What can I not bring on board--can't find the answer

[BunlessInSeattle]

Hello,

I'm actually a long time cruiser, but have a unique situation coming up that I can't find the answer to without emailing HAL, and I thought 1) I would get better answers from the community and 2) you all might have some good ideas.

 

My parents are staying in a port town for a couple of months this summer, but have discovered that while they knew that food in Alaska would be expensive, they weren't quite prepared for the reality.

 

DH and I are taking a cruise with their town being one of the stops. We were thinking about filling a suit case full of non-perishable pantry items to take to them.

 

I'm guessing that there is some sort of regulation on this, but can't seem to find the right keywords in a search.

 

I'm curious about both taking food on, as well as taking food off the boat. I mean, if we have leftovers the evening before, I know I can box it up for myself.... but can I take that box off the boat? I promise I'm not trying to abscond with a filet mignon for my dad! lol

[take us away]

Have never seen or heard of a restriction for bringing 'pantry items' on board. As long as sealed, non-perishable and within customs allowance, cannot see any problems.

[jtl513]

You can bring on any food items you like, but you can only take off the ship things that are in their original sealed packages/containers ... no "doggie bags".

 

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to give them some kind of gift card ... like for a supermarket? Or just a pre-paid credit card that they use in a supermarket or anywhere else?

.

Edited July 2, 2015 by jtl513

[elusive_23]

For how much airlines charge for bags it might be cheaper and easier to use USPS or UPS to ship a box of goodies.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I see that you live in Seattle so won't be flying.

But trying to take a box of sealed food items off the ship in a port town is definitely going to trigger customs to want to check what you are doing.

Taking a couple of items off in a back pack would be fine.

[cb at sea]

As long as what you're bringing is factory sealed,(canned, boxed, etc...) you're fine. You cannot bring fresh meats, cheeses, fruits, veggies or other produce (plants and such).

 

You can bring pretty much anything legal ONTO the ship...you simply can't always take it OFF the ship again!!!

Edited July 2, 2015 by cb at sea

[rafinmd]

For a look at general regulations on what you can take off the ship, check here:

 

http://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/agricultural-items

 

My guess is that since you are planning to take off a quantity of food you might require advance arrangements with HAL to have them properly cleared with the local customs officials. Just a pure guess but they might want you to meet with officials when the ship is cleared. It might be best to buy everything in a single shopping trip and have the supermarket receipt to show to officials.

 

Just my guess

 

Roy

[cruiseJMO]

I emailed them a couple years ago about bringing food onboard. Their response stated as much as I want, as long as the expiration dates on packaging was not before the end of our cruise.

I can't answer about taking it off the ship, but can't see it as a problem. People bring buffet food off ship to eat on the beaches at ports all the time.

Edited July 2, 2015 by cruiseJMO

[Pathfinder1964]

For how much airlines charge for bags it might be cheaper and easier to use USPS or UPS to ship a box of goodies.

 

Very true. My bag weighed "49" lbs. flying from Atl to SeaTac and coming home it was "67" lbs!

 

Yep, Delta got a $100 bill from me for overweight luggage. If I knew the flat over the limit fee (any amount over 52 lbs) was going to be that much, I would have kept shopping.....:D

 

Oh and btw, it was so obvious that my luggage got a good going thru somewhere.....probably a drug sniffing dog smelled the smoked salmon....lol.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Pathfinder1964

[serendipity1499]

Hello,

I'm actually a long time cruiser, but have a unique situation coming up that I can't find the answer to without emailing HAL, and I thought 1) I would get better answers from the community and 2) you all might have some good ideas.

 

My parents are staying in a port town for a couple of months this summer, but have discovered that while they knew that food in Alaska would be expensive, they weren't quite prepared for the reality.

 

DH and I are taking a cruise with their town being one of the stops. We were thinking about filling a suit case full of non-perishable pantry items to take to them.

 

I'm guessing that there is some sort of regulation on this, but can't seem to find the right keywords in a search.

 

I'm curious about both taking food on, as well as taking food off the boat. I mean, if we have leftovers the evening before, I know I can box it up for myself.... but can I take that box off the boat? I promise I'm not trying to abscond with a filet mignon for my dad! lol

 

You can bring on any food items you like, but you can only take off the ship things that are in their original sealed packages/containers ... no "doggie bags".

 

Wouldn't it be a lot easier to give them some kind of gift card ... like for a supermarket? Or just a pre-paid credit card that they use in a supermarket or anywhere else?

.

 

I agree with JTL.. We are U.S. citizens & when we were in Alaska I bought several things on our land portion which I wanted to mail home after we boarded the ship.. Most of them were gifts for the family & for a Friend who was taking care of our dog, in addition I put in my Snow boots I wore on our land portion..

 

In one of the ports, can't remember which port, I went to the local U.S. post office & purchased a box..Put everything I wanted to mail to myself at home.. I was stopped by the crew when I tried to disembark with the box..They said that I had to clear Customs first.. I thought it was crazy..:D

 

Fortunately they had a U.S. Customs form for me to fill out & the Customs Inspector was still at the ship.. I went down & met the Inspector & asked the reason.. He said "When you are on Holand American it is the same as being in a foreign country.. You have to clear Customs in order to take that box off the ship even though you purchased it all in Alaska & are mailing it yourself." I had to list everything I had in the box.. Then when we clear Customs in Vancouver I was asked If I mailed anything home & what it was..Fortunately the Inspector was still there otherwise I would have had to go with the port Agent to the Customs hall..

 

I would not take a chance with your extra food for your Parents.. As JTL explained it would be better to give your Parents a Pre-paid gift or credit card..

 

Agree food is very expensive in Alaska..

 

Hope this helps..

Edited July 2, 2015 by serendipity1499

[cruz chic]

I emailed them a couple years ago about bringing food onboard. Their response stated as much as I want, as long as the expiration dates on packaging was not before the end of our cruise.

I can't answer about taking it off the ship, but can't see it as a problem. People bring buffet food off ship to eat on the beaches at ports all the time.

 

Depending on the place people who take food off the buffet all the time can be fined.

[cruiseJMO]

Good to know. I've never done it, but just in case. Thanks for the warning. 😊

[sail7seas]

I think you are asking for a possible headache. The suggestion to provide a gift card makes good sense. You'd have to pay to buy the food you want to bring, so let them buy it themselves and you won't have to lug a heavy box.

 

[serendipity1499]

I found the thread which I posted on the Alaska Board in August of 2008 when we were stopped for trying to take a package to the post office in Ketchikan..

 

I believe if you tried to take a full suitcase off, the same thing would happen..

 

We were on the Veendam & sailed from Seward to Vancouver after our Holland America Land tour..

 

The URL for my thread is:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=16022805#post16022805

 

If you can't pull it up I'll re-post it here..

Edited July 3, 2015 by serendipity1499

[erewhon]

I can't answer about taking it off the ship, but can't see it as a problem. People bring buffet food off ship to eat on the beaches at ports all the time.

 

If you cruise Australia/New Zealand please do not take food off the ship....you will probably be fined if you do so.

[BunlessInSeattle]

Thank you for all the words of advice.

 

The town they are in does not have any chain stores, which while we fully support, makes their dollar (or gift card) not go as far. Our thoughts were more to hit Costco and bring a few things to them.

 

I might go ahead and ask HAL for more specifics, but if it's a no, it's a no.

[take us away]

If you cruise Australia/New Zealand please do not take food off the ship....you will probably be fined if you do so.

 

Had a port call in Australia and after multiple announcements over the PA, in all the literature and port talks about it being illegal to bring ANY food item into Australia. There was a couple with a walker a few people in front of us when we were going thru customs/immigration. The drug / food dog was bouncing when they approached. The customs guy politely asked several times if they had any food and the couple were adamant that they had nothing -- and were getting very vocal and nasty about their denials (and the food dog kept bouncing). The customs guy then went thru their stuff, found a freshly made sandwich and pulled them aside. The couple just wanted to get back on the ship but his comment was "you are in Australia now". This was after a man several in front of us had pulled out nut packages and a note from his MD stating he had to have protein every 2-3 hours due to a medical condition. No problem with him.

 

Later the cruise director mentioned that the couple was fined $10,000 ($2,000 for each item: bread, meat, cheese, lettuce, mayonnaise). Made a comment that HAL must not be very happy about having to pay that fine and he told us that the couple paid the fine and that HAL never would!

Edited July 3, 2015 by take us away

[Nanner]

Chile is another country where you had best not be caught bringing food off the ship. They have signs everywhere and food sniffing dogs in the fruit growing regions. I can't blame other countries for being protective of their produce, as we are as well.

 

IMO, all food should stay on the ship unless it is canned or factory sealed. Period. I also feel that if you can afford a cruise, you can afford a small snack/sandwich in port if you get hungry. Support the local economy, as they put up with the influx of tons of people to their small towns/islands with more grace than many of the passengers show.

[cruz chic]

Had a port call in Australia and after multiple announcements over the PA, in all the literature and port talks about it being illegal to bring ANY food item into Australia. There was a couple with a walker a few people in front of us when we were going thru customs/immigration. The drug / food dog was bouncing when they approached. The customs guy politely asked several times if they had any food and the couple were adamant that they had nothing -- and were getting very vocal and nasty about their denials (and the food dog kept bouncing). The customs guy then went thru their stuff, found a freshly made sandwich and pulled them aside. The couple just wanted to get back on the ship but his comment was "you are in Australia now". This was after a man several in front of us had pulled out nut packages and a note from his MD stating he had to have protein every 2-3 hours due to a medical condition. No problem with him.

 

Later the cruise director mentioned that the couple was fined $10,000 ($2,000 for each item: bread, meat, cheese, lettuce, mayonnaise). Made a comment that HAL must not be very happy about having to pay that fine and he told us that the couple paid the fine and that HAL never would!

 

It's too bad that people think rules are for others. Its a hard lesson to learn but they brought it on themselves. I got off a princess cruise in LA. It was broadcast and in the daily paper that no food can be brought ashore. There was a couple on my bus munching away on something that brought off the ship in a baggie.

Edited July 3, 2015 by cruz chic

[JB&JLG74]

I found the thread which I posted on the Alaska Board in August of 2008 when we were stopped for trying to take a package to the post office in Ketchikan..

 

I believe if you tried to take a full suitcase off, the same thing would happen..

 

We were on the Veendam & sailed from Seward to Vancouver after our Holland America Land tour..

 

The URL for my thread is:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=16022805#post16022805

 

If you can't pull it up I'll re-post it here..

 

Thanks for the heads up. Going from one US port (Seward) to another (Ketchikan) without an intervening stop in Canada, my assumption was that there was no immigration/customs. I have been on several Alaska cruise and never saw/knew that customs was on the ship in each port. But then I never tried to take anything off of the ship other than the small bag I take on excursions.

[midwest 852]

My cruise was Seattle/Seattle. I have Family in Ketchian I used my wheeled carry-on case and took local brands to them no problem no one even asked about it. Then I went shopping and put my purchase's in it to return to the ship.

 

Fyi it was: Better Made, Velvet, Vernors products

[RuthC]

Going from one US port (Seward) to another (Ketchikan) without an intervening stop in Canada, my assumption was that there was no immigration/customs. I have been on several Alaska cruise and never saw/knew that customs was on the ship in each port. But then I never tried to take anything off of the ship other than the small bag I take on excursions.

When you go from one US port (Seward) to another US port (Ketchikan) via a HAL ship, you have gone to another country in between---the Netherlands.

That's where the ship is registered, so you are technically in another country while aboard.

[Copper10-8]

Thanks for the heads up. Going from one US port (Seward) to another (Ketchikan) without an intervening stop in Canada, my assumption was that there was no immigration/customs. I have been on several Alaska cruise and never saw/knew that customs was on the ship in each port. But then I never tried to take anything off of the ship other than the small bag I take on excursions.

 

FYI - There are U.S. CBP (Customs & Border Protection) agents stationed in all of the 'regular' Alaskan ports (their office in Juneau is right on the dock - Sitka has a single agent stationed there who comes out to the ship with the first returning tender). They are the ones who clear the ship upon arrival

[chefestelle]

Chile is another country where you had best not be caught bringing food off the ship. They have signs everywhere and food sniffing dogs in the fruit growing regions. I can't blame other countries for being protective of their produce, as we are as well.

 

 

 

IMO, all food should stay on the ship unless it is canned or factory sealed. Period. I also feel that if you can afford a cruise, you can afford a small snack/sandwich in port if you get hungry. Support the local economy, as they put up with the influx of tons of people to their small towns/islands with more grace than many of the passengers show.

 

 

Yes and it isn't always about protecting their economy. For instance, Americans can bring citrus into Canada but we can't take citrus into the States. Simply, we don't grow it but U.S. does. Apples can't go back and forth because not only do we both grow them, uninspected produce risks bringing diseases or bugs that can infect our respective crops. Islands like Vancouver island and New Zealand are particularly susceptible. So there is often a really compelling reason apart from economy for these bans.

[summer slope]

My suggestion would be to use flat rate shipping boxes from the post office. If it fits it ships...send several and that way you won't have to worry about having anything taken from you on the ship.