Liveaboard Tipping

[Joe Cool]

I would like to chime in on this topic as well. I am a diver on a budget. Flying from the west coast of Canada to any diving spot be it the Caribbean or Hawaii is quite expensive compared to our US brethren. So, my budgets are very tight on all my trips. However, I take into account some tip money when I plan my trips. Especially when I know that the staff on a liveaboard either get a very small pay check or is only on commission. I factor in 10% for tip money as a rule when establishing a trip budget. This is the max for me. If I were Daddy Warbucks, I would gladly factor in more tip more but my wage earning power is only above average. I justified it by telling myself that if I can afford a $2,000 liveaboard trip, I can certainly afford to spare another $200 more for tip money. I am not trying to be cheap but it is what I can afford. How much of the 10% tip money I actually pay the crew depends on their service at the end of the day. Like all the others who posted, if the service I get is very exceptional, I may tip a bit more.

For those who are doing liveaboard the first time, it pays to research and find out how liveaboard crew are paid. Then compare it to the level of service you actually receive. You will soon find out that whatever 'x' amount of tip money you set aside is not so bad at all. And, in most cases you'll end up giving more. I agree, tipping depends on your comfort level. I do not believe on a universal 'service charge'. Employees tend to get lazy and not give their best because they always know they'll get something at the end of the day.

 

[Reck Diver]

... my budgets are very tight on all my trips. However, I take into account some tip money when I plan my trips. Especially when I know that the staff on a liveaboard either get a very small pay check or is only on commission.

I factor in 10% for tip money as a rule when establishing a trip budget. This is the max for me. If I were Daddy Warbucks, I would gladly factor in more tip more but my wage earning power is only above average. I justified it by telling myself that if I can afford a $2,000 liveaboard trip, I can certainly afford to spare another $200 more for tip money. I am not trying to be cheap but it is what I can afford. How much of the 10% tip money I actually pay the crew depends on their service at the end of the day. Like all the others who posted, if the service I get is very exceptional, I may tip a bit more.

For those who are doing liveaboard the first time, it pays to research and find out how liveaboard crew are paid. Then compare it to the level of service you actually receive. You will soon find out that whatever 'x' amount of tip money you set aside is not so bad at all. And, in most cases you'll end up giving more. I agree, tipping depends on your comfort level. I do not believe on a universal 'service charge'.

It's really no one's business how or how much anyone is paid. That is between the employer and employee. If gratuities are expected then you should pay them based on the customary rate, not what you can afford. If a crew member busts a gut for you and you give him a poor tip because you can't afford it, then you should arrange trips you can better afford. If you receive poor service, let someone know immediately so can be addressed on the spot.

What is be researched is what to expect or not expect on a trip especially expected gratuities... prior to buying that admission ticket.

Employees tend to get lazy and not give their best because they always know they'll get something at the end of the day.

I have a friend who owns a small service oriented business who has a no tipping policy. He pays his employees fairly and he is slowly growing the business. He has a sign in his shop that says "Outstanding performance is standard, standard performance is substandard and substandard performance gets you on unemployment.

 

[Jax]

It's really no one's business how or how much anyone is paid. That is between the employer and employee. If gratuities are expected then you should pay them based on the customary rate, not what you can afford. .

Really? I doubt the crew would agree. I think a paying customer, with heartfelt thanks and a tip, is better than the empty bunk.

 

[vladimir]

I factor in 10% for tip money as a rule when establishing a trip budget. This is the max for me.

If gratuities are expected then you should pay them based on the customary rate, not what you can afford....What is be researched is what to expect or not expect on a trip especially expected gratuities....

What is customary, or usual, and what is expected, probably converge over time. Though I tip 10-15%, I seriously doubt that is the average tip, based on my conversations with fellow divers (it usually comes up at week's end). I think these tipping threads are viewed by some as an opportunity to mold public attitudes.

 

[koozemani]

What is customary, or usual, and what is expected, probably converge over time. Though I tip 10-15%, I seriously doubt that is the average tip, based on my conversations with fellow divers (it usually comes up at week's end). I think these tipping threads are viewed by some as an opportunity to mold public attitudes.

I agree with your opening line. I generally see the customary amount as a baseline suggestion. Standard service that meets but does not exceed expectations will receive the customary amount. Better or lesser service will receive an adjusted amount based on the customary rate.

There are exceptions to this rule that I can see applying to liveaboards. If I stop by a mom and pop diner for breakfast my bill may be $7. A 20% tip would be $1.40. A dinner at may favorite reastaurant averages about $200. A 20% tip would be $40. Did my waitress/waiter would any harder at dinner than the one I had for breakfast did?

Likewise should a $5000 dollar liveaboard automatically receive a greater tip than a $2000 liveaboard? If the amenities, service, and food are equal, why should one command a larger tip automatically?

Personally, good service at the M&P diner will likely result in at least a 50% tip. I can't fathom tipping $1.40 for good service.

 

[BDSC]

I generally see the customary amount as a baseline suggestion. Standard service that meets but does not exceed expectations will receive the customary amount. Better or lesser service will receive an adjusted amount based on the customary rate.

The question you have to answer is, "What is standard service?" Pretty much any liveaboard website you go to will go on and on about how great the boat is, how great the diving is, how great the staff is, and how great the food is. Of course they are trying to get your business so that's to be expected. I'm not exactly sure how they can exceed what they have described because I expect great food, great diving, a great boat, and a great crew when I book.

Personally, good service at the M&P diner will likely result in at least a 50% tip. I can't fathom tipping $1.40 for good service.

Same here. For the most part, If I go to any sort of sit down restaurant where you order and they bring you the food, no matter how much my order totals, I'll leave a $5 tip. Even if it's a $7 salad or something.

 

[yogen]

A tip is a gift (gratuity) appreciation for exceptional service but in certain parts of the world especially the US is used to justify a sub standard wage. You are expected to tip just to be provided the service and in NYC if you do not pay 20% you stand the chance of being humiliated.

Here is an interesting article on the subject : BBC News - The mechanics of tipping US-style

My 2cents... tip if you are happy with the service received. Give what you are comfortable with..

 

[vladimir]

A tip is a gift (gratuity) appreciation for exceptional service but in certain parts of the world especially the US is used to justify a sub standard wage. You are expected to tip just to be provided the service and in NYC if you do not pay 20% you stand the chance of being humiliated.

Here is an interesting article on the subject : BBC News - The mechanics of tipping US-style

My 2cents... tip if you are happy with the service received. Give what you are comfortable with..

And there's your answer, Wayne007. If the other guests are American, 10-15%, if they're European, tip 6% and you'll be a hero. Or maybe just adopt a French accent for the week and stick with 6%.

 

[deepstops]

I have to agree to this, Wookie. Budgets are important, especially in this economy. There are some of those people in the middle, who can afford only a little more, but still want to recognize the crew.
I can imagine the shift in gas prices is going to mess up people who drive down this summer.

Then people should budget for the total expected cost, not just the boat. Seriously, I'd never stiff the crew on their tip.

 

[Lorenzoid]

Ah, another thread on tipping.

First thought: If a dive operator (whether liveaboard or land-based) gets divers from all over the world, including countries like the US in which tipping is the norm and countries like, oh, say Belgium, where tipping is practically unheard of, how can the dive operator expect everyone to tip similarly? People from some countries (not mine) expect that the price they paid includes the crew's wages and everything else that needs to be covered, unless it's stated otherwise. If the information on a dive operator's web site calls it a "tip"--a word that implies "optional"--rather than a required charge, I suspect that people from some countries would simply ignore it.

Another thought: Tipping in cash as suggested in this thread would be nice, but sometimes a wad of local cash equal to US$300 or whatever would be about an inch (yes, I'm American) thick and might require a trip to a bank, since cash machine limits in developing countries are often proportional to the local cost of living, not liveaboards. Would the crew be annoyed if I were to tip in US dollars? I suspect they would be less than thrilled to have difficult-to-exchange US 100-dollar bills, but lugging around a large wad of bills in any country's currency is not something I want to do for a variety of reasons. My wife and I are doing a liveaboard soon, but it is part of a much longer trip where we will be backpacking around Asia for a couple of months. Since the rest of the trip costs will be far less than the liveaboard, we don't plan to carry much cash with us--we had hoped that the liveaboard would be fully paid in advance. This thread, of course, reminds me that we need to bring enough cash for a tip. If they can accept a credit card aboard, I would much prefer to tip that way.