Weird question - Taking food packed for excursions..

Go ahead, hammer away people. Guess I'm the fool for thinking the food I get on board is not contaminated and have no common sense related to food safety. How I managed to live 50 years is beyond me :rolleyes:

Some people just cannot interpret what you were saying;) Sometimes it has to be written in plain English so there is no room for error. I got your point, fyi.

Some people just cannot interpret what you were saying;) Sometimes it has to be written in plain English so there is no room for error. I got your point, fyi.

It's OK, I'm thick skinned, those folks that feel it necessary to continue to make snide little remarks, some more than twice, simply tell me they have nothing better to do with their lives, I feel sorry for them.

Others that have offered their response in a non hateful non attacking manner have my appreciation for their points of view.

Which is why each person should do their own research. Research like this on this discussion board hardly meets that requirement as it is nothing but opinions. I took the time today and visited several Caribbean Islands official government sites; in many cases, personal consumption quantities of food including fruits and meats that originated in the US are indeed allowed. In other cases they are clearly not allowed.

 

So, OP, do your research from the official governments of the islands you will be visiting to get your answer. Posters here are not the "officials" that make the rules.

Well put.

I have to say, in my experience, many mass market cruise passengers are lazy when it comes to research, so they want a simple answer to a complex question. Sure, they may "research" the cc board to find out what the best contrived excursion at a port might be, but that is about it. I often find cruise passengers know little about the history, culture, customs, demographics, industry, politics, etc. of the countries they visit. A little research can go a long way. Maybe you learn something about the places you're going before you visit. Maybe you research the food importation laws and learn what that port will permit you to bring in and what it won't permit.

:rolleyes:

It's OK, I'm thick skinned, those folks that feel it necessary to continue to make snide little remarks, some more than twice, simply tell me they have nothing better to do with their lives, I feel sorry for them.

 

OMG! NO!

 

 

 

Just like you can't bring food into the US, you can't bring open food into these countries. If there is ANY critter on any of the food that you introduce to that country's ecosystem, and there is no natural defense to that organism present, any kind of natural catastrophe can occur.

 

 

 

You are limited to repackaged processed food. Take some time to read up on the rules.

A little dramatic don't you think? I get the concept of not introducing a pest, but that means the food on the ship is potentially harboring a pest? Really? That doesn't sound right.

Does anyone think the real reason the ports don't want you to bring food off the ship is to make sure you spend money on food in their country?

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A little dramatic don't you think? I get the concept of not introducing a pest, but that means the food on the ship is potentially harboring a pest? Really? That doesn't sound right.

 

Does anyone think the real reason the ports don't want you to bring food off the ship is to make sure you spend money on food in their country?

 

 

 

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You got it right..Thats precisely the point. The whole pest thing is BS. You know if you can inject fear into people, you can control them. Thats what is happening to most folks here in the US.

Taking food off the ship is like driving 56 in a 55 zone. It's wrong, but everyone does it.

Who knew cruise ship food was so full of living insect and larva?

I was aware of the insect "droppings" and little bits & pieces of um, it adds a little protein which I need, but alive and kickin? (<--that's a song by Simple Minds), who knew?

You got it right..Thats precisely the point. The whole pest thing is BS. You know if you can inject fear into people, you can control them. Thats what is happening to most folks here in the US.

Evidently you must have failed high school biology. By the way the world is round (more or less) and the sun is the center of the solar system :eek:

Cheers!

Who knew cruise ship food was so full of living insect and larva?

 

I was aware of the insect "droppings" and little bits & pieces of um, it adds a little protein which I need, but alive and kickin? (<--that's a song by Simple Minds), who knew?

No one wants to think about it, but yes, the food on the ship could harbor insects and larvae. So can the food at your local grocery store. It probably won't hurt you to eat, but can decimate an ecosystem.

In our area, peach farmers are fighting an Asian stinkbug invasion. They were an introduced pest and have no natural predators here. People are dealing with literally thousands of them at a time infesting their homes and businesses - and they get the name stinkbug for a reason - they stink terribly. At first people thought they were just a nuisance, then it was discovered they are damaging crops. Just an example of what can happen when people think that piece of fruit wouldn't ever cause a problem or that the rules are there just to be obnoxious. There's a very real reason for them and it's not to get people to spend money on food in a foreign port.

For all of those who think it is no big deal, drop a couple of bananas in your suitcase when you disembark and any time, you fly into the US.

Taking food off the ship is like driving 56 in a 55 zone. It's wrong, but everyone does it.

Doubt if this is true re. taking food off ship. If it's pre-packaged, it's OK. Otherwise it should stay on the ship.

On our recent Liberty cruises we had to open our backpack so they could check for food taken off of the ship. There was a trash container with food items some pax were trying to take off the ship.

For all of those who think it is no big deal, drop a couple of bananas in your suitcase when you disembark and any time, you fly into the US.

Isn't that different? When you take it off the ship, the port knows its origin. When you are bringing it into the US, we do not know its origin.

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No one wants to think about it, but yes, the food on the ship could harbor insects and larvae. So can the food at your local grocery store. It probably won't hurt you to eat, but can decimate an ecosystem.

 

In our area, peach farmers are fighting an Asian stinkbug invasion. They were an introduced pest and have no natural predators here. People are dealing with literally thousands of them at a time infesting their homes and businesses - and they get the name stinkbug for a reason - they stink terribly. At first people thought they were just a nuisance, then it was discovered they are damaging crops. Just an example of what can happen when people think that piece of fruit wouldn't ever cause a problem or that the rules are there just to be obnoxious. There's a very real reason for them and it's not to get people to spend money on food in a foreign port.

And the Asian stinkbug came from fruit taken off a cruise ship?

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Isn't that different? When you take it off the ship, the port knows its origin. When you are bringing it into the US, we do not know its origin.

 

 

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No we don't know where it originated from. You could have brought in on ship from anywhere.

No we don't know where it originated from. You could have brought in on ship from anywhere.

Are you saying that people bring fruit onto the ship and then take it off onto an island? Really?

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And the Asian stinkbug came from fruit taken off a cruise ship?

 

 

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No, just an example of what damage an introduced pest can do.

Fruit off a cruise ship is a potential source of an introduced pest and thus why the restrictions are in place.

The authorities in any given port have no guarantee of where those items onboard came from - whether from the U.S., picked up in a foreign port, or brought onboard by a passenger. People do strange things sometimes.

Are you saying that people bring fruit onto the ship and then take it off onto an island? Really?

 

 

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I've seen and heard of stranger things. I learned working in a hotel years ago that the human race is just plain bizarre at times in what they do or bring on vacation - especially with their food.

Are you saying that people bring fruit onto the ship and then take it off onto an island? Really?

 

 

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How is bringing fruit from home or from the disembarkation port any different than bringing other foods for folks who do this to start?

How is bringing fruit from home or from the disembarkation port any different than bringing other foods for folks who do this to start?

Huh?

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I'm not getting into the legal issues here, since it is clearly against the law to take certain foods into ports, as opposed to it being a rule, like being 18 and over on Serenity. I do want to highly suggest taking prepackaged foods and especially water off the ship at each port. It is imperative to hydrate even though you have no idea where the next bathroom is located. Diabetic or not, everyone should have at least some sort of sugar or carb to get them past the 4 or 5 hour mark when hypoglycemia can weaken and incapacitate. We take crackers, protein bars, beef jerky and a candy for instant aid, as well as water for each person. Avoid drinking extra coffee on port days and stick to water. You don't want to be the one in need of medical aid while your tour group waits on you for a preventable problem.

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oops, that should be 21 on Serenity, curse CC for not having an edit feature;)

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oops, that should be 21 on Serenity, curse CC for not having an edit feature;)

 

 

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They have an edit feature. 20 minutes if I'm not mistaken.

I'd like to hear of a case of infestation from cheese or cooked meat. I know about fruit and not only fruit but plants period.

 

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Here is the USDA APHIS site for bringing animal (products) across borders

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/sa_international/sa_travel?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_resources%2Fsa_traveler%2Fct_generally_allowed_categories

Animal products (meats/cheeses) can be prohibited depending on what type of diseases are in the country of origin. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (Mad Cow disease) is one thing they are trying to prevent.

The site for both plants and animals

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/sa_international/sa_travel?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_resources%2Fsa_traveler%2Fct_generally_allowed_categories

Other countries have similar laws.

**********

For those of you who ignore the pleas about fruit, etc---

Next time we have to be crop-dusted with Malathion you're all invited over for a massive outdoor animal removal and wrapping party.

Fruit Flies are at their most active in the summer.

WooHoo a party in a hot house in the middle of the SoCal summer with no air conditioning. AC cannot be run because we cannot draw any air into the house.

In the morning we get to unwrap and scrub the outside.

Here is the USDA APHIS site for bringing animal (products) across borders

 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/sa_international/sa_travel?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_resources%2Fsa_traveler%2Fct_generally_allowed_categories

 

 

 

Animal products (meats/cheeses) can be prohibited depending on what type of diseases are in the country of origin. Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (Mad Cow disease) is one thing they are trying to prevent.

 

 

 

The site for both plants and animals

 

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/portal/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/sa_international/sa_travel?1dmy&urile=wcm%3apath%3a%2Faphis_content_library%2Fsa_resources%2Fsa_traveler%2Fct_generally_allowed_categories

 

 

 

Other countries have similar laws.

 

 

 

**********

 

For those of you who ignore the pleas about fruit, etc---

 

 

 

Next time we have to be crop-dusted with Malathion you're all invited over for a massive outdoor animal removal and wrapping party.

 

Fruit Flies are at their most active in the summer.

 

WooHoo a party in a hot house in the middle of the SoCal summer with no air conditioning. AC cannot be run because we cannot draw any air into the house.

 

In the morning we get to unwrap and scrub the outside.

The fruit flies were not brought to California by a cruise ship which originated in the US.

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