Tipping While Traveling
The questions of when, whom, and how much to tip are a part of traveling. Travelers often feel embarrassed or confused about this issue, so do some research before you leave for your honeymoon. It is better to begin your journey with some knowledge of the travel tipping structure. Once you are at your destination, you can ask the hotel management what is standard or consult a guidebook. In some cases, such as cruises, the destination provides you with tipping etiquette.
Hotels and Resorts
What is considered standard when tipping hotel staff? Standard amounts are as follows:
Bellboy: $1 per bag, plus $1 for hospitable gestures — turning on lights, opening windows. Tip on service.
Chambermaid: $1 for each service, minimum $5 per couple per week. Tip each day; a new chambermaid may be assigned during your stay.
Doorman: $1 per bag; $1 for hailing a taxi. Tip on service.
Headwaiter: $5 per week for special service, $2–$3 for regular service. Tip on your first day.
Wait staff: 15 to 20 percent of the bill when no service charge is added; some add 5 percent when there is a service charge. Tip at each meal.
Room service: 15 to 20 percent of bill in addition to room service charge. If menu or bill explicitly states that a gratuity will automatically be added, you might add an additional $1 or refrain from tipping altogether.
Other service personnel: The general rule is to tip 15 to 20 percent of the bill, unless the person serving you owns the business. They may not accept tips but may charge more for their exclusive services.
Question
What is the going rate for tipping at the airport?
Tip the porter at the airport $1 per bag when you check in at the curb or have bags taken to check in for you. If the luggage is heavy, tip a little more. Obviously, if you go the DIY route, no tip is necessary or expected.
Cruising
What's the tipping etiquette on a cruise ship? The staff on each cruise line can outline tipping etiquette and procedures for their ship. Some ships are “no tip” ships, some automatically add a gratuity to the bill, and others practice person-to-person tipping, in which case each staff person is presented with an envelope on the last night of the cruise. The following will give you a good idea of what to expect in terms of tipping amounts.
Room steward: $3.50 per day per person. Tip at the end of the trip.
Dining room waiter and busboy: Waiter, $3.50 per person per day, half that for the busboy.
Maitre d' and headwaiter: Seventy-five cents per day, per guest.
Bartenders, wine steward, pool and deck attendants, etc.: On almost all ships, a service charge is automatically added to the bar bill, making a tip unnecessary. Be sure to check.
Other service personnel should be tipped when the service is given, at the same rate as for service ashore, usually 15 percent.
Fact
Many ships have a “tipping not required” policy, emphasizing that tips are at the passenger's discretion. Other ships have implemented a daily gratuity charge of anywhere from $5 to $10 per day per guest that is automatically charged to the passenger's account. Bar and alcohol charges are typically not included in these amounts.
