Last minute cancellations and "no shows"

[Randy g]

Lee I disagree with you. We scheduled 14 days this season out of MHC and Wilmington and made it out 13 of those days. The very last day was a blow out but after the previous day diving with a large Manta Ray and a few hundred birthing female shark, all on 1 wreck. I would give this season 5 stars. Wave height is what it is. You can't run 20 miles into the Atlantic and expect smooth days all the time. It's the nature of the beast here.

And the Russian wreck kicked ass on everything for vis. We had 100'++ vis on it and had a blast running over an hour on the scooters in what seemed like air, it was so clear.

 

[chillyinCanada]

$20 is a standard tip, anything more than that is generous and anything less has us thinking we did something wrong or you don't have a clue.
.

James, are you saying $20 per tank tip, and so $40 for a two tank, $60 for a three?

 

[letterboy]

Kate...you are correct. It is apples and oranges. It makes sense you would tip differently at Outback than you would at Golden Corral.

This is likely the best analogy for cattle boats vs six packs I have ever heard.

 

[Tortuga James]

James, are you saying $20 per tank tip, and so $40 for a two tank, $60 for a three?

No, I meant $20 for the day, around 15-20 percent of the charter fee like at a restaurant.

---------- Post added October 22nd, 2013 at 12:50 PM ----------

My apologies to the forum if I came off as "snarky". I had just run 6 out of 8 days in Wrightsville doing fossil trips and was borderline exhausted and frustrated. For those of you who only know my online personality and not my real disposition, I am not normally that guy.

 

[jamiep3]

On the topic of being blown out, I've been diving out of Morehead City for eight years or so. Something on the order of 75 dives or so in the area. Looking back over my log, I'd say my blow out rate is about 20% overall. I've been skunked twice in that time. But when it's good, I can't think of anywhere I'd rather dive. Saturday we had 60' of viz on the Naeco, 76 degree water, fish, sharks, and possibly the biggest turtle I've ever seen.

 

[lsorenson]

You can't run 20 miles into the Atlantic and expect smooth days all the time. It's the nature of the beast here.

Who is expecting smooth seas...??? Not me, its the NC coast... very seldom is it smooth...!

 

[chillyinCanada]

No, I meant $20 for the day, around 15-20 percent of the charter fee like at a restaurant.

---------- Post added October 22nd, 2013 at 12:50 PM ----------

My apologies to the forum if I came off as "snarky". I had just run 6 out of 8 days in Wrightsville doing fossil trips and was borderline exhausted and frustrated. For those of you who only know my online personality and not my real disposition, I am not normally that guy.

That's OK James. It did seem a bit out of character and also a potential misread of the previous post about $10 a tank for $20. Yes, that poster was probably talking about another locale but even so, the money came out to the same amount to me . . . unless he's one of those guys that gives a one diver tip when there are two divers, which I've seen a few times with couples.

 

[Tortuga James]

Using that analogy I might replace Outback with Ruth's Chris, but yes, that's what I meant. Nothing wrong with Golden Corral, either, just not my personal preference.

Well, Tortuga is like Outback, Atlantis IV and Mutiny II are more like Ruths Chris. Maybe someday I will trade up to a more "luxury" six pack.

 

[Darnold9999]

The flip side to customer trying to cancel after seeing bad forcast on the internet is the operator that doesn't cancel until the last minute - notwithstanding weather forcasts and local knowledge telling him/her that the chances of actually diving are remote. Costs him nothing to wait until the last mninute to cancel.

Once spent 7 hours in transit, including a $60 ferry ride, to be told at the dock that the trip was cancelled. Part of the deal when diving ocean water, except that the forcast for several days in advance of this was for hurricane force winds, The response from the operator was - no problem the trip is still on. So now I am in limbo - I know (local knowledge) that the chances of this trip going out is slim, but it is always possible. So I have to spend 14 hours in a car/ferry on a remote possibility or lose my $.


Understnd the economics of a business, but as always, there is another side to this.

 

[letterboy]

But if you knew several days in advance, you could have canceled and attempted to get some monies back... Or found some other schmuck to take your place...