Tipping on Red Sea liveaboards

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Thanks for sharing. Just a quick comment on the "and they got to dive" bit: I once assisted at a very heated discussion between the Egyptian employees of a dive center and their German manager, one of the main points of contention being the lack of proper insurance for the diving staff. (as in insurance for professional risks and hazards). So what may look to us like a big bonus may be for them more like an accepted risk.

Fair enough. There's also what a dive guide told me: "In Egypt, if I guide you on a dive and you die, I go to prison -- an Egyptian prison." Still, I have to think the guys cleaning the liveaboard toilets and making the towel swans wish that they were the dive guides.
 
I just returned from a Red Sea liveaboard this past September 28th. I had booked the trip through PADI travel and the recommendation on their site for this boat was a tip of 45 Euros. Toward the end of the trip several of us started discussing the tip situation and all agreed that 45 Euros was very insufficient for a crew of eight and three guides. I ended up tipping 1,400 Egyptian pounds (about $86 US). A guest was asked to volunteer to collect the tips--one envelope for the crew and one for the guides. I split my tip 70% to the crew and 30% to the guides--one guide was a private guide for one guest--I was the only American guest (private guide was not for me). There was never any pressure about tips from anyone and no suggested amount given by anyone on the boat. Just tip what you feel is deserved.
 
Thanks a lot for sharing. Can you share the name of the boat and the price of the liveaboard package?
 
Thanks a lot for sharing. Can you share the name of the boat and the price of the liveaboard package?
Yes it was the M/Y Amelia--St. Johns southern route--I paid about $1085 for a upgrade to the main deck twin cabin. I received a free transfer from Hurghada to Port Ghalib and free nitrox for those with the cert. I did write a trip report in this forum.
 
Thanks, was just asking for details here as the topic about tipping may still pop up in searches long after the individual trip reports have disappeared from sight as time passes and new topics are posted.
 
I have done a few Red Sea liveaboards. There has always been an expectation that guests would provide a tip at the end of the week, but no pressure to provide one. Normally it is via an envelope passed around, I think all the ones I have been on have had separate envelopes for guides and crew. As with most of the posters on this thread I have biased my tips towards the crew, as they have always provided exceptional service for the entire trip. Typically we have left around £50 per guest.
 
I leave between 10 and 20% of my fare cost for good service. I was saved/rescued from a storm that came up during a night dive on the southern route. The tender drivers were both skilled and brave. The other services I was supplied were exemplary. I see no reason to be cheap.
 
There are lots of perspectives on this issue. I have lived in the third world most of my life so I see things from a third world perspective. I primarily use LOBs that are not budget options. I see boat crew with jobs who are well fed so they are not at the top of my list of people who need my financial assistance. I prefer instead to make a monthly contribution to an organisation called Pit Stop Community Cafe in Kuala Lumpur which provides meals for those in need. And I am always happy to open my wallet to aid those whom I consider to be in need. I do tip on LOBs but I generally see no reason for that tip to be 10% or more. If there is service that I feel deserves a larger tip, I would be delighted to do so.

I am well aware that Americans are exceedingly generous to those with jobs in the service sector so it is a puzzle to me that American politicians are saying that there are half a million homeless in America, and 15 million households (?) that are food insecure.
 
tips aren't charity, government handouts are. you aren't entitled to have other people clean up after you, cook for you, and schlep your junk around.
 
Folks, let's not go there please. Better keep politic out of diving related activities, including this discussion.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom