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

[Tippytoes12]

We have been put off from diving in Mexico for fear of falling foul of the confusing written and unwritten tipping rules. Dive crews do an amazing job , but they have a job which many people in their country do not. Five hundred dollars as a tip for a three thousand dollar trip is bonkers. I have also heard on several occasions that dividing up tops after a liveaboard results in huge issues between cruise directors and boat crew.

We leave what most Brits would consider to be a reasonable tip , $150 or so for a week in a resort and a bit more on a LOB assuming we have been happy with everything.

 

[BDSC]

These tip threads never die.

I'm headed to Panama in a couple of weeks for a fishing trip. The guy that owns the Lodge is from France and by far the majority of his business is from Europe. When planning the trip last year he informed me that guests typically tip their local captain of their boat about $20 - 25 a day. (There is no mate) That's all he said about tipping.

So just the other day I asked him how much is an appropriate tip for the lodge staff and chef/cook because that was not ever discussed. I could tell by his response that he was a little taken back by me asking and said "I guess $40 - $50 for the week would be a nice tip. I'm not really sure as no one really asks that."

 

[Lorenzoid]

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.

I don't mind letting them get the better end of a bargain--because they need it more than I do--but I do try to feign a bit of haggling because I think they respect that. You may disagree, but I believe dispensing tips like candy and paying asking price reinforces tourist stereotypes.

 

[JamesBon92007]

I don't mind letting them get the better end of a bargain--because they need it more than I do--but I do try to feign a bit of haggling because I think they respect that. You may disagree, but I believe dispensing tips like candy and paying asking price reinforces tourist stereotypes.

Like I said, I'm guilty

Recently my girlfriend went to Puerto Vallarta and the resort has a $3.50/day US "resort fee." This money goes to those behind-the-scenes people who are working for us but are not in a position to receive tips. I'm all for it and think it's a small price to pay. Other resorts charge an astronomical fee and I'm completely against that because I suspect management is getting most of it.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Recently my girlfriend went to Puerto Vallarta and the resort has a $3.50/day US "resort fee." This money goes to those behind-the-scenes people who are working for us but are not in a position to receive tips. I'm all for it and think it's a small price to pay. Other resorts charge an astronomical fee and I'm completely against that because I suspect management is getting most of it.

I don't like the idea of anyone receiving "tips" as we know it, but I wouldn't mind at all if a resort, dive op, restaurant, or whatever simply added a service charge to every bill, provided it benefited all who contributed to providing me the service. The total is all that matters--that's the price charged. As I see it, in the end, it should be up to the employer to adequately compensate their employees. I'm happy to give the employer a fixed "resort fee" to give to (all) their employees if that's how they want to couch it. However, if they charge a resort fee to help compensate only the "behind-the-scenes" employees, I'm not going to tip their "front of the house" employees, as that is unnecessary complexity. A single, coherent system is all I ask for. I know I will never see it.

 

[Christi]

I don't like the idea of anyone receiving "tips" as we know it, but I wouldn't mind at all if a resort, dive op, restaurant, or whatever simply added a service charge to every bill, provided it benefited all who contributed to providing me the service. The total is all that matters--that's the price charged. As I see it, in the end, it should be up to the employer to adequately compensate their employees. I'm happy to give the employer a fixed "resort fee" to give to (all) their employees if that's how they want to couch it. However, if they charge a resort fee to help compensate only the "behind-the-scenes" employees, I'm not going to tip their "front of the house" employees, as that is unnecessary complexity. A single, coherent system is all I ask for. I know I will never see it.

If you only understood the complexity of the employment laws and pay scales here you wouldn't make comments like "up to the employers to adequately compensate their employees" haha.

Without giving away too much private information, I can tell you without question that my staff take home significantly more that than USA's minimum wage. They also receive significant benefits. I provide them with Nitrox, I provide lunch if diving more than 2 tanks er day, I have also set up retirement accounts for them where I match 20% of their contribution above and beyond what I pay in to the obligatory Social Security system here, I am looking into private healthcare insurance for them. Where do you get a 20% match with ANY employer in the US?

With that, they still deserve tips for providing excellent service. I'm not encouraging excessive tips - my point is the tips are NOT to make up for what employers are not paying. And all tips are divided among DM, Capt, and our back of the house staff who takes care of the gear, refreshments on the boat, clean towels, etc.

 

[Dogbowl]

Further to @Lorenzoid’s post, I’m all about simplicity. I’m on vacation and really don’t want to worry about how much to tip, who to tip, how to tip, when to tip. I don’t wanna be on the plane back from Coz and say, “Shoot! I forgot to tip the tank handler on Thursday!”

I know people don’t like to be mandated to tip but I’d much rather do like the cruise ships...$12.75 per person per day (or whatever it is nowadays) and have them figure it out!

 

[Christi]

Further to @Lorenzoid’s post, I’m all about simplicity. I’m on vacation and really don’t want to worry about how much to tip, who to tip, how to tip, when to tip. I don’t wanna be on the plane back from Coz and say, “Shoot! I forgot to tip the tank handler on Thursday!”

I know people don’t like to be mandated to tip but I’d much rather do like the cruise ships...$12.75 per person per day (or whatever it is nowadays) and have them figure it out!

That is always an option. We have MANY divers who give me or Pedro an envelope at the end of the week and it is divided accordingly (among the staff - I don't keep tips obviously) Any tips that are made on a daily basis are also pooled and divided among them fairly, so you should never have to worry about tipping out individual staff members.

 

[Dogbowl]

That is always an option. We have MANY divers who give me or Pedro an envelope at the end of the week and it is divided accordingly (among the staff - I don't keep tips obviously) Any tips that are made on a daily basis are also pooled and divided among them fairly, so you should never have to worry about tipping out individual staff members.

I REALLY like that!

 

[Hatul]

I'm proud to say I gave 0 at the end of diving with Pro-Dive (Occidental) , because after spending thousands of dollars and taking time off work the dives were overall the most bland I've had in Cozumel. I felt cheated, so felt no desire to leave a tip.