Eating Local Food in Port

[Taxguy77]

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.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

I traveled in Mexico as early as the late 1960s, and stayed in a hotel in a small town that had a water purification system that worked perfectly. They made their own ice with it. I just didn't trust the tap water in my room as well.

DW and I like to eat off ship and have enjoyed eating at places where no one (guests or employees) spoke English or Spanish. Never a problem.

[tidygirl]

To criticize a person for not wanting to try local food is ridiculous IMO. Our family are not (foodies) we eat to live not live to eat! We like to travel to see the different countries and see what the world has to offer! We have ate a few things off the ship but we do not care about eating. To me it's crazy when I see people to get off the ship and plop themselves at a bar for the day why bother spending the money to go on a cruise? I guess every one has what they like to do on vacation and you have the right to choose what you like!

Edited April 6, 2014 by tidygirl

[sdschwrt]

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.

This statement is a disingenuous distortion of reality. Yes there have been disease outbreaks from Mexican salad and US produced salad. There has recently been a recall due to a Salmonella outbreak of US produced chicken and this is a fairly common occurrence. People routinely suffer from food poisoning in the United States because careless food handling is a Universal danger.

My wife and I have been travelling to Mexico and Eastern Europe for over 20 years and have have not had stomach problems. Believe it or not, infectious diseases do not respect borders and the residents of the country you are in are susceptible to the same food born illnesses as we are. Our rule of thumb is to see who is eating at a restaurant and based on the clientele make a decision to eat or not eat there. We do not worry about the ice as it is made from purified water just as the ice on the cruise ships. The vegetables are washed with purified water purchased by the establishment. We routinely eat at a beachside palapa in Mazatlan that does not have running water. Drink iced drinks, eat salad and never a problem. Food is prepared with purchased purified water. Hotel we stay in does not have purified tap water. Ice and food poolside never a problem as again it is routine at all establishments to use purified water for ice and food prep.

Our experience has been that we do meet people who have gotten sick from drinking iced drinks. However, it is not the ice but the quantity of alcohol and excessive sun exposure that is responsible for the problem.

[navybankerteacher]

This statement is a disingenuous distortion of reality. Yes there have been disease outbreaks from Mexican salad and US produced salad. There has recently been a recall due to a Salmonella outbreak of US produced chicken and this is a fairly common occurrence. People routinely suffer from food poisoning in the United States because careless food handling is a Universal danger.

My wife and I have been travelling to Mexico and Eastern Europe for over 20 years and have have not had stomach problems. Believe it or not, infectious diseases do not respect borders and the residents of the country you are in are susceptible to the same food born illnesses as we are. Our rule of thumb is to see who is eating at a restaurant and based on the clientele make a decision to eat or not eat there. We do not worry about the ice as it is made from purified water just as the ice on the cruise ships. The vegetables are washed with purified water purchased by the establishment. We routinely eat at a beachside palapa in Mazatlan that does not have running water. Drink iced drinks, eat salad and never a problem. Food is prepared with purchased purified water. Hotel we stay in does not have purified tap water. Ice and food poolside never a problem as again it is routine at all establishments to use purified water for ice and food prep.

Our experience has been that we do meet people who have gotten sick from drinking iced drinks. However, it is not the ice but the quantity of alcohol and excessive sun exposure that is responsible for the problem.

 

Congratulations on your fortunate experiences in eating overseas. The fact remains that many people experience food-born illness when eating carelessly prepared food -no one suggests not sampling local food - just do not be reckless in deciding where you buy it and from what sort of a source. A resort restaurant is a fairly safe bet - a filthy street-vendor's cart will obviously carry more risk.

 

Do you really believe that it is ONLY the alcohol (or sun), and not tainted water that might give people intestinal problems?

[Velvetwater]

Oh Gosh you are right.

 

Whatever you do, do not eat in UK ports especially.

 

We drag all our food over encrusted rocks, let the Queen wipe herself with it then let it grow mould for a week.

 

Bon appetite.

[Sue Do-Over]

We did a pre-cruise tour in San Juan... hiked to a waterfall, saw the jungle, etc. Running late on way back to town, we stopped at a roadside stand for the BEST jerk chicken and rice EVER. We wolfed it down. No regrets!

 

I usually get a bottled drink, but eat local food. If it's hot, I'll eat it.

[Lerin]

Part of the reason we travel is to learn new cultures and try local cuisine.

Never had an issue.

the only food poisoning I can remember ever getting was at a very well-known American chain which rhymes with Pabbledees. ;)

[A2Mich]

Some people are naturally over-cautious, paranoid, or are hypochondriacs. Other people use no common sense whatsoever. Other people fall somewhere in the middle. I've never been sick traveling abroad, but did get sick at my in-laws house before. Traveling under the assumption that just because you are in a foreign country, means that you are in a third world country with no standards of hygiene is just not accurate. As stated earlier, most touristy areas are going to follow generally strict quality standards as they don't want to make the tourists ill. Another thing which I have not seen mentioned is that many GI infections/illnesses have a gestation period of anywhere from 8-36 hours. Just because you felt nauseous getting back onboard the ship in Cozumel doesn't necessarily mean that the enchiladas and margaritas you had for lunch were the culprit. You may very well have gotten sick from that "incredible free breakfast" you had at the hotel the other morning. Without actually testing the food for bacteria, you really have no idea where you contracted a particular illness from. You very well could have contracted Noro yourself on the ship from an infected handrail, but choose to blame Jose who sold you the taco from the back of the blue pickup simply because you can't believe that you may have gotten sick on the ship from an infected fellow passenger.

 

I eat local foods all the time. Sure I've already paid for the food on the ship, but I'm one of those who likes to experience the local culture. In a port, I may be able to try a local specialty that I'll never have again. I can eat a salad or overcooked burger at home too. If people want to make their way back to the ship just for lunch, so be it for whatever reason. My limited hours in port are too valuable for me to trek back to the ship to have a meal that I can get nearly anywhere. My in laws are the perfect example of "we don't care what we eat." Which is fine....I'm certainly not a foodie, but I do enjoy trying new dishes, so I'd rather not miss an opportunity to try something new and different.

[browneyedwoman]

We love eating local food. We search out unique local special dishes wherever we go. We always drink bottled water. We have gotten sick but not for too long. It's definitely worth trying new food. You just have to try to make smart choices about what you eat. I hate to hear that people travel to new places and only eat ship food. Please consider trying some local food. It's worth it.

[YubaSutter]

We always eat where the locals eat when in port. We've had oysters served out of a cooler at a roadside stand, street tacos, bacon wrapped hot dogs, shrimp cocktails, jerk chicken and pork, and fruit or juice fresh squeezed that was served out of a recycled water bottle. We've never been sick and look forward to our next adventure. The best was in Belize. 2 two pound lobsters with rice, salad, and 2 beers for $25. BBQ'd right on the beach.

[buchhalm]

It is often the local food in ports that will be most memorable of a cruise - or any trip. Reindeer and whale in Norway, dog meat ragout in Korea, BBQ snake in Taiwan, assorted roots, twigs and plant bits in Japan, the freshest seafood in the Cook Islands, 48-hour pit cooked goat and camel in Oman....

20 years of flying have (knock on wood) given me an iron stomach.

The only time I can remember a bout of food born illness was after a meal at TGI-day of the week in Shanghai. 8 out of our 11-strong team was out of action for 2 days. Flights cancelled. Company memo to ban staff from eating at said restaurant.

On place where I never eat the local cuisine is the Philippines. Not because it is particularly bad - it probably isn't -, but I just do not like the stuff.

The country has been occupied by god-knows how many other countries throughout it's history and the local population has embraced the worst of the cuisine of the various occupiers, then combined the lot and put sugar and vinegar on it.

[GORDONCHICK]

One of our absolute favorite meals when in Belize doing cave tubing and zip lining is the Belizean spicy chicken tamale. I am not a tamale fan and was prepared to be hungry until we got back to the ship. However, I WAS REALLY WRONG!!! It was fabulous - the size of a big burrito and delish! DS has to get 2!

 

For about the first 8 years of cruising, DH was on the cheap & cautious side. I'm not sure what finally won him over, but he's over it! He'll try just about anything now - and next time we're in Costa Maya/Mahahual, I'm getting the fish at Coco Corona. It looks fabulous! We've had fried breadfruit in Roatan, and that's better than potato chips if done right! And don't get me started on the conch fritters!

 

That's okay, all you people who don't want to eat off the ship! Leaves more for the rest of us.

[Laughing Angel]

I love trying the local cuisine, from a beachside shack to a food truck by the side of the road. What's the point of traveling if you can't (or won't) experience the culture and the food?

 

One of the finest meals I've ever had was at a food cart near the malecon in Puerto Vallarta. Beef and chicken with corn tortillas and some grilled pineapple. I was in Heaven! I also got a can of soda (already had a bottle of water with me) and enjoyed my incredible and inexpensive lunch. BTW, the line of customers was a mix of mostly locals and some tourists.

 

The only time I ever got sick was during a stop in Cabo San Lucas. Nothing sketchy. Just got a little too much sun while sampling a little too much tequila... :D

[jamessemaj]

You can get food poisoning anywhere. Food at the ports are not more risky.

[SadieN]

Be careful bringing food off of the ship in Mexico. In Cabo, the Mexican authorities do a bag search, and any food from the ship is disposed of, by them.

 

The daily Compass will have notes about certain areas, where you are asked not to bring food ashore.

 

For what it's worth, is the only reason I'm bringing this up.;)

 

Rick

 

They're looking for fruit and meat. Cereal boxes, hard candy and NutriGrain-type bars are perfectly acceptable.

 

We like to eat where the locals eat. Less we understand the language the better. Just had a problem last cruise. Found the place we SHOULD have eaten at after eating at the most recommended restaurant.:mad: It was very gringo but we were hungry.

[Gathina]

I've eaten "street" food in 11+ countries-haven't gotten sick yet.

 

If locals are eating it, then there is no reason why you can't eat it. For the naysayers do you think they have stomachs that are immune to food poisoning or something? Of course if the set up looks dirty or you see them not cleaning anything then common sense says 'don't".

[PatchesJ72]

LOL That's us too. A few blocks off the square there is a place you can eat in one of the locals backyard. She cooks the food in her kitchen and serves it to you. We also have a local Italian restaurant we love in Cozumel.

 

Just curious as to where the Italian restaurant is...we're headed out that way soon :)

[preschool teacher]

I've eaten "street" food in 11+ countries-haven't gotten sick yet.

 

If locals are eating it, then there is no reason why you can't eat it. For the naysayers do you think they have stomachs that are immune to food poisoning or something? Of course if the set up looks dirty or you see them not cleaning anything then common sense says 'don't".

 

We eat the local food and love it.....but. Things are different when you grow up a certain way.....example we had very good friends in Hawaii that were Filipino , we barbecued every weekend together but our Filipino friends did not refrigerate the left overs....she had no refrigerator growing up....they ate leftovers the next day....so her stomach was used to that.....I never ate her left overs! It's really all what you are used to....

[CoachT]

We did a food tour in Cozumel a few weeks ago and ate at hole in the wall places. Never once did we run into anyone from any of the ships in port. Best tour we have taken!

[Cruisin' Chick]

When I was growing up, my family went down to San Diego a couple of times for vacation, and once we did go across the border to Tijuana. As he was a physician he was very careful about what we ate or drank. Any beverages was a bottle of soda (and he would even have us wipe off the top, even though it had just been opened). Definitely wouldn't allow anything (salad, ice) that had to do with the water supply. I would imagine if he was still alive and went there, he wouldn't go through the same caution.

 

He also was cautious even if food he bought from our local market. Any cans to be opened were to be rinsed off first, any fruit washed off first.

 

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.

 

 

To criticize a person for not wanting to try local food is ridiculous IMO. Our family are not (foodies) we eat to live not live to eat! We like to travel to see the different countries and see what the world has to offer! We have ate a few things off the ship but we do not care about eating. To me it's crazy when I see people to get off the ship and plop themselves at a bar for the day why bother spending the money to go on a cruise? I guess every one has what they like to do on vacation and you have the right to choose what you like!

 

Thank you both for these statements. I get tired of this holier than thou attitude some posters get about what passengers want to do while off their ship (or even about getting off the ship or staying on board). If someone wants to spend their time shopping, ziplining, looking at the historical sites, eating local foods or a combination of those, or just simply going to the beach and nothing else...what business is it? It's your vacation. If someone doesn't feel like trying the local food, it's their business.

 

We're not foodies, so if we stop to eat in port, it's because we're hungry, not because we're looking to experience the local food. Personally, I have a major problem with cross contamination when it comes to shellfish -- as in, will develop problems with breathing. My stomach also can't digest yogurt. I have run into people working at some food vendors and diners who don't understand serious allergies and food tolerances and can be cavalier about serving food with serving implements that have touched food that will make me very sick. Even in our country.

 

So better not to judge.

[newgrange]

Oh Gosh you are right.

 

Whatever you do, do not eat in UK ports especially.

 

We drag all our food over encrusted rocks, let the Queen wipe herself with it then let it grow mould for a week.

 

Bon appetite.

 

And don't let's get started on Ireland. We get what's left behind. :D