Gifts as Tips??

[Rick Inman]

The Cozumel Insider mentions bringing gifts to give out as well as cash for tips. Here is what it says:

Gifts/Tips - While cash is always appreciated as a tip for excellent service, sometimes a small trinket from your home country is more appropriate for a new found island friend. Many people from Cozumel seldom leave the island much less the country of Mexico. The population as a whole is exposed to a lot of merchandise in the stores, on TV and the Internet but availability is another thing all together!! Here are some inexpensive suggestions of things to stick in your bag “just in case.”

Music cassettes and or CDs (they don’t have to be new)

DVD's (they don't have to be new)

Small keychain type flashlights

Small pocket knives (remember to put in a checked-in bag!)

Brass or stainless clips (fishermen can’t get enough of these)

Small Address Books

Small scented candles

Perfume samples

Crayons or colored pencils/pens

Wine openers

What do you think??

 

[Corigan]

The Cozumel Insider mentions bringing gifts to give out as well as cash for tips. Here is what it says:

What do you think??

I think it is probably a good idea. Of course the look you may recieve when tipping a deck hand a pack of crayons might be priceless.

Matt

 

[cdiver2]

The Cozumel Insider mentions bringing gifts to give out as well as cash for tips. Here is what it says:

What do you think??

Don't know about Coz Rick but it is a big thing in PNG. We took five UW lasers to use as barter after I gave mine to our DM to show us something we could not see he loved it, so we gave them all to the dive supervisor (Australian) to be distributed to all the DMs. He was elated and even more happy that they came with battery's, on leaving we gave him a envelope with the tip money and he said we did not have to the lasers were more than enough but we insisted great staff

 

[Rick Inman]

I think it is probably a good idea. Of course the look you may recieve when tipping a deck hand a pack of crayons might be priceless.

Matt

Actually, I was thinking of the perfume samples.

 

[scubadobadoo]

I think it is probably a good idea. Of course the look you may recieve when tipping a deck hand a pack of crayons might be priceless.

Matt

Very funny. Chuckling right now! I think it just depends on the person and the relationship and the gift. All of these things have to be taken into consideration. As a former tour guide in NYC I can say that a cash tip is always better but availability of things I want to buy isn't an issue in NYC. That said, I was once gived a caribiner with a water bottle holder and I LOVED that thing and still use it 2 years later. Just depends I guess. Wanna tip me a used 2005 Mercedes? Then I quess I would be forced to take it!

Crayons! Tee hee.

 

[Corigan]

Very funny. Chuckling right now!

Thanks. I try, but rarely succeed.

In all seriousness though, when I was planning on travelling overseas someone had told me the best thing in the world to bring for tips/swapping services were clothes/shoes that were sold here in America. Even a cheap pair of walmart jeans can really go far to someone that has trouble finding a pair of jeans. Blue jeans are loved universally apparently. It seems to be a fad for youth worldwide to try to dress like what they see on american television shoes. Atleast that has been what I have noticed, don't shoot me if your experience is different.

If you really wanted to make a DM's day bring him a nice pair of nike's for a weeks worth of rigourous work and guided tours for you and your buddy. He/she will still be wearing them the next time you show up. Besides that you can split the cost with your buddy and it will be cheaper than the cash you would have handed over on tips.

Of course I'm sure some DM's/captains would prefer cash.

Matt

 

[dlndavid]

$700.00 r/t airfare
$1700 1 week hotel
$1000 meal & drinks
$500 5 days 2 tank dives
$1 trinkets as tips...
Priceless

 

[5615mike]

Actually, I was thinking of the perfume samples.

ROFLMAO

 

[mike_s]

Crayons! Tee hee.

I could see Crayons being a great gift in other countries where they were hard to get. The people there all have kids and kids love crayons. If it's something they can't get and their kids love it, I can see it as a good tip.



QUOTE=Corigan] Blue jeans are loved universally apparently.

Matt[/QUOTE]


I've heard that also. When we've had visitors here for work from other countries, they always want to buy blue jeans (Levi's etc) for their family. If you know someones size to take them, I'd say that most people in other countries would love this. You can always find this out when checking their size.

 

[Mako Mark]

personally I think I would be a little offended if someone gave me a perfume sample as a tip. It would be like "are you saying I smell bad???"

OTOH..... If you are going to way out remote areas like Beqa or Kadavu in Fiji where there is a traditional style village lifestyle. The kids love pens, the old men love cards (as do any soldier at any road block in the world) and you can bribe a chief without bribing him by giving the gift of guitar strings for his son. Guitar strings are like chikens teeth in the boonies and therefore highly negotiable, very small and one size fits all.

I would not consider this an appropriate practice in Cozumel, or pretty much anywhere else in the carribbean.