Tipping

[bkpix]

I have to agree about added value tipping; it really takes away an employees incentive to give good service. Why work harder when you will get your tip anyway. Not all think that way, but many do.

Being from Las Vegas where many people depend on tip income I know the importance of tipping. That being said; some people from some countries will not tip anyone, no matter how good the service or the experience was. It is just not part of some cultures and they do not even seem to want to know about it. Even if they are in a line of people waiting to get off the boat or out of the tour bus or whatever and see people tipping the staff, they will just walk past and maybe say thank you, but maybe not!!

I always tip the DM most, the captain 2nd most, and tip the wait staff either daily if they tend to change daily, or at the end of the stay if they are the same people the whole time. Tipping the housekeeping staff usually goes about the same way. One thing that has bothered me personally is the matter of tipping the manager. Here in Las Vegas managers are not allowed to take tips, so I don't even think about it. On a recent dive trip, the manager was extremely helpful. I didn't even think about tipping him until I was back home and then wished that I had at least tried!!

 

[jlevine]

I have found tipping to be very complicated in every place I have dived. On Roatan, I usually do five days of diving, two tanks per day and give $5 to the boat captain and $5 to the instructor, about $100 for the week for diving. I leave $3-$5 per day for the maid and whatever I think is appropriate for the restaurant staff. Believe it or not, I have actually been told by some locals that I tip too much. Wages are very low on Roatan. I asked a few people at different hotels what they got paid...it was an eye-opener. One suggestion I have for dive shop owners is to post a note in the shop that describes how tipping works.

 

[diversteve]

**still trying to get the counter added to my signature

Fixed that for you...

 

[annlaur]

I don't like pool jars or added value tips. It takes away the human aspect of it. As a part-time waitress, I enjoy receiving the feedback from the people I served almost as much as I appreciate the money they leave. The sweetest tip I got was a drawing and note by two young girls backpacking thru Europe thanking me for the travel advice I gave them.
Not suggesting we should give Hallmark cards instead of dollars, service people do rely on tips to make a living. But IMO nothing beats giving the money hand to hand and voicing your appreciation.
If I'm told the DM collects the money and then shares it with others, then I give the tip to him, thank everyone on the boat and don't worry about how the splitting is done. These people work together on a daily basis.

I tip maids a little bit on a daily basis. On the last day, I leave a small vanity bag with all the cosmetic stuff I haven't used or brought for that specific reason (I travel with lots of sample size stuff) as well as any extra feminine protections, mosquito repellent, Ibuprofen pills… I label in Spanish the stuff that could potentially be a hazard if misused (medicine).

 

[BettyfromToronto]

Thanks Diversteve! What was I doing wrong?

Nice to finally see the countdown but a bummer to see it's still 92 days untill we leave.

 

[nagel]

Although you had issues trying to figure it out, bless you! At least you knew it was something that needed to be done. As a first time visitor to Fantasy Island, you just didn't know what details to expect. Next time you'll be ready! There is really no need to worry about when to tip...don't let that interfere with whatever plans you have. You wouldn't want to alter any of your plans or make things more complicated just to get a tip to your divemaster and boat captain. But you can tip them ANY TIME. If you've got plans the last day, just give it to them the day before. If you don't feel like worrying about it at the end of the week, you can give them a little each day. It really doesn't matter HOW you do it, but the fact that you do it is important

You also have no need to worry about how the tip is split up. These guys work together every day and they are used to dealing with this. Trust me...it will get done!

Re-read my post and didn't mean to come across as a "whiner" or "complainer"....seems like I keep coming across as I'm complaining about Fantasy Island - not really my intent. Yes, for us the tip thing was a little strange. We feel tipping is important because the industry has made it that way. Tipping seems to be a way to suppliment incomes for those in the service industry and helps to support good service. I'm afraid that if tipping wasn't part of things that the service would definately be impacted....just going through the motions and not working for the tip. I really take a negative attitude when tips are figured into bills. Some resteraunts add in a tip if you have large groups and have heard cruise ships figure tips into the final bill. IMO, this is crap. I tip based on the service, don't force me to provide a tip...it just irritates me and most people. Tips should not be expected, but that is not how thing work anymore in many industries. (okay off my soap box on that) In Roatan, yes they need the tips. There is something to be said that tips should not be expected, but I'm not going there anymore. Those we met in Roatan work very hard for the tips. They give great service and have great attitudes and rely on the tips.

I guess I could have not waited until the very end to offer the tip, but for some reason I had it in my head that giving it at the end is the proper thing to do. For me, I understand how important the tips are for these people and I did stress a little over it. We got great service from the Dive Shop employees (actually everybody) and really had a hard time trying to figure up what a good tip was. Then once we kinda figured that out, we debated how to split the tips....yes, we way over thought this, but again for these people tipping is very important and we didn't want to take it lightly.

Snagel

 

[salth2owannabe]

As long as we're at it -
To maybe better explain the process of the cruise tipping thing;
I myself do not like the tip included thing in general. I do not like going as a larger group to a restaurant in which they tack on 20% because you are over 8 at a table. I have taken cruises in which you tipped personally at the end of the cruise, very similiar issues with tracking every server down, having cash on hand, etc. I've also seen folks who skipped out on the last nights dinner so they didn't have to tip the table staff, as a result. The suggested tip which is charged is pretty minimal and can easily be adjusted. I thought we had even more of an impact by handing those who went above and beyond an envelope at the end of the trip as an extra thank you. I think those that would not give anything would be less likely to do so if they had to approach the management and ask to remove the tip from the bill. On the service side, if folks were asking to remove the tip the management would have a heads-up that something was wrong with this employee. After taking about 6 cruises over the years I can say that I have never had even close to poor service from anyone because this minimal tip was included.

 

[bottomfeeder22]

I tipped the same amount as what I'd tip in the states...the fact that Roatanians make less than their US counterparts is irrelevant to me. I tipped the DM a little more than the Captain, but not much more. Also left a few dollars at almost every meal, and left a few dollars daily for the cleaning staff in my room.

To avoid chasing down my DM and Capt on the last day, I simply tipped them on the boat on one of our last dives.

 

[bottomfeeder22]

By the way; one member of our group made the realization that the cooks at our resort don't see any of the tips that the waitstaff got. We passed my hat around our table and the tables in the rest of the dining area, and gave it to the manager to disburse among the cooking crew. They'd really gone above and beyond in the management change, so we felt it was warranted. YMMV.

 

[annlaur]

As long as we're at it -
I do not like going as a larger group to a restaurant in which they tack on 20% because you are over 8 at a table.

The added tip for large groups in restaurants is rude and I don't support it, but there is a reason behind it. The following has happened to me numerous times when attending big tables :

A party asks for the check, calculates the split amount, and then pays. Most people in the party will leave a tip on top of what they owe… except the last one who is convieniently still busy looking for his wallet or talking on the phone. When it's that person's turn, he'll just say : "How much money do you still need ?" So for example instead of paying their USD20 meal, they'll just pay USD5……… These guys are just ripping me and their friends off, but there's nothing I can do or say about it. A tip is not mandatory by any means and only belongs to me after the entire table leaves the restaurant.