Bag Lunch on Port Days?

Wouldn't it be nice if you could grab a bagged lunch from Windjammer while you're there for breakfast, so you don't have to worry about finding a good quick lunch while in port? Especially at tendered ports where its a pain in the butt to get back to the ship for lunch. I paid for that lunch in my cruise fare and it bugs me to have to buy lunch in port if I can't get back to the ship.

 

If any cruise lines/ships are offering this please let me know!!

 

And if RCCL isn't... well does anyone know if there's lunch fixin's at Windjammer at breakfast? I could make my own sandwich if there are buns, cheese, meat, etc. and sneak it into my beach bag! :cool:

IMO, one of the best parts of cruising is going to new places and trying new things, such as the local cuisine.

If I remember correctly this was brought up in that incredibly long "think your a cruise expert......" thread. Someone mentioned they bring one of those small foldable coolers and order room service sandwiches, pack them in the plastic baggies that are recommended by everyone and you have a ready to go lunch.

GMoney, when spending the day laying on a beach that may or may not have a place to buy lunch (and when it does its a greasy hamburger, not my idea of "local cuisine") I prefer to bring my own sandwich. I would agree with you if I was there for the cuisine, but when cruising the Caribbean I'm not there for cuisine, I'm there for the beach and the water.

 

If anyone has any info on what ships or cruise lines offer bagged lunches, I'd appreciate it!!

GMoney, when spending the day laying on a beach that may or may not have a place to buy lunch (and when it does its a greasy hamburger, not my idea of "local cuisine") I prefer to bring my own sandwich. I would agree with you if I was there for the cuisine, but when cruising the Caribbean I'm not there for cuisine, I'm there for the beach and the water.

 

If anyone has any info on what ships or cruise lines offer bagged lunches, I'd appreciate it!!

 

Then you are really missing out, b/c there is great food that can very easily be found in the Caribbean. What ports specifically do you get stuck with greasy hamburgers? May the group can help with suggestions on good, quick places to eat.

If I remember correctly this was brought up in that incredibly long "think your a cruise expert......" thread. Someone mentioned they bring one of those small foldable coolers and order room service sandwiches, pack them in the plastic baggies that are recommended by everyone and you have a ready to go lunch.

 

Thanks Yooper38, I didn't have the time to read through that whole "think you're a cruise expert" thread!! But this is a great idea, appreciate it. ;)

I look at it as trying to help out the local economy. We go into port in their beautiful islands, least we can do is try to give them business. Just my opinion.

There was a VERY long and VERY heated thread on the Carnival boards that was poofed when it got totally out of hand, but the gist of it was:

 

These islands have their own laws. Each one has laws governing what can be brought there. The United States does this, too. The kind of foods that you all are talking about are generally banned. Remember the fruit fly devastation in California a few years back? That's the kind of thing that these laws are trying to prevent.

 

Please do not break the laws when you are visiting foreign ports. It's not nice, and it's wrong.

 

:)

You are spending $1000's on your cruise. Why nickle and dime on lunch? And, if your carried on shore sandwich spoils (it's very hot there and the cheese, meat and mayo may go south) you'll have a very rotten day. If anything, have a huge breakfast at the Windjammer that morning, and find a cheap snack on shore, if you're still hungry.

Ok.

 

I asked whether anyone knew if any ships offered baggged lunches. I did not ask whether all of you thought that I should morally or otherwise want to bring lunch off the ship.

 

However I did not realize that this could potentially be breaking a local law - so thanks for that info Merion Mom. I don't want to break any laws so I'll make sure I understand the local laws on this before doing it.

 

And I'm not really nickle and diming, don't appreciate the indication that I'm too cheap to spend money in the ports because believe me, I insert a great deal of my money into the economies of the ports. The only one I want to nickle and dime is the cruise line (which is why I said that it bugs me that I can't get the lunch I paid for in my fare) because they sure don't hesitate to nickle and dime me.

 

Bottom line is that I simply don't want to leave the beach to eat, I don't want a greasy burger for lunch, and I feel that I've already paid RCCL for a lunch anyway. I'm just looking for options and thought a bagged lunch was one of them. :(

sweetpea, if you are looking for foods that will just fend off the hunger pangs until you can get back to the ship, all sealed, packaged foods are fine: granola bars (you could bring those yourself from home, or get them in the ship's store), those cute little sealed boxes of cereal from the Windjammer, peanut butter & cheese (or other flavor) cracker packs, bags of snack items. - all ok.

Maybe they could extend the "bagged lunch" concept to debarkation day so you would have something for lunch on the way home. :rolleyes:

Les

There was a VERY long and VERY heated thread on the Carnival boards that was poofed when it got totally out of hand, but the gist of it was:

 

These islands have their own laws. Each one has laws governing what can be brought there. The United States does this, too. The kind of foods that you all are talking about are generally banned. Remember the fruit fly devastation in California a few years back? That's the kind of thing that these laws are trying to prevent.

 

Please do not break the laws when you are visiting foreign ports. It's not nice, and it's wrong.

 

:)

 

Thank you, Carol. This is exactly the information that needs to be out there. (I don't feel that you are attacking anyone here.)

 

I must admit that I am old enough to remember scheduled malathion drops all through the fruit fly devistation in late 1970's/early 1980's in CA. Right now we are dealing with trying to keep out the glassy winged sharpshooter, which carries Pierce's disease that destroys grape vines (and thus is a HUGE economical problem for us CA folks and winos throughout the world;)).

 

beachchick

I look at it as trying to help out the local economy. We go into port in their beautiful islands, least we can do is try to give them business. Just my opinion.

 

I thought that's what the port fees were for. Believe me, I don't have any problem spending money in the local economy, but not because I feel guilty coming to "their beautiful islands."

 

On the other hand, I prefer to eat on the ship....but that's because I paid for what's on the ship. (Taking the same train of thought, I have a hard time justifying the specialty restaurants.)

 

Maddle

Maybe they could extend the "bagged lunch" concept to debarkation day so you would have something for lunch on the way home. :rolleyes:

Les

Some people do this. And if customs catches them, it's a huge fine. I think it's 5K or 50K per item. Either way, it's much more than the cost of a Big Mac. It's clearly posted as you leave the ship and enter the terminal, and there's a big trash can right there. I think we've all seen families digging through their carry-off luggage to dump fruit, sandwiches, whatever.

 

By the way, this isn't a ship rule -- it's a US Customs rule.

Eating Big Macs in the Carbbean!!! Unless I'm at La Select in St Barts, the burgers can wait.

 

Jerk chicken in Jamaica, flying fish in Barbados, Caribbean French in Marigot, fried plantains etc. - there's so much to try and enjoy. We've never had much of an issue finding some kind of local place to eat - even close to the beaches.

We did a Iceland-Ireland-UK cruise with Holland America last summer, when we were on a shore excursion which interfered with lunch hours on the ship, we were handed a bag with a snack. Usually a fruit, a juice, a sandwich and something sweet.

 

I found this very practical and if I wanted to try something local, I still could do that.

 

Marc

simple solution:

back a small cooler bag with your clothes for the trip.

the night before you are going to be off the ship for lunch, order a sandwich from room service and i believe you can ask them to wrap it in foil or plastic wrap. put it in your room fridge for the following day and throw it in your cooler bag when ou leave.

NJTOM

hello sweetpea,

i totaly agree with you,i think it would be great to have a little bagged lunch to take out to the beach with you,

what a good idea to bring along a little cool bag,hadnt thought of that one....

we think it makes a lovely beach day for us and our 3 kids to have a picnic,and it doesnt matter how much you eat for breakfast,it doesnt last until dinner,

i really begrudge paying for five to eat in a resturant,when there is all that food on the ship that i have payed good money for.and it also means trying to get the kids all dry and looking half decent.......no,you are right sweetpea...a packed lunch would be a fab idea...

You won't find a ship or line that offers that service because it would be breaking the laws of the ports, as someone mentioned. I suspect that the cruiselines would be more than happy to offer bagged lunches if they were allowed to.

 

There are, however, lots of items you can take off the ship that aren't prohibited. Anything that's prepackaged is fine - cereal, cheese and crackers, things like that. You could make a nice lunch with those items.

yes i think i will go with that,when we cruise next in january,and i will take that little cool bag as mentioned before.....:)

Your daily Compass will state clearly that you are NOT to take foodstuff off the ship - this is a warning, not because they begrudge you eating a little extra food, but because of the laws of certain countries (including our own - just try bringing an apple or banana into Hawaii and see what happens). Granted many are not caught (same with smuggling liquor) - HOWEVER, if you are, you could be subject to simply having the food confiscated (and wasted) OR a nice big fine - this has happened, folks. There was a big news story several months ago about some celebrity who carried a piece of fruit off a flight - I want to say Australia, but could be wrong - and was actually arrested and hit with a hefty fine.

 

Respect the laws of the countries you will be visiting - they are there for a reason - it is not because they want you to spend money on their food! Bring only the allowed prepackaged snacks.

I have sent E-mails to the tourism bureaus of three of the islands I will be visiting this summer (Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten) asking about restrictions on bringing food from the ship into those islands. If I receive any information, I will make sure to post it.

I have sent E-mails to the tourism bureaus of three of the islands I will be visiting this summer (Aruba, Curacao, and St. Maarten) asking about restrictions on bringing food from the ship into those islands. If I receive any information, I will make sure to post it.

 

guinness, please do post the response you get (if you get one)! I'd be most interested to see it.

I just did an excursion in the Panama Canal today that was an all day excursion. Lunch was not provided by the ship, it was provided by the tour company because you are not allowed to bring food off the ship into Panama. I did bring Quaker Breakfast Squares, Peanut Butter Crackers and Granola Bars, and I did see people with cool bags for drinks, which are all appropriate. They definitely discouraged bringing fruit and meats off the ship though.