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When to Tip?


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We are on a cruise from Hawaii on May and have a week in a hotel before hand.

As a rule we don't tip in Australia so I am after some ideas for America.

When our bags are brought to our room etc, is it $1 or $2 per bag or just a general amount?

I know you tip wait staff but barmen? If you tip a taxi driver do you tip bus drivers? What about tour guides?

Who else are you expected to tip?

Thanks Peter

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Tipping is done on the last evening of a cruise.  Most lines either include the tip in your fare, or add it to your bill on a daily basis.  Those serving you don't get the tips until the cruise is over.  Bar tabs have 18% added to each purchase...or, if you have a drink package, 18% is added to the cost of the package.

 

Nowadays, tipping by handing out money is unneeded, since the cruise line is ADDING your tips on as you go.

 

Of course, taxis aren't part of the staff, and yes, you should tip...10% should do it.  Bus/shuttle drivers....that's up to you. Sometimes we do...sometimes we don't...same on excursions.  Depends on the "fun" factor!

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You can tip anytime you personally feel like it.  It's up to you.  No one will refuse a tip if offered.  It's not necessary to wait until the last evening, particularly if you think it unlikely to encounter the person again.  

Yes, we do tip bartenders when we're served, may a $ per drink.

Yes, we tip the room steward in addition to that provided by the cruise line.  That is our preference, but not required.  We normally will give the room steward $20 about the second day and another $50 at the end.  Once again our preference.  You can give more or less or none at all.

We seldom dine in the MDR so we usually don't tip those who work there.  We will tip extra in the specialty restaurants, maybe $10.

The bottom line is this: part of the compensation received by the crew is from gratuities given.  As long as you keep the daily gratuities (sometimes called a Hotel Service Charge) in place, everything else is up to you.  If someone has demonstrated that they care, then tip accordingly.  But, there are no real rules/laws.  Do what you feel if right, not what someone else tells you.

We tip more than is necessary but we do so because we enjoy it. 

Edited by RocketMan275
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On 1/4/2020 at 7:37 PM, peter1956 said:

We are on a cruise from Hawaii on May and have a week in a hotel before hand.

As a rule we don't tip in Australia so I am after some ideas for America.

When our bags are brought to our room etc, is it $1 or $2 per bag or just a general amount?

I know you tip wait staff but barmen? If you tip a taxi driver do you tip bus drivers? What about tour guides?

Who else are you expected to tip?

Thanks Peter

 

It is very kind of you to adjust your tipping to the area you are visiting 🙂 There are service jobs here where tips are customary, but it should still be voluntary (with rare exception) and amounts at your discretion.  I can tell you what we tend to do and what I've read as common practice, but I'm aware of some who do more and some less.  It generally all balances out, so try not to stress about it too much 🙂 

 

Are you looking for advice on the cruise, your pre-cruise stay, or both?  

Cruise: 

  • luggage is often tipped curbside, but not at cabin delivery (you likely won't see the person who delivers); $1-2 per bag or $5-10 per couple/family
  • dining staff and room stewards are part of the overall pool for the daily service charge/gratuity, so nothing else is required (although some are truly exceptional and we reward monetarily: $5-20 wait staff depending on how often we use their service, $20-$50 room steward depending on how much they improved our experience); beverage services (also spa) have a mandatory additional gratuity, and some passengers also tip extra per drink - usually $1-$2
  • I haven't taken many taxis, but would tip, 10-15%
  • bus/shuttle drivers it varies, but usually $5 for the two of us; tour guides also vary based on service provided, usually $10-$20 for the two of us (assuming they are also paid some as part of the excursion cost)
  • we don't generally tip the cruise line water taxi/tender/shuttle
  • room service is not part of the tipping pool, and is generally given $2-5 per order (like for a continental breakfast)

Land:

  • if someone brings your luggage to the hotel room for you I would tip as described above
  • if you have a car rental I would tip for any valet parking
  • taxis would be tipped; public transportation buses generally would not, but shuttle buses (like from the airport or hotel transportation) we probably would
  • I'm not aware of bars on land adding a gratuity automatically, so you should still tip there (15-20% is the general norm for food & beverage service); most fast food/counter service establishments don't expect a tip (but the option is often given)
  • if we are at a hotel for multiple nights we leave a housekeeping gratuity, around $5 per night.

Hope that helps 

  • Thanks 1
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