In Canada, tipping is a part of life; we seem to be expected to tip everyone for everything. At this point, I’m considering asking servers to tip me for giving them a good tip.

In many European countries, tipping is not always expected, and many restaurants include a “gratuity” in the bill.

Curaçao falls somewhere in the middle. If you remember the following, you’ll always be fine:

1. No one will ever be insulted by a tip.

2. Even at an all-inclusives, it’s nice to tip.

3. Give the tip, in cash, directly to the person you’d like to tip and use small bills. NAF would be best, but USD will be fine too.

4. Some fancier restaurants may have a tip automatically on the bill for larger groups, etc…check…I’ve accidentally tipped over 35% more than once. People thought I was a crazy, rich guy. I’m not rich.

5. If your bill includes a service fee, this may not be a tip. In many cases, it is a fee that the restaurant keeps and does not share with staff.