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Etiquette and Tipping Around the World


Travelcat2
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Hoping that Host Dan will make this a sticky as it is likely to be helpful to many cruisers. Below are two websites. The first includes information on tipping as well as etiquette. The second is a website that diplomats use when they travel. My hope is that posters will add comments to this so we will all have the latest information as we sail around the world.

 

1. http://www.swissotel.com/promo/etiquette-map/

 

2. http://www.ediplomat.com/np/cultural_etiquette/cultural_etiquette.htm

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TC2, Wow what a great site, I bookmarked them to keep. What great find, thanks for taking the time looking for them-I'll us them. As you know, I'm one that think tipping is right-but only when it's right. Good to know when it's not. thanks again.

Rick

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Great site and I'm sure it will help many travellers.

So pleased they said NO tipping in Australia but I'm surprised the thumbs up gesture was marked obscene. To my knowledge it's perfectly ok and I've been using it all my life along with everyone I know!

I think it would be a good idea if these links were posted on every cruise site on CC.

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Great site and I'm sure it will help many travellers.

So pleased they said NO tipping in Australia but I'm surprised the thumbs up gesture was marked obscene. To my knowledge it's perfectly ok and I've been using it all my life along with everyone I know!

I think it would be a good idea if these links were posted on every cruise site on CC.

 

 

Post it to the others, but, Only if they get it right.

 

Now I remember when a thumbs up, moving your hand in an upward movement was considered an insult, but thumbs up, held still has never been one to my recollection.

 

And not taking wine to the guests for dinner, since when?

 

And don't blow your nose, another Huh??? Sure be discreet turn away, but feel free to blow if needed.

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Post it to the others, but, Only if they get it right.

 

Now I remember when a thumbs up, moving your hand in an upward movement was considered an insult, but thumbs up, held still has never been one to my recollection.

 

And not taking wine to the guests for dinner, since when?

 

And don't blow your nose, another Huh??? Sure be discreet turn away, but feel free to blow if needed.

 

I did not claim that the two websites were 100% accurate which is why I hoped that posters would update the thread. The biggest thing that I did wrong (my British DH brought it to my attention), is how you give the "victory sign" or show how many drinks that you want with one hand in the U.K. If your hand is "backwards" you are basically flipping the bartender off. Based on visiting almost 90 countries, we find that most of what is suggested on both websites is fairly accurate.

 

One custom that I love is not pouring drinks for yourself- only for others. Many people in the U.S. know this custom and will pour Sake or others but not themselves. It is not only correct in terms of etiquette but is also a "fun" experience.

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I have just clicked on the second link, the diplomatic one, and read the UK section. I think it was probably written and was certainly valid about 80 years ago, between the wars maybe, and gave me quite a chuckle.

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I have just clicked on the second link, the diplomatic one, and read the UK section. I think it was probably written and was certainly valid about 80 years ago, between the wars maybe, and gave me quite a chuckle.

 

 

Pretty much the same with the Aussie one, maybe once upon a time, but a lot certainly doesn't apply today.

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The advice to 'round up' a taxi fare in the UK should be treated with caution! On a £19 fare, for example, the cabbie would be rightly disappointed if told to keep the change from a £20 note and might well let you know it!

(This is in relation to 'proper' black cabs however rather than mini-cabs, Uber etc of which I have no experience)

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The advice to 'round up' a taxi fare in the UK should be treated with caution! On a £19 fare, for example, the cabbie would be rightly disappointed if told to keep the change from a £20 note and might well let you know it!

(This is in relation to 'proper' black cabs however rather than mini-cabs, Uber etc of which I have no experience)

Yet another reason I hate the custom of tipping. Too many variables. Black cab vs Uber, bags vs no bags, should you adjust the tip for weather or traffic, etc....it's nuts. If the cab meter says £19, that's what it should cost. If I go buy a pair of shoes for $275, I don't pay the salesman $300 or $350 just because he found the right size...grrrrrrr

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Totally agree with UUNetbill.

The whole tipping thing has got silly, in Britain now it is rare and the sooner it disappears the better. Why should we give to those that serve us to make up for poor wages, a charity hand out, it has its routes in servants and giving them what you think they are worth. Service charge at least is clear and not people giving a hand out to those who they think deserve it, or showing off wealth to curry favour.

If a restaurant says $10 that's you should pay not $11/12 because it was prompt or served with a smile. Equally if wine is $20 a bottle why pay $3 to have a cork removed and poured out, it is the only way to drink it!!

The fast food model of pay what you have not a bit more or less is surely the way forward in the 21st century, not back to the past.

I only round up for easy process, In the last year I have not tipped at all.

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Well tipping is not going away anytime soon in the US. Servers are paid below minimum wage and few if any benefits. So if restaurants eliminate tipping and increase wages they will increase menu prices one way or another so the consumer does not win.

 

During our season many restaurants calculate on the checks 10-15-20% suggested tip. Many people come to Florida and are not accustomed to tipping and leave nothing. These hardworking people live on tips. Most of us in the US will continue to tip. The kids that work the valet services work mostly for tips and I want to insure that my car comes back in one piece the next time I go to the same venue.

 

Miles

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GENUINE QUESTION

I know this is cc and so most replies are from professional people who are not lacking the means to give a tip, if desired!!

How though do the poorer people in society cope in the USA, or do they never use restaurants, cabs, bars, etc as surely for many 15% or 20% on top of the price quoted , will price them out of using this service.

Surely that creates a two tier society, expecting tips like this will keep customers away, not a good business model. And servers will not have a job.

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Well tipping is not going away anytime soon in the US. Servers are paid below minimum wage and few if any benefits. So if restaurants eliminate tipping and increase wages they will increase menu prices one way or another so the consumer does not win.

 

During our season many restaurants calculate on the checks 10-15-20% suggested tip. Many people come to Florida and are not accustomed to tipping and leave nothing. These hardworking people live on tips. Most of us in the US will continue to tip. The kids that work the valet services work mostly for tips and I want to insure that my car comes back in one piece the next time I go to the same venue.

 

Miles

 

We solve the valet problem by never using a valet. We are fully capable of walking an extra perhaps 50 feet to insure our car isn't damaged. Have seen too many videos of valets taking cars for joy rides in the parking lot while parking the car. IMHO valet parking is a scam.

 

As to the putting the suggested tip on the bottom of the bill, beware that it is calculated correctly. The generally accepted calculation uses the price before the tax and too many places calculate the tip on the total price including tax. Have also found times where the dollar figure is higher than the percentage shown and on the total including tax.

 

A simply way to check on the recommendations being correct and not inflated is to find the recommended tip for 20%, divide the dollars there by 2 and compare to the price before tax. Should be the same or really close. For example if the 20% recommended tip amount is $12.50 divide the 12 by 2 equals 6 so the before tax price should be about $60

 

Hope this helps.

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A simply way to check on the recommendations being correct and not inflated is to find the recommended tip for 20%, divide the dollars there by 2 and compare to the price before tax. Should be the same or really close. For example if the 20% recommended tip amount is $12.50 divide the 12 by 2 equals 6 so the before tax price should be about $60

 

Hope this helps.

Yeah, it helps. It helps demonstrate the absurdity of the tipping system. You shouldn't have to do mental calculations to buy a meal. Does anyone ever tip any other service people? Do you tip your car salesman? Your shoe salesman? Your clerk in the supermarket? I'd much rather see waiters paid a better wage and have the price included in my meal. If I buy a $100 dinner, and tip the waiter $25, and the valet $10, I'd much rather just pay $135 for dinner and not have to calculate percentages, or decide whether to include alcohol or tax in the tip.

 

During our season many restaurants calculate on the checks 10-15-20% suggested tip. Many people come to Florida and are not accustomed to tipping and leave nothing. These hardworking people live on tips. Most of us in the US will continue to tip.

Here's yet another example of why it would be better to boost the price of a meal by 20-25% and pay your waitstaff fairly. It seems like it would benefit both the customer and the workers equally.

 

Archaic custom and it needs to go away. IMO.

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We solve the valet problem by never using a valet. We are fully capable of walking an extra perhaps 50 feet to insure our car isn't damaged. Have seen too many videos of valets taking cars for joy rides in the parking lot while parking the car. IMHO valet parking is a scam.

 

As to the putting the suggested tip on the bottom of the bill, beware that it is calculated correctly. The generally accepted calculation uses the price before the tax and too many places calculate the tip on the total price including tax. Have also found times where the dollar figure is higher than the percentage shown and on the total including tax.

 

A simply way to check on the recommendations being correct and not inflated is to find the recommended tip for 20%, divide the dollars there by 2 and compare to the price before tax. Should be the same or really close. For example if the 20% recommended tip amount is $12.50 divide the 12 by 2 equals 6 so the before tax price should be about $60

 

Hope this helps.

 

You are right and we never tip on tax but many people don't realize that.

 

At Christmas time we do give something to our mail lady and our pool guy but we consider that a Christmas gift not a tip.

 

When I was a kid I slung newspapers and many gifted me during the holidays. Hell yeah I needed the money.

 

Some hotels with restaurants you really have no choice but to valet as street parking down here is difficult to find and parking garages are charging $10.00. If we are lucky to find a space we don't mind walking either but during season here you need to be lucky.

 

Miles

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Yeah, it helps. It helps demonstrate the absurdity of the tipping system. You shouldn't have to do mental calculations to buy a meal. Does anyone ever tip any other service people? Do you tip your car salesman? Your shoe salesman? Your clerk in the supermarket? I'd much rather see waiters paid a better wage and have the price included in my meal. If I buy a $100 dinner, and tip the waiter $25, and the valet $10, I'd much rather just pay $135 for dinner and not have to calculate percentages, or decide whether to include alcohol or tax in the tip.

 

 

Here's yet another example of why it would be better to boost the price of a meal by 20-25% and pay your waitstaff fairly. It seems like it would benefit both the customer and the workers equally.

 

Archaic custom and it needs to go away. IMO.

 

Almost completely agree with you Bill. It is nice in those countries that don't tip to simply pay the bill and not worry about a tip much like buying a shirt. While we have always had good service in countries without the need to tip, am afraid if we removed tipping in the US and simply increased the prices, because of the inbred culture of tipping, people who used to be tipped will be more lax in their customer service without the gratitude of the "big tippers" and service will suffer.

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How about simply paying the minimum wage to servers in all 50 states instead of only a handful? In any case, this thread was started to help posters check out etiquette and tipping cultures around the world rather than debating tipping in the U.S..

 

P.S. Thank you Host Dan. Hope that this will help posters with their current and future travel.

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The following quote is a quick summary (from Wikipedia) of US Department of Labor Laws regarding "tipped employee" compensation -

 

"The American federal government requires a wage of at least $2.13 per hour be paid to employees that receive at least $30 per month in tips [this includes "tipped employee" restaurant workers]. If wages and tips do not equal the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour during any week, the employer is required to increase cash wages to compensate. As of May 2012, the average hourly wage – including tips – for a restaurant employee in the United States that received tip income was $11.82."

 

So, saying that restaurant wait staff (who are "tipped employees") do not make "minimum wage" is not actually true. Our law requires employers to make up any difference in compensation between received tips and the minimum federal standard wage. In most all cases, wait staff (includes valet parking attendants), particularly in popular resort and tourist venues earn quite a bit more than the federal minimum wage standard. The final/total income they receive is far greater than minimum income rates and is directly commensurate with their own initiative, personality, skill, and talent that they bring to the job.

 

Many of my friends who live in Europe and Australia, but who often visit the U.S. (and me) on business and vacation, frequently comment on how much "friendlier and helpful" the restaurant wait staff are in the U.S., than in their own countries. This should not be hard to understand. A typical waiter in Denmark or Italy (who almost universally happen to be men - not women. Hmmm? I wonder why?) are "salaried". They earn the same fixed salary no matter whether they provide exceptional service to the guest or whether they provide mediocre or surly service to the patrons. I have often been treated as if the wait staff were "doing me a favor" and barely acknowledged my presence! After all, they're going to make the same salary whether I tip them or not, and whether they serve 1 or 20 parties in a single evening.

 

At restaurants in the U.S., the wait staff (the majority of which, are women) can directly, immediately, and significantly increase their own personal levels of compensation (through increased tips), by being courteous, attentive, alert, and cheerful. If they choose to provide me with a pleasant, memorable, and enjoyable dining experience, I will also be sure to "take care of them", as well.

 

Based on my own international travel experience, many of the wait staff I encounter (in restaurants) outside the U.S. would certainly not make a very good living in the U.S. restaurant industry if they brought the same negative, "cold", inattentive attitudes and demeanor with them that I have seen displayed in the many foreign (and high-priced) dining venues that I've patronized overseas.

 

Asking us in the U.S. to "change" our customs and well-established system of compensation in our labor force, in order to "conform" with other parts of the world seems to me to be on a par with me suggesting that Great Britain should start driving "on the right side" of the road - like most of the "rest of the world" does. Just my 2-cents. :)

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I am not sure that most of the seasoned travellers who cruise with Regent need lessons in etiquette...........although there are some exceptions, and some need to brush up on their basic manners e.g. letting guests out of the lift before barging in :rolleyes:

 

As others have said, some of the advice is a little archaic and there are some gaps e.g. in the UK placing your knife & fork adjacent to each other neatly on your plate indicates that you have finished that course (even if there is food left on the plate)

 

I am not sure whether the swissotel site is encouraging or discouraging people in the UK to "mash peas with fork" ; I was always taught not to 'shovel' my peas with the fork but rather press them onto the back of the fork; mushy peas with fish & chips may require other techniques ;) ......and of course the following method would probably be frowned upon:

I eat my peas with honey;

I've done it all my life.

It makes the peas taste funny,

But it keeps them on the knife.

Anon

 

:D:D:D

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flossie, I seriously doubt if any seasoned traveler has memorized the etiquette differences for every country which is likely why a website was created for Diplomats. IMO, it isn't so much what you should do but rather, what you should not do.

 

It is helpful if people from a particular country that is reading this thread could add to what is presented on the websites (as you did with mushy peas -- something we prefer not mushed).

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Asking us in the U.S. to "change" our customs and well-established system of compensation in our labor force, in order to "conform" with other parts of the world seems to me to be on a par with me suggesting that Great Britain should start driving "on the right side" of the road - like most of the "rest of the world" does. Just my 2-cents. :)

 

Our employment customs used to include sending children up chimneys to clean them, but we moved on

 

Over 25% of the world's population drives on the left. As well as the UK over 50 other countries have chosen to keep to the 'correct side', including Australia, Japan and India

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