3-Days to go! Money/Tipping Questions for First Timers

[Elissa]

Hi Everyone! A newbie couple needs your help for our trip to CSA and Jamaica in 3 days! I know these questions have probably been asked a lot. I've tried looking this up on the MB but haven't found the answers I need...

1. How much money (cash) do we take? I'm sure it depends on how many souveniers we plan on buying but a ballpark figure would be appreciated.

2. If we book any excursions or tours at the desk at CSA, can these be charged to a credit card or is cash needed?

3. Besides tipping the shuttle driver(s) and baggage handlers, what else will require tipping and how much?

4. I've read there is a shopping excursion, is this "market style" shopping that will require cash only, or will credit cards be accepted also?

[sherrynchuck]

How much cash you take totally depends on how much you want to spend and where you want to spend it. Items bought at the resort gift shops and at the airport will not require cash...either charge to your room or use a credit/debit card. If you want to go shopping off the resort or buy from the beach vendors you will need cash. How much you need depends what you buy...a t-shirt can range from $10-20 depending on how much you are willing to barter, bracelets $5-10ish, necklaces more maybe $10-15. The shops at the airport have great t-shirts, best prices on coffee, it's a great place to buy a lot of souveniers and you will likely have more than enough time to shop.

Excursions that get booked through Couples get charged to your room first I believe (we didn't do any) then paid for upon check-out, I'd use a credit/debit card rather than cash. If you do pay at the time you book I'd still use a card rather than cash to limit the amount of cash you need to carry.

All Couples employees wear a Couples uniform, if they aren't wearing a uniform they aren't an employee and should be tipped. It depends what you do where you will encounter someone that needs tipping...as you stated the people that carry your bags from the airport to the shuttle and the shuttle driver for sure. Beyond that it may be no one and it may be a number of people depending on how many excursions you take and how much time you spend off the resort. The baggage handlers will get $1 per bag at the airport, the shuttle driver $10-20 per couple. The spa employees can also be tipped and you would tip them as you would at home...15-20% of the cost of the service.

[marguline]

To answer your question the amount of money you want to bring depends on the number of activities you are intrested in doing. Me and my boyfriend took 1700 dollars only because we knew we wanted to do several tours off the resort. And no, tours/excursions can not be charged to your room you have to either pay in person in cash or credit at the time that you book the tour. If you do go on tours/excursions its customary to tip the the driver of the tour bus, and the guides on the trip. I did the dune buggy ride and had three guides and one bus driver and we tipped everyone. LOL when you see some of the roads that are needed to go on these tours you will understand why you should tip your driver. Also depending on the tour that you choose the guides sometimes take pictures of you. After I had done the ATV and dune buggy they offered a cd of all of our pictures for about 25.00 each. Plus there is a gift shop/eatery at all of the tours so you may want to bring enough money to purchase some gifts or eat some food should you get hungry. And as far as the shopping excursions I would suggest you only pay with cash. The only time I used my debit card was at the resort and no where else.

[Coloradojuli]

SherrynChuck ~ I love your description of who to tip. "All Couples employees wear a Couples uniform, if they aren't wearing a uniform they aren't an employee and should be tipped." That is the best description that I have ever heard. If you don't mind, I think I will use it.

Thanks!

[sherrynchuck]

SherrynChuck ~ I love your description of who to tip. "All Couples employees wear a Couples uniform, if they aren't wearing a uniform they aren't an employee and should be tipped." That is the best description that I have ever heard. If you don't mind, I think I will use it.

Thanks!

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