Best Of

Ok. Some may have missed my wink … (;-) … or perhaps don’t understand a ‘wink’. In any case the following is quoted from the tour documents from my most recent Tauck land journey. The Tauck tipping policy is clearly stated as is the reasoning for that policy. Perhaps this should be discussed with your TD if you want to tip in a different manner.

“Tauck Director Gratuities
One of the highlights of your Tauck journey will be your professional Tauck Director. Our Tauck Directors are passionate about sharing their knowledge of local customs, cultural traditions and contemporary topics with our guests, and they choreograph each day's activities and work tirelessly to ensure that you get the utmost enjoyment from your journey.
We have chosen not to include Tauck Director gratuities in the price of your tour because we truly believe that gratuities are an important way for you to express your appreciation and to acknowledge your Tauck Director's genuine, personal interaction and superior customer service.
Unlike most other tour guides, Tauck Directors receive no commissions on your shopping purchases, nor do they earn additional income by selling options to you on tour. Instead their sole focus is on serving you, and making sure you have the best possible experience during your travels. We ask that you extend gratuities on an individual basis rather than as a group, and we offer the following guideline to assist you in determining an appropriate amount.”

I don’t know where the ‘thousands of dollars’ issue arises. Do the math and figure out what you need. I’ve never carried more than six or seven hundred dollars, and we tip generously. We carry the expected TD tip money, plus a little, a pile of ones for small gratuities. I’ve never been anywhere that a couple of dollar bills were not quite visibly appreciated by the hotel staff for small services. I have never carried as much as a thousand dollars … certainly never ‘thousands’ of dollars. I know some are not comfortable carrying cash. My wife rarely has enough money for a parking meter. In any case the cash requirements for a Tauck trip are less than the daily tour charge for one person.

I appreciate all the hard thought and effort people have made to address this issue, but it still seems to me such a silly first world problem…how about a little change of perspective? Just think about how fortunate we are to be able to travel with Tauck or, for that matter, to be able to travel at all. Tis the season to be especially grateful. Wishing everyone happy holidays and stress free tipping.

Thank goodness I don’t use or need Facebook either. I’ve asked myself why I don’t want to use on many occasions when everyone else thinks it’s the best thing since lemon meringue pie. I don’t need to broadcast to the universe what I do and with whom, where I go, how I shop, how I spend my day, etc etc. I’m sure I’ve left some kind of trail somewhere even without intending to. I don’t want the things I do, copied, tagged or anything else. I am by no means a prima-dona. I just prefer it that way. if anyone needs to get a hold of me, they certainly know how. Google even listen to you. Alexa does for sure. Have you ever noticed you’re talking about something, then lo and behold, that item appears as a subliminal pop-up for you to think about purchasing that item.

@henrypoon_66 - if anyone participates in social media, all of that is already well known. Facebook, for example, monetizes their knowledge of you, and they know a whole lot about you. They do everything they can to get you to disclose information about yourself and your life. People post pictures which have EXIF data in them which gives the time and date of the picture and where it was taken. They know where you live, how much money you make, how many kids you have and their ages, who your friends are, where you travel and how often, and a lot more.

That’s the primary reason I don’t use Facebook.