tipping shore excursion driver or guide?

[Nina2014]

Not sure if I should be posting this somewhere else, but I am booked on HAL cruise to Alaska in 5 days (YAY!!), so I am posting this here.

Also coz I have found HAL forum posters to be the friendliest so far to me

(cruise and forum newbie)!!

 

Anyway, my question is ...Should we be tipping the drivers or guides for shore excursions? if so, how much? Any help is appreciated.

[NYteacher]

We do trip guides and drivers, generally one tip for the two. The tips range from $5-10 for bus type tours, depending on half or full day. We tip more for smaller tours.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We tip the driver and guide individually. Some of the guides and drivers pull everything and split the money evenly. Some just keep what they get without splitting evenly.

The amount we tip depends on how long the excursion is and how good the guide has been.

[Cruising-along]

We tip the driver and guide individually. Some of the guides and drivers pull everything and split the money evenly. Some just keep what they get without splitting evenly.

The amount we tip depends on how long the excursion is and how good the guide has been.

 

We do the same. There have been a couple times when we didn't have the correct cash to split it, and those times we let the guide know it was for both of them. But we try to tip individually every time.

[lazey1]

We try to always tip the driver and the guide seperately. The amount we tip the guide depends on the length of the excursion and how good the guide has been. The amount we tip the driver will either be the same or more depending on how much extra the driver has done for us. (At least one of us, sometimes both of us will be using a walker.)

[OCruisers]

We always tip. How much depends on a variety of things. Some tour guides are more helpful than others. ;)

LuLu

[serendipity1499]

Welcome to Cruise Critic..

 

There is another recent thread re tipping.. I downloaded this yesterday..

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=43906486#post43906486

 

See post No. 7 by agabbymoma This is on HAL's WEB site

 

Quote GRATUITIES DURING YOUR LAND+SEA JOURNEY

Because gratuity practices on land differ from those aboard ship, many of our guests request guidelines on local standards. Gratuities are strictly up to you and should be based on the quality of service you feel you have received. If you desire to offer an individual expression of your appreciation, you may use the following guidelines.

 

• Land+Sea Journey Host: US$4.00 - $6.00 per guest, per day

• Driver-Guides: US$4.00 per guest, per day

• Klondike Spirit Cabin Crew: US$1.00 per guest per day

• McKinley Explorer® Rail Guides: US$1.50 per guest, per day

• Optional Excursion Guides: US$2.00 per guest, per ½ day tour and US$5.00 full day tour .. NOTE: All luggage-handling gratuities are included in your journey for all hotels shown on your itinerary.Unquote

 

My note: BTW on all HAL tours the drivers are also the guides.. We had an excellent one in Alaska..If you get Richard, you are in for a treat!

Edited August 28, 2014 by serendipity1499

[Typhoon1]

If you've enjoy your Shore Ex, tip accordingly. If not, that's at your discretion.

[Wakepatrol]

I recently took a fantastic 6 hour excursion where the crew worked really hard to make it a good time. Heading back to the dock,the crew mentioned that tips are appreciated.

 

The woman in front of me got out her change purse and took out $2

 

My grandmother used to slip me $2 40 yrs ago

[Himself]

For what it's worth I tip each of them two or three bucks.

[JamesFic]

My wife and I each tip the guide and driver. Our general rule of thumb is $5 for guide on a half day tour, $2 for the driver. We double that amount on a full day tour. Hate to say this, but I am angered by the number of people who get off the bus and walk away without tipping or thanking the guide or the driver.