what is the avg. tip you should leave????

[BDSC]

I agree with you. I just think everyone should be paid a fair wage and forget about tipping altogether but that's not likely to happen.

So here is a question for everyone thinking about liveaboards. Do you adjust the percentage you tip based on the price of the charter? Does the crew of a liveaboard that cost $2000 for a week work any less hard than the crew of a $3500 trip? Usually the difference in price is due to location of the trip and maybe the luxury of the boat itself. But it's still about the same amount of dives, three meals and snacks, someone cleans your room, etc. So in one case you would tip $200 and the other $350.

Any thoughts?

 

[RJP]

I crew on a dive charter here in NJ. We had 14 passengers today. The total in "the tip jar" (front pocket of my shorts, today) was $240 which three of us split. So the "average" tip for this two-tank trip was $17.50... which was actually comprised of ten people tipping $20 and four people tipping $10. But most important thing was that everyone had a great time.

If they load and unload your gear 5 bucks per tank is what I do and what my instructor said was standard for the area.

What year was that? 1985?



---------- Post added August 18th, 2013 at 09:57 PM ----------

Does the crew of a liveaboard that cost $2000 for a week work any less hard than the crew of a $3500 trip? Usually the difference in price is due to location of the trip and maybe the luxury of the boat itself. But it's still about the same amount of dives, three meals and snacks, someone cleans your room, etc. So in one case you would tip $200 and the other $350.

Any thoughts?

If you can afford the trip, you can afford the tip.

The waiter at Morton's Steakhouse doesn't work any harder than the waiter at TGI Fridays... yet most people wouldn't suggest that the waiter who served you and your date a $50 meal at TGI Fridays should get the same tip as the waiter who served you a $200 meal at Morton's.

In answer to your question, I do tip more on a more expensive "luxury" liveaboard than on a cheaper boat. Much like the Morton's vs TGI Friday's analogy, you typically do get more and better service from a larger group of people on a more expensive boat.

 

[mathauck0814]

I love the idea that in order to tip well we ought to have to "feel sorry for" the DM. It's a job that merits tipping everywhere in the world. Your culture does not excuse you from doing your part. What if your DM decided that you were XYZ background and denied you service because, "you wouldn't tip them anyway"

Seriously. For a sport so full of obvious extravagance, people are awfully cheap. I feel sorry for you people who can't afford to or feel it not your duty pay someone to do a good job for you. Absolutely shameful.

 

[RJP]

So here is a question for everyone thinking about liveaboards. Do you adjust the percentage you tip based on the price of the charter? Does the crew of a liveaboard that cost $2000 for a week work any less hard than the crew of a $3500 trip? Usually the difference in price is due to location of the trip and maybe the luxury of the boat itself. But it's still about the same amount of dives, three meals and snacks, someone cleans your room, etc. So in one case you would tip $200 and the other $350.

Any thoughts?

In general, if you figure out what you would tip if you spent a day comprised of:

- Breakfast
- Two-tank morning dive
- Quick stop at a coffee shop for a sit down coffee and pastry
- Lunch
- A two-tank afternoon charter
- A quick stop at a restaurant for a sit down for a few cokes and some hot appetizers
- Dinner at a nice restaurant
- A Night dive
- Stop off at a bar for a few rounds of drinks before heading back to your hotel
- Plus doorman, bellman, and chambermaid tips.

All of a sudden the tipping recommendation for LOB's doesn't seem so out of line.

 

[Centrals]

Seriously. For a sport so full of obvious extravagance, people are awfully cheap. I feel sorry for you people who can't afford to or feel it not your duty pay someone to do a good job for you. Absolutely shameful.

If my colleagues and I accept tip that would be regarded as bribe.

 

[BDSC]

I feel sorry for you people who can't afford to or feel it not your duty pay someone to do a good job for you.

And there is part of the problem. I don't feel it is my duty to pay anyone anything for doing a good job for me. Silly me, but I have an expectation that if I use any type of service, be it diving or anything else, that I am going to receive good service or they are going to do a good job. Good service should be the norm. Why should anyone have to pay extra for good service. In the past, tips were to be given for excellent or exceptional service above and beyond what should be the norm. Tips were suppose to be earned, not expected. That seems to have changed.

What's really sad is that you feel it is peoples "duty" to tip others for simply doing a good job.

 

[Chriscamo]

Tipping is a very American notion .. 10% usually as I've seen ... But most of the world doesn't do it ..

Only tip if its been amazing or an experience you'll never forget .. Anything else and why do it?

 

[Lorenzoid]

Tipping is a very American notion .. 10% usually as I've seen ... But most of the world doesn't do it ..

Only tip if its been amazing or an experience you'll never forget .. Anything else and why do it?

Regrettably, we Americans have spread the habit around the world, and a tip is now expected in some places that it never used to be. If a lot of Americans frequent a dive operation, tipping will be expected, especially from American clients.

 

[Chriscamo]

Thanks for the reply ... Still confuses me .. When I was in HB, Cali I was expected to tip the rudest most useless staff in the world ... Why would I tip stupidity?

Happy that most of Europe hasn't jumped on this (except some resorts) we keep things a little simpler here

 

[Hawkwood]

Where? Location makes a difference.

Are you going to keep us in suspense?