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No, I mean that I usually tip the same no matter where the crew are from and what area the boat travels. Some other posters have argued that tipping less is ok because the crew is local and living in a less developed country with lower prevailing wages.
I think there is a middle ground. I tipped about 15 percent of the cost of my Egypt liveaboard trip. That was about double the tip amount suggested by the liveaboard itself. But the 15 percent was applied to a baseline that is one-third the cost of liveaboards pretty much anywhere else. By US standards, it’s still a very modest tip. And while I think it’s reasonable to take into account the lower wages of the country where you are diving (and not overtip to the point of charity), it’s also reasonable to take into account the much higher wages one makes in America (and not under tip to the point of being miserly).
This may be an "agree to disagree" situation. Your logic about a middle ground sounds, well, very logical and reasonable. However, I am going to stick with my opinion that if the tip is greater than what one would have tipped had they not felt sorry that the crew doesn't get paid more by their employer, the additional amount is "charity."