Tipping on excursions

[Rebelmom2015]

We will be going on some excursions while in port - Jamaica and Cozumel. What do you typically tip the guides and drivers? We'll be going to the Blue Hole in Jamaica and the Barhopper in Cozumel.

[Clarea]

10%-15% typically.

[Keith1010]

For both these locations:

 

If the excursions are through the cruise line then a few dollars per passenger for the driver and around $10.00 per person for the guide.

 

For a private tour around 10 to 15 percent for the tour guide and say $10.00 for the driver.

 

With that said I would base the total amount on the total cost and length of the tour and most importantly on the quality of the tour guide, driver and tour. If you are not pleased with one or all of this then I would adjust my tip down from what I am recommending.

[labatsman]

For both these locations:

 

If the excursions are through the cruise line then a few dollars per passenger for the driver and around $10.00 per person for the guide.

 

For a private tour around 10 to 15 percent for the tour guide and say $10.00 for the driver. Agreed

With that said I would base the total amount on the total cost and length of the tour and most importantly on the quality of the tour guide, driver and tour. If you are not pleased with one or all of this then I would adjust my tip down from what I am recommending.

Agree again

Base your tip on your enjoyment of the tour, we have over tipped and on the odd occasion not tipped as the experience wasn't great, does't happen much.Most of them are great and they know the world wide web can catch up to you

[GUT2407]

Hey look another tipping thread.

[cb at sea]

Tipping is NOT required and if you tip, it's up to YOU...it's not a "percentage" of the cost!

 

If we have a great guide and a great time, we'll tip $5-20 for the 2 of us....if the "excursion" is simply transportation and we do our own thing once there..no tip is extended.

 

I feel it's up to the employees to split the tip if there is more than 1 person. We never tip them individually, if there's more than one.

[Rebelmom2015]

Hey look another tipping thread.

 

Sorry, I couldn't find the other tipping thread.

 

Thanks everyone!!

[OCruisers]

Sorry, I couldn't find the other tipping thread.

Thanks everyone!!

 

No Problem ... Glad you posted.

Tipping really all depends on how much the tour guide and/or crew of a catamaran did for you personally.

If nothing, $2.50 pp for a half day (4 hours or less) and $5.00 pp for five hours plus. Also, it's nice to tip the driver (who just drove) a $1.

[lenquixote66]

We were on a tour in Alaska .Our tour guide was a college professor who gave each person on the tour a free copy of a book he wrote about Denali National Park .His tour was excellent and we tipped him more than we normally do.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have had some great tour guides and others -- so-so. That makes a difference on how much we tip.

For 1/2 day tour with a good guide -- $5 per person. Full day tour with a good guide -- usually $10 per person.

Now -- since I am partially handicapped and have to use a walker, I tip a little extra for the help of my Rollator.

Bus driver -- $5 total for half day and $10 total for a full day.

[RogersRanch]

just to add - Caribbean countries prefer American Dollars because the exchange rate is in their favor, with a few exceptions of course (Caymans)

[MrsPete]

10% rounded up to the nearest dollar is a good rule of thumb.

 

Off-topic, but we still occasionally laugh about the wonderful tour guide we had at a Mexican port who, at the end of the tour, politely asked that if we'd enjoyed ourselves we might "make happy my hat" -- and he removed his hat and passed it around for tips. Sometimes at a restaurant my husband'll say to me, "Do you have any ones? I need to make happy his hat", and I'll know exactly what he means.