How much to tip dive masters and boat crew in Cozumel?

[Christi]

For the record (and flame-avoidance), I tip what most Americans tip. That said, I don't follow your logic. In most places in the world where workers' wages fully compensate them for their work, there is no practice of tipping. In such places, a patron might leave a tip only if the service they provided went above and beyond the job they were paid to do through their wages.

The tipping practice in Cozumel seems to be an odd hybrid of US and other countries'. The US custom of tipping has become prevalent because so many of us visit the island, yet unlike dive staff in the US, Mexican dive staff are apparently fully paid by their employer--if I understood you correctly.

"tipping" is not only a US custom - and it is not a new thing here with regards to tipping dive crew.

They would NOT go hungry without tips, but regardless of what they are paid by their employer, they are in service positions where tipping is customary. Some are paid more by their employers than others of course - there are some shops that still pay really crappy salaries because they are still paying based on 20 years ago rates.

On a liveaboard, the crew is paid well - I still tip. Hair dressers and those kind of professions are paid well, tipping is still customary and I tip accordingly. I could increase this list of examples, but I think that makes the point

 

[Lorenzoid]

The meaning of "customary" depends greatly on what country and what profession one is talking about. Customs differ. It is true that tipping is not only an US custom, but it is largely a US custom. Americans have spread the custom of adding a tip around the world, which is why in many countries, such as parts of Europe (other parts, not so much), service industry employees now expect tips--at least from foreign visitors. No, it's not "new"--the custom of always including a tip has been happening as long as Americans have been traveling abroad.

"Not go hungry" is ambiguous. Either an employee is paid wages that fully compensate the employee for the services provided, as in most of Europe, where leaving an American-sized tip is not expected, or you have the American system, where the tacit understanding among employee, employer, and customer (encouraged by IRS rules relating to "tipped employees") is that the customer is expected to pay a tip to make up that part of the employee's fair compensation not covered by the employee's wages.

Tipping is expected on liveaboards patronized by Americans. It's not expected on a liveaboard patronized nearly exclusively by, say, Australians. So what is "customary"? It depends.

This being the Cozumel forum, I suppose I should end by fully acknowledging that tipping dive crew is customary in Cozumel, and that's what I do when I'm there. There.

 

[RockiesFan]

Tip nothing and shift the burden back to employers. Despite what Christi says, tipping pushes the burden of a proper wage from the business owners to the customers.

 

[Dogbowl]

Just an observation...on the Aggressor Fleet, it is recommended that passengers tip 10-15% of the cost of the trip, which works out to about $300, based on 10% tip on a $3,000 trip. On a website for a South East Asia trip, the suggested tip was $100-150. Similar length of trip, similar price. I’d suggest that generous tipping is a phenomenon developed in America.

I agree with tipping service people but sometimes, I think people tip too much as a regular habit and not based on good service provided, which tends to raise the tipping expectations in certain particular areas frequented by Americans.

Sometimes I wonder if overly generous tipping is actually disguised charitable giving.

 

[Carlos Danger]

A family of three divers to arrive in Cozumel for the First time.
Any good guidelines for best practice when it comes to tipping dive masters, boat crew and waiters in Cozumel? USD or MXN?

I generally do 20% of the per-day cost rounded up, and provide that in cash (USD) to the DM or boat captain at the end of each day of diving when I get dropped off back at the pier.

 

[Christi]

Just an observation...on the Aggressor Fleet, it is recommended that passengers tip 10-15% of the cost of the trip, which works out to about $300, based on 10% tip on a $3,000 trip. On a website for a South East Asia trip, the suggested tip was $100-150. Similar length of trip, similar price. I’d suggest that generous tipping is a phenomenon developed in America.

I agree with tipping service people but sometimes, I think people tip too much as a regular habit and not based on good service provided, which tends to raise the tipping expectations in certain particular areas frequented by Americans.

Sometimes I wonder if overly generous tipping is actually disguised charitable giving.

I actually agree with this totally!

 

[scubadada]

On day boats I still tip about $10 per tank, works out to be about 20%. On LOB, I tip about 20% of my undiscounted fare, seems pretty reasonable for all these folks do for me. I'm very grateful I'm able to do all these dives.

 

[JamesBon92007]

Sometimes I wonder if overly generous tipping is actually disguised charitable giving.

I am sometimes guilty of that plus I have been known to pay asking price in Mexico when it appears that their sales are low.

On day boats I still tip about $10 per tank, works out to be about 20%. .

I admit that I am more willing to tip extra on a two-tank dive that costs $85 than on a two-tank dive that costs $130 but then I have to consider that their cost of living is higher and that, from what I have heard anyway, is that in some places DMs work for tips only. It seems to me that it would violate minimum wage laws in the US but that's what I've been told.

 

[chillyinCanada]

It was in writing at both an Indonesian resort and again on an unrelated Indonesian liveaboard (this past winter) that guests were advised that $15/day was an acceptable tip. It was good to know an expected base for the area but as dogbowl points out the Americans seem to be the factor in Cozumel and other parts of the world where they're more likely to travel in significant numbers.

 

[Streydog]

When I was in Germany waiters would seem insulted if you tipped them, rounding the change up was standard. What drives me crazy in tourist areas of Mexico is when I am informed "the tip is not included" by a waiter.

On my last trip to Cozumel I went on a two tank twilight/ night dive. When we surfaced from the first dive it was raining and a little windy. The captain got us all in the boat and then informed us that the port was closed. The conditions at the time were not too bad and we kind of joked with the captain about him just wanting to go see his girlfriend. The captain just kind of grinned without saying anything and took us to the harbor. It wasn't until we were taxiing back into town that we realized how bad the weather had been, the roads were flooded and there were palm tree branches all over the streets. I can't imaging what that boat captain went through while we having fun. I could not have tipped enough on that occasion.