Thoughts about Tours and Tips

[renroc13]

Quick question about tipping on tours. I go on three category of tours. Just wondering what others do.

 

Private...when the person owns the company and is a one person business.

 

Private tour with a company....These are ones where a private guide (who splits a commission or a salary) conducts the tour with or without a driver depending on the number of people. They usually have a driver when there are more than 8.

 

Celebrity tours with 30 something people.

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When we go on a private tour with a one person operation we usually don't tip as it is very expensive and in many cases we walk. We do however pay for lunch as these guides usually join us for a nice lunch or dinner. If there is a driver we tip the driver.

 

Private tour with a company...we usually tip the tour guide and the driver. These guides usually refuse lunch.

 

Celebrity tours...We usually tip the tour person hoping they are split with the driver and usually ask them.

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We don't usually tip on a percentage of the cost and tips have varied from $5pp to $40 or $50 for both of us.

 

Just wondering if anyone has a method for tipping on tours. This is always very subjective...

 

Thanks

Karen

[cb at sea]

For us, if a "tour" is basically transportation, no "guiding" then we don't tip....

 

If a tour guide goes "above and beyond" and is really personable, and makes the tour fun, then we'll tip...around $10-$20 (for the 2 of us) depending on what we feel it's worth.

 

On tours where the guide is NOT personable and is bland, we don't tip.

 

It's really up to each individual and what they feel they got out of the excursion.

 

Just like taxi rides....if the driver is surly and never speaks, they get the very minimum tip...if the driver is nice and friendly, we tip more! It does pay to be nice!!!!

[eh2zed]

renroc3, we are much like you. For very excellent private guides we will consider 10-20%. So if we paid $100 for a private day tour for the 2 of us we would be in the $10-20 range. If a diver is involved as well then 5-10%

On ship cattle calls which we try to avoid but do occassionally go on we might do $5 for the guide and $2 for the driver.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We tip when we think it is earned ......

[Wayfairers]

We tip based upon the service provided regardless of the type of tour and usually between 5% and 25% of the cost of the tour. If we pay for someone's lunch or entrance fees we consider that part of the tip.

[eh2zed]

In Da Nang we had a free private guide we found on the internet. He gave us a full day tour for which we paid the cab fare and then gave him $50. We paid for lunch of course. He was a University student trying to improve his english. It was a wonderful day in Da nang and Hoi An. We had fabulous discussions about their political system and culture.

[Nebr.cruiser]

I'd say our average tip on a private tour (usually a van of 6-8) is about $10 per couple, depending on the length, quality, price and complexity of the tour. Guides/drivers that go above and beyond get more, if it's basically just transportation, less.

 

For a full day tour with multiple stops or activities we'd probably double that.

[renroc13]

Thank you for the feedback. Looks like we are somewhere in the same ballpark. Very subjective.

Karen

[PrincessE]

We tip according to the service we receive.

[STARFISH*4]

we dont have a set amount and just decide what we want to give after our tour has ended...sometimes its less sometimes more just depends.

[5326jan]

renroc3, we are much like you. For very excellent private guides we will consider 10-20%. So if we paid $100 for a private day tour for the 2 of us we would be in the $10-20 range. If a diver is involved as well then 5-10%

On ship cattle calls which we try to avoid but do occassionally go on we might do $5 for the guide and $2 for the driver.

 

Same here.

[1025cruise]

I don't mind tipping for good service, but I really hate the signs all over the buses, trolleys, etc stating that gratuities are accepted. After what I paid for the tour, I would expect that the guide/driver/etc gets paid from that fee, but the constant push for a tip really bothers the heck out of me.

[eh2zed]

I don't mind tipping for good service, but I really hate the signs all over the buses, trolleys, etc stating that gratuities are accepted. After what I paid for the tour, I would expect that the guide/driver/etc gets paid from that fee, but the constant push for a tip really bothers the heck out of me.

It can get over aggressive I agree on cattle calls. But on private tours there generally is no hard sell. One exception was in Egypt.

[compozer]

I don't mind tipping for good service, but I really hate the signs all over the buses, trolleys, etc stating that gratuities are accepted. After what I paid for the tour, I would expect that the guide/driver/etc gets paid from that fee, but the constant push for a tip really bothers the heck out of me.

 

 

Total agree.

I remember in Cancun many years ago when I saw my first tip jar at a McDonalds.

 

Years ago on a transfer from the airport to the cruise ship, first we were told to stay on the bus until the driver had all the luggage unloaded. After roping off the luggage, he came back in and said "you will get your luggage after you give me a tip" I looked at my husband and said "screw him". While others were paying him, I stepped over the rope and got our two piece. I looked back and people were still standing in line waiting to pay him. We were the first ones on the bus and had to wait almost two hours to fill it up. Lets just say we have never taken a cruise ship transfer since then.

[Deckhandoug]

All this tipping has gotten out of hand in my opinion.

 

Some of these tours are just glorified taxi rides and cost $50-$100+ each, PP, some up to $200/day pp in Europe.

 

That's enough

 

We usually tip $5 each, (if warranted) for our usual semi private tours (6-12) people in a mini van or bus.

 

If we end up on a 50+ person ships cattle call we usually tip nothing.

[ladylawyer888]

By the way, does anyone know if tips are automatically added to the on-board tab on Celebrity ships? (Silhouette). It is on NCL and haven't been on Celebrity in a few years.

 

Thanks

[eh2zed]

By the way, does anyone know if tips are automatically added to the on-board tab on Celebrity ships? (Silhouette). It is on NCL and haven't been on Celebrity in a few years.

 

Thanks

I think they do but try asking on the Celebrity board