Tipping on Oceania excursions

[KS&JW]

13 minutes ago, clo said:

Are these people also paid anything approaching a livable wage? In the US it's been as low as $2 and a few cents an hour. I don't know what it is now. But I do know that in cities like SF and SEA it sometimes requires four people to live in one apartment or a two hour, one way commute.

In California there is no tip wage of $2.13. All waiters are paid standard minimum which in SF is $16.32.

[clo]

17 minutes ago, KS&JW said:

In California there is no tip wage of $2.13. All waiters are paid standard minimum which in SF is $16.32.

Thanks. Not enough to live on their own but better.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Just now, clo said:

Thanks. Not enough to live on their own but better.

What is the waitstaff wage in Seattle?

[clo]

1 minute ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

What is the waitstaff wage in Seattle?

What is minimum wage in Seattle for tipped employees?

 

 

At the beginning of this year, Seattle's minimum wage increased to $16.69 per hour for large employers with more than 500 employees. Small businesses with less than 500 employees are required to pay $15 per hour only if they pay $1.69 per hour towards medical benefits, or the employee earns $1.69 per hour in tips.Jan 15, 2021

 

$15 Now: Seven years later, Seattle's smallest employers hit ...

[Host Jazzbeau]

So 37 cents more than SF.

[clo]

19 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

So 37 cents more than SF.

I suppose. Didn't look. Is there a point? Two extraordinarily expensive cities.

[Nol2929]

11 hours ago, Alan-a-Dale said:

I spend a lot of money for a cruise, so I can certainly afford to be generous with a tip.

 

And if I couldn't afford it, I'd cut back on some other personal expense befoe I cut back on tipping.

 

Sorry no to alan, but tipping is okay, and in the end, will brng you good karma.

Well said!

[Harters]

13 hours ago, clo said:

Are these people also paid anything approaching a livable wage?

Unlike the States, minimum wage means minimum wage in the UK, regardless of if you might earn tips on top of your wage. FWIW, servers in restaurants here are usually above minimum wage (although not necessarily by much, at the bottom end of the market). Many will have studied for a vocational qualification in hospitality (the restaurant students at my local college operate a restaurant open to the public where they cook and serve lunch as a practical part of their studies). It was not always the case but, now,  the National Minimum Wage is the same the National Living Wage for those aged 23 and above (younger workers still, shamefully, get less per hour)

 

 

[Harters]

12 hours ago, Alan-a-Dale said:

tipping is okay, and in the end, will brng you good karma.

That would definitely be a matter of opinion and one not shared by me. I hope that, in my lifetime, the UK will see the back of this patronising and archaic practice and we will start to treat workers with proper respect.

[shepherd really]

3 hours ago, Harters said:

That would definitely be a matter of opinion and one not shared by me. I hope that, in my lifetime, the UK will see the back of this patronising and archaic practice and we will start to treat workers with proper respect.

You know what is worse than patronizing a worker dependent on gratuities  with a tip?  Stiffing them by not tipping.

 

 

[brittany12]

lets get this thread back to where it started - a question about whether tipping ship-arranged excursion guides is appropriate. It's morphed into another discussion about tipping in general. What so many replies show is that Americans are generally very generous tippers to all who provide services and work for tips - including these excursion guides. Maybe too generous and upsetting local cultures. I still believe tipping these guides is the right thing to do - regardless of whether one comes from Australia or some other non-tipping culture. Unless they are really bad. I think a US $5er for two people on half day tour for a decent job is appropriate. $0 is not. More for extraordinary.

[PhD-iva]

5 hours ago, brittany12 said:

lets get this thread back to where it started - a question about whether tipping ship-arranged excursion guides is appropriate. It's morphed into another discussion about tipping in general. What so many replies show is that Americans are generally very generous tippers to all who provide services and work for tips - including these excursion guides. Maybe too generous and upsetting local cultures. I still believe tipping these guides is the right thing to do - regardless of whether one comes from Australia or some other non-tipping culture. Unless they are really bad. I think a US $5er for two people on half day tour for a decent job is appropriate. $0 is not. More for extraordinary.

+1!

[Jockocruiser]

11 hours ago, brittany12 said:

 I think a US $5er for two people on half day tour for a decent job is appropriate. $0 is not. More for extraordinary.

 

I typically tip at least $5 USD per person.

Edited October 17, 2021 by Jockocruiser

[ORV]

11 hours ago, Jockocruiser said:

 I think a US $5er for two people on half day tour for a decent job is appropriate. $0 is not. More for extraordinary.

 

I typically tip at least $5 USD per person.

As I inferred above I think there's quite a few factors that go in to it. How big is the tour? How good of a job did the guide do. We were on a tour where the tour guide was extremely rude almost to the point of being mean, most of the tour, then she turned syrupy sweet as we were headed down the home stretch. We gave her nothing. I don't believe in participation trophies. 

[ronrick1943]

Tipping a tour guide is a personal choice, should you tip-I think yes if the guide does what they are paid ton do—-when they take that extra step making your day the best—give a little more-when they don’t give less.  

[Robjame]

On 10/15/2021 at 10:14 PM, Alan-a-Dale said:

Sorry no to alan, but tipping is okay,

 

Within the US - yes

 

2 examples

 

1. Living for some time in France, I heard waiters call out "Poisson" after tourists left having dropped embarrassingly large tips. For these servers it was an expected level of service.

2. In Ireland I saw a Publican (owner of the pub) politely refusing a tip. The American tourist persisted. After he had left, the publican picked the money off the bar and threw it across the room. The pub-owner had been embarrassed.

 

A country's attitude toward tipping is societal, it is not a signal of personal virtue. It's a "When in Rome..." thing. If one thinks it is OK to tip in other countries because it is expected in the US, do you accept that it is OK for an Australian to tip in the US as he does at home?

 

 

 

[Mura]

On 10/12/2021 at 2:18 PM, Harters said:

Not least the tipping culture in the country being visited. I'm aware that, for Americans, tipping is almost a way of life but that's not the case with we Europeans.

 

I would not tip on group excursions organised by O. And it would, as I say, very much depend on the country being visited whether I would tip for a private tour. I would if that was in America, as I know it's expected. I wouldnt in a European country

So here we have a cultural difference.  While we aren't huge tippers, we always tip whether it's a private tour or an Oceania tour.  Yes, a private tour (assuming it's a good one! gets a larger tip.

 

If we're on an O bus tour we probably give the guide maybe $3pp and the driver a little less.  This depends on the length of the tour, of course.  On a private tour we give more, and in that case we consult with our "fellow travelers" as to how much they want to tip, and we give a "group tip".

 

We HAVE seen other people who don't tip at all.

 

Many years ago we were on a private (4 person) tour in San Lucia.  The driver mentioned how he depended on the tips (he wasn't subtle about it but he himself was in a difficult situation) and the French couple we were with (they were in their early 20s) tipped nothing, so we upped our contribution.

[Harters]

9 hours ago, Mura said:

We HAVE seen other people who don't tip at all.

That was probably me (or others who come from a no/low tip culture).

[brittany12]

Are you so sure your culture back home how you deal with local tipping should govern your conduct when abroad? In foreign lands? And people whose very livelihood is tip dependent?

[seachelt]

Thanks again to all who replied. Great wide range of advice and opinions. We are actually on our cruise now. Had a wonderful guide yesterday on our O excursion in Rhodes. There were 20 of us on the tour and it seemed that most of us tipped quite generously. (I still don’t know whether Oceania includes gratuities when booking the shorex. I asked the tour desk and was told to tip if I wanted to)

[cptxcpl]

Great input.  Is it preferable to the guides to be paid in local currency? I know they will always accept dollars but which would they prefer? Cruises hit a port a day and getting local currency can be difficult.

[LHT28]

33 minutes ago, cptxcpl said:

Great input.  Is it preferable to the guides to be paid in local currency? I know they will always accept dollars but which would they prefer? Cruises hit a port a day and getting local currency can be difficult.

Most  I think would prefer local currency  otherwise they may have to pay an exchange fee

Easy to  hit an ATM  get  a few $ in the local currency for most Countries

JMO

[cptxcpl]

6 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Most  I think would prefer local currency  otherwise they may have to pay an exchange fee

Easy to  hit an ATM  get  a few $ in the local currency for most Countries

JMO

Of course then we are hit with an ATM fee. Most excursions I am on are run by the ship and very little time to head to an ATM. But I will try to get some local currency. Thanks for the input. 

[basor]

32 minutes ago, cptxcpl said:

Of course then we are hit with an ATM fee. Most excursions I am on are run by the ship and very little time to head to an ATM. But I will try to get some local currency. Thanks for the input. 

There are quite a few banks that offer debit cards with ATM fees refunded.  We use our Charles Schwab debit card all over the world and have had all ATM fees refunded....well worth it.

[LHT28]

37 minutes ago, cptxcpl said:

Of course then we are hit with an ATM fee. Most excursions I am on are run by the ship and very little time to head to an ATM. But I will try to get some local currency. Thanks for the input. 

Sorry  did not think about  the fee

I get a small amount for each Country @ the local currency exchange here  but not sure if you have such places where you live