Eating Local Food in Port

It is sad that some people deprive themselves of the wonderful privilege of trying local cuisine while traveling due to irrational fears/misinformation/lack of knowledge. For me enjoying local cuisine is the aspect of travel that excites me the most. I am actually doing a land based trip to Mexico later this year that is strictly geared around trying various foods (from fine dining to street food). Mexico has a wonderful food culture and two of their restaurants (Pujol and Biko) are widely regarded as being among the world's best restaurants.

 

One of my favorite ever excursions during a Caribbean cruise was a local food tour with a private excursion called Cozumel Chef (http://www.cozumelchef.com/). The chef took our small group to a variety of different local establishments off the beaten path (i.e. away from the touristy areas) and everything was phenomenal. We got to enjoy fresh fish just plucked from the ocean hours earlier, ceviche, street food, homemade soups, pastries and more. Such a fun day and so much delicious food (and interesting knowledge learned during the tour about Mexican cuisine and local culture). I cannot recommend this excursion highly enough.

 

While it is prudent to avoid tap water and ice in some countries (as well as raw fruit/vegetables washed with tap water), dining at local restaurants (provided you use common sense) is no more risky than dining on the cruise ship (and likely less risky than the cruise ship buffet which is a festering ground for germs).

 

Do a little research on Trip Advisor or Chowhound and partake is some local delicacies next time you travel; it is addicting and may just become a highlight of your vacation.

Gonzo70,

You're being too logical on this topic. ;)

Excellent post.

We defintely try to eat the local food while in port! I look at port stops as a chance to sample the local culture -- and that includes the food.

Living in Texas, we've travelled to lots and lots of places in Mexico. We've eaten everything from resort food, to snacks from street vendors, to nice restaurants. Never once have we gotten sick (knock on wood!) However, we usually try to not drink water or anything with ice unless we can be sure it is purified.

We feel the same way about the port stops in the Caribbean. Yes, we know we could eat some of the same ol', same ol' on the ship for "free," but we look at eating in the ports as part of the whole cruising experience! You just have to use your best judgement about what you eat and where you get it.

One of my favorite local foods is in Puerto Rico. I immediately head for the distinctive carts that sell helado de coco (coconut ice cream). We also like the snow cones (piraguas) and have never gotten sick eating local stuff.

We'll be in San Juan next month for a couple of extra days before and after cruise... where do you find these??? LOVE, LOVE, LOVE anything with coconut!

Ann

I have seen a lot of posts about this. Am I the only one who doesn't eat at hole in the wall 'ethnic' or 'authentic' places? I eat on the ship. Is the local cuisine worth the potential food poisoning and diarrhea??? I do not think it is safe!

We like to try the 'hole in the wall' as long as the hole doesn't have flies and other bugs all around and that the wall (among other things) is not falling down.

Guess I would say, I am not looking for an American franchise restaurant as our only choice of food off ship.

I won't eat anything at all in Mexico and only will drink bottles water or Diet Coke. Other ports I eat all I want like San Francisco wharf For the clam chowder in a sour dough bowl. It depends on the country and port.

I love Boudin Bakery. We have more and more of them popping up here in the San Francisco Bay Area. There will be one opening 3 miles away from me. Gotta love their breads, soups,sandwiches etc.

Puerto Rico is a US territory with the same food standards as any other state in the US. Except they have their own food culture. I'm from San Juan and love eating there.

My favorite part of traveling is eating, so yes, I'll go to the "hole in the wall" type places. Being from San Juan, I can tell you the big name restaurants (looking at you, Senor Frogs) are just scamming tourists with overpriced awful quality foods.

Texas Ann, I usually go across from the entrance to El Morro, as we like to walk around that area anyway, but they can be found at most of the squares. The "h" is silent, so it is prounced ElAhdough de CoCo. Ask and ye shall find.

Hope you enjoy my old home area. I lived in PR from 55-66 as a kid.

Happy Sails to You

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

In 2009 in Antigua we had lunch at a local joint just a couple of blocks from the cruise ship pier. The restaurant was called The Commissioner Grill. We had a pan seared red snapper (head-on, tail-on, not fileted) that clearly was fresh, perfectly cooked, flaky and delicious. This fish was so fresh you practically didn't even have to chew it; it just melted in your mouth. It reminded me of the fish we used to catch ourselves from the piers and jetties back home in southern New Jersey. We would catch, filet, and grill them all within a couple of hours. The fish at the "Commissioner Grill" was much better than anything we could get on the ship. We have eaten many times at restaurants in ports. Sometimes they are places like Margaritaville or Carlos 'n Charlies, or sometimes they are privately owned places such as The Commissioner Grill. I have always been interested in local cuisine, but now with the declining food quality on ships (my opinion), I am even more enthusiastic about trying restaurants ashore.

I always try to eat something local (this is part of the experience and flavor! - literally), but I can think of 2 legitimate reasons why some would not.

 

1) Already paid for food on the ship and free trumps pay when "local dining" is just not something you get excited about.

 

2) Many port stops are time-crunched and there may not be enough time to find a local place you are interested in and trust. As opposed to a "land vacation", where you are there for a few days and have time to get familiar.

But ... But .. But .... You can't wait several days to look around before getting food from a local place on land vacations. :o

LuLu

~~~

We too like to eat where the locals eat. Usually good less expensive food. In Jamaica we ate at a jerk restaurant, think it was only like $12 for the three of us and it was DELICIOUS! In St Maarten, we asked our tour guide (Joe Junie) where to eat, he took us to a small place where all the locals got their lunch-once again awesome (though not nearly as cheap as Jamaica).

Food is a HUGE part of many cultures, and people who cook love to share that with you. I have never worried about getting sick, and we have taken our daughter (now 14) along many times.

Agree with those who mentioned bottled drinks, definitely agree on that. But why be paranoid about the food? In a cruise port they want business, not to turn people away by making folks sick.

Live a little, try something new. Who knows, you may really like it!

Puerto Rico is a US territory with the same food standards as any other state in the US. Except they have their own food culture. I'm from San Juan and love eating there.

 

My favorite part of traveling is eating, so yes, I'll go to the "hole in the wall" type places. Being from San Juan, I can tell you the big name restaurants (looking at you, Senor Frogs) are just scamming tourists with overpriced awful quality foods.

Give me a lechonera anytime ;)

Happy Sails to You

OOOEEE :D:D Bob and Phyl

We've dined at local places in Croatia, Italy, France, Spain and the Canary Islands. In South America the same in Chile, Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil. Belize, Nassau, Cozumel, Roatan, Panama, Curacao, St. Lucia, etc. and most other islands. Never have been sick from food.

GET OUT THERE! Enjoy what other cultures have to offer!

Enjoy your next cruise.

Rick and Deirdra

We always look for places to enjoy local food, it's part of the fun when traveling as long as being cautious. Like in Egypt, listen to the guide when he told us not to eat anything that 's not cooked, or fruits that's not peeled by yourself. We didn't touch the salad, fresh fruit, or water served, and we were fine.

Follow the ship crews when in port, they know where to find good food. That was what we did in Alanya Turkey and had an amazing lunch!

When I was growing up, our family vacationed in Mexico a lot! The most important thing to remember there is don't drink the water and avoid the ice. The one and only time in all of my trips to Mexico that I got sick it was at a resort we were staying at in Puerto Vallarta.

On my most recent trip to playa del Carmen with my husband, we decided to stop and have some drinks at Senor frogs. I had a bottled beer, hubby a mixed drink. He was sick for two days. I'm guessing it was the ice.

I've eaten from street vendors, Mercado's and hole in the wall restaurants and have enjoyed some of the best food. I love to experience new cultures through food. I can't imagine going to a port and not at least sampling the local cuisine.

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Visiting Nassau wouldn't be the same without a lunch of local fried snapper, rice and beans, sweet plantains and beer - as tasty as any lunch aboard ship and much more fun.

I have seen a lot of posts about this. Am I the only one who doesn't eat at hole in the wall 'ethnic' or 'authentic' places? I eat on the ship. Is the local cuisine worth the potential food poisoning and diarrhea??? I do not think it is safe!

We eat on the ship too. After all, the price of our cruise includes meals. The only time we eat off shore is if we're on an all day excursion which includes meals.

Depends on the port, and the restaurant in the port. We would always skip a street vendor, etc. We don't drink water or drinks with ice in Mexico and we're very careful about salads and fresh fruit in certain ports. Do some research on the ports you'll be visiting. We have eaten foods in ports from Mexico to Turkey.

I have seen a lot of posts about this. Am I the only one who doesn't eat at hole in the wall 'ethnic' or 'authentic' places? I eat on the ship. Is the local cuisine worth the potential food poisoning and diarrhea??? I do not think it is safe!

My "adventure" side has it's limits. I do dine out at local restaurants while in ports. However, I always order bottled water. I never order salads or fruits. Pretty much only cooked food. And yes, bottled beer. My personal opinion is this is part of the journey. I've read on this thread some life changing events. Pretty sure if that happens to me or my husband, my entire thought process will change. Cruise on everyone!

I have seen a lot of posts about this. Am I the only one who doesn't eat at hole in the wall 'ethnic' or 'authentic' places? I eat on the ship. Is the local cuisine worth the potential food poisoning and diarrhea??? I do not think it is safe!

La Choza in Cozumel is awesome. I will confidently eat room-temperature ceviche there. (And that ceviche will be awesome too.)

We have been fortunate to have cruised and traveled on 6 continents (and around 100 countries). DW and I are in the group of folks who "lives to eat." As a result, in many ports we consider eating a major focus of our port days, and hence generally avoid taking excursions or tours. Many cultures around the world are well known for their cuisine. DW and I cannot imagine going to places like France, Spain, Turkey, Italy, Greece, etc. without making the time for a nice lunch (or dinner if possible).

And here is a shocker for some. We live in Puerto Valllarta, Mexico for about 2 months a year and eat out nearly every day. In most years we will dine in over forty different local PV restaurants. After 8 years and over 400 meals in PV restaurants, we have only been sick one time. And that one time happened at a very high-end restaurant where we got mild food poisoning from Chillan Sea Bass! We still smile about that because we should have known better and stuck to local fish :). I might add that if you eat out in the USA over 400 times you will probably get sick on something.

Hank

What can I say, do you people realize that Eisenhower is no longer President? Things have changed, Montezuma's Revenge is now just an urban legend. Stay inside your little plastic bubble and miss the experience of visiting different cultures. Continue to enjoy your fast food and look down on indigenous, ethnic food in the ports that you visit. Just got back from a week in Mexico, the highlight was the awesome food, the local pulpo, jaiba, camarones and the margaritas made with local ice. Stick with your hamburgers and pizza, and miss out on a great experience. If you don't try jerk pork or chicken in the islands, stay on the ship and have a dry, over cooked beef patty and cold fries, you'll be much better off. Have a great cruise and don't forget to tell your friends what a great time you had avoiding all the hazards of traveling outside your little safe world.:rolleyes:

What can I say, do you people realize that Eisenhower is no longer President? Things have changed, Montezuma's Revenge is now just an urban legend. Stay inside your little plastic bubble and miss the experience of visiting different cultures. Continue to enjoy your fast food and look down on indigenous, ethnic food in the ports that you visit. Just got back from a week in Mexico, the highlight was the awesome food, the local pulpo, jaiba, camarones and the margaritas made with local ice. Stick with your hamburgers and pizza, and miss out on a great experience. If you don't try jerk pork or chicken in the islands, stay on the ship and have a dry, over cooked beef patty and cold fries, you'll be much better off. Have a great cruise and don't forget to tell your friends what a great time you had avoiding all the hazards of traveling outside your little safe world.:rolleyes:

Like:D

DH and I were in Marrakesh several years ago on a day trip from a cruise docked in Casablanca. We were to have lunch included, but never got it. About 6 of us stopped at a street vendor, had her make some kind of breaded thing on a grill filled with something - Best food we ever ate!

Quality of the food depends on how hungry you are:p

The others would not even think of eating anything - well it a was a 4 hour drive back to the ship. They were miserable and starving. We were full and comfortable.

BTW - no one became ill:)

What can I say, do you people realize that Eisenhower is no longer President? Things have changed, Montezuma's Revenge is now just an urban legend. Stay inside your little plastic bubble and miss the experience of visiting different cultures. Continue to enjoy your fast food and look down on indigenous, ethnic food in the ports that you visit. Just got back from a week in Mexico, the highlight was the awesome food, the local pulpo, jaiba, camarones and the margaritas made with local ice. Stick with your hamburgers and pizza, and miss out on a great experience. If you don't try jerk pork or chicken in the islands, stay on the ship and have a dry, over cooked beef patty and cold fries, you'll be much better off. Have a great cruise and don't forget to tell your friends what a great time you had avoiding all the hazards of traveling outside your little safe world.:rolleyes:

This, I am sorry to say, is an ignorant and arrogant disregard of reality. The passing of Eisenhower did not signal the end of bacterial infections. Periodic outbreaks resulting from packaged salad from Mexico (and some US) is evidence of continuing risk. Sure, travelers should explore new environments, including sampling local food, but it is simply stupid to drink water from unknown sources, including ice from that water, or to eat uncooked food, or even carelessly handled cooked food, in areas known for sanitation problems.

Your effort to sound sophisticated by referring to having a good time avoiding hazards traveling "...outside your little safe world..." Followed by cutesy "roll eyes". Is as pathetic as the quality of you advice.

If we hadn't eaten in local places we would have missed these scones in Port Hedland, AU

Or the fish and chips and burger on a damper bun in Akaroa, NZ

Or the incredible club sandwiches sitting at a dockside restaurant in Aruba while looking out at our ship.

If we hadn't eaten in local places we would have missed these scones in Port Hedland, AU

 

 

Or the fish and chips and burger on a damper bun in Akaroa, NZ

 

 

 

Or the incredible club sandwiches sitting at a dockside restaurant in Aruba while looking out at our ship.

These three great examples make sense - drinking questionable water and eating carelessly prepared uncooked food, possibly left unrefrigerated for hours, do not.

Of course you should sample new things in new places - just don't leave your brain at home when you travel.

The excursion I'm most looking forward to on our upcoming MR cruise is a Puerto Vallarta street taco tour. Not offered via the ship, of course.

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