Kristelle

I dont understand what the last sentence means. People who pre pay tips or go on all inclusive tips included packages (land trips or cruises) still appreciate the hard work staff do - I'm happy to pay a cost that means they are paid well - but I do it as an upfront cost not tipping as I go.(the same way I do f or workers in my home country and other people do for me working in my own job) I don't think that reflects any more or less appreciation of anyone - just a preference based on cultural norms of the traveller.

well thus begins the slippery slope of pre paid tipping BUT... or tipping as you go on top of pre paying tipping whereas to me the whole point of pre paying tips - or taking an all inclusive tips included package, was to avoid the hassle or expectation of tipping.

Not neccesarily don't cruise If you are not used to/comfortable with/dont like tipping, pick a package that has pre paid tipping included in the price and then dont tip as you go.

yes I agree - you should do that. Including tipping zero if that is the local custom But when buying cruises or other package type tours, you should either pay tips as expected OR buy an all inclusive tips included package - and then not pay tips as you go.

do you not see the tax on shop receipts and on pay slips? We do here - GST (like VAT in UK) is shown on receipts on items it applies to and tax taken is shown on payslips from employers.

Yes of course confirmation bias applies to all of us. I never suggested or implied that doesn't include myself. Yes you have been on CC longer than me - however I said 'on travel forums', meaning not just here. I have spent a lot longer on TA than I have here.

Of course that works both ways and people used to not tipping will not feel right about constant doing so elsewhere. I agree about When in Rome. Re original question - it is possible and I have done it several times with land trips and cruise - to go on a group tour with pre paid tips included in the price and then I don't tip. Scenic doesn't expect you to - in their own literature they say " all inclusive, you can leave your wallet at home" _ I doubt anyone takes that absolutely literally but clearly there are no added or expected extra costs on board. But I guess the availability of such depends on where you live - it is very easy in Australia to book trips priced like that but possibly not at all easy if you are booking from other countries. Of course I realise the overall price is no doubt much the same - I don't do it to save money.

Well it isnt me - since I already said I researched what to do in Hawaii and have not been nor at this stage intend to go, to mainland USA That hasnt been my experience of forums - at least not in full context - people might start sentences with that -and then "so I'm not sure what to do in X place". I've done that. Rather than I refuse to tip in places where tipping is expected - obviously quite different. Perhaps you are seeing differently - perhaps confirmation bias is at play. At any rate my point remains - 2 wrongs don't make a right. I live in Australia so my posts are going to be about about protecting our non tipping culture - if you live in US and want to post about protecting your tipping culture, by all means do so. One doesn't rule out the other.

I go out for breakfast/brunch reasonably often and $20 - $25 for big breakfast is fairly standard. what you get varies but something like sausages, 2 eggs, toast, bacon, tomato, hash browns, mushrooms I have sometimes seen baked beans i n there too.

Which "people"?? Of course 2 wrongs don't make a right and of course people don't tip when they have made a point of taking all inclusive gratuities pre paid packages t o avoid the hassle of tipping - I do that but anyway that isnt my experience from travel forums - either here or trip advisor - there are umpteen threads about tipping and what to do in other places started by people from non tipping countries who want to know what to do somewhere else so they can do it. I remember starting one on TA and getting "oh no not another one" type response

Thank you. I get that places like USA have tipping culture but don't let opportunists recognise your accent and think they can get one from you here.

Of course it does. In fact if you read back you will see I already said exactly that in my next post.

I second going to Rottnest island from Fremantle - ferry there and back, hire a bike if you want to or take the hop on hop off bus around the island, also there is a little open sided train that goes to guided tours of the old military site, that was very interesting. Also Fremantle prison, old convict site - very interesting tours, especially the underground tunnels one. If you are in central Perth, (easy short train ride from Fremantle) going to the Mint and the Bell Tower are interesting - you can get a pre paid combination ticket, flexible timings, and then you just walk from one to the other in about 15 mins.

When I used t o be on a home building and renovation forum - many people built houses without flyscreens, seemed ludicrous to me too - or had to pay their builder extra t o get them. Here in SA they are standard - and I think it would be really silly to not have fly screens on windows. Front door maybe not if they are a feature door but I have an amplimesh screen door on mine as well as the solid door. My laundry door does not have a screen door - omitted it in purpose so I could install a doggy door on back door.

My river cruise we had $50 of OBC - I used it all for laundry bar 20c. Scenic gained my unspent 20c too. 😉

Yes that is the sort we have here (in SA) too, as I mentioned upthread.

Well clearly not, since I am on a travel forum 🤣😂

Yes I agree. That works both ways of course - so, as we said, Americans or whoever, when travelling in Australia should abide by non tipping customs (we sometimes do 'keep the change' for taxis and suchlike but go no further than that.) and Australians or whoever ,when travelling in US or anywhere should abide by tipping customs there - we did that ,researched what to do and did it, when we went to Hawaii for instance. (I have not been to mainland US) My personal preference is all inclusive pre paid tipping trips - so my river cruises with Scenic worked that way, and my group land trips likewise.

Ive heard that too. Mozzies love me and I am covered in bites if I forget to use Aerogard outside Blood type A +ve.

In my town (country SA) only Aldi have a little token you buy once and re use for trolleys. Coles and Woolies dont have any trolley deposits here. I dont pay any surcharges for card use - if price is same for cash or card, I use either, whichever suits me at the time. If there is a card surcharge, I pay cash. Large payments that you wouldnt use cash, for example paying for cruises - if there is a card surcharge, I pay by bank transfer. I'm not quite as good as OP - but I do save my loose change in a moneybox and deposit into my :holiday savings account - and this adds about $400 every 6 months or so.

On our previous Wendy Wu land tour of Vietnam I didnt wear a dress either - casual during day and slightly dressier in evening - but capris or lightweight pants with dressy type top was fine for all event/places. Certainly nothing formal. A casual type dress would be fine too, if you want.

I don't think that is crazy, it isnt crazy just because it isnt your norm - - I wouldnt use the words "Ugly Americans" - but I would expect people from America to abide by the non tipping culture of non tipping countries they visit - as the mate said, we we do not want our non tipping culture changed.

yes they certainly do. Lots of Aussies too. Just not me.

Thank you for that. We are booked to go on Mekong river cruise with Scenic in Jan 2025. Bit bigger ship - 34 cabins and reverse itinerary - ie we start in Cambodia and finish in HCMC.

Yes so it seems. ( I have zero interest in royalty)