Tipping Guideline For Galapagos Liveaboards?

[CWK]

tip should be factored in when planning just like port fees

Different people factor in tips in different ways. In my experience, not every LOB asks for 10%. Some leave it entirely to their guests.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

if you can afford 8k for a one week liveaboard, you can afford to tip

You are completely missing the point... you seem to think the argument I am making is that money shouldn’t be paid.. that’s the opposite of what I’m saying.

I’m saying remove the ambiguity if DMs staff are struggling to survive without tips, as is often claimed.. remove the crapshoot of operators putting the fault for substandard compensation on the shoulders of ‘cheap tippers’

And also...no, just because you are on a liveaboard does not mean you can afford it, as per my experience with an older guy who’s son had surprised him with a life dream trip. He didn’t realize that he would be expected to pony up a $1k + tip at the end of the trip, was very stressed and upset that he couldn’t afford it and pretty much had his trip ruined by some asshat walking around the boat proclaiming that anyone who didn’t give at least xxx as a tip is a worthless bum.

I don’t ever want to try and reassure a guy again that there is no problem and the crew do ok whilst watching all the joy of the prior week disappear from him.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

tip should be factored in when planning just like port fees

I 100% agree. Port fees that are mandatory and not ambiguous.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

if you can afford 8k for a one week liveaboard, you can afford to tip

And if you can afford to tip as you do, you can afford the risk of potentially paying more for your trip upfront so staff can get paid a living wage and not have the stress of whether they can ‘send their kids to school’ based on how you are feeling on ‘tip day’

 

[Jcp2]

But by paying up front, you run the risk of the owner who collects the increased fee not passing it to his/her employees. Paying more directly to the crew changes the dynamic a bit, although at all times, there is some trust that the money goes to where you intend it to go.

 

[loosenit2]

This is a potential advantage of tipping culture. It puts a measure of direct pay control in the hands of the customer, a powerful incentive to staff to please them and thus helps insure good customer service with minimal policing by management.

The assumption seems to be the market will drive a rough overall income from the job, x. In a no tip culture, pay ‘p’ = x. If tips =t, in a tip culture, p+t = x.

The question is whether the leverage tipping gives the customer is worth the uncertainty and aggravation of deciding how much to tip, and feeling obligated to do so.

Reading about topside server service in Europe (minimal tipping) vs the US, I’ve read US service tends to be more vigorous and overtly friendly, at times ‘in your face.’ I wonder if live-aboard crew customer service is similarly impacted?

I had the pleasure of living in Germany and traveling extensively through Europe for several years. On the whole I did not notice any better or worse service while in restaurants and I can say without a doubt that I preferred the no tip required standard. That said you do often leave a tip for exceptional service, but there are no guidelines or pressure; that appears to really be an American thing.

On a side note has anyone else noticed how tip guidelines have gone up over the years. I remember as a kid the standard tip was 10%, appears to have gone up to 20% range now.

 

[Jcp2]

How long ago was “a kid”? The US federal minimum wage for tipped workers was set at half the minimum wage of regular workers to $0.80/hour in 1966. Before that there was no requirement at all. It went up with increases in the minimum wage until 1996, where it has been frozen at $2.13/hour ever since. Different states and cities have set higher minimum wages standard for tipped workers in their jurisdictions, but I can see why there might have been an expected increase in %tip over the years.

 

[Ministryofgiraffes]

But by paying up front, you run the risk of the owner who collects the increased fee not passing it to his/her employees. Paying more directly to the crew changes the dynamic a bit, although at all times, there is some trust that the money goes to where you intend it to go.

This is a good/valid point. But the hope would be that clarity on DM/staff salaries would mitigate this issue. again, i'm no socialist i'll be the first to admit, but clarity around this would hopefully lead to:

1) crews getting compensated properly to sustain the industry
2) Operators having to raise their game
3) local crews having more control/reliable income to protect their livelihood etc.

 

[loosenit2]

@Jcp2 I am 46 and my mother worked as a waitress until I was 12 so my timeframe reference is early 80s until now. I am constantly amazed at how much tipping has expanded over those years, not only the relative “recommended” tips but also the services for which tipping is asked for. (I.e. facilities where i have to go to a counter to order and pick-up food often have tip jars placed out).

To bring the post back to the main point i am a fan of, and support, paying fair wages that do not require or include tipping in them. Seems to work well in Europe and other places I have traveled that use this model and does not result in the degradation of service as many predict.

 

[scubadada]

I lived in Switzerland for 2 years, where most workers are paid a living wage. A simple salad, pizza, bottle of wine dinner could easily cost $100 or more. The service was very good.

I am also in favor of paying people a living wage, but I am also aware of the fact that I would pay for it. We did not go out to eat frequently.