Laws re taking food off ships

A Princess excursion to a coffee plantation has the following as part of it's description: "Taste a blend you like? It's available for purchase at the gift shop."

Does anyone know if we'd be able to take this purchase off the ship once we get home? Seems odd they'd offer it otherwise.

I think I'll try to Google an answer but if anyone knows, I'd appreciate hearing.

A Princess excursion to a coffee plantation has the following as part of it's description: "Taste a blend you like? It's available for purchase at the gift shop."

 

Does anyone know if we'd be able to take this purchase off the ship once we get home? Seems odd they'd offer it otherwise.

 

I think I'll try to Google an answer but if anyone knows, I'd appreciate hearing.

It may depend based on where you are disembarking.

However as a general rule you can take off commercially packaged foods.

So probably.

Here's the general guidance from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the USDA that provides what is almost never a discussion item. Roasted coffee is explicitly allowed. I've also brought back green coffee, which must be inspected for vermin.

http://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/documents/General%20List%20of%20Approved%20Food%20and%20Plant%20Products.pdf

General rule: if it's canned, bottled or bone-dry and it isn't meat, it's almost certainly admissible in personal quantities, subject to cursory inspection. Fish and seafood are rarely problematic. Meat in any state, dairy, plants, fruits or vegetables get complicated quickly.

Thanks a lot for your input.

Gut2407, we're disembarking in Ft. Lauderdale.

Vibeguy, I'll be reading your link.

Thanks again for your quick, helpful replies.

Yes you can. If you mean Roasted Coffee. I had freeze dried coffee no problem.

Tony

Yes you can. If you mean Roasted Coffee. I had freeze dried coffee no problem.

Tony

I agree. I once brought roasted coffee nuts from the Caribbean and had no problem.

if your unsure just declare it and if ok no problem

if your unsure just declare it and if ok no problem

That's always my policy.

A Princess excursion to a coffee plantation has the following as part of it's description: "Taste a blend you like? It's available for purchase at the gift shop."

 

Does anyone know if we'd be able to take this purchase off the ship once we get home? Seems odd they'd offer it otherwise.

 

I think I'll try to Google an answer but if anyone knows, I'd appreciate hearing.

Yes, you can import packaged coffee into the U.S. We have done it many times.

I just recently brought back coffee from Jamaica into Ft Lauderdale.

Processed food is no problem. Fresh, unprocessed plant items are not permitted. So, roasted coffee beans are fine. Fresh, unroasted beans--declare and ask, but I believe are not allowed.

My experience at the airports in Florida is that they are very, very picky about imports of any kind. Follow the rules and you are mostly fine though they may still give you a hard time ... I know, doesn't make sense but then nothing in life does 100% of the time.

I had the same experience in Seattle coming back from Alaska. A small tin of mints got me the full shake down and eleventy dozen questions. :rolleyes:

Just go through the declaration process. I've seen people lose a lot of booze during declaration but we didn't experience that when we brought back some rum from a Caribbean trip. But several people on the same cruise came up shy of bottles if not the entire contents of what they put in.

If it's packaged and sealed usually no problem. I went on a Panama Canal cruise and bought coffee everywhere all beans but sealed. No problem.

If the beagle catches you it means it's not allowed....

If the beagle catches you it means it's not allowed....

Sadly, they've only managed to make the beagles adorable and effective at detecting things that need human judgment for admission. Getting them to memorize approximately 800 pages of regulations that vary by countries of origin and transit is just too much for their little heads.

The beagles signal an officer that inspection is required. The officer conducting the inspection may or may not be a CBP Agricultural Specialist, who generally can't completely deny admission of something - that falls to a USDA APHIS officer who may or may not be present.

I digress.

Here are some technically restricted food and beverage items I've been able to import after declaration and subsequent inspection:

Horse fat

Absinthe

Raw-milk cheese under 60 days of age

Uncooked meats

Various spices not in commercial packaging

Pate

Green coffee beans

Kinder Eggs

So even if the beagle alerts, you're perfectly legal so long as you declare and present the items for inspection.

I've brought rum back from Cartegna, and roasted coffee beans from Costa Rica with no trouble.

Horse fat?

Horse fat?

The secret to the delicious pommes frites of Belgium.

The secret to the delicious pommes frites of Belgium.

I live in Horse Country. I'll look at them all differently now :D

I got "caught" once with a baggie of grapes...on an international flight, I took the grapes from my daughter's refrigerator as I knew she wouldn't eat them. The dog hit on me on my arrival in the US. No problem really. The handler came over and asked if I had any fruits, etc...I initially said no and then instantly "OH, deleted." It was no problem--just had to surrender the remnants of my snack to the officer. However, on my next 3 entrances to the US, I was sent to the "extra inspection" area. I presume my passport had been flagged.

The beagles signal an officer that inspection is required. The officer conducting the inspection may or may not be a CBP Agricultural Specialist, who generally can't completely deny admission of something - that falls to a USDA APHIS officer who may or may not be present.

 

I digress.

 

Here are some technically restricted food and beverage items I've been able to import after declaration and subsequent inspection:

 

Horse fat

Absinthe

Raw-milk cheese under 60 days of age

Uncooked meats

Various spices not in commercial packaging

Pate

Green coffee beans

Kinder Eggs

 

So even if the beagle alerts, you're perfectly legal so long as you declare and present the items for inspection.

I was not as lucky in Seattle. The inspection officer found and confiscated my Pate in my hand carry. Just thankful I was not fined

I got off the plane from Paris a few years ago and had a pear in my purse and the German Shepard walked right by me.

I got off the plane from Paris a few years ago and had a pear in my purse and the German Shepard walked right by me.

A couple of points

German Shepherds aren't renowned for their "Nose" and aren't generally used as sniffers, also because people tend to be afraid of them. Those task are usually left to smaller Spanials, Beagles etc.

And even if he was he may have been a drug or Bomb dog, not food.

 

Kinder Eggs.

*GASP* You were allowed to bring in a Kinder Egg!!!???!!! [emoji1]

*GASP* You were allowed to bring in a Kinder Egg!!!???!!! [emoji1]

"Candy" is a very broad category. I understand they were at risk of seizure by Customs.

Just go through the declaration process. I've seen people lose a lot of booze during declaration but we didn't experience that when we brought back some rum from a Caribbean trip. But several people on the same cruise came up shy of bottles if not the entire contents of what they put in.

Mildly surprised by that. Alcohol is not inadmissible, although it may be dutiable. Possibly it was Cuban? They were still asking me about Cuban cigars when I passed through CBP preclearance in Bermuda last week. (I didn't have any). Seen people lose bottles at the Canadian border (northbound), but that's different.