The scale of Cozumel’s economic problem with no cruise ships

[ReefHound]

The more I hear the more I think there should be a tip sharing jar with a slot, to be opened only by owner/manager. I work as a DM on a weekend liveaboard once or twice a month and we put out a basket at the end and tips are shared equally. This results in us giving our best service to everyone because we don't know who will tip well or not. I've had people offer me cash and the automatic response is thank you, please put it in the basket.

 

[CajunDiva]

My tendency is to be cheap, not just frugal.

That's not true at all. You are very generous at sharing tequila with certain people

 

[markmud]

In the end, altogether I end up spending around $300 in tips for a 6 night trip.

Hi Kelemvor,

10% is completely adequate and since we don't tip for airline service, your percentage was probably closer to 15%. A few extra dollars here and there for hard working people is an nice gesture.

In Germany, the tipping culture is different than in the U.S. I ate at a restaurant in Trier. I had a German dish that was made with wild boar. It was excellent. I was going to eat at that restaurant again because I wanted to try the elk dish. I gave a 20% tip. The lady who served us was glowing beyond all words. That look on her face, that smile, the radiance from her face, the sparkle in her eyes was worth every penny. We made her day. We also made her day for the next few days. The food was outstanding and the service was great! Priceless!

"When someone says it aint about the money, it always is!"

In theory that sounds good, but that is not how the real world works.

You got that right!

...but the old idea that tipping is to offset for a lack of employer payments is just wrong to me.

That's your rationalization. Charity starts with the people who are helping and serving you right now. Be nice to them. Spread your wealth, and don't be a cheap-arse gringo!

Go ahead, make their day!

cheers,
m²V2

 

[Streydog]

I spent 6 months in Germany several years ago living in hotels and eating out every meal. For the most part servers would seem insulted if you tipped more than just rounding the bill up. Many of the Europeans I have dove with will ask how much an appropriate tip is on dive boats. Not just giving your money away does'nt make you cheap.

 

[jonhall]

Charity starts with the people who are helping and serving you right now.

Charity would simply be giving to people who are needy. There are plenty of those people in or near our hometowns. Tips go to the people who are helping and serving us. So the suggestion is also be charitable by tipping more than normal during these times.

I just wish I could go somewhere right now to dive so I could tip!

 

[tridacna]

I spent 6 months in Germany several years ago living in hotels and eating out every meal. For the most part servers would seem insulted if you tipped more than just rounding the bill up. Many of the Europeans I have dove with will ask how much an appropriate tip is on dive boats. Not just giving your money away does'nt make you cheap.

European waiters have real jobs. Salary, vacation and benefits. Enough said.

 

[BRT]

The more I hear the more I think there should be a tip sharing jar with a slot, to be opened only by owner/manager. I work as a DM on a weekend liveaboard once or twice a month and we put out a basket at the end and tips are shared equally. This results in us giving our best service to everyone because we don't know who will tip well or not. I've had people offer me cash and the automatic response is thank you, please put it in the basket.

I dove for years with a dive shop that had a shared tip jar and all tips went there. OK, I guess, but I always wondered how the owner divided them.

 

[Mark IV]

I dove for years with a dive shop that had a shared tip jar and all tips went there. OK, I guess, but I always wondered how the owner divided them.

The owner could have easily cut himself in for a share of those tips (and I actually had a shop owner, who's still a good friend, pull that on us, and there was a very heated "discussion" when we discovered that had been going on.) Also, the boat "captains" down there often have a very inflated view of their knowledge,skills and authority, and would often hand out less-than-equal shares, especially to the lowly marinero (deckhand), who knew he was in no position to argue, and would meekly accept whatever he got.
While it may simple and easy for the tipper to tip all at once, inserting a middleman into the process opens up the opportunity (if not likelihood) for someone to get screwed.
It really ain't that hard to come prepared with small bills (whether dollars or local currency), in fact, it makes a lot of transactions quicker and easier. I learned many years ago the value of having small bills on hand, when transacting in the 3rd world, and always made a point of bringing a fresh stash of $1's and $5's when coming back down from the States, or of asking for small bills when exchanging for local currency.

 

[DiverN2H2O]

I’ve always carried $5 bills on dive trips.
$5 to each person, I like small boats so usually $15 a day.
Gave up on $1 to bulky always have pesos for everything else.

 

[ggunn]

The owner could have easily cut himself in for a share of those tips (and I actually had a shop owner, who's still a good friend, pull that on us, and there was a very heated "discussion" when we discovered that had been going on.)

In a somewhat related story...

A band I was in agreed to play a club gig for $150. While we we playing the manager sent a comely young lass around the place with a beer pitcher soliciting tips. She presented me with the pitcher after the gig and I dumped it into my gig bag to split up later. A little while later the manager came to me and asked how much was in the tip jar. I told him I didn't know, but why did he ask. He informed me that we agreed to play for $150, and he needed to subtract the contents of the tip jar from what he owed us.

That was the 311 Club on 6th street in Austin, TX, and we never played there again.