Lois

My family (4 adults, 2 children) will be taking a day sail on a small sail boat privately) off season. The total cost will be $500. We're wondering what type of tip would be right to give the husband/wife team who sail the boat? Thanks for helping.

Lanie

Enjoy your day and if all goes well I would say tip well. I would guess roughly 75-100 dollors depending on service.

xxx

If they own the boat and business I'm not sure if I would tip or not. After all, they do own it and set their own rates. If they had someone working for them just earning a wage, that's a different story (IMHO). Tipping has just gotten so out of control. I'm a good tipper when service is good (usually 20%) but you never know anymore what you should and shouldn't tip for.

Lois

They do own their own boat & it's the 2 of them that puts on the cruise.<BR><BR>We don't want to appear "cheap", or not appreciative, but we are going "off season" and only 2 of the adults will have any alcoholic drinks that are included.

fyi

owners do not generally expect tips. if you are stopping somewhere for lunch, you will buy their lunch. sounds like you are headed out of st thomas or st john since that's the going rate for the sail to the bvi. which boat did you choose?

xxx

I guess I might not tip. #1 - you'll never see them again; #2 - gas (if they even use any) and drinks may cost them what, $50-70? If so, that's a $420-450 profit for the two of them to split. Let's say the sail lasts six hours, that's about $37 an hour for each of them, after expenses. <BR><BR>Of course this doesn't include cost and maintenance of the boat but that's still a pretty good pay rate. But then again, the cost of my car to get to and from work isn't included in my pay rate either. Again, JMHO.

Lois

Not sure of sail boat name (I think the Clintons were on it when they were there). We'll sail from St. Thomas to St. John.

fyi

Clintons were on Lady Lyndsey out of the Ritz but the cap't and his wife (Pam and Brian) now have the Fantasy out of American Yacht Harbour. Great day and you should really enjoy. Headed to Jost? (I hope!) You will not want to leave!

xxx

To xxx who posted above,<BR>Obviously you are NOT a business owner, and have no concept of running one, so please keep your simple minded thinking on your hourly/annual wage paying job. Running a business encompasses many things, and quite frankly, often the last thing is the owners &quot;hourly wage&quot;. Did insurance, advertising, etc ever cross your mind? I doubt it, but then again, I am not surprised, considering your first statement, you wouldnt tip because &quot;you'll never see them again&quot;: just about sums up the type of person you probably are. JMHO!

Beth

I think $100 is way too much. That's 20%.

xxx

Yes, my #1 reason probably wasn't a good one and really not one I stand by - don't know why I said it actually. I often tip 20% for good service and I'll never see them again either, so why I said that I don't know. I'm really not that cheap. I'm usually one for principle.<BR><BR>But my &quot;hourly wage&quot; analogy was just for comparison purposes. Of course they don't earn hourly wages. Anyone knows that. No, I do not own a business and I'm sure if you do it's not a healthy one considering your snotty and rude attitude. <BR><BR>It was only my opinion - what I would or wouldn't do. You don't like or you don't agree - I don't really care.

Lois

Let's not get into one of those rambling responses with people bickering.<BR><BR>I simply want to know what an appropriate amount might be if we tip. As I said, only 2 people will consume any alcoholic beverages and it's mainly just a day of sailing. Thanks everyone.

whats

I don't think I would tip either, unless they did something extra special. I think Americans are a little tip happy. I recently had furniture delivered (at a hefty fee), and my friend asked how much I tipped the deliverymen. I told her nothing, I didn't think I had to (plus they scratched my wall). She went on and on about how you're supposed to tip them at least $20 up to $50 for fifteen minutes of work!<BR><BR>I know people who tip the bus drivers, mailmen, etc. Nobody tips me. I guess I should ask who SHOULDN'T we tip?<BR><BR>I also have always read that you never tip the business owner.

Lanie

I think tipping is a very individual choice. However I would never feel comfortable not tipping or not leaving a good tip. I was taught that the minimum you leave is 15% and that is considered cheap where I live. Am i the only one who thinks it's rude not to tip good when you recieve good service? I'm suprised at how many wouldn't tip.<BR><BR><BR>WHATS<BR>LOL @ American's being a little tip happy! Maybe we are and I just don't know it. Do you know if it is common to tip and tip well in other countries?

xxx

Where do you draw the line when it comes to &quot;service&quot; and who you should and shouldn't tip. The boy who bags my groceries could be considered a service but I don't tip him, or how about cashiering, isn't that a &quot;service&quot;? What about the receptionist who gets me a cup of coffee? Or the man at Home Depot who showed me where the paint brushes are. What about the hostess who shows us to our table for dinner? Shouldn't we tip these people too then? After all, aren't they providing me with a &quot;service&quot;? I think I'm going to put a tip jar on my desk for anwering the phone at the office. After all, I am providing a service.

Lanie

I'm not sure who decided who to tip and who not to tip!! But somewhere along the line someone did!!

whatswith

Lanie, FYI, My husband and I are VERY generous tippers, usually leaving between 20-25% for services that typically are tipped (waitresses, hairdressers, taxi and limo drivers). But NOT sail boat captains, furniture deliverymen, bus drivers, gardeners, etc. <BR><BR>And yes, as a frequent international traveler, Americans tip more often and more generously than any other Nationality, on average. This is not always appreciated in other country's where tipping is sometimes seen as an insult to a server, or just a way off showing off.<BR><BR>In someplaces others who don't tip like Americans actually can't stand it when we tip so much. For instance, at AI's in the DR, tipping was always thought to be included, then the AMericans came and started tipping, which in turn upset the other visitors who now feel that they too have to tip. We're setting a precedent that isn't always appreciated.<BR><BR>xxx has it right. Where do you draw the line?

Lanie

I understand and I don't know where to draw the line! I guess it really is individual. I understand how it can be confused for showing off, however I don't think it's intended that way by most. I use to waitress myself so I always make a point to tip well because I have been on the other end working real hard to please people. In this case I would tip though, just because I tip a cab driver or a limo driver so why not a bus driver? I don't know maybe because I don't tip a plane flyer!! LOL very confusing on when to tip and when not to tip. But if this is a service you are suppose to tip for than I stand behind my suggestion of 20%! LOL now to figure out if it is!!

Lanie

sorry i meant boat driver not bus driver! LOL.

gore

Lois,<BR><BR>You do not tip the owners of an establishment. You may tip employees if they deliver a service that you feel is above the expected.<BR>The sad thing is that restaurants have pushed the tipping guilt to the point that now they don't have to pay servers the minimum wage, let alone a living wage, because the difference will be made up by the patrons.<BR>If, on the other hand, the boat captain or his wife provided a level of service that exceeded what had been expected for the cruise, whether providing a type of food, or preparing food in a way that shows a lot of time/effort was involved, or, if you mentioned a desire to have local lobster to take back to your villa to grill that night, and the captain stopped the boat, dove in and brought you up a couple of lobsters (or speared a triggerfish for your dinner) or something that was obviously above and beyond, then a tip would be in order.<BR>I agree with the poster above that we Americans are tip happy, and in some cases have upset the local norm by doing so. Next time you go to a foreign country, see if you can find out what the residents tip for the same services you get. I'll bet it will be an eye-opening experience.