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Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise #87399
02/21/2016 06:51 PM
02/21/2016 06:51 PM
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 2
sailingaway Offline OP
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sailingaway  Offline OP
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My wife and I will be taking a 7-day catamaran cruise in a few weeks. I have read various posts on tipping at the end of the cruise. Lots of opinions based on percent of the total cost of cruise. Looking for community feedback.

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Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: sailingaway] #87400
02/21/2016 07:19 PM
02/21/2016 07:19 PM
Joined: Apr 2014
Posts: 255
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gd1147 Offline
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We just got back from our trip with 4 couples total and we tipped $500 / couple for 2 crew on top of the catamaran cost.

Last edited by gd1147; 02/21/2016 07:23 PM.
Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: gd1147] #87401
02/21/2016 07:31 PM
02/21/2016 07:31 PM
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StormJib Offline
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One questioned to consider. Are you contracting for a captained boat to drive you from beach bar to beach bar? Or a crewed trip where your meals, drinks, and cleaning are done 24/7 for you? If you are one a boat where cleaning and hospitality is part of the offer you should get on the boat with a minimum of 20 percent of the total cost in cash. Depending on the level and quality of the service a minimum of 10 percent in cash is handed to the captain with your thanks on the last morning. If you and your group are delighted with the effort put forward that number should reach 20 percent of the total bottom line number of the cost paid for the boat and crew. You tip in cash, always to the captain, always on the last day and the minimum number is 10 percent.

Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: StormJib] #87402
02/21/2016 07:49 PM
02/21/2016 07:49 PM
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Posts: 255
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gd1147 Offline
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Yeah, to clarify ours was an all inclusive trip with meals and drinks. The only time we didn't eat on the boat was when we got the captain drunk and he was too hung over to cook so he bought us lunch the next day on land.

Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: gd1147] #87403
02/21/2016 08:19 PM
02/21/2016 08:19 PM
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sailingaway Offline OP
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This is esentially the same. All inclusive meals and drinks with a couple of meals ashore.

Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: sailingaway] #87404
02/21/2016 09:11 PM
02/21/2016 09:11 PM
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 143
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dreamin42long Offline
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We were on a 7 day crewed trip and tipped over $1k. Service was exceptional.

Enjoy your cruise. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

dreamin42long

Last edited by dreamin42long; 02/21/2016 09:13 PM.

God will forgive you.... Mother Nature won't. Please DON'T LITTER


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Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: dreamin42long] #87405
02/23/2016 08:59 AM
02/23/2016 08:59 AM
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Sunset_Sammy Offline
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We booked a cabin on a 10 day crewed charter in the Grenadines last month. The charter fee ($1500/person) included meals and all boat costs. Since there were two vegetarians and a vegan on board the skippers/owners did most of the cooking. We didn't tip them but after the charter I took then out for a nice dinner, the bill was about $40 each, and they seemed quite happy with that.
I did buy the occasional drink on shore at times for them during the charter also.


Drink all day at home, your friends worry about you; do it on vacation and they say "what a good time you're having". Save your friends needless worry, travel more!
Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: StormJib] #87406
02/23/2016 09:23 AM
02/23/2016 09:23 AM
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Posts: 252
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jboothe Offline
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Quote
StormJib said:
One questioned to consider. Are you contracting for a captained boat to drive you from beach bar to beach bar? Or a crewed trip where your meals, drinks, and cleaning are done 24/7 for you? If you are one a boat where cleaning and hospitality is part of the offer you should get on the boat with a minimum of 20 percent of the total cost in cash. Depending on the level and quality of the service a minimum of 10 percent in cash is handed to the captain with your thanks on the last morning. If you and your group are delighted with the effort put forward that number should reach 20 percent of the total bottom line number of the cost paid for the boat and crew. You tip in cash, always to the captain, always on the last day and the minimum number is 10 percent.


So for a 7 day all-inclusive charter where the captain/first mate (husband and wife) owns the boat and the rate is somewhere around $10k-$12k you take $2000 - $2400 cash with you to tip with at the end of the trip?

Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: jboothe] #87407
02/23/2016 03:10 PM
02/23/2016 03:10 PM
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StormJib Offline
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Quote
jboothe said:
Quote
StormJib said:
One questioned to consider. Are you contracting for a captained boat to drive you from beach bar to beach bar? Or a crewed trip where your meals, drinks, and cleaning are done 24/7 for you? If you are one a boat where cleaning and hospitality is part of the offer you should get on the boat with a minimum of 20 percent of the total cost in cash. Depending on the level and quality of the service a minimum of 10 percent in cash is handed to the captain with your thanks on the last morning. If you and your group are delighted with the effort put forward that number should reach 20 percent of the total bottom line number of the cost paid for the boat and crew. You tip in cash, always to the captain, always on the last day and the minimum number is 10 percent.


So for a 7 day all-inclusive charter where the captain/first mate (husband and wife) owns the boat and the rate is somewhere around $10k-$12k you take $2000 - $2400 cash with you to tip with at the end of the trip?


You can always bring travelers checks? I understand many have some issues with carrying a few thousands dollars in cash. Please consider many walk around with a wedding ring and electronic stuff of far greater value. For the crewed yacht bank accounts and taxes may always be an issue. That is where the custom of delivering cash to the skipper's hand comes in. There is great flexibility that comes with those cash payments and how those payments can be divided both on and off the boat. To answer your question we would have 20 percent of the total cost in cash or another way to look at it at least 200 dollars per day, per crew in cash unless we made some other arrangement well in advance. In your early communications with the skipper you can ask what the options are for gratuity payments. Some skippers may have a bank routing number to provide. Some crews may leave scheduled wiring instructions for near the end of the charter for half and then pay whatever the remaining 0-10 percent in cash on exit. A ten thousand buck charter I would plan on 2,000 in cash for gratuities paid aboard and a $100,000 charter, I would plan on handing over 20,000 in cash unless clear arrangements were made with the skipper in advance. That is how the crewed charter industry works.

Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: StormJib] #87408
02/23/2016 03:49 PM
02/23/2016 03:49 PM
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Posts: 252
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jboothe Offline
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Quote
StormJib said:
Quote
jboothe said:
Quote
StormJib said:
One questioned to consider. Are you contracting for a captained boat to drive you from beach bar to beach bar? Or a crewed trip where your meals, drinks, and cleaning are done 24/7 for you? If you are one a boat where cleaning and hospitality is part of the offer you should get on the boat with a minimum of 20 percent of the total cost in cash. Depending on the level and quality of the service a minimum of 10 percent in cash is handed to the captain with your thanks on the last morning. If you and your group are delighted with the effort put forward that number should reach 20 percent of the total bottom line number of the cost paid for the boat and crew. You tip in cash, always to the captain, always on the last day and the minimum number is 10 percent.


So for a 7 day all-inclusive charter where the captain/first mate (husband and wife) owns the boat and the rate is somewhere around $10k-$12k you take $2000 - $2400 cash with you to tip with at the end of the trip?


You can always bring travelers checks? I understand many have some issues with carrying a few thousands dollars in cash. Please consider many walk around with a wedding ring and electronic stuff of far greater value. For the crewed yacht bank accounts and taxes may always be an issue. That is where the custom of delivering cash to the skipper's hand comes in. There is great flexibility that comes with those cash payments and how those payments can be divided both on and off the boat. To answer your question we would have 20 percent of the total cost in cash or another way to look at it at least 200 dollars per day, per crew in cash unless we made some other arrangement well in advance. In your early communications with the skipper you can ask what the options are for gratuity payments. Some skippers may have a bank routing number to provide. Some crews may leave scheduled wiring instructions for near the end of the charter for half and then pay whatever the remaining 0-10 percent in cash on exit. A ten thousand buck charter I would plan on 2,000 in cash for gratuities paid aboard and a $100,000 charter, I would plan on handing over 20,000 in cash unless clear arrangements were made with the skipper in advance. That is how the crewed charter industry works.


Just my opinion, but I disagree. You should be tipping for the services provided by the crew if they do an excellent job for you, not the cost of the charter boat for the week.

If I charter a boat (example Moorings) and hire a Captain for $200/day, I would tip that person based off what I paid them for the week ($1400) not what I paid them and the cost of the boat I paid to Moorings. From what you are saying I should tip them more than what I paid them for the week (figuring the boat charter is $7500 weekly rate = $1500 + their services $280).

For an owner/operator based charter I would figure their services are worth around $200/day for a Captain and $100/day for cook/first mate and tip them based on $2100 for the week. $400 sounds reasonable for the week as a tip.

Just my humble opinion since I don't have a need to hire a captain or cook lately. Takes all the fun out of it for me!

Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: jboothe] #87409
02/23/2016 04:08 PM
02/23/2016 04:08 PM
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StormJib Offline
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What you tip someone(a gas jockey) for just driving the boat from beach bar, to beach is different than a crewed charter. For what it is worth. This is a straight cut and paste from The Moorings Crewed Charter webpage:

"Crew gratuity is not included and as a guideline, 10-15% is customary. All prices are in USD and are subject to change without notice."

Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: StormJib] #87410
02/23/2016 04:35 PM
02/23/2016 04:35 PM
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 10,213
GJ, CO S/V Long Overdue
sail2wind Offline
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cut and paste, no way Ron

Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: sail2wind] #87411
02/23/2016 04:57 PM
02/23/2016 04:57 PM
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StormJib Offline
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Here is a little more lagniappe for you....

"How much should a charterer give. We say, for The Caribbean, the range is 10 to 20 percent of the charter fee. If the charter fee does not include meals, the tip should be based on just the boat fee.

If you felt the crew had done a good job, 15% is a good tip - by giving 10%, you are telling the crew that things were OK but not perfect."

"Tipping Etiquette?" "All tips should be given directly to the captain so that he can divide the amount out between all the crew."

Re: Appropriate Tip for 7-day Cruise [Re: StormJib] #87412
02/23/2016 09:03 PM
02/23/2016 09:03 PM
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,901
Maine
Breeze Offline
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Popcorn please.


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