seastar, you are not the only one who's head is spinning. I have been a member of TTOL for several years, and I think this is the most discussed topic of all. And I think the whole discussion is totally ridiculous. According to many posts, we spend anywhere from $4000 to $10000 to take this trip - depending on airfare, accommodations, restaurants, etc...and we seem to to be eaten up with whether we spend $5 on a tip/service charge/whatever, or $10. Really, what the hell difference does it make? We spend so much money on this trip - thankfully we seem to be able to afford it - then we go crazy over getting "ripped off" for a couple of bucks by people that are are simply trying to survive, and in my opinion, are a whole lot nicer than their counterparts in the good ole USofA (and maybe Canada, I don't know) That DEMAND a good tip whether or not they actually deserve it.
Sorry for the rant, but really, can't this space be used for something more enlightening?