Tipping Adventure Guides

[PrincessFi]

I wanted to start a new thread on this because although in the literature it claims that if you feel your adventure guide did an outstanding job you can tip them but doesn't say it required. However, they go into detail about how much you should tip them...so isn't it really a requirement and should really be figured into the overall price of the trip? Will we know how many guides we have? Do the guides wait at the end of the trip with their hands out ? It just seems weird that everything is included and then at the end you're having to fork out cash.

 

[ppiew]

On both of our ABD trips we tipped the guides the last night because we wouldn't see them in the AM. No one had their 'hand out' so I guess if you wanted to stiff them you could. But let me tell you, they work darn hard all week long and deserve every penny! We tipped in cash on one trip using British Pounds and on the other we used Euros. There were also people who used USD's so I guess anything goes. I put the money with a short 'thank you' note (using hotel stationery) and sealed it and then gave it to each guide. (On our second trip, I was more organized and had a thank you card that I brought from home.) As far as I know each trip has two guides.

 

[eva]

I wanted to start a new thread on this because although in the literature it claims that if you feel your adventure guide did an outstanding job you can tip them but doesn't say it required. However, they go into detail about how much you should tip them...so isn't it really a requirement and should really be figured into the overall price of the trip? Will we know how many guides we have? Do the guides wait at the end of the trip with their hands out ? It just seems weird that everything is included and then at the end you're having to fork out cash.

I guess that I never thought of it much since most tours and cruises are the same way. They don't require tipping, but they have recommended tips. There are a couple of cruise lines were the tips are included. But I'm not to big on someone else determining what will be tipped. If the tip were included, I always wonder if the service would be top notch. I guess you could make the same argument with going out to a restaurant. "Why don't restaurants increase prices and have the tip included?" I'm sure there are some that would rather pay for the tips up front, but I like having more control and want to reward great service.

 

[PrincessFi]

I think what I'm trying to say is that, shouldn't the tour guides be part of your tour package? I understand what everyone is saying. We are new to all of this touring stuff and have never been on a cruise, so we are learning. We certainly wouln't want to stiff them if this is the way the Tour Guides earn their living.

 

[eva]

I'm sure that a large portion of their pay is from tips. On a cruise the tips are about all that the servers and room stewards make. If you do not tip, it is making the statement that you have received bad service. Consider that the guide is there to serve you on your tour. So like a server in a restaurant, you should tip. I always consider the recommend tip for expected services. If the guides go above and beyond, then they will definitely receive more. As I said before, it is very similar to tips on a cruise ship. They have a recommended tip for each type of server (dinner, room, etc.). Then it is up to you to decide if they earned that tip or not. I can guarantee you that the price would be higher if tips were included. Wouldn't you rather have control over tipping according to the service you receive?

 

[awatt]

Once you take your ABD tour you will understand why it is very reasonable to tip the guides the rcommended amount. They do SO much. Really go above and beyond. We gave them more than the suggested amount.

 

[KLondon]

Tipping is definitely not required, but I have no problem with rewarding great service. I see it as not too different from tipping restaurant staff for great service. In a restaurant, we generally have a sense that 15% is the norm. For a tour, I really didn't have a sense of what a good tip should be - so I did appreciate the guidelines in the the ABD literature.

You only need to worry about the to ABD guides on your tour, not the various local guides you might have. As far as how the whole process works, we just waited until the tour's farewell dinner to thank our 2 ABD guides and quietly slip them each an envelope with a tip and a little notes of thanks. For Knights&Lights, we tipped in Euros with a few US dollars thrown in.

As someone has already mentioned, the ABD guides do a great job will go above-and-beyond for you if need be. That said, if I truly felt a guide deserved a lesser tip, I'd have no problem doing that. I'm doubting this would not be the case for the vast majority of ABD tour-folk.

 

[wdwsos]

Once you take your ABD tour you will understand why it is very reasonable to tip the guides the rcommended amount. They do SO much. Really go above and beyond. We gave them more than the suggested amount.

We did the same. I remember my husband looking at the recommended tip amount and saying, "What the he**, are you nuts?" (remember, we're five!) and he was the one who suggested we leave more in the end.

You'll see that whenever the guests have down time, the guides are working and planning to make the next tour/event/meal/surprise go as seamlessly as possible. They never rest.

Dotti

 

[That crazy duck!]

The ABD guides are the hardest working people you'll ever find! Those guys literally are up 24 hours a day making sure that every guest has the adventure of a lifetime. Though tipping is not mandatory, for me it was just a small token of appreciation for memories that my family will cherish forever and pass on down. I can spend hours speaking about the wonders of ABD and am counting the days to our Quest for the West!