Tipping Excursion Drivers and Operators?

We are taking a few excursions from the ship and wanted to know if there were any guidelines about tipping the tour operators and the drivers. It's a European cruise and I know that usually in Europe you don't tip but since we are going to be on Royal Caribbean I just wanted to make sure we do not get caught unaware at the end of the tour. Also was curious about tipping an European tour guide for a private tour.

Tipping is not the norm in Europe but we decided to tip our driver and guide about 5 - 10 Euros each. They were always appreciative and never turned it down.

We also tip in Europe. How much depends on what they actually did for us.

Quite a few Europeans will give a small tip if the guide and driver have been helpful and friendly. Around €5, but slightly more if you want, for 2 of you. Sometimes there's a hopeful dish sitting there... :)

We found our tour guides accepted tips gracefully. We usually were in the 5 euro range for each of us for a half day and double that for a full day tour.

We're New Yorkers, so tipping is part of our city's culture.

While tipping is not the norm in Europe, tour operators will know that they will be offered a tip, especially when there are Americans/Canadians in port.

For guides, tipping is quite normal in most of Europe.

But at about half the US level, and some folk simply don't tip - it's no big deal

A few will tip the driver as well as the guide.

JB :)

We took a full-day bus tour in England last summer. The guide announced as we were finishing that tips for her and the driver would be happily accepted.

I'm figuring that if tips are usual and customary in the region you are touring, the tour operators will find a way to let you know.

There are NO tipping guidelines for excursions or tours. If you feel you got more from your tour than you paid for...tip what it's worth to you. Europe is not a "tipping" culture, so a little goes a long way, if you decide to tip.

Even in the states, some "tours" are merely transportation, which we've paid for...no tip needed.

You have to go by your "enjoyment factor", and decide accordingly.

If tour guides are telling you that you need to tip its more likely they know you are American and will tip them.

They wouldn't be telling people from the UK to tip.

If they leave a tray out for tips and you enjoyed the tour than give a tip by all means.

The price of a tour in most of Europe and the UK includes, at a minimum a living wage for their employees including drivers and tour guides.

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If tour guides are telling you that you need to tip its more likely they know you are American and will tip them.

 

They wouldn't be telling people from the UK to tip.

 

If they leave a tray out for tips and you enjoyed the tour than give a tip by all means.

 

The price of a tour in most of Europe and the UK includes, at a minimum a living wage for their employees including drivers and tour guides.

 

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:D Oh, Kerry, that made me laugh! I think that if people in the UK were openly asked to tip, the response would be "What a cheek!", and several of those who were going to drop a little something on the tray would deliberately ignore it.

And...it's what I hear so many times from UK cruisers when the ship's line tells them what to tip....

:D Oh, Kerry, that made me laugh! I think that if people in the UK were openly asked to tip, the response would be "What a cheek!", and several of those who were going to drop a little something on the tray would deliberately ignore it.

And...it's what I hear so many times from UK cruisers when the ship's line tells them what to tip....

Agree. I think that’s what many dislike about the system on cruises, you are told you must tip.

We happily tipped on both of our Med cruises. We used private drivers and guides for our group of five and the service we received was absolutely wonderful. There are so many examples I could list of how they took care of us in such an exceptional way that this post would be too long if I listed them all. I would go again with any one of them and happily tip again.