how interactive they are, how long the excursion is. So, anywhere for $5 to $20 usually. I HATE  to see someone not tip at all. Even a couple bucks is better than $0. It would have to be pretty bad for me not to tip at all. And I equally hate to see a bunch of hands stuck out asking for money. (Mexico). One tip jar strategically placed is just fine.

Edited March 10, 2019 by kona_wahine

[crooooze]

27 minutes ago, kona_wahine said:

I HATE  to see someone not tip at all. Even a couple bucks is better than $0.

 

I’ve been on excursions where guides berate and yell at people because they aren’t following directions to properly put on their snorkel vest... another rudely yelled at everyone because some people put their fins on before getting off the boat... another threw a fit because people stepped on the tightly crammed bench seats while exiting one of those semi-submarines...

 

Yes, these were rare and isolated incidents - but the negative attitude really put a damper on the whole excursion and those guides got nothing. Not even a couple of bucks. Sorry you HATE to see that.

[kona_wahine]

43 minutes ago, crooooze said:

 

 

Yes, these were rare and isolated incidents - but the negative attitude really put a damper on the whole excursion and those guides got nothing. Not even a couple of bucks. Sorry you HATE to see that.

Or people could listen and follow the rules.I also hate to see disrespectful rude tourists, and it happens everywhere. 

[Steve551]

13 hours ago, jemz1949 said:

$20 per person to both the driver and to the guide?

That's right. Not enough?  We are comfortable with that amount so that is usually our "standard" tip - we have tipped more and we have tipped less depending on our level of satisfaction with the service.

 

 

Edited March 11, 2019 by Steve551

[Steve551]

9 hours ago, Butterbean1000 said:

Wow, I bet they love to see you coming. 😎

They probably love us when we go because that's when we tip  LOL

 

Edited March 11, 2019 by Steve551

[NillaB]

In our recent (first) cruise, I tipped $5-10pp after reading in here - except for one tour where I did a little less bc of the not so great guides.

I did notice that only about half the others seemed to tip (tops).

No one was pressing for tips in any way until we were on the airport tour in Miami. Then, everyone was. 

Edited March 11, 2019 by NillaB

[crusinpsychRN]

I see way too many who don't tip at all. Makes me mad. Cheapskates.

[jimbo5544]

On 3/10/2019 at 8:17 PM, crooooze said:

 

I’ve been on excursions where guides berate and yell at people because they aren’t following directions to properly put on their snorkel vest... another rudely yelled at everyone because some people put their fins on before getting off the boat... another threw a fit because people stepped on the tightly crammed bench seats while exiting one of those semi-submarines...

 

Yes, these were rare and isolated incidents - but the negative attitude really put a damper on the whole excursion and those guides got nothing. Not even a couple of bucks. Sorry you HATE to see that.

It always amazes me how people rationalize stuff.  

[jimbo5544]

13 minutes ago, crusinpsychRN said:

I see way too many who don't tip at all. Makes me mad. Cheapskates.

Bingo...we have a winner.

[deliver42]

I always tip either $5.00 or $10.00 depending on the guide, but I wold never not tip. These people on the islands work for a pitence, and tips are their main source of income. To not tip because of some rationalization is awful at the least.

[Anyislandwilldo]

We usually go 10% of what the excursion cost.  If we have an outstanding time we will tip more.