Money in NZD and AUD dollars

[ellen9731]

We are traveling to New Zealand and Sydney so we need to change our US dollars into their dollars . We can use our card for most everything I’m thinking maybe tips and whatever requires cash , I’m hoping someone can help me figure out how much to bring we will be cruising from New Zealand to Sydney where we will stay for four days in Sydney.

[joybook]

Forget about tipping in Australia and New Zealand. It is not the custom. The only person I would consider tipping would be the porter at the hotel and then it maybe only a dollar or two. Certainly not taxis, restaurants etc.

[Antric]

15 minutes ago, joybook said:

Forget about tipping in Australia and New Zealand. It is not the custom. The only person I would consider tipping would be the porter at the hotel and then it maybe only a dollar or two. Certainly not taxis, restaurants etc.

I agree with this. Keep in mind that Australia and New Zealand are very card friendly and cash is rarely required. I would only change a small amount of cash (~$100) and if you need more use an ATM where the FX rate will be better than the cash FX transaction in USA.

[waltd]

When using a car service from the airport to a hotel would you tip the driver?  This would be in Sydney.

[Antric]

You are likely to get a range of responses to this question. There isn't a tipping culture in Australia like there is in the USA, mostly because employees in the service industry receive a higher base salary than for example, service employees in the USA. Having said that tipping for great service or assistance above and beyond is not uncommon and encouraged. Hope this helps.

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, waltd said:

When using a car service from the airport to a hotel would you tip the driver?  This would be in Sydney.

Presumably the car service is pre-booked and probably pre-paid. As you are coming from the airport the driver would not expect a tip. I mention (as others have) that his base pay would be very good to start with.

[waltd]

Yes pre-booked and pre-paid.     But they also allow for a tip.       Thanks for the reply.

Joe

[SinbadThePorter]

1 hour ago, waltd said:

But they also allow for a tip.

 

Just remember that you are bringing a foreign custom into the country and the effects of that stay long after you leave.

 

In Australia it is not necessary to tip. It will become necessary if people continue to tip.

 

If someone requests a tip, you should make the following reply:

 

"Don't come the raw prawn with me mate!".

Edited September 28, 2019 by SinbadThePorter

[Aus Traveller]

1 hour ago, waltd said:

Yes pre-booked and pre-paid.     But they also allow for a tip.       Thanks for the reply.

Joe

If you wish you could add a tip, but, as SinbadThePorter said, tipping is not necessary in Australia. However, I suspect that when a driver hears an American accent, he would probably think a tip would be forthcoming. 🙂

 

Unfortunately we are seeing tipping mentioned more often as more tourist who tip, come to Australia. Even Princess in its port information, mention that 20% tip is customary. It isn't.

Edited September 28, 2019 by Aus Traveller

[waltd]

Not to worry.    We certainly don't want to offend anyone including car service drivers.   I just want to make sure we don't have issues at the end of the service.   So I was a bit off about the tipping for the car service we were looking at.   It does say that the price is all inclusive  including any taxes and tip.   So although it does not break it down it seems they do include the tip for the driver in the final price.    

When we booked the same   car service in Tokyo  this is where we had the option to include a tip.   Again not a problem with us.   If we were to get some sort of exceptional service then we might consider something extra but otherwise "When In Rome Do As The Romans Do" 😁

Thanks for the information.

[GUT2407]

About the only tipping I eve4 do is for my benefit not theirs, ie I may round up a taxi fare etc so I don’t end up with a pocket full of shrapnel as others have said, 0lease leave the compulsion to tip at home, minimum adult wage here is fast approaching $20 per hour.

[RLK33853]

We travel to Australia once a year and have relatives who live there who have advised us on this issue.  Two things you need to know.

 

1.  If you use your card, you will be charged a small percentage for doing so.  I can't remember exactly, but I seem to think the surcharge is 2%.  You can check this on the Australian board and find out for sure.

 

2.  Tipping is done in Australia, just differently.  Most Australians round up the bill.  If it is 19, they will round up to 20, etc.  That said, if you are at a higher end restaurant, they do expect a tip, especially if you are from North America, and trust me, they know.

 

Either way, you won't get any attitude if you don't tip, especially at regular restaurants, etc, but we usually round up.

 

Enjoy your trip down under.

 

Ray and Ann

[GUT2407]

Some places charge a credit card surcharge but far from all include it.

[GUT2407]

6 hours ago, RLK33853 said:

We travel to Australia once a year and have relatives who live there who have advised us on this issue.  Two things you need to know.

 

1.  If you use your card, you will be charged a small percentage for doing so.  I can't remember exactly, but I seem to think the surcharge is 2%.  You can check this on the Australian board and find out for sure.

 

2.  Tipping is done in Australia, just differently.  Most Australians round up the bill.  If it is 19, they will round up to 20, etc.  That said, if you are at a higher end restaurant, they do expect a tip, especially if you are from North America, and trust me, they know.

 

Either way, you won't get any attitude if you don't tip, especially at regular restaurants, etc, but we usually round up.

 

Enjoy your trip down under.

 

Ray and Ann

The reason they expect a tip if you have an American accent is because your fellow countrymen have insisted in doling them out, even after being told they aren’t expected

[Thrak]

1 hour ago, GUT2407 said:

The reason they expect a tip if you have an American accent is because your fellow countrymen have insisted in doling them out, even after being told they aren’t expected

 

Incredibly annoying to others here who are sick of being expected to tip all the time. It's a bad system and I certainly understand why Aussies don't want it spread to their country. We'll be cruising out of Brisbane next fall on a B2B2B and won't be tipping during our time on land.

Edited September 28, 2019 by Thrak

[2ferfun]

What about on the cruise itself? I know that Aussie cruises have different tipping procedures (no daily charge for those booked through Princess Australia) but I assume one would still tip for something like room service delivery? Is it best to tip in AUD? What would be the proper amount?

[GUT2407]

Usually they don’t wait around ling enough to give them a tip.

 

on a ship I do usually tip 3xtra to those who have made my cruise special.

 

as for what currency, a few years ago on a cruise to NZ I was behind a crew member in a shopping centre and he asked me to help sort out what currency he needed  to pay for his purchases he had Aus$ NZ$, US$, Euro, GB£, Yen and a few I didn’t recognise, so I’m not sure it matters a lot what you tip in, at the end of that cruise my additional tips were in NZ$ that I had leftover and Aus$.

[SinbadThePorter]

2 hours ago, 2ferfun said:

I assume one would still tip for something like room service delivery? Is it best to tip in AUD? What would be the proper amount?

 

The problem with tipping for room service is that not many currencies have notes with denominations smaller than 5 (except the US of course), and coins are useless.

 

It's a bit much to expect people to tip five Oz/NZ/EU/GB every time just for room service.

 

I very rarely use room service, but if I do I don't tip. Room service is on the same gratuities distribution as the other service staff.

Edited September 29, 2019 by SinbadThePorter

[2ferfun]

2 minutes ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

The problem with tipping for room service is that not many currencies have notes with denominations smaller than 5 (except the US of course), and coins are useless.

 

It's a bit much to expect people to tip five Oz/NZ/EU/GB every time just for room service.

 

5 $Oz is about 3 $US which seems reasonable to me? Or is my American showing...  🙂

 

So, on our Sun Princess cruise is it ok not to tip? We want to do the culturally right thing and we HATE the US tipping system but it seems wrong not to tip for room service.

[polmcs]

11 hours ago, RLK33853 said:

We travel to Australia once a year and have relatives who live there who have advised us on this issue.  Two things you need to know.

 

1.  If you use your card, you will be charged a small percentage for doing so.  I can't remember exactly, but I seem to think the surcharge is 2%.  You can check this on the Australian board and find out for sure.

 

2.  Tipping is done in Australia, just differently.  Most Australians round up the bill.  If it is 19, they will round up to 20, etc.  That said, if you are at a higher end restaurant, they do expect a tip, especially if you are from North America, and trust me, they know.

 

Either way, you won't get any attitude if you don't tip, especially at regular restaurants, etc, but we usually round up.

 

Enjoy your trip down under.

 

Ray and Ann

 

Princess also adds a 1% service charge if you opt to pay your cabin bill by credit card when cruising out of Australia.

 

As we booked our Oz-Fiji cruise in the States, we were still expected to pay the standard daily gratuity, albeit converted to AUD.  

[Aus Traveller]

3 minutes ago, 2ferfun said:

5 $Oz is about 3 $US which seems reasonable to me? Or is my American showing...  🙂

So, on our Sun Princess cruise is it ok not to tip? We want to do the culturally right thing and we HATE the US tipping system but it seems wrong not to tip for room service.

It is quite OK not to tip. If you feel you must tip, you could hand over US$1 or $2. Crew can use US$ or the currency of the country where the ship is based (in this case AUD).

[SinbadThePorter]

1 hour ago, 2ferfun said:

5 $Oz is about 3 $US which seems reasonable to me?

 

Yes, but would US$5 be OK?

 

You've got to remember that from the point of view of Australian cruisers a dollar is a dollar. Just because the $A goes down against the $US, doesn't mean that everybody in Australia gets a pay rise to make up for it.

 

The $A has in the not so distant past been worth more than the $US, which would have made tipping an even more expensive proposition.

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by SinbadThePorter

[Hlitner]

Tipping is not the culture in Australia or NZ.  However, once you make it clear you are an American (by just opening your mouth) then tipping is fine (they prefer at least 50%)  :).  Only teasing.  But there are too many fellow Americans who think we should force the rest of the world to accept our tipping culture.  In Rome (or Sydney) do as the natives do.

 

Hank

[2ferfun]

11 hours ago, SinbadThePorter said:

 

Yes, but would US$5 be OK?

 

You've got to remember that from the point of view of Australian cruisers a dollar is a dollar. Just because the $A goes down against the $US, doesn't mean that everybody in Australia gets a pay rise to make up for it.

 

The $A has in the not so distant past been worth more than the $US, which would have made tipping an even more expensive proposition.

 

 

These are good points.  Americans are just broken when it comes to this.  We are so used to tipping for any service received that its almost as if we don't know how to cope otherwise. I think many of us tend to overtip...just hoping not to upset anyone.  It really is a stupid system.

 

I recently left a 15% tip for what was truly sub-standard service (and this was at an Applebees which is a very casual bar & grill type of restaurant.)  As I was leaving I was accosted by the server wanting to know why I had left such a poor tip. Broken system!

 

Thanks for the advice.

[nanwel]

Tipping is not expected in Auz. But regular tipping rules apply on board - the staff will take any form of money - think of the fact that they are usually Asian, and sending most of their money home. (prefer US because they bank it).

in Auz - I did tip the porter $1 Auz money. Did not tip the prepaid taxi. 

When I went into a bank in Sydney to get some local money - I was told to go to a machine outside - or I would be charged a fee. Thanked them and did that.

I was getting a petti and the fee for that was cash only in a small local shop.

Small lunch type restraunts did not expect a tip.

I did leave one in Dinning rooms, but smaller than the $ I would leave in US or Canada. I took out cash and paid for small stuff instead of using my card and getting a larger bill when I got home. I was at a hotel pre and post cruise for 3 days each way.

Went into a local pub for lunch one day - order food at  counter and go sit at table with my drink in hand. Order came up -got up to get it and they cleared my drink...oops. they did get me another, but took a bit.

Remember, you are going to be in ports for a few days - will need some small cash for things.

I usually order money from my bank before I travel, In Auz, NZ I ran out and had to get more.