How DO You Tip?

Just a note - you don't have to go to the Bahamas to dive. You can stay right in Florida, there are some nice dive spots:
http://www.divespots.com/scuba-diving-spots/florida/

If in doubt, no one is offended if you ask. Servers, bartenders, delivery drivers, hairdressers, valets, hotel staff, anyone who performs a service. Most will be straightforward. I tip 20% minimum unless the service is awful. Acceptable tipping is 15% but I know how hard it is to make a living when so many people tip little....and if I am returning to an establishment, then I get even better service the next time I come in!

If you get a discounted meal, tip on what it would have been if it was full price. Don't punish the server for the restaurant giving you a good deal. :)

You will never make a fool of yourself paying for a service you receive!

Have fun!
M.

When your at a sit down restaurant you should tip the server & bartender, but check the bill for parties of more then 6 to 8 people (they will usually add it on for you). You can put it on your card when paying or leave cash.

Tip the bellboy/girl (the person taking your luggage), the valet getting your car and if the maids leave your room really clean you can tip them too. Most often these people will get cash.

I live in Florida and don't know of any ferry's that go to the islands, unless you are thinking of taking a short cruise. There are plenty to choose from and I think they only go out of Cape Canaveral and Miami.

If you are paying cash in a casual restaurant or bar leaving money on the table is fine. The server will pick it up, usually the server (waiter or waitress) has to share her tip with the bussers (people who clear the table and set it for the next customer).

If paying with a credit card you can add the tip at the bottom, then total. I prefer leaving cash often the server or bartender has to wait for the credit card to clear before he/she get the tip.

Many people will tip cab and shuttle drivers also
.
Do not tip in a retail store. Most store associates are not allowed to accept tips and can be fired for being offered a tip.

At a banquet the tip is added to the bill and the host pays the tip. If your server goes out of his/her way to help you a tip left on the table is appreciated.

Some high end resorts, restaurants etc. will have restroom attendants, these are low paying jobs and often these attendants are also tipped.

In most states servers are paid $2.10/hour. Minimum wage here in Wisconsin is $7.50/hour. The reason servers can be paid so much less is because the tips are supposed to cover the rest.

Enjoy your trip!!!!!

Good ideas below.

Fyi... We are on vacation now in Miami and everytime the valet pulls our rental car to/from parking for us we tip $5 cash. This adds up when you go in and out a couple times a day, plus we're paying $40 a day for parking.

Every meal we've had at the hotel has a 20% tip included in the bill. We had dinner at 2 fine restaurants and the tip was in the bill already as well. In those occasions, because service was excellent, we gave the server at $10 extra. We got a special tour of a wine cellar at a lovely restaurant and tipped the guy who led the tour as well.

When presented with a check, we add tip but we will also tip extra with cash for great service.

I have a house/pet sitter at my home and when I pay her, I usually add at least enough money to cover an extra per sit or 2 because she lives in my house instead of coming in/out several times a day.

Just wondering - why did you put your from Beverly Hlls CA?

The only people you generally tip in the hotel are those providing a personal service: Maid, bartender, waiter, valet, and concierges and bellman. You do not tip the person behind the desk checking you in.

Serves - you can leave cash with the bill or add it on to your credit card there will be a tip or gratuity line. These days tips for good - great service is 15-20%. I generally will tip 10% for poor service. I tip a higher percentage for things like breakfast where the bill tend to be lower but the work involved is similar to a lunch or dinner.

We have a lot of what they call "Counter service" where you place an order at the counter and they give you a number. You get your own drink and utinsils. Places like this usually have a tip jar at the counter and you can leave $1-$2 dollars in the tip jar. I would not leave 15 or 20 percent at these places. You are not getting personal service and your doing most of the work yourself. To tip them as much as a server is insulting to the job of a server.

NYC - on my list would be: Central Park, Lady Liberty, a play (on or off broadway).

San Francisco - I lived in the area as a kid so hard to give advice. I think your best best is to pick up a travel book on each city and look at some travel blogs.

Happy traveling!

Okay where do you live that they don't tip?

When I lived in Belgium - we tipped.
When I lived in Germany - we tipped.
When we visited other countries - we tipped. I think only one or two had tip build into the cost of the meal.

You tip on service - really good service is 20% of the bill. If the party is over 8 people - many restaurants add the gratuity in it already.

If the service sucked? I MIGHT leave 10%.

You might over-thinking things.

I've NEVER tipped the reception people in hotels. EVER. No matter where I've been. I leave cash on the night side for hotel maids.

I've never taken a ferry from Florida to Bahama's.
http://www.bahamas.com/how-to-get-here-grand-bahama-islan...

In a lunch restaurant such as a sandwich or pizza shop, they usually have a "tip jar" near their register. I might drop my coins in there or I might drop a dollar in there. But it is not frowned upon to not do it at all.

In a restaurant where your food is served to you at the table, 15 - 20% is appropriate.

As mentioned, valet, bellmen, and room-service should be tipped in a hotel. If you would like, you may leave a tip on the nightstand for the maids. With that said, don't leave any cash on the nightstand when you leave the room for an outing, she may think it is a tip, although they should leave everything there until you actually check out.

When you pay by credit card, you can add your tip to the total of your bill. When you leave a restaurant, you may leave your tip on the dirty table. (If you pick up your own mess, no tip is necessary.) When a bellman takes your bags to your room, or valet delivers your car, you may place the tip in their hand as you exchange keys and tickets. I have had bellman not leave the room and make small talk while I get my bag to get him some cash.

I usually give valet $5, unless he does something exceptional for me, then $10 or even $20. Exceptional being, taking my car even though the sign says they are full. I give the bellmen 10-$20. If he drops the cart off and leaves, $10. If he unloads my bags and drops them at the door $15, and if he puts the bags in the closets, hangs the clothes that are already on hangers in the closet, and leaves a clear pathway, offers to get me ice or makes sure I know where everything is, $20.

I have a little card (like the size of a credit card) with me to determine at a glance what 10,15 and 20% of my bill was. If the service was subpar, then it's 10%. If it was great, I'll leave 20%. We don't typically tip reception at the hotel, but we do leave a tip on the dresser for the housekeeper (often there is an envelope) and tipping bartenders is a good idea. How you leave the tip varies. You can add money to your payment, or leave cash at the table, or hand it to the server when you otherwise pay the bill. If someone brought you room service food, hand the tip to them, for example.

If you pay with a debit or credit card, you just add the amount of the tip to the bill when you sign the slip.
If you pay cash, you can either leave the tip on the table or, if you pay with a large bill, tell the server to keep the change, or hand the tip back to them when they bring you your change.

"Another question - has anyone taken a ferry from Florida to The Bahamas? I'm considering a quick side trip. I like to dive."

There is a cruise ferry from Ft. Lauderdale to Grand Bahama island but the trip isn't quick. It takes about 4 hours to get there.

http://www.bahamas.com/how-to-get-here-grand-bahama-islan...

why would your unfamiliarity with a custom make you look foolish?
there's nothing wrong with encountering something new to you.
so start there. if you're not sure, ask. don't wring your hands internally because you have a hang-up about what strangers think about a perfectly understandable lack of familiarity.
you can tip the servers (and yes, bartenders) directly with cash if you like, or you can add it to your bill on the card. you don't tip the people who check you in at the front desk of a hotel. you do tip the guy who takes your luggage up for you, and the one who brings your car around or gets you a cab.
no need to tip at fast food restaurants, but at sit-down restaurants and bars where someone takes your order and brings the food to you, tip them 20%. more if they were wonderful.
only tip less if you were unhappy with the service. 15% means 'meh.'
do check when you're in vegas to make sure the tip isn't already added on. i hate it when they do that.
tip cab drivers and your hotel maids.
have a wonderful trip!
:) khairete
S.

Many restaurants now have a print out at the bottom with suggested amounts. If the bill is $100 is will have:
15% = $15
18% = $18
20% $20

I personally think it is rude for the restaurant to include the tip and then not tell you (it often leads to double tipping). Check your tap. Many servers love cash because they are known to not report it on their taxes. You can do as you please.

In a hotel I tip:
-The bell man (who brings the luggage)
-The valet (the one who drives your car to you). Not when he takes it but when he returns it to you.
-The maid is often tipped (but I'll admit I do always do this).

You should tip 20% to servers in a restaurant. Either cash or you can just add it on to the final bill, but cash is preferred. I can tell you that I actually worked a couple of nights a week last summer in a busy restaurant, I routinely got 20-25% tips on dinner bills. It was to the point that I actually felt a little jypped when only getting 15%, even though that is acceptable. I also gave good service and most people understood how busy we were if the service was a little slower than normal. It is frustrating to a server to get less than 15% for good service, and I can tell you that this routinely occurred with people from outside the US. I am glad you are looking into this before your trip, have a wonderful visit!

One of the responses below said that if you clear your own table that you don't have to tip, that is absolutely not true. If you are eating at a restaurant that serves a meal to your table, you need to leave a tip. The only restaurants that don't require tipping are fast food or cafeteria style restaurants where you have your food on a tray before you sit and there is no waitstaff. Standard tips for food service are between 17 and 20%, and the waitstaff salary is dependent on these tips so it considered part of the cost of your meal.

http://www.emilypost.com/out-and-about/tipping/89-general...

In a restaurant I tip the wait staff 15% for good service, 20% for great and 10% for adequate. I rarely use cash, but I add the tip to my credit card bill. My first time in Vegas I learned you are supposed to tip the cab driver. I didn't tip him and he threw my luggage to the curb. I tipped the hotel valets a couple of bucks (cash in hand) and left a couple of bucks for the maid each day. I tipped the waitresses in the casinos a buck a drink.

I've never been to the cities you mentioned so it may be different there...