Tipping off the ship

[NolaZach]

I found on my cruise, that every shore excursion I went on, the guides or whatever, bascilly asked for $20 a person in tips (snorkeling, Kayaking) per person. Now I did find the guides nice so I tipped. Then one day I rented a bike when I returned it the guy asked for a tip. The next day in Nassau I rented a scooter, and even though it was supposed to be $25 they tacked on $10 for insurance and $10 for gas (even though I used less than a gallon). When I went to get my deposit back, the guy asked if he could keep it as a tip. I said "f" it, so I paid $65 for a scooter for an hour.

 

It just seems to me that some people you just don't need to tip. I'm paying $100 for an excursion, I feel that should be all I pay, likewise for a rental. I have never had someone in the states ask me for a tip when I returned a car or a bike. Then of course many of the people are more aggressive at ports of call. Whether its Chicolets in Mexico or hair braiding in the Bahamas there are always people wanting money for next to nothing.

 

So while I have no problems tipping on the ship, I can't stand the idea of tipping for counter service or for an excursion.

 

Yet it seems like more and more tips are expected for everything. The only person on the ship I "stiffed" was the Maitre'd. I saw him maybe once or twice before the last day. On the last day he made sure to talk to everyone at the table and collect his white envelopes. Someone told me he was like a manager in the resturant, I never tipped a supervisor or a manager before in my life and I doubt many people have.

On land I will tip a Maitre'd if he brings me to a table or does something, but it seems like on the ship it really is a useless job.

[klfrodo]

I'm 50/50 on what you had to say.

 

First off, on most ship sponsered excursions, if the excursion costs $100 from the cruiseline $40 - $50 of that goes to the cruiseline. The rest goes to the owner of the excursion company. The employees (the tour guide and the bus driver) work for the excursion company. IF the tour guide is good and we have fun, then I'll tip $5 per person in my group. I'll also throw a 5 spot to the driver for keeping us safe.

 

On snorkeling excursion, usually only the captain of the boat is a "paid" employee. The deckhands work for tips only. They are the ones working their butts off making sure my fat a$$ doesn't drown and making sure my beverage of choice is full once I get back on the catamaran. They receive tips also.

 

If I rent a bike or scooter or something and they did nothing other than take my money,,,,,they get nothing.

 

Those hard working servers in the dining room, were more than likely trained by the Maitre "d. Of course, I don't tip him/her either UNLESS they changed table assignments for me or did something other than visit my table on the last night.

[NolaZach]

I didn't know the boat crew worked for tips on the excursion. Me my mom and my brother tipped $60 for both the snorkeling and the Kayayk. I just didn't like being "told" what to tip.. Ww paid attention to what others were tipping and many didn't even bother.

 

If I have fun and the guys/girls do a good job I will tip regardless, but they present it as you "have" to tip. Which I don't like. I tip tour guides as a rule. The counter people I just don't understand. I'm just not one that likes to leave tips for not actually getting service.

 

The Maitre'd is a strange thing, because on a ship they have a different duty than on land. I just don't know what he does that deserves $20. IMHO the team waiters and drink guys deserve extra, so thats where my envelops went. My drink waiter knew my name the day we set sail and always addressed me by name. I enjoyed that, made me feel "special"

[klfrodo]

You're absolutely correct.

 

If a tour starts off with a "you owe me a tip" or something to that affect, my tip amount drops in proportion to how bad they pi$$ed me off.

[cb at sea]

I agree. When you pay BIG bucks for an excursion, no tip should be required. Now, the caveat is if they give you ALOT more than you paid for...then a tip is in order! But, if you get what was billed in the description, you do not need to tip...that's what you paid for!

For some reason, folks on a cruise think EVERYONE who even speaks to them deserves a tip! Cruisers can be quite "tip- happy"!

We do tip porters, room service delivery folks, cab drivers...we don't usually tip bus drivers or tour guides. It really is a personal thing. If you think the service provided is worth more than what you may have paid for it, then tip! If not---don't!

[klfrodo]

I agree. When you pay BIG bucks for an excursion, no tip should be required. Now, the caveat is if they give you ALOT more than you paid for...then a tip is in order! But, if you get what was billed in the description, you do not need to tip...that's what you paid for!

For some reason, folks on a cruise think EVERYONE who even speaks to them deserves a tip! Cruisers can be quite "tip- happy"!

We do tip porters, room service delivery folks, cab drivers...we don't usually tip bus drivers or tour guides. It really is a personal thing. If you think the service provided is worth more than what you may have paid for it, then tip! If not---don't!

 

Curious?

 

Do you leave a tip for the housekeeper who cleans your room at your hotel?

[mistyflannigan]

It seems like everywhere you go, a tip basket is present. Today I went for a self-serve yogurt and there was a tip basket at the checkout. Since I did most of the work getting my yogurt, I tipped myself. I do tip for service.

[Happy ks]

I think most people hate those tip jars. My son works at a sandwich shop, kind of like a Subway, they have a tip jar but he says hardly anyone ever leaves a tip. Not a problem, they are paid at least minimum wage.

 

If we're taking a bus excursion, we always give a little to the bus driver and the person who squawks barely legible information over the speaker system, but just a couple $ per person. We'll give more to a private driver, since they spend their entire day with you. We have tipped the crew on a snorkeling excursion, but not $20 per person, more like $5 per person.

 

What I'm wondering about is why people think head waiters or Maitre d's (sp) do nothing. Because you don't have them laying the food down in front of you does not mean they have not trained the staff each day and are watching the service every night. They do so much more behind the scenes than people can ever realize. If you have enjoyed your service the week you are on the cruise, you can bet the head waiter has had a lot to do with it.

 

On a 7 night cruise, you don't tip the head waiter $20 per person, it's more like $5.25 per person. To us, the service is worth it and we don't expect service for nothing.

 

I've worked before in a hotel with a fine dining room, a coffee shop and banquet facilities. The managers end up making the least amount of money and working longer and harder hours than anyone else, since most of the time they are salaried workers instead of hourly. I'd never want their job, some people think it is more prestigious or something.... go figure.

[April-in-NC]

We do tip porters, room service delivery folks, cab drivers...we don't usually tip bus drivers or tour guides.

 

I found this sign on the wall in the "Pre-Arranged Transportation" area as we left the RCI terminal at Port Canaveral.

 

 

While I don't think tipping the porters is unreasonable, they are VERY agressive when it comes to asking for tips. The idea that some of them (I've not experienced this) subtly threaten to "lose" your luggage if you don't tip them is not fair.

[ger_77]

The idea that some of them (I've not experienced this) subtly threaten to "lose" your luggage if you don't tip them is not fair.

 

There are some things that stay with you forever - on our first cruise in 1989 when we got off the bus at Port Canaveral a big burly guy asked us to point out our luggage to him. We did, he grabbed them and said "You don't have to tip me, but then I don't have to put your luggage on the right ship either." Sounded like extortion to us, but we r-e-a-l-l-y wanted our clothing to cruise along with us, so we tipped him. We always tip when service is provided, but don't like being coerced into it, or being told what they expect as a tip. That's just rude.

 

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

[NolaZach]

Curious?

 

Do you leave a tip for the housekeeper who cleans your room at your hotel?

 

 

Yes, if my room was well taken care of I leave at least a twenty. Nothing huge.

 

 

I don't like to tip people at counters, but will tip drivers. I wish I could tip cooks sometimes, I was one once and it stinks being a cook making $40 a day while watching the servers around you pull four or five times that for doing less work.

[NolaZach]

 

What I'm wondering about is why people think head waiters or Maitre d's (sp) do nothing. Because you don't have them laying the food down in front of you does not mean they have not trained the staff each day and are watching the service every night. They do so much more behind the scenes than people can ever realize. If you have enjoyed your service the week you are on the cruise, you can bet the head waiter has had a lot to do with it.

 

 

Have you ever tipped a manager? A supervisor?

 

If that is all a Maitre'd is than why do they desreve the tip, they should have a salary that reflects their position. I was a cook at one time and also a waiter and I made my way up to a assitant manager. I didn't get tips for a good job that someone I trained performed. To me it makes no sense at all to tip a person that is really just a manager/supervisor. Now If I go to a nice resturant and want a good table I tip the Maitre'd, but on the cruise ship I see nothing that warrants a tip.

 

 

 

Oh and the porters. I read this forum and saw how it said you should tip a porter a dollar a bag. So I decided to tip $10 for our five bags. I then watched the porter take my bags all of 10-15 feet and then put them in a pile. So I think nextr time I will just put my own luggage in the pile. I carried my own luggage off the boat.

 

I do see a need to tip a porter, but if you get dropped off at the terminal, the use of a porter isn't neccasary.

[rjm1cc]

If someone demanded a tip I think I would skip it.

If the guide was good I will tip a few dollars. I think tipping has to be figured into the trip but so does the service provided.

[Happy ks]

Have you ever tipped a manager? A supervisor?

 

If that is all a Maitre'd is than why do they desreve the tip, they should have a salary that reflects their position. I was a cook at one time and also a waiter and I made my way up to a assitant manager. I didn't get tips for a good job that someone I trained performed. To me it makes no sense at all to tip a person that is really just a manager/supervisor. Now If I go to a nice resturant and want a good table I tip the Maitre'd, but on the cruise ship I see nothing that warrants a tip.

 

 

 

Oh and the porters. I read this forum and saw how it said you should tip a porter a dollar a bag. So I decided to tip $10 for our five bags. I then watched the porter take my bags all of 10-15 feet and then put them in a pile. So I think nextr time I will just put my own luggage in the pile. I carried my own luggage off the boat.

 

I do see a need to tip a porter, but if you get dropped off at the terminal, the use of a porter isn't neccasary.

 

 

The banquet department I worked in did divide the tips between the servers, the managers, the cooks, the set up staff, the office staff. But I can understand what you are saying. This is the reason I don't mind tipping the Maitre d', because I know how hard they work and the salary they get is less than what the people working for tips are making.

 

I also wholeheartedly agree with tipping the cook. How many times do we read here on CC that people tip more in the specialty restaurants because the food is better? It certainly isn't because the servers are doing anything different. I know servers in land restaurants tip the bartenders and busboys (or girls!) for better service, they don't want to be ignored and have their customers wait. So servers are also held hostage by bartenders, busboys and even hostesses in nice restaurants! Why not tip the cook as well :confused:

 

We tip the porters on the way to embark a ship, never when we disembark. We can handle our own bags very well, but we do want to make sure they are in the luggage bin that gets loaded onto the ship.

 

That sign that April-in-NC posted, I sure wish it were on the outside of the building ;). At all cruise ship terminals.

[Nancipants]

Interesting discussion. I've been thinking about this recently because I read that lots of people tip their tour guides, and I'd never even thought of doing that. Now I'm trying to figure out if I need to budget more. I don't want to be cheap, but I agree with the person above who said you're expected to tip for everything now. I worked as a tour guide for awhile and I NEVER got tips. Nobody thought to offer them and I didn't expect them. Personally, if I'm paying $400 for a tour, I expect that the tour guide and bus driver are already being nicely compensated, just like I was when I was a tour guide.

[klfrodo]

Interesting discussion. I've been thinking about this recently because I read that lots of people tip their tour guides, and I'd never even thought of doing that. Now I'm trying to figure out if I need to budget more. I don't want to be cheap, but I agree with the person above who said you're expected to tip for everything now. I worked as a tour guide for awhile and I NEVER got tips. Nobody thought to offer them and I didn't expect them. Personally, if I'm paying $400 for a tour, I expect that the tour guide and bus driver are already being nicely compensated, just like I was when I was a tour guide.

 

My Opinion Only

 

I guess it depends on what you consider a "Tour Guide".

 

If it's the tour guide taking me through the Little Rock Museum of Art,,,then no tipping.

 

If it's the tour guide who takes me through the rapids on the Colorado River, or the guide who straps my fat butt into a itty bitty safety harness for zip lining, or straps my fat butt into a tiny parachute and sails me 600 feet over the water where the sharks are waiting for dinner,,,,,they get my tips :D

[G'ma]

I found on my cruise, that every shore excursion I went on, the guides or whatever, bascilly asked for $20 a person in tips (snorkeling, Kayaking) per person. Now I did find the guides nice so I tipped. Then one day I rented a bike when I returned it the guy asked for a tip. The next day in Nassau I rented a scooter, and even though it was supposed to be $25 they tacked on $10 for insurance and $10 for gas (even though I used less than a gallon). When I went to get my deposit back, the guy asked if he could keep it as a tip. I said "f" it, so I paid $65 for a scooter for an hour.

 

It just seems to me that some people you just don't need to tip. I'm paying $100 for an excursion, I feel that should be all I pay, likewise for a rental. I have never had someone in the states ask me for a tip when I returned a car or a bike. Then of course many of the people are more aggressive at ports of call. Whether its Chicolets in Mexico or hair braiding in the Bahamas there are always people wanting money for next to nothing.

 

So while I have no problems tipping on the ship, I can't stand the idea of tipping for counter service or for an excursion.

 

Yet it seems like more and more tips are expected for everything. The only person on the ship I "stiffed" was the Maitre'd. I saw him maybe once or twice before the last day. On the last day he made sure to talk to everyone at the table and collect his white envelopes. Someone told me he was like a manager in the resturant, I never tipped a supervisor or a manager before in my life and I doubt many people have.

On land I will tip a Maitre'd if he brings me to a table or does something, but it seems like on the ship it really is a useless job.

 

For excursions involving a guide and/or a driver, it is customary to tip the guide about 10% of the total price with a buck or two to the driver.

 

As for rental agencies, no need to tip them. They didn't do anything for you and it's not usual to tip them at all.

 

Taxi drivers should be tipped, however, as well as transportation and van drivers.

[Nancipants]

My Opinion Only

 

I guess it depends on what you consider a "Tour Guide".

 

If it's the tour guide taking me through the Little Rock Museum of Art,,,then no tipping.

 

If it's the tour guide who takes me through the rapids on the Colorado River, or the guide who straps my fat butt into a itty bitty safety harness for zip lining, or straps my fat butt into a tiny parachute and sails me 600 feet over the water where the sharks are waiting for dinner,,,,,they get my tips :D

 

Along with being a tour guide and host, I loaded and operated simulator rides. Two of them could have been very dangerous if not operated correctly. Still no tips! Lol.

[bqkali]

I agree. When you pay BIG bucks for an excursion, no tip should be required. Now, the caveat is if they give you ALOT more than you paid for...then a tip is in order! But, if you get what was billed in the description, you do not need to tip...that's what you paid for!

For some reason, folks on a cruise think EVERYONE who even speaks to them deserves a tip! Cruisers can be quite "tip- happy"!

We do tip porters, room service delivery folks, cab drivers...we don't usually tip bus drivers or tour guides. It really is a personal thing. If you think the service provided is worth more than what you may have paid for it, then tip! If not---don't!

 

You took the words out of my mouth!

 

I always tip to anyone not making at least minimum wage - stewards, waiters, etc. Anyone who makes a fair wage (sandwich makers at Subway or staff at a rental counter) does not get a tip from me.

 

My exception is when someone making a fair wage goes above & beyond the service required and advertised. This is the case for MANY independent tour operators - I've had a lot of them go out of their way to make my day extra special and put in effort to give me experiences not advertised in the tour description. Their tip is directly proportional to the level of service and I am happy to tip accordingly when deserved. However, I've also had a rare few who do little more than required, and that (in my opinion) deserves no tip.

 

I always budget, and bring cash for, tips to all tour guides, bartenders, and other staff members. Sometimes I come home with cash and sometimes I don't, but I always hope for that individualized attention and am happy to tip for that great service.

[cruiserbryce]

I have not tipped for rental returns and rarely buy anything from anyone "begging" for money but have tipped excursion guides before. We have had some exceptional excursions and on those I like to tip the people who made it fun...but like all things tipping...to each their own

[mistyflannigan]

I'm a high school teacher. What do you think would happen if I suggested a generous tip would assure a good grade? Could I act like one of the aggressive porters and threaten to fail students who did not leave a tip? In many countries, tipping is not expected, but then again, service is not great. Maybe I could do a better job teaching if I earned tips. (just kidding...)

[CanWeGoYet?]

I agree that the expectation for tipping is getting out of hand. I tip the recommended amounts to everyone on a cruise, I pre- paid my tips so that I would not experience "sticker shock" with the gratuities added on to the rest of my cruise account at the end of the cruise. I left the standard amounts in place even though we left the cruise early, so those waiting on us would not be hurt income wise by our decision to disembark before the cruise ended.

 

But I got fed up a couple weeks ago, when the massage therapist & the office staff basically "tag teamed" me in pressuring for a tip. I am lucky enough that my health insurance covers massage with a co-pay. I know that my insurance compensates the therapist at a higher rate than is generally charged out of pocket. He is supposedly a health professional. He came out to stand at the desk and stare me down as the 2 receptionists asked me "how much do you want to pay?" when I used my check card for the co-pay. I doubled the co-pay, which was entered on the debit slip and then there was a line again for another tip! I pointed that out - she patiently explained that there was a spot for a tip. :rolleyes: I pointed out to her I was well aware and that while the sum she entered may not be in her mind a good tip, a tip was included already.

 

It's gone too far when supposed health professionals are wrangling for tips. He has a license, he bills for medical massage, and the awkwardness & tacky pressuring for a tip at the end pretty much ruined any therapeutic effect of the massage so I won't be returning to this place. I am a nurse, I don't have my hand out for getting a tough iv on the first try or for braving a call in the middle of the night to a doctor who has a rep for being rude. It's my job. Waiters, maitre d's, housekeeping staff & similar service type jobs I have no problem tipping. But it's going too far when people billing health insurance expect tips too.

[swalm22]

Thats what you get, how more you smash with tips how more they want.

Tips should be as a compliment and not as a part of salary.

[2cruisealot]

I found this sign on the wall in the "Pre-Arranged Transportation" area as we left the RCI terminal at Port Canaveral.

 

 

I saw the same sign at the San Francisco cruise terminal when we disembarked there last September.

[Taxguy77]

You're absolutely correct.

 

If a tour starts off with a "you owe me a tip" or something to that affect, my tip amount drops in proportion to how bad they pi$$ed me off.

 

Yes