How much do you tip on a liveaboard?

A common guideline is about 10 percent of the trip price, or a set amount per week. The usual range is 5 to 15 percent depending on the region and the service. US run boats, such as in the Bahamas and Galapagos, tend to be higher. The Red Sea and Thailand tend to be lower.

Are gratuities included in the liveaboard price?

No. Tips are almost always separate from the trip price and are discretionary. Park fees, nitrox and gear can also be extra. Budget for the tip on top of the price you compare.

How are liveaboard tips usually paid?

Cash is preferred on most boats, usually in US dollars or euros, given at the end of the trip. Many boats pool tips and share them among the crew, sometimes with the dive guides tipped separately. Ask the operator about their policy.

Do I tip the dive guides and the crew separately?

It depends on the boat. Some pool everything and split it evenly. Others suggest a separate tip for the dive guides. If someone gave exceptional service, you can add a private tip on top.

Practical Guide

Liveaboard tipping: how much to tip the crew

Updated 17 July 2026

Tipping is part of almost every liveaboard trip, and it is one of the last things people plan for. This guide explains what gratuities are, how much to give, how they are paid, and the typical amounts by destination, so you can budget before you go.

A liveaboard week is long days on the water. Gratuities thank the crew and dive guides who make it run. Photo: DiveScanner.

Quick answer

A common guideline is about 10 percent of the trip price, or a set amount per week. The usual range is 5 to 15 percent, depending on the region and the service. Tips are almost always separate from the price you pay for the trip, and they are given in cash at the end. US run boats, such as in the Bahamas and the Galapagos, tend to be at the higher end. The Red Sea and Thailand tend to be lower.

What are gratuities on a liveaboard?

Gratuities are the tips you give the crew and dive guides at the end of the trip to thank them for their work. On a liveaboard, that crew is with you all week, cooking, cleaning cabins, running the boat, filling tanks and guiding your dives. The tip is discretionary, but it is expected on most boats and it is a real part of crew income.

Gratuities are on top of the trip price. When you compare prices on DiveScanner you see the cost of the trip, not the tip, so set aside a little extra when you budget. Park fees, nitrox and gear rental can also be separate.

Scuba tanks and dive gear racked on a liveaboard dive deck — Gratuities thank the crew for the service that runs the whole trip, from filling tanks to guiding your dives. Photo: DiveScanner.

How much should you tip?

Two ways of thinking about it, and boats use both.

As a percentage: about 10 percent of the trip price is the common baseline, with 5 to 15 percent the usual range depending on how good the service was.
As a set amount: many boats suggest a figure per guest per week, often somewhere between 250 and 500 US dollars for a week, higher on premium and US run boats, lower on budget trips.

Tip more for excellent service, a strong dive guide, or a hard working crew in tough conditions. Tip less if the service clearly fell short. The number is a guide, not a rule.

How tips are usually paid and shared

Cash is preferred on almost every boat. US dollars or euros are the most useful, in clean notes.
You usually give the tip on the last evening or the final morning.
Many boats pool the tips and split them evenly among the whole crew. Some suggest tipping the dive guides separately.
If one person gave you exceptional service, you can add a small private tip on top.
Ask the operator about their policy before you travel, so you bring the right cash.

Gratuities by destination

These are typical guidelines per guest for a standard week, blended from operator suggestions and common practice. They vary by boat, so treat them as a starting point and confirm with your operator.

Destination	Typical guideline	Usual currency	Notes
Red Sea (Egypt)	About 5 to 10 percent, roughly 60 to 120 euros per week	Euros, cash	Budget region, lower amounts, euros are the most useful.
Maldives	About 5 to 10 percent, roughly 100 to 200 US dollars per week	US dollars, cash	Often pooled for the crew, dive guides sometimes separate.
Thailand (Similans)	About 5 to 10 percent, often around 10 US dollars per two-tank day	Baht or US dollars, cash	Shorter, lower cost trips, so smaller totals.
Galapagos	About 10 to 15 percent, often 300 to 500 US dollars per week	US dollars, cash	Premium, US oriented, crew and dive guides often tipped separately.
Bahamas	About 15 to 20 percent, often 300 to 500 US dollars per week	US dollars, cash	US run boats and US tipping culture, so the highest of these.
Raja Ampat (Indonesia)	About 5 to 10 percent, roughly 150 to 300 US dollars per week	US dollars, cash	Remote premium boats, luxury vessels can suggest more.
Komodo (Indonesia)	About 5 to 10 percent, roughly 100 to 250 US dollars per week	US dollars, cash	Similar to Raja Ampat, a little lower on shorter trips.

These are guidelines only, not fixed charges. Your operator's own suggestion, and the service you receive, come first.

When to tip more or less

Give more when the dive guides go out of their way, when the crew handles hard weather or long days well, or when the boat is at the luxury end. Give less, and say why kindly, if the service clearly did not match the trip. Tipping rewards the people who made your week, so let the service guide the amount.

Compare liveaboards, then budget the tip

Compare live prices across every operator for your destination and month on DiveScanner, cheapest first, then add the tip on top when you budget. Explore the Red Sea, Maldives, Thailand, Galapagos, Bahamas and Raja Ampat.

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