I agree with Grace (posted somewhere in this thread) about tipping for what is essentially villa cleaning services after you leave. I am talking about renting a villa for a week and not getting a mid week maid service. I just find it difficult to believe I should leave a tip for someone I have never seen. This should have been part of the cost of renting the villa. However, I do agree, if I was rushed and left the place messy, I think I should leave some compensation.
I also question tipping for a sailing cruise when the captain is the owner. I am already paying for his/her service. By the same logic, should one tip when picking up a rental vehicle?

For UFProf,

Interesting you should ask about tipping when picking up the rental car. The last day we were in STJ, we left our luggage at the car rental place because we had to vacate the villa by 10:00AM and we had time to spare before heading over to STT. The manager of our car rental company drove my husband and luggage to the ferry dock. He didn't want to take a tip but my husband insisted. Now that is a person you want to tip to show your appreciation. (BTW that was Greg Edwards from Courtesy Car Rental)

I would not tip the car rental person (pickup) unless he/she did something extra beside show me the car and hand the keys over.

Valet parking, my husband tips when we pick up the car. They pool the tips we were told.

Sailing cruise. We tip $20.00 a person if we had a good time. It goes in the tip jar.

Grace

I would love it that restaurants offer free parking. I would then be much more generous with the guy bringing the car.

Alas, in LA the valets are run by parking companies. The restaurants pay a minimum fee and then get to keep the 3.00 per posted car rate. Most of the time the cars aren't even parked in a lot near the restaurant and you can watch the guys run up and down the blvd picking up cars.

NewEnglander,

Re: the "$20 trick". I know it is very common in Vegas, and I've also heard abut it for NYC hotels...but not sure where else. I think it would work best in hotels where there are lots of rooms from which to choose...unbooked suites and such.

Here's a link to info about the $20 trick and a list of hotels in Vegas and the % of success rate. http://www.fatwallet.com/t/63/529706/

I disagree with Promo about he venetian rooms being the size of motel rooms. Standard venetian rooms are 700 SF. Motels are probably in the 300 range.

I doubt the trick would work anywhere in the VI:)

Hey Blu, read the post again.....I was referring to the bathrooms only. Believe me the rooms are not in anywhere comparable to any motel.

Ahhhh, the bathroom alone is the size of a motel room...I agree.

I thought maybe you hadn't tipped the clerk at check-in and had been relegated to the "motel" wing of the Venetian, with a view of the dumpsters; reserved for all cheap, non-tippers. LOL

Now, how to get an upgrade at STJ Caneel Bay or STT Ritz.....with the cost of WAPA bills, I suspect the $20 trick won't get us far.

Wow, i'm gone for a couple days and it's going to take me another couple days to read through all these posts.

I didn't know that we shouldn't of tipped the captain. Not that we tipped him directly...we paid the mate and added another 200.00. She was the counter for the money. I really don't know how they split up that 200.00. I really don't care because the day was great and everybody was more then grateful that everything went better then we imagined.

When we were talking about tipping the maids, it made me a little uncomfortable. I guess because we have always tipped, and we decided not to tip the maids because they didn't do anything??? I don't know...just the way I was brought up I guess.

Sherri...I will email you privately about Wyndcliff. It really amazed me what they wrote back.

Connie, please share your comments on the response from villa Wyndcliffe. It gets mentioned here from time to time when people are considering renting it. It would help for us all to have a more accurate picture from someone who has actually rented it.

Hey Blu...i will address Wyndcliff in another post. In fact, I will post the email I sent to the rental agent.

I definetly will go will Sherri next time to assure that where we stay will be adequate. In short, I will not rent Wyndcliff. The owners have offered us a 10% discount if we rent from them within 12 months. Nice gesture, but I wouldn't trust it again. Such a shame because Wyndcliff has an amazing view.

Blu...if you would like me to send you a copy of the email I send Sherri...I'd be happy to.

Connie,
Am ever so happy that your boat trip was wonderful! Was the Capt. the owner? Like you said, you enjoyed yourself and felt it worth the tip, not to feel bad about that!!!! 🙂
Blu is right, do post about the villa, this will help out those who are considering renting Wyndcliff. I am also waiting for Margyz to write about DIVA. Hint, Hint!!!!! 🙂 I KNOW she will ck this thread! 🙂

I'm also glad to read about "Born to Rhumb". LandLockedBeachLover and I are getting together next month to charter her and we're both really excited about that trip!!

I also hope MargyZ will share her experiences with DIVA.

I have just been reading this topic about paying tip, and I can see that I need to increase the budget for our vacation!

It will be my first time in USA and even though my husband has told me, that the Americans use "tipping" very much, I am surprised. Normally we don’t pay tip so often or pay up to 20%.
Also I must confess that I think it’s too much with all this tipping. I would prefer that people take the price for their work, which it’s worth and pay their employees what they are worth. I expect people to do a proper job without paying extra for it, and if they don’t, I will tell them or avoid them next time.

Sorry to break in about this subject but this long topic shows how much easier it would be without the problems with tip.

Linne

Hi Linne...about tipping in the states.

We always tip if we are eating out. "Normal" is 15%, but personally we would tip 20% or more for a great waitress or excellent service. If there are 6 or more of you eating, make sure you check your bill...they will automatically put a 18% tip onto your meal.

Hi Connie!

Do you still tip if they put 18% on your bill ??

No 🙂

I am from England and I know tipping in Europe is not common pratice but it is in the States (and VI's) so I know how confusing it can be - it is for my family when they come to visit - so you tip (generally) the following people/places (again % based on quality of service)

Restaurants 15% - 20% (but for me even if it is really really bad I would leave no les than 10%) but not "fast food" counters only sit down restaurants
Taxis approx 15% (or you can "round up" to a whole amount ie: $12.00 taxi, 15% = $1.80 I would give $15.00 not $13.80)
Hairdressers/Massage/Nail (just in case you go 🙂 ) 15% - 20%
Villa Greeter - not at all required but some people do $20.00 total max
Airport Curbside check in $1.00 (min) per bag - I give $2.00 per bag
Hotel Bellman - who takes bags to room (or ferry "porter" service $1.00 - $2.00 per bag

Hope this helps

Pia

hello Pia!

Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who is confused about this tipping.
Thank you for your information. It helps. But I'm sure we will still be in doubt about what to do. In our vacation we will stay on a resort in STT (Secret Harbour), in STJ we will stay in a condo (Serendip), then in a rented house in Coral Bay and later on in a B&B (E.L.) , which places I think we will find without help from others, and I presume that we will carry our bags ourselves (don't know if there is a "porter" there). Also I don't know if there will be any cleaning, so will there be anyone who expect to be tipped?? Later on we will go to STX and stay in a small hotel/villa.

Linne

Linne,

How long will you be on STT and STJ?

Blu, seems like forever from Linne's post dosn't it? lol

Connie,

That's what I'm thinking...lol.....yeeehaww

Linne,
we stayed at Secret Harbour, and we also tipped the maid (I think $25 for a week). If ordering drinks at the bar and they were like $8-9, I gave them a $10 (which is not really 20% but oh well). We mostly mixed our own in our room tho. We also tipped the parking lot man in Red Hook (behind Marina Market), a couple extra dollars on top of his fee. Check-out clerk at Marina Market had a tip jar which we DID NOT tip. Taxi was like $4 from Havensight to downtown, so we tipped $1 extra. If you want to shop, drive to Havensight where there is plenty of parking, then take a taxi downtown (where there is NO where to park!)

did you say in an earlier post that you were staying a total of 3 weeks on all 3 VI's??