Hey Cruisers:
Funny story on this very subject...
We sailed on two MSC cruises in Europe and usually brought "lunch" off the ship, especially on independent excursions. We saw others doing it, NOT abusing it, and it seemed like no big deal.
THEN in October '23 in advance of a 32 cruise to Australia and New Zealand, I posted our experiences in Europe on the subject and I literally received the wrath of the cruise board gods.
Seems that the current passengers on that ship at the time, had just transited in Auckland and received the equivalent of a cruise colonoscopy. 1st, Cruise passengers were warned numerous times on the ship in advance; 2nd, contraband sniffing canines greeted them when they got off.
So being the good cruiser I feel I want to be, I found and posted Australia and New Zealand’s strict protocols.
Here is the link to that post:
https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2901208-grand-princess-october-26-2023-18-day-queensland/?do=findComment&comment=66278400
As expected, before each port the reminder from the captain was given. Also, fruit was cut in half or prepeeled to reduce the temptation.
In April we are sailing from Singapore to Dubai on the Serenade of the Seas. I hope to update my experiences on this subject when that sail ends in May.
Happy and Healthy Sailing!!!!