Tipping: What should we expect to tip on excursions & B&Bs?

Hello all,

My wife and I have been kicking this around and we haven't agreed on an approach.

What should we expect to tip, if any, on the excursions? During our trip some excursions include the Mt. McKinley summit flight, kayaking in Ketchikan, Capt. Larry whale watching cruise in Juneau, and an all day boat cruise in Seward. Some of these outfits are owner operated and our guide may be the owner. Do you tip on these?

How about for a B&B where it is owner operated? Do you tip?

Thanks for your help.

It's pretty much a given that most tourism-industry employees rely on tips to make it worthwhile doing the job. Owners who rely on tips should have had someone else do up their business plan - ie I don't tip owners (or professionals such as pilots unless they go far beyond what you would expect as part of their job description.)

Murray

For whale watching - Capt Larry doesn't own Orca Enteprises. Carol does. Tipping is easy here - there is a jar at the back of the boat and you can tip discreetly. I am not sure how they divide the tips but there is also a naturalist on board who would receive a portion of the tips.

Tipping has got to be one of the hardest things to figure out while travelling! I don't tip owner/operators, including most B&B's. I also don't tip on shuttles/hotel transfers. I do tip if there is a service involved such as a narration/naturalist, etc. I tip guides, and I tip on the boat excursions, as there is usually food/drinks and a naturalist involved.

Most operations also have little surveys to fill out. If someone is particularly nice or helpful, I mention them by name on the survey. This is often more valued by an employee than a tip. Same thing if someone is nasty to me or if they are a naturalist and don't have a clue what they are talking about. I figure the company ought to know.

So, how much do you tip? I have never taken excursions as expensive as these. Do you tip a percentage of the cost or a flat $ per hour? Or per person?

I usually figure about $1 per person per hour on a day tour if they do a good job, so if there are two people going on a 10 hour tour, that would be $20. If there was no food or drink service, or if the service or the naturalist wasn't very good, I would halve that. If it's a small tour with only a few people and the guide did an outstanding job, I might up it a little. Park service and forest service rangers aren't allowed to accept tips, but if someone is really good, you can write a note to the Head Ranger mentioning that and enclosing a donation to the park, put it in an envelope and give it to them.

I don't know how other people feel about this? Any comments?

I always tip, generally $1 for short shuttle bus transportation, to $5-10 for the guides. I don't care if they own it or not. My opinon only. :) The above mentions Park Rangers can't accept tips, but I always tip the Denali Park bus drivers $10pp. Again just my preference.

The Denali bus drivers aren't rangers and don't work for the national park service. They are employed by the park concessionaire (Aramark) and should be tipped. Many of them are really excellent and have been driving buses in the park for 10+ years. The new drivers usually start out doing hotel/train transfers, then Natural History tours. After that they "graduate" to the tundra tours - another reason to book the tundra tour rather than the natural history tour.

You're right, BQ, if an owner acts as a guide on a tour, captain on a fishing charter, etc. they should be tipped. My bad!

Wolfie- your information is excellent. :) I'm sorry I did not clearly disclose the drivers at Denali Park not being rangers. :) I have been very fortunate in having just wonderful informed drivers who definately deserve tipping spending the entire day getting you safely within the Park. My top recommended adventure in Alaska perhaps??

What is recommended for the flightseeing tours? Do you tip the pilot?

If the pilot goes above and beyond, tip him a couple of bucks. Especially if

he points things out and flies low over a bear on the beach. Some flightseeing

tours rely on a prercorded presentation piped over the headsets. If that's all

you get save your tips for the next guy.

I worked as a Tour Guide last year. The owner said the reason that he didn't

pay us more was because we would be getting lots of tips. Let's just say I will

never work for him again. Unfortunately, that's the nature of working as a tour guide in Alaska. I was told time and time again my tours were great. I even had people join my group from some others. We had one tour guide, who was very long winded.

Less than 20% of our customers tipped. But those that did, did it right. One thing I noticed was that were hardly ever got tips from passangers on Princess Cruise line ships. A couple of different times passangers from Princess asked me if it was okay to tip. They thought that since they bought the tour

on board we would share in the tips that they gave directly to Princess. It

doesn't work that way. Tour operators are independent of the cruise lines.

Oh well, if the guides do a crack up job for you throw'm a couple of salmon.

Have fun, take lots of film, and enjoy your time in the Greatland......

The flightseeing is $199 each. We are going with a private pilot and I understand she is just great. Transportation is provided to and from the plane, no recording. We have headsets. I don't know....a couple of bucks doesn't sound like much.Maybe a percentage of the cost???

Anyone.."been there , done that"?

That's a whole different ball of wax. I would think 5% would be nice. You could tip the van driver also if you chose. But in most small operations like that the

van drivers and pilots split. That's what I did the summer before last. Van driver

for a single person float plane operator. I also didn't mind taking our guests on

a drive around town if time permitted. Even took a few out to the new WalMart

in Ketchikan. Just go with what feels right.......

I usually tip flights $5-10 pp. Again my opinion only.

I worked as a Tour Guide last year. The owner said the reason that he didn't

pay us more was because we would be getting lots of tips.

I am curious which excursion you worked?

I do think a lot of people are confused on the tipping issue onboard. It is too bad they interpreted automatic tips on the ship to mean for excursions also. I think Holland America is doing auto-tipping this year so more people will be confused.

------------

I was speaking with the bus driver who was an excellent tour guide on my "Experience the Yukon" trip last year out of Skagway. This trip cost about $80 pp (I think) and there was a full bus. The tour guide indicated that she is paid by Princess $13/hour and relies on tips (she is a Princess seasonal employee). With rent and food expenses in Alaska (way more then where I live) - I thought she was very underpaid. She indicated that the seasonal store workers in Skagway make about the same amount of money and don't need to have a skill (driving a bus plus narrating).

She and her husband were college students and did this every summer because they love Alaska and Canada.

OK, here goes: I really don't want to be flamed, but can't resist giving my two cents:

My daughter lives in Key West and waits tables in one of the restaurants located in the Historic Seaport. Needless to say, most of her friends work for tourist associated businesses. Here's what I hear time and time again from her friends: Cruise ship passengers don't have the greatest reputation among tourists. We are regarded as cheap. When we visit destinations that are similiar to Key West, I like to remember the comments from her friends. They work hard with the hope of making good money. They absolutley depend on the tips of each one of us.

A generous tip will be appreciated as well as needed by these hard working people who greatly enhance our vacation!

Here's my opinion, and of course, my opinion only...Cruising is a great bargain in travel. When figuring the cost of a cruise it's important to count onboard tips as part of the overall budget as well as tipping when we go on shore-both eating in local restaurants and tours.

Sharon

OK, here goes: I really don't want to be flamed, but can't resist giving my two cents:

 

My daughter lives in Key West and waits tables in one of the restaurants located in the Historic Seaport. Needless to say, most of her friends work for tourist associated businesses. Here's what I hear time and time again from her friends: Cruise ship passengers don't have the greatest reputation among tourists. We are regarded as cheap. When we visit destinations that are similiar to Key West, I like to remember the comments from her friends. They work hard with the hope of making good money. They absolutley depend on the tips of each one of us.

 

A generous tip will be appreciated as well as needed by these hard working people who greatly enhance our vacation!

 

Here's my opinion, and of course, my opinion only...Cruising is a great bargain in travel. When figuring the cost of a cruise it's important to count onboard tips as part of the overall budget as well as tipping when we go on shore-both eating in local restaurants and tours.

 

Sharon

I agree! I believe tipping is a way to show appreciation..of course! I will never forget the delight when we tipped our bus driver on a private tour in Grenada. He thought we were paying for the tour and told us to pay the tour guide. We told him..no, this is for you. He was so surprised! He was very young and I think his first driving job.

I know what is expected in restaurants in the US but it can be confusing to new travelers [me!] for other types of service. I'm glad for some clarification.

Coral - I worked at the Alaska Rainforest Sanctuary in Ketchikan. It's a very

good tour, if your into nature. The experience out there is totally dependent

on your tour guide as it is an interprative tour. If your into finding out about

the rainforest in southeast Alaska it's an awesome tour. Plus if you are there

later in the summer you have a good chance of seeing one of the many black

bears that make their home there.

I've been to Alaska twice, cruise only, and only once tipped for an excursion. I had no idea, seriously. I was watching for what everyone else did, and nobody did anything, so I figured one didn't do that. The one we did tip for was the canoe the first time, since they had a jar on the desk at the warehouse that said tips! The second time, we didn't go to the warehouse to suit up, just to the beach, and again... no one seemed to know to tip, no jar, and the driver/guide didn't seem to be waiting for anything. Now I feel bad!

As a guide the employers tells you, you will be getting tips, thus the low pay.

Then after you take the job and heavily invest in it, they tell you, that they

are forbidden by the cruise lines from letting guests know that tips are acceptable. That's because the cruise lines want it all. The only person that

really gets left out are the lowly tour guides like myself. Don't get me wrong

though, it was a fun job. I met people from all over the world and generally had

a very good time. Enjoy your trip and if some service person, tour guide, bus

driver, waiter/waitress, etc, does a good job and you really liked their service

please feel free to let them know.

I usually tip 5 - 10% on everything but food. Food I give 15%. I don't tip owners of anything.

Ok, what about something like the Lumberjack Show in Ketchikan? Who would you tip there, if anyone? We are also doing the White Pass train in Skagway, do you tip the Conductor? Or the Engineer? Or is there a guide on the train? Thanks for your help!

Amanda:)

We have 2 excursions planned, a 4 hour kayak tour, not through Princess, and a 4 hour hike, through Princess. What would be appropriate tips for each of these? We are 2 adults, no children.

Liz

I wonder if many non-tippers are Europeans. Americans should know better.

Many places in Europe tipping is not required. It is already built into the price of the food or hotel or tour. In Europe (maybe not all countries) if you want to round up in order to not wait for change at a restaurant, then do so. Every time we've been to Europe, even the quoted hotel price has all taxes and gratuities built in. Europeans must get a major shock when they book a room or car in the USA and get their bill with 10% or more added on to the quote. And I'm sure the maids aren't left a tip either.

Hopefully most Europeans read tour books and figure out how taxes and tipping works in this country.

We personally, if we have good to excellent service anyway, always tip wait staff in USA restaurants 20% or more if we need to round it...we round up. If we get a nothing special waiter, we give 15% minimum. If they are absoluety horrible we'll round down from the 15%. But that rarely happens.

I think the hard working tour guide that does a great job should be tipped as much as you feel you can afford. And I think a buck or 2 isn't enough. If someone can afford the expensive tours, what's another $10. And in my opintion $1 an hour per person is NOT sufficient.

This reminds me of a conversation I once read where some people going on a cruise said they couldn't afford to tip the wait staff and room steward on board etc... They'd saved and saved for the cruise and could afford no more. They'd have their fun and leave and never see the people again anyway, not to mention that everyone else would be tipping so what's one cabin with no tip. And no, they didn't plan on going on excursions either. People really gave that person a hard time - rightfully so.

I do understand that tour guides and bus drivers etc... is a different thing. There isn't a lot of info out there about % or $ per head. Hopefully we will all just be as generous as we can afford to be and maybe it will make up for the tightwads who can afford it but just don't tip, or those who conveniently forget. (OR accidentally forget - like I once did at a fabulous private "Hidden Ireland" home in Ireland with a perfect maid who even vacuumed my rental car - jet lag or something got me - I've felt guilty ever since).

I'm not being hard on anyone hear. Just trying to encourage generosity. After all we can all afford to be taking a wonderful Alaskan cruise and expensive excursions. Let's just make someone else's day if they show us a good time. When someone does a special job, a nice tip is a great source of encouragement.

I was the one who posted the first question in this category and after reading the various responses I feel inclined to add a note.

I really appreciate all of the info that's been available on the board, everyone has been so helpful. And I hope to return the favor to others when I return from Alaska. So don't take this out of context.

I worked in the hospitality industry at one time, as a concierge at a 5 diamond hotel. I acted upon all sorts of weird and various requests for guests and never once did I expect to receive a tip. I had negotiated as much as I could get to be paid by my employer and that's all I expected.

Now, people did tip for different reasons. One guy gave me $100 bill and asked me to get him a particular Frank Sinatra CD and leave it in his room. He told me to keep the change. It took me 10 minutes and $9.99 b/c I knew where to find it. Nice tip and I felt good. Another couple had me set up an entire 50th wedding anniversary trip for them to the city where I lived. I worked for weeks on it. I had private tours, limos, all meals planned, a jazz quartet played just for them on their balcony while they had dinner, man did I work hard on that. Guess what-they shook my hand and said thanks. No tip. No problem.

I guess this stuff of saying b/c we can afford to take a trip then we should afford to tip someone. I'm not a welfare league. Others can afford a lot of things, I don't expect them to just fork it over b/c I did some work for them.

I care primarily about tipping people who live off of and work for tips, which is mainly why I asked. That is why I do not tip owners--they should have put it in the cost of the item. I will tip if someone goes way above and beyond, but this stuff of tipping every person we come in contact with and giving them $10 just for doing their job, I do not necessarily agree with. Note, I'm talking excursions and B&Bs. I always tip 15% (and usually 20%) in restaurants.

Sorry for the rant, but just wanted to respond. I'm sure I'll be roasted for sure now . . .