Options
Non Disclosure of total costs- AWFUL!
We have traveled w/ TAUCK several times and now, for the 1st time, after we have booked a trip to Africa, I'm told to tip the tour director @ $24.00/day. TAUCK should disclose that in their priciing. I've totd mulitudes of people how great TAUCK is b/c every tip is included. Now that is changed. I fell I'm being nickled and dimed -- very disappointing. They would be well advised to simply increase their prices by
$500- $ 700 or whatever to cover those tips. ugh!
0
Comments
I am confused. We are leaving for Africa with Tauck in just over a week. Our final travel documents recommended $12 per day for the Trip Leader.
Almost all (maybe all) of the Tauck tours I've taken do not include the gratuity to the Tour Director. Did the previous tours you took with Tauck include the gratuity to the Tour Director?
Another way of asking that is, “Did you tip the Tour Director on your previous tours?”
Tauck is pretty clear about the gratuity to the tour director in their paperwork, but I haven't taken any river cruises with Tauck.
Tips are only included on river cruises; it’s not a change that they’re not included in land tours. I’m assuming your $24/day is for 2 people.
mfrancis, that makes sense. In my experience, the trip leaders deserve that amount. They work very hard.
Tauck always fully disclose about tips and it has been $12 per day per person per day for years. It is of course not compulsory. It is if course your fault for not doing the research
It was $12 in 2022
Some tours include tips for drivers, some do not. But you get all this knowledge when you get the final details of the tour. It should not be a surprise
I cannot imagine anyone who travels with Tauck not tipping at all. It’s just “fairy dust” compared to the expense of the tour. Would you stiff a waiter in a restaurant?
We've been traveling with Tauck for many years and on land tours tipping of the tour guide, and often drivers is not included in the price. When you get the final tour info packet they suggest so much per person per day. Additionally, in the general information section of their catalogues they specify that tour director tips are not included in their pricing.
I have been on other tours where tips are not included. These people work so hard. I gladly tipped 1300 euro for a sailing cruise we took because 1. it was the right thing to do. 2. these folks made a difference 3. I am grateful I had the money to share with others who provided tremendous value to our trip. This money makes a difference in their lives.
The original cost of our trip was $6000 per person for a 7 day event. I should've probably tipped more, but that was all the money I had from the ATM.
FMS (full moon syndrome)
(edited for typo - fat fingers in the morning)
I have taken 3 river cruises and 1 ocean cruise with Tauck. Unlike land tours, all tips were included in the cost of the tour. I have tipped additionally, as a token of appreciation. I do not know what Tauck pays their guides and directors. In the US, restaurant waitstaff for a long time were legally paid less than minimum wage. If their tips did not bring their earnings for the day, per hour, up to the minimum, then the employer was required to make up the difference. On a "slow" day or evening this can occur. Sometimes poor service at a restaurant is due to things happening in the kitchen that are out of the waitstaff's control. Unless they are rude, I tip waitstaff very well.
SandyFleet - I assume Chuck Dunn was referring to the cost of tipping for a couple when he cited $24/day vs the $12/day that you cited as being in the final paperwork.
The only explanation for Chuck's statement is that even though he says he's traveled with Tauck several times they must have all been on small ship or riverboat tours where the tips are covered because there are multiple tour directors, drivers, local guides etc and many more Tauck travelers.
The tips aren't covered for the land tours.
All of the tipping expectations, for each type of tour, have always been covered in Tauck's documentation.
@BKMD You are making me LOL again; la bella luna! @Smiling Sam Duh, I finally figured out the math; good thing I was a history teacher because I apparently can’t do basic multiplication 🤭
I've been traveling with Tauck since 2012 and there has always been an expectation that the traveler tips the TD at the end of the tour. It's spelled out in the documents and the Dash board for your specific tour. Nothing is hidden as far as I've seen.
Chuck Dunn
NON of Tauck's land tours I've taken include the gratuity for the Tour Director or driver... but Tauck does suggest tipping from $10-12 per day.
If you have paid $$$$$$$ for any of Tauck's trips, because YES!!!! they have gone up, a lot! why can't you pay a couple $100 to the TD, he did all the work he could, to make your vac. a dream.....
If you are so disappointed, look for another tour company... There is plenty out there....
There is no need to start your vac. on a sour note and make others on the group uncomfortable.
Also, it is a good idea to ask any questions concerning, itinerary, cost etc.. to the Tauck agent before booking any trip. they are there to answer all the questions.
Have a lovely free day.
Our two trips last year were to Egypt and the Nile and Morocco 2023. Tauck suggested $10 per person per day and I can tell you the tour directors deserved every penny. I am not surprised that it is now $12 per day as we are all aware that prices have gone up considerably for just about everything. Tauck river cruises the tips are included.
Tauck recommends $12/day/person. So the $24/day specified by Chuck is probably the total for him and his traveling companion.
Chuck None of the tour director tips are included. When you get your travel papers it states clearly what the tip should be. We usually pay in the currency of the country we have leftover and add usd if not enough. This is our 6th Tauck and this is the routine on all of their trips
sandyfeet. Are you on Elegant adventure on 5/3? If you are and coming in early maybe arrange a dinner?? Sheri Boress. boress@me.com
Hi Sheri! I was on the Elegant South Africa tour in 2020 when the world shut down. We had an excellent trip, but two couples panicked and flew home a few days early from Joberg, thus missing the Zimbabwe portion. We opted to continue on to Vic Falls, flying home on March 17. Our TD was magnificent, and Tauck kept us safe. You will love this adventure, and I am sorry we will not be able to meet. I will be in Namibia during the first week in May this year.
Some possible explanation, but not an excuse. Chuck has only visited the forums twice and posted once since he joined in 2019. Any forum regular knows about tipping. I don't believe the tipping info can be found anywhere on the website with the exception of waterborne tours where under "Tauck value" it says: "All gratuities to Tauck Director, ship staff and local guides" but even then no specifics are given. It is not included in the Financial Summary, so if you are uninformed and don't read your final documents carefully, it can be a bit of a surprise, especially if you've only taken one or more Tauck river cruises previously.
__Under what’s included for K&T: “ 36 meals; gratuities to local guides, boat staff, and drivers, service charges, admissions fees, taxes & porterage.” There is no mention of tips for the TD being included. I was not at all surprised by the need to tip the TD on our first K&T. Thinking otherwise I think would be a bit naive. I was pleased to see that the TD tips were included on the boat tours, as that would be a bit complicated since there are often three or four.
I agree that Tauck is transparent regarding gratuities, and everything else for that matter. They disclose this in their brochures (as jeffr775 indicated) as well as on their website.
For each tour on the website, there is a link to the terms and conditions, which includes the general policies regarding tipping, similar to what is included in the back section of the brochures.
You gotta do some drilling down, but I finally found this on the website (for K&T) at a "Click Here" link under the "Important Info" tab > "Travel Terms & Conditions" > "Not Included", second para: "Tauck Director and Driver gratuities are not included and are voluntary for all land tours, with the exception of Bridges family trips and Small Ship and River Cruises, as noted above."
Again, however, suggested amounts are not listed. For those you must go to your final documents which are typically not available until 6 weeks before departure.
I wonder if the OP doesn't eat in restaurants because tipping is expected. After all, it didn't say on the menu anything about tipping...
Lotusgirl - Tauck also discloses which tours do and do not cover gratuities in their section titled, FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions.
@AlanS - Thanks for posting that. I was about to say that some of the land tours include gratuities for all - the Family Bridges ones certainly do! But then I've read all the associated documentation on both our Bridges trips front to back a number of times. I just caught the note last night that if we want to bring USD to Tanzania it needs to be new, crisp bills, not older than 2005 should be brought. News to us!
I think Chuck should simply read re-read the trip documents and the fine details, especially before booking.
I'd like to think that Chunk Dunn will come back here and tell us what "several" Tauck tours he's taken that didn't include tips for TD or coach driver but I suspect we'll never know. Hopefully they were river cruises not land tours where he didn't notice other guests handing the TD envelopes at the farewell dinner.
has anyone ever paid with a check. I hate carrying lots of cash and the ATMs have limits.