Tipping on excursions question

[bnickle]

Is it appropriate to tip your guide or excursion leader? For example, the pilot from a helicopter ride to a glacier; should we tip at the end of the tour?

[Krazy Kruizers]

We always did.

[bnickle]

We always did.

 

 

Excellent, thanks! Appreciate the response. We thought so but were not sure.

[POA1]

Normally, yes.

[Randyk47]

I'd agree with POA1 and say normally yes. Been on enough ship tours over the years to say the majority have been good to excellent and we've tipped accordingly. We've also had a few clunker tours and have not tipped. Point is we don't feel obligated to tip.

[taxmantoo]

We normally tip tour guides on ship-sponsored tours as well as private tours. However, we do not tip when a guide specifically mentions tipping is not included or asks for one. In my view, anyone who asks for a tip does not deserve one... that is begging, plain and simple.

[GradUT]

Tipping is such a personal, subjective thing.

 

If I get more than I expected from my tour, then I tip my guide. I don't tip a guide who just does his/her job.

[OCruisers]

How much we tip depends on the type of excursion, etc.

[cb at sea]

Agreed...you tip according to how much you feel the experience is worth. We've had guides who may as well not have been there at all..no tip. We've had guides who really made the experience special....big tip!

 

We've had drivers who simply drove...no tip...that's what I paid them to do. We've had drivers who acted as a guide or helped with luggage (on transfers) or did more than "just drive"...again...we tip for that sort of service!

 

There are no guidelines. Do what you feel is right for you.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

How much we tip depends on the type of excursion, etc.

I agree with you and if I could understand them. And they made it interesting.

[knittinggirl]

We usually tip.

 

Also, if they make sure we don't fall when we leave the bus, that also deserves a tip. If they don't help me off the bus, I "forget" to tip.

 

We tip both guide and driver.

[WVU_Neal]

We were on a HAL excursion in Bordeaux last fall. The "registered" guide had a horrible command of English and ran a quite disorganized tour. It was a reminder of why we don't take HAL tours. Needless to say, no tip was offered.

 

Neal