Can you get a boxed lunch?

[Paulchili]

LeeAnn,

The supermarket in St. Bart's is less than 5 minutes from the tender drop off (turn to the right as you exit, then it will be on your left side) - you can't miss it.

Enjoy the possibilities.

[Leejnd4]

LeeAnn,

The supermarket in St. Bart's is less than 5 minutes from the tender drop off (turn to the right as you exit, then it will be on your left side) - you can't miss it.

Enjoy the possibilities.

Thanks! Putting that in my notes. :)

[Hambagahle]

I have read this thread with some amusement - and raised eyebrows too! I have a question for our friends from California - when we go to the USA we have to comply with US regulations concerning the kinds of food we may and more importantly may not bring with us. Regs say "NO meat, vegetables, fruits" Foie gras is a meat. How do you get around that one?

 

(Luckily being Swiss chocolates are specifically allowed...)

[Thecat123]

(Luckily being Swiss chocolates are specifically allowed...)

 

But they would have to be factory packed and not loose wouldn't they? :D

And that is the difference from what is allowed into different countries which I have traveled to but still having to declare the packaged food

Edited March 1, 2015 by Thecat123

[fairbourne]

Hambagahle - I also read this with some amusement and rolling of eyes! :rolleyes:

 

Honestly, what a carry on about a carry out!!!

 

LeeAnn - you are definitely my sort of girl! You just know you need to plan ahead - and if you don't want any of those disapproving cruisers given you the evil eye when you stash your goodies into your Baggie, just order a couple extra croissants or bagels for room service breakfast, then no-one will ever know! ("Currents" advice allowing taking the food off the ship - just thought I'd say that to make sure everyone knew we had got that bit!!! ;):eek: )

 

And I always take a stash of tissues with me, the number of times you get to a public loo and there is no toilet paper! :p

[cbb]

whew....in trying to wade through all of this I think I've learned that it IS ok to take small prepackaged food items off the ship?

 

I'm talking about what we in the south call Nabs (peanut butter crackers) or 6 cookie Oreos...blood sugar would be our reason (emergency food if we're somewhere that we can't buy food)

 

As always, thanks for your help! c

[Floridiana]

whew....in trying to wade through all of this I think I've learned that it IS ok to take small prepackaged food items off the ship?

 

 

Yes you may. But in some countries, you need to declare them. I took granola bar type prepackaged snacks to Peru, no problem. I was only asked once, showed them and it was fine.

 

Australia and New Zealand are very strict. The 'biohazard' officer will want to decide what is ok and what isn't. I have seen one officer literally yell at a family from India who tried to smuggle in a can of food from home. (airport Auckland)

 

An Australian officer explained to a passenger that his Australian bought item was ok because he had never opened it on the ship. If he had, it would not have been ok to take back on land.

 

And yes, their dogs are amazing. The Brisbane beagle smelled a sandwich in my bag that had been there a few days before but wasn't any more.

[cbb]

I got pulled aside in the Auckland airport because I had "orange slices" in my suitcase.

 

Official went through my suitcase and discovered that my slices were in fact, pretty soap from a previous hotel!!

[cbb]

Floridiana--

 

thanks for the reply. I was pretty sure it was ok as long as we declared them.

[Paulchili]

Regs say "NO meat, vegetables, fruits" Foie gras is a meat. How do you get around that one?

 

 

I believe that you can bring it in if it is in a can (like sardines, etc) - not in a supermarket shrink-wrap. In either case, you need to declare it.

However, a bigger problem may be keeping it refrigerated for the entire trip home. :D

[Leejnd4]

I swear, I have not laughed so much in a long time. :D

 

Hambagahle - I also read this with some amusement and rolling of eyes! :rolleyes:

 

Honestly, what a carry on about a carry out!!!

 

LOL! I know, right? I haven't seen such horrified pearl-clutching over absolutely nothing since...well, I guess since the last time I watched Downton Abby!

 

LeeAnn - you are definitely my sort of girl! You just know you need to plan ahead - and if you don't want any of those disapproving cruisers given you the evil eye when you stash your goodies into your Baggie, just order a couple extra croissants or bagels for room service breakfast, then no-one will ever know! ("Currents" advice allowing taking the food off the ship - just thought I'd say that to make sure everyone knew we had got that bit!!! ;):eek: )

 

Garsh, thanks! Yes, I do like to plan ahead. As a working stiff, I just don't get enough vacation time to leave things to chance. My approach to vacations is, spend a year researching every possible detail, document a solid, workable plan on an Excel spreadsheet, and then just...go. And whatever happens, happens. I don't think I've ever been on a vacation where everything went according to plan - and that's okay. In fact some of my best vacation moments have happened when the plan went completely sideways!

 

I have read this thread with some amusement - and raised eyebrows too!

 

As have I, believe me. Such teeth-gnashing over a simple question about a boxed lunch! But the entertainment value has been off-the-charts, I will say that. :)

 

I have a question for our friends from California - when we go to the USA we have to comply with US regulations concerning the kinds of food we may and more importantly may not bring with us. Regs say "NO meat, vegetables, fruits" Foie gras is a meat. How do you get around that one?

 

How do I "get around that one"? Why, by being a cheapskate food smuggler who will do anything to save a buck while happily destroying the agricultural industry and economy of the region. How else?

 

(That IS what some of the people in this thread want to believe anyway, right? :p Might as well give 'em what they want, I say!)

 

As others have pointed out, some types of canned meat are in fact allowed as long as it's declared. Whether my canned foie gras will fit that bill, I do not yet know...but as in all things vacation-related, I will do my research to find out!

Edited March 1, 2015 by Leejnd4

[Tansy Mews]

It's true that in certain ports you are not permitted to take any food off the ship but that is not by any means in all ports.

 

I brought some energy bars and those were permissible even in a place with stringent rules (Easter Island?? forget where). I showed them to the port authorities when I read the sign about no food. They waved me through.

[warburg]

Considering the almost constant availability of food, room service if all else is closed, there is no reason to wonder if there will something to eat when reboarding. If a tour will occur at lunchtime, how about a bit more breakfast? When we leave the ship, sometimes we dine ashore. Very nice, usually.

 

Food can be a real spoiler sometimes. When we were on Gibralter, we were told to avoid food around the apes. A young boy brought ice cream on his bus and still had some when we arrived at the top. A few apes sitting on a rope stretched across the the top of the snack bar noticed the ice cream. The biggest raced down to the boy, leaped up and grabbed the food. The child started to scream and cry. He was not amenable to reason, so the family turned around and left. This event predated the iPhone, so we didn't get pictures.

 

Those apes were amazing. Our driver knew one of them very well, and let it sit in the van with him when the passengers were gone. I was outside and saw that they also ate something together. When the driver opened the door, the ape jumped out. Later on I asked the driver about the ape. He said that he went up there everyday, even when he had no customers, and knew what was good for apes and people. Apparently so.

Mary

Edited March 2, 2015 by warburg

[Leejnd4]

Considering the almost constant availability of food, room service if all else is closed, there is no reason to wonder if there will something to eat when reboarding. If a tour will occur at lunchtime, how about a bit more breakfast? When we leave the ship, sometimes we dine ashore. Very nice, usually.

 

I'm not concerned at all about having something to eat when we reboard...my question was more about ensuring I have something to snack on while out on a dive boat for several hours over lunchtime, when no lunch will be provided. I've decided to bring a snack along with me - probably a croissant or something like that.

 

Food can be a real spoiler sometimes. When we were on Gibralter, we were told to avoid food around the apes. A young boy brought ice cream on his bus and still had some when we arrived at the top. A few apes sitting on a rope stretched across the the top of the snack bar noticed the ice cream. The biggest raced down to the boy, leaped up and grabbed the food. The child started to scream and cry. He was not amenable to reason, so the family turned around and left. This event predated the iPhone, so we didn't get pictures.

 

Those apes were amazing. Our driver knew one of them very well, and let it sit in the van with him when the passengers were gone. I was outside and saw that they also ate something together. When the driver opened the door, the ape jumped out. Later on I asked the driver about the ape. He said that he went up there everyday, even when he had no customers, and knew what was good for apes and people. Apparently so.

Mary

 

I have not been to Gibraltar yet, but I've heard about those apes! There are definitely places where it's best not to have any food on you -- we just recently got back from Bali, and there are some temples where the local monkey population can get quite aggressive if you have any food on your person at all. ;) They will climb on your shoulder and literally try to get inside your purse or backpack!

 

But I've learned the hard way that it's important to plan ahead for your food needs when on excursions. I'm certainly not concerned about going hungry on this cruise - quite the contrary! :D But I also know that, like many people, if I go for many hours without food I can feel icky. Especially on a small dive boat at sea.

 

And you can't always assume there will be food when you need it on an excursion. A few years ago while on a Crystal cruise to the Baltics, I did an excursion to an historic city in Germany that was supposed to include lunch at a famous old restaurant. I ate a very light breakfast that morning, anticipating a big mid-day meal. But what ended up happening is that we went for 7 1/2 hours with no food! The lunch was scheduled for the end of the excursion, so we didn't eat until almost 3:30 in the afternoon. By that time I was quite peckish. And I wasn't the only one...as the hours ticked by and we kept visiting more and more museums, historic churches and old buildings, we were all starting to fade. By the last stop I don't think a single one of us heard anything the tour guide was saying...all we could hear were our grumbling stomachs. :p

[LHT28]

 

But I've learned the hard way that it's important to plan ahead for your food needs when on excursions. I'm certainly not concerned about going hungry on this cruise - quite the contrary! :D But I also know that, like many people, if I go for many hours without food I can feel icky.

 

I agree with you If I am not fed on time look out :D

Once my blood sugar drops too low you do not want to be anywhere near me

That is why I always carry power bars or something like that with me ;)

(some are not too bad if you get the right ones)

 

OH Had one of those tours when the meal was so late I thought I would pass out ...lesson learned never trust the tour schedule be prepared

 

Lyn

[Aliasamy]

It's a dive boat, and they do not provide food on this boat. We'll be on this dive boat from 11:00 to 2:00. So we'll just eat a good breakfast and bring a light snack that we pick up in town. Now that I know I can't bring something from the ship, we will give ourselves enough time to pick something up before transporting to the dive boat. So I think we're all set. :)

Hi Leeane, I am very surprised that the dive boat company do not at least have a plate of fruit or drinks and biscuits. Thinking back, I have never been on a dive boat that didn't offer some type of snack even in very remote places. It gets quite tiring between dives and I always need a drink and nibble on something. Maybe purchase some museli bars or packet of dry fruit while you are in town. I always try and have a banana. Enjoy your dive.:)

[Leejnd4]

Hi Leeane, I am very surprised that the dive boat company do not at least have a plate of fruit or drinks and biscuits. Thinking back, I have never been on a dive boat that didn't offer some type of snack even in very remote places. It gets quite tiring between dives and I always need a drink and nibble on something. Maybe purchase some museli bars or packet of dry fruit while you are in town. I always try and have a banana. Enjoy your dive.:)

 

It's possible they will, but fruit doesn't always sit well with me when out on a small boat. Also, I tend to be a little reluctant to eat fresh fruit when on an island...you just don't know how well it was washed, or what it was washed with. Having suffered my share of Montezuma's Revenge when on vacations, I do my best to avoid it, and that often means not eating fresh salads or fruits when in questionable tropical locations.

 

I've sent them an email asking what they do provide. Haven't heard back yet. But if it's just fruit, I'll probably bring something from the ship.

 

As for what I will bring, henceforth that will be a closely guarded secret, lest I be accused of being a cheapskate food smuggler bent on destroying fragile economies! LOL! :D

[Thecat123]

LeeAnne this is why NZ and other countries like Australia are very strict about bringing food and fruit ashore or through airports.

This happened a couple of weeks ago

http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests/queensland-fruit-fly?gclid=CPTfmqX6jcQCFVMAvAodq0QARQ

Its costing millions to find all the Queensland fruit flies and could stop all exports of fruit from NZ

Edited March 4, 2015 by Thecat123

[Leejnd4]

LeeAnne this is why NZ and other countries like Australia are very strict about bringing food and fruit ashore or through airports.

This happened a couple of weeks ago

http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests/queensland-fruit-fly?gclid=CPTfmqX6jcQCFVMAvAodq0QARQ

Its costing millions to find all the Queensland fruit flies and could stop all exports of fruit from NZ

 

I'm not sure what this has to do with this discussion. I'm not going to NZ or Australia. My question was specifically about St Barts in the Caribbean, and that was made very clear multiple times throughout this thread. So your point is...??

 

I'm well aware that such restrictions exist in certain countries, and the importance of them. Buy again, that has zero to do with this thread. In curious what your purpose was in posting this?

[Thecat123]

I'm not sure what this has to do with this discussion. I'm not going to NZ or Australia. My question was specifically about St Barts in the Caribbean, and that was made very clear multiple times throughout this thread. So your point is...??

 

I'm well aware that such restrictions exist in certain countries, and the importance of them. Buy again, that has zero to do with this thread. In curious what your purpose was in posting this?

 

I know you are going to St Barts but since the second post it has been mentioned about not being able to take food ashore off ships

It has also been mentioned by lots of people about the doggies searching for food which passengers could be carrying through different countries borders of which the passengers could be fined $250, I think here, if caught because they were unaware of the rules of different countries

The reason I posted that link is to show why certain countries are very tough in trying to prevent things like the Queensland fruit fly and other unwelcome bugs attached to food and fruit entering their country unchecked and what could happen if one person breaks the rules by bringing food into a country either by sea or through an airport which wasn't checked

Okay :)

Edited March 4, 2015 by Thecat123

[Leejnd4]

I know you are going to St Barts but since the second post it has been mentioned about not being able to take food ashore off ships

It has also been mentioned by lots of people about the doggies searching for food which passengers could be carrying through different countries borders of which the passengers could be fined $250, I think here, if caught because they were unaware of the rules of different countries

The reason I posted that link is to show why certain countries are very tough in trying to prevent things like the Queensland fruit fly and other unwelcome bugs attached to food and fruit entering their country unchecked and what could happen if one person breaks the rules by bringing food into a country either by sea or through an airport which wasn't checked

Okay :)

 

Well then I guess it's a good thing I don't plan on breaking any rules, isn't it? :p

[buggins0402]

LeeAnne this is why NZ and other countries like Australia are very strict about bringing food and fruit ashore or through airports.

This happened a couple of weeks ago

http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/pests/queensland-fruit-fly?gclid=CPTfmqX6jcQCFVMAvAodq0QARQ

Its costing millions to find all the Queensland fruit flies and could stop all exports of fruit from NZ

 

Thanks for posting the link...it does give a bit of insight on why some ports are so stringent.

 

Like most threads...this one just went a bit off track from the original question to the broader issue of taking food into ports. No harm done, we're all better informed.

[Leejnd4]

Like most threads...this one just went a bit off track from the original question to the broader issue of taking food into ports. No harm done, we're all better informed.

 

Well......I'm not sure I completely agree that no harm was done. Over the course of this thread I was quite taken to task for:

 

a) Not knowing that boxed lunches haven't been provided on cruise ships since Grandma Doris pitched a fit in 1968 (even though I've personally received boxed lunches from cruise ships just in the past couple of years)

 

b) Not being Californian enough to be aware that there are prohibitions on bringing food into certain ports (even though there are no prohibitions in the specific port I was asking about)

 

c) Ignoring such food prohibitions, thereby putting agricultural regions and local economies in jeopardy

 

d) Being a cheapskate willing to do anything to "avoid paying a few dollars" (even though I made it clear that my question had nothing to do with saving money)

 

e) Squishing croissants :eek:

 

So yeah...I feel a bit battered, but I'm happy to report I survived. It's all par for the course here on Cruise Critic, where even the most innocuous question can be turned into an opportunity for people to take snippy pot-shots at their fellow cruisers for sport. :cool:

 

Meanwhile I've decided, after all the hullabaloo over my question about boxed lunches, to just not eat while on this excursion. So, no boxed lunch. No baggies. No disgusting little washed out, re-used disposable containers. No smuggled baked goods. No squished croissants. Too much controversy! :p

Edited March 4, 2015 by Leejnd4