posted
Can anyone help ? I need some advice on tipping. Could anyone give me a rough guide to reasonable tipping in Luxor and on a Nile cruise for western tourists and let me know how available trolleys are or people to help with bags into and out of the airport and on and off the boat, and how much should they be paid? I have family going there soon and they are concerned about having to deal with their luggage.
[This message has been edited by newcomer (edited 16 March 2005).]
posted
The tour guides will give you an idea of how much to tip on the boat.You will be given an envelope and its totally anonymous.All tipping is doneon the last evening on the boat but you dont have to if you don't want to. The rate last year for luggagge was 2 EP and it is worth it. Don't give tips to everyone, only those that have assisted you in someway. My tip to you is go with the flow and enjoy yourself, it is a wonderful place.
Posts: 26 | From: england | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Talking of tipping on the Nile boats - we went on a Nile cruise and the tour rep insisted we each put £50 sterling in the envelope. This he said would be collected and split between all the guides/drivers. We felt uneasy about it as he must have had well over £1,000 sterling by the end of the week.
Posts: 97 | From: uk | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
On my last Nile Cruise a year and a half ago, our guide suggested each person give £20 sterling in this "anonymous" envelope. Plus when we were on the excursions, before we got off the bus back at the boat, the guide would come round each person and collect LE2 or L3 Egyptian pounds, which was a surprise as we didnt have cash with us,no need to, we knew we werent going to be buying anything around the sites and we had our own lukewarm water. He said we could give it to him later. We were told not to give tips to our housekeeping person as "it wouldnt be fair" and told that they could get into trouble for being found with money on them when working. I can see that point a wee bit but at same time, we had same housekeeping person and he did do a good job.
As we had changed all our money to Egyptian before we went on holiday (and as it was a full board cruise and my 13th time to Egypt and there was little for me to spend money on or buy) we had no Sterling, I took equivalent of £80 sterling in spending money, I had about £10 sterling in Egyptian left which I put in the envelope before I checked out.
The staff dont work there for nothing, they must earn basic pay. I think asking £50 from each tourist is way too much.
Does anyknow know - how many staff work on a boat? how many tourists? is there more tourists than staff? or an equal number? does that mean if every tourist gave £50 then every staff member would receive that much?
posted
OMYGOD!!! 50 pds sterling... most Egyptian hotel and criuse staff don't earn that in a month!!! That's ludicrous!!!! The tour guides are ripping people off... big time!! I would report this to the tour company!! And... I've never heard that the people who help most.. waiters and room boys...aren't allowed to accept tips... they try very hard... spend all week working hard, smiling when they're too tired to smile...putting your towels and sheets into nice shapes in the room... all for nothing??? These tour guides are definitely onto a scam!!! Posts: 4238 | From: USA | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
Thanks for the advice, I'll pass it on. What about portering services, will they have to carry suitcases anywhere or will there always be someone to help?
Posts: 4576 | From: Cairo | Registered: Jun 2002
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Our tour guide suggested we each put $10 into the envelope to tip the cruise ship staff. And he suggested we all put $5 or $10 into a fund, held by one of the group, to tip porters, etc. for everyone for our entire trip.
Posts: 229 | Registered: Dec 2004
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posted
When you go through passport control at Luxor airport and then collect your luggage at the carousel, it realy is a few minutes walk to the great outdoors, hardly worthwhile getting a trolley or porter. I find the trolleys have been snatched by the porters.
The holiday reps identify themselves carrying a large card with holiday company logo. You give them your name and they tell you the number in the window of the coach you are on. When you do step outside to find the coach, it is then that helpful porters will grab your suitcase off you, again for a short 1 minute walk. (personally I prefer to pull my case along by myself).
Then be sure to watch them load it into the side of the coach and they will want a tip for that 1 minute of wheeling your case. Sometimes they sneakly show you a £5 english note as if that's the going rate, it's not, it's up to you what you give them. No rules.
If you are able bodied and not too tired, you can pull your own suitcase and hand luggage from luggage carousel to the coach.
On all the Nile cruises I've been on, when you come off the tour operator's coach riverside, your luggage is taken off the boat and they carry it over the "wooden gangplank" to reception area.
When you go to reception with your passport and are given your room key, you get sticky labels with your cabin number on them and you then locate your luggage and stick the labels on them.
You go to your cabin and a few minutes later there's a knock on the door and your luggage has arrived. LE5 Egyptian pounds or £1 English coin is gratefully accepted, for both suitcases.
[This message has been edited by wise_woman (edited 17 March 2005).]
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The idea of collecting in one big envelope is an old scam. The one who keeps the money is the one with the envelope, the rest of the staff are lucky if they get lO percent of what is there.
My advice is not to give anybody a tip unless you personally give it to them. That is the only way those that help you in some way get paid. Five Egyptian (5Opence) is more than enough to give a porter. In restaurants, look at the bill. Government tax is 7% If 15% is added to the bill, then you have already paid service charge and no further tipping is necessary. If service charge is not added, then it has been included in the price of the food. No tip is necessary. Tipping is a big scam in Egypt, dont fall for it, and never give a tip to be passed on to somebody else. It wont get there. Charlie
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50 pds sterling... most Egyptian hotel and criuse staff don't earn that in a month!!!
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