Excursion tipping

[tootsiebelle]

I have several shore excursions booked (Peat Taylor in Ocho Rios and Nativeway for Grand Cayman) and was wondering what an appropriate tip would be for each. There will be three of us in our group. Thanks for any guidance.

[ComputerGeek]

I'm all for tipping tour guides - if they deserve it.

 

We have only booked tours through Royal Caribbean. The only sorry guide we ever had was "Macho Natcho" at Tulume/Mexico (yes, that is really what he asked us to call him). Natcho's idea of a tour was to lecture (deeper than a college prof) on Tulume, but the kicker - he's a name dropper. Half the time he dronned on telling us how his mother's cousin's uncle's sister tied into his story, and how, where, and when he meet this person and that person. The guy was just too full of himself.

 

We finally split the lecture, and got a few minutes to explore Tulume. On the way out he was still yammering on to about three people from our tour who could not cut loose from him.

 

Com tip time, Hubby got off the bus in front of me, gave Natcho a couple of dollars, and Natcho complained to me about the small tip. I had to bite my lip to keep from telling Natcho he would have gotten "nada" if it was up to me!

 

ComputerGeek - the original

 

Monarch 11/2002

Sovereign 8/2003

Explorer 12/2003 - Pictures http://community.webshots.com/album/130813087nZubJz

Mother's Day Sovereign Cruise 5/2004 - Pictures http://community.webshots.com/album/142714567mQXAyS

[hstrybuf]

If the tour and staff were good, we usually tip $5 to $10 per person. We've only had one not so great excursion and I practically had to pull teeth to get my DH to leave any tip at all.

 

 

Navigator OTS 10/04

Legend 04/04

Grand Princess 09/03

Dawn Princess 01/03

Enchantment OTS 10/02

Destiny 01/02

Sensation 08/99

[banderboo]

I've taken both of these excursions and tipped both an extra $10 per person.

 

Diane

Legend of the Sea 9/12/04

Voyager of the Sea 8/24/03

Sovereign of the Sea 07/01

[tootsiebelle]

Thanks for the info. That is what we were thinking too. We appreciate the help. Happy sailing!

[DUBIDUB2]

It's a very American thing. In America it's accepted, in other countries not always so. In Japan it's preferred you don't. However, in other countries it's not always expected. Often a good salary is earned, unlike where tipping happens in the USA.

 

However, it is also a cruise thing, no matter where the traveller is from. Most of the crew (who see passengers) are under paid. The cruise line knows and expect you to tip which is why they pay poor salaries. In theory, it is the cruise line whom are charging you to pay these great people to work for you (kinda backwards eh ??).. I don't really see it as tipping but more as a salary. IMHO. (Flame me!!).

 

If you want to tip excursions, then do it. You shouldn't think any more deeply than that. There tends to be a "tipping" pot almost anywhere America tourists are known to roam

 

I've lived in America so long, when I go back to England I often over tip. There has been some very surprised looks I can tell you!!

[ducklite]

We took excursions in St. Thomas and St. Maarten a couple years ago. In St. Maarten the guide wasn't very good and was really pushy trying to send us to certain shops where he "knew we could get a good deal" ie his buddies ran the places. We didnt' tip him. If he had been less pushy we probably would have given him about $10.

 

On the other hand in St. Thomas the driver who took us to the start of our walking tour was wonderful, very knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and we tipped him, I think $5 for the two of us...we were with him for about half an hour, which he made most enjoyable! We also tried to tip the tour guide for the walking tour we took, but he was an employee or volunteer (not sure which) of the St. Thomas Historical Trust and thus was not allowed to accept gratuities, suggesting we could make a donation to The Trust if we cared to.

 

Anne

[lvcruiser]

We took both excursions on our last cruise. We tipped Peat Taylor an extra $20 for two and Nativeway $10. We felt Peat earned every dollar of what he made.

 

Until NOS Sailing 10/23/04

 

NOS 10/23/04 Roll Call Click Here

[DedeM]

The only tour we took was Peat Taylor's. We tipped his son O'Neill, $5 and gave Peat $5. There were two of us. I noticed others in our bus didn't tip.

 

Navigator of the Seas 5/04

[Hucc]

wow... you guys are big tippers

 

we only tip around $2 per person for a tour

 

look at it this way: if there's 40 people on a tour, and each person gives $2, that's $80 for a few hours of work, plus their regular pay

 

pretty good if you ask me

 

***

Upcoming Cruises

Voyager of the Seas in August 2004

Diamond Princess in February 2005

 

[FinelyCruising]

We are doing Pete Taylor and our excursion will be $120.00 for the four of us. We will probably tip an extra $30.00 to round out total to $150.00 whatever that breaks down to.