Tipping the boat crew - conventions around the world?

[drbill]

I've worked dive boats before, but mostly as the on-board marine biologist who got to dive and then talk with the passengers to help ID and give the natural history of what they saw.

The one time I worked as a deckhand for tips only, we had 33 people on board (a full load but well within the boat's capacity) and it was a 10 hour day due to the number of divers. The captain, dive master and I split $103 in tips three ways (an average of just over $3 per diver for a full 10 hour day). Needless to say I never did that again!

Regardless of where I dive, I usually tip the crew although it is rarely more than $10 since I'm a dive bum and not earning the big bucks.

 

[bygolly]

5-10 bucks per tank depending on service. (If on an American boat and cracks are made about Canadians not tipping, your tip will appear in the jar in Canadian funds)

10% -15% on liveaboards.

A particularly nice married DM couple I encountered once were obviously struggling financially. I bought them a ticket for a local experience they could not otherwise afford.

 

[Storker]

So far this is good info. Quit the chest beating please.

+1

Some don't tip, and hate to say it, they are just cheap bastards.

In the US, I might agree with you. However, there's a fundamental difference between Europeans and (US) Americans when it comes to tipping. In my impression, service drones in the US don't earn a salary they can live on and depend on tipping to make ends meet. Thus the low esteem for customers who "stiff" the drone. However, in large parts of Europe, even lowly service drones are expected to be paid a salary they can live off - albeit not luxuriously. Thus, tipping isn't as mandatory in these waters, and tipping is far from being as widespread as it is in the US. As tyesai mentioned, if you try to tip the DM in one of those countries, they just look confused and label you as another American tourist.

Thus the question in my OP...

 

[FM1520]

usually about 5 per tank on local boats here in SoCal, I tip more if they they fill my tank on the way back.

 

[ferris213]

In Australia I have never seen anyone tip the boat crew. It just doesn't happen. I always make a point of saying thank you to the crew, and if they have been especially helpful I will let them know it is appreciated.

I have never really understood the culture of tipping. Why should boat crew rely on customers generosity to earn enough to survive? It's their bosses responsibility to pay them a decent wage.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[boulderjohn]

In Australia I have never seen anyone tip the boat crew. It just doesn't happen. I always make a point of saying thank you to the crew, and if they have been especially helpful I will let them know it is appreciated.

I have never really understood the culture of tipping. Why should boat crew rely on customers generosity to earn enough to survive? It's their bosses responsibility to pay them a decent wage.

This is an illustration of the difference in cultures and why it is so confusing to travel.

An old college friend moved to Australia quite a few years ago. When I visited him, he told me this story about when he went into a bar in Australia for the first time. He had been living in Canada for a number of years, and he had learned where he lived that if you don't tip the bartender with every drink you buy, you won't see him again the rest of the night. So when he paid for his drink that first time in Australia, he quite naturally tipped him. The bartender pushed the money back at him and said, "I don't need your charity. I get paid a decent wage, and that is all I need."

I agree with that concept and wish it were universal. Unfortunately, it is not the case here, where people often aren't paid a decent wage and have to depend upon tips. I know that some dive operators in south Florida do not pay DMs at all, so if there is no tip, the DM does not get paid.

I simply don't understand tipping conventions here. A couple of years ago here in Colorado, I was part of a large group having dinner at a restaurant. We were quite convivial, and we consequently had probably more wine than we normally would have had, and we had a pretty highly priced wine at that. When the bill came, it was consequently a pretty high tab. We all threw money together in a pile. When we added it all up, it came to a 17% tip. We thought that was fine. As we were leaving, the waitress came to us and asked us if we meant to only tip 17%--she was expecting something more like 20%. If we had ordered a less expensive wine and tipped her 20%, she would have done exactly the same amount of work, gotten considerably less money, and been totally thrilled. In our case, she got a lot more money because of the expense of the wine, but because it was only 17%, she was miffed enough to complain.

 

[wedivebc]

5-10 bucks per tank depending on service. (If on an American boat and cracks are made about Canadians not tipping, your tip will appear in the jar in Canadian funds)

Yeah but Canada has ceased circulating pennies

 

[bygolly]

Yeah but Canada has ceased circulating pennies

Now I know what to do with all those rolls of pennies I have been saving. But then again they will add weight to my luggage....hmmmm. ;-)

 

[RJP]

I'm pretty sure if 100% of the divers on a boat tipped $2.00 a tank the crew would be jumping for joy.

Not likely, I can assure you.

Whatever secret tipping is going on, if you talk to dive crew they will tell you that way more people don't tip than do.

I don't care how much secret tipping is going on, it's still doesn't add up to more than who don't tip at all.

Here in NJ I would say that 100% of passengers tip, with $20 being the most common tip for a two-tank charter.

On trips run as shop or group charters someone running the trip usually collects from all the pax and hands off the tip to one of the crew at the dock. When we run open boats it's usually individuals handing off tips to one of the 3-4 of us with a handshake, a smile, a heartfelt "thanks" and a genuine "look forward to diving with you again!" (The last four are the most important.)

 

[Storker]

Why should boat crew rely on customers generosity to earn enough to survive? It's their bosses responsibility to pay them a decent wage.

That's the general attitude in my part of the world as well. And it's valid not only for boat crews.

The bartender pushed the money back at him and said, "I don't need your charity. I get paid a decent wage, and that is all I need."

That comment hit the nail on the head. Because most people in Europe and Australia expect - rightly - to be paid a decent wage, tipping might very well be perceived as condescending.

A couple of years ago here in Colorado, I was part of a large group having dinner at a restaurant. We were quite convivial, and we consequently had probably more wine than we normally would have had, and we had a pretty highly priced wine at that. When the bill came, it was consequently a pretty high tab. We all threw money together in a pile. When we added it all up, it came to a 17% tip. We thought that was fine. As we were leaving, the waitress came to us and asked us if we meant to only tip 17%--she was expecting something more like 20%. If we had ordered a less expensive wine and tipped her 20%, she would have done exactly the same amount of work, gotten considerably less money, and been totally thrilled. In our case, she got a lot more money because of the expense of the wine, but because it was only 17%, she was miffed enough to complain.

<armchair psychologist WAG>
It may be because of the expensive wine you ordered. Possible reasoning: Customer can afford expensive wine = customer can afford to tip 20%. Customer can afford to tip 20%, but does not tip 20% = customer is cheap.
</armchair psychologist WAG>