Jbluebird Posted March 27, 2023 #1 Share Posted March 27, 2023 We have several excursions booked through RCCL. Do you typically tip the drivers and tour guides for the excursions? And if so, what is the usual amount? We haven't cruised in many years so I just wanted to get a sense of the going rate. Thank you in advance for your suggestions. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare orville99 Posted March 27, 2023 #2 Share Posted March 27, 2023 13 minutes ago, Jbluebird said: We have several excursions booked through RCCL. Do you typically tip the drivers and tour guides for the excursions? And if so, what is the usual amount? We haven't cruised in many years so I just wanted to get a sense of the going rate. Thank you in advance for your suggestions. With very few and rare exceptions, no. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise5life Posted March 27, 2023 #3 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Yes i tip. Depending on the excursion. From 5-10 bucs to guide and a few bucks to driver. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare 1025cruise Posted March 27, 2023 #4 Share Posted March 27, 2023 I usually tip a $5. As far as I'm concerned, the driver and tour guide can split it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tatka Posted March 27, 2023 #5 Share Posted March 27, 2023 We rarely go on RCI excursions and for the most part we do not tip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SG65CB Posted March 27, 2023 #6 Share Posted March 27, 2023 When they drive us around the Caribbean island and I see the housing I get the idea they can use the $10 a lot more than I can. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare moposh Posted March 27, 2023 #7 Share Posted March 27, 2023 I do tip on the most part. Maybe $5. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare orville99 Posted March 27, 2023 #8 Share Posted March 27, 2023 1 hour ago, SG65CB said: When they drive us around the Caribbean island and I see the housing I get the idea they can use the $10 a lot more than I can. That's why they take the routes that they do.😇 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC Stew Posted March 27, 2023 #9 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Jbluebird: Good question and diplomatically phrased. If you are pleased with your tour experience, of course, you should tip! Tours are obviously contracted out to local tour operators. Your driver and guide are back at work after a long Covid shut down. While they shouldn't actively solicit your gratuity, you can be darned sure that they'll appreciate you giving it!! FYI: If it's a fairly basic tour day on a bus, we'll typically tip $5 pp. for the guide and a couple of bucks to the driver. Although, I'm guessing that the guide would probably give a portion of her tips to the driver. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare moposh Posted March 27, 2023 #10 Share Posted March 27, 2023 35 minutes ago, orville99 said: That's why they take the routes that they do.😇 When I went to Labadee years ago, we did a tour. It was basically the tour guide telling us a hard luck story. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cherful59 Posted March 27, 2023 #11 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Driver $5. - $7. Tour guide $5 - $15. Depends on how informative, helpful, and/ or interaction and length of tours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LynnTH Posted March 27, 2023 #12 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Jumping on this. We have a Land & Sea Tour on our European Cruse. Booked through RCCL. Cost was $150 per person. At first I was thinking 20% but now thinking that may be a bit much. (there is 7 of us going in our group). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightOne Posted March 27, 2023 #13 Share Posted March 27, 2023 5 hours ago, Jbluebird said: We have several excursions booked through RCCL. Do you typically tip the drivers and tour guides for the excursions? And if so, what is the usual amount? We haven't cruised in many years so I just wanted to get a sense of the going rate. Thank you in advance for your suggestions. Always. I don't tip with ones or fives. Not virtue signaling like some cheapo is going to accuse me of on this post but rather just telling the truth. As always, you are free to do as you wish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NightOne Posted March 27, 2023 #14 Share Posted March 27, 2023 5 hours ago, orville99 said: With very few and rare exceptions, no. Need that money to bid from GS to OS I take it? 😞 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcur Posted March 27, 2023 #15 Share Posted March 27, 2023 I tip $5 to each of them. The driver, who kept me safe on the roads, definitely deserves a tip. Plus, I thank him for keeping us all safe as I hand it to him. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare orville99 Posted March 27, 2023 #16 Share Posted March 27, 2023 25 minutes ago, NightOne said: Need that money to bid from GS to OS I take it? 😞 Nope, just don’t believe that after paying inflated prices to take an excursion that there is any need to pay the people hired with our payments anything additional to do the job we paid them to do in the first place. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atxcarter Posted March 27, 2023 #17 Share Posted March 27, 2023 Yes, we generally tip $20 per tour (for reference, there is usually 4 in our party - 2 adults, 2 kids). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC Stew Posted March 27, 2023 #18 Share Posted March 27, 2023 30 minutes ago, orville99 said: Nope, just don’t believe that after paying inflated prices to take an excursion that there is any need to pay the people hired with our payments anything additional to do the job we paid them to do in the first place. Appalling statement. I suppose then, that you don't tip your servers in a restaurant, even if the service was good? There's no difference here. If you think that the tours are overpriced, then you should not book them. Do some research and book your own tours which I often do, and there can be a very significant cost savings. Even with a tip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare orville99 Posted March 27, 2023 #19 Share Posted March 27, 2023 4 minutes ago, AC Stew said: Appalling statement. I suppose then, that you don't tip your servers in a restaurant, even if the service was good? There's no difference here. If you think that the tours are overpriced, then you should not book them. Do some research and book your own tours which I often do, and there can be a very significant cost savings. Even with a tip! You are certainly entitled to your own opinion, but I am under no obligation to give it any sunlight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
time4u2go Posted March 27, 2023 #20 Share Posted March 27, 2023 No, not usually. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzdisneymom Posted March 28, 2023 #21 Share Posted March 28, 2023 We usually do, but how much varies based on how long the tour was and what it involved. And that's whether we book through the cruiseline or book a tour independently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
latebuyer Posted March 28, 2023 #22 Share Posted March 28, 2023 Thanks for this post. I forgot about tipping and as a canadian will have to make sure to have some small US bills handy. I think the amount i tip may depend on what i thought of my guide. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum2Mercury Posted March 28, 2023 #23 Share Posted March 28, 2023 In general, we avoid ship-sponsored excursions /use private vendors. We have always been very happy with our private vendor tour guides and tip them about 10% of the cost of the excursion. In contrast, the few ship-sponsored excursions we've used have been large groups shepherded by lackluster tour guides who put in the minimum amount of effort. We typically do not tip them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldfish65 Posted March 28, 2023 #24 Share Posted March 28, 2023 $5-$10 typically. That's not a lot of money. I feel they appreciate any tip, as it's voluntary; they realize no one has to give them anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mapleleafforever Posted March 28, 2023 #25 Share Posted March 28, 2023 All part of of the total cost of the tour in my opinion. Usually 5 bucks per person for us for ship excursion. For private tours it's more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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