Laws/regulations about bringing food off ship

[anonmom]

Does anyone have a link to the exact local laws regarding what foods/drinks you can and can't take off the ship into Cozumel?

 

I know the general recommendation here on CC is only prepackaged foods off the ship, but I am looking for specific information for my ports of call (Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan).

 

Thanks

[JohninDC]

Any link would take you to a page written in Spanish - is that what you want? :confused:

 

If you do not want to eat local food while ashore you are better off eating before you leave the ship than trying to take food with you. The restaurants, bars and beach clubs will not allow you to bring in outside food/beverages - just like similar establishments in the US.

[skittl1321]

This was the best page I could find in English for Mexico. All food items must be declared, inspected, and determined to be safe. Most things say they need to be factory sealed. Pretty much anything agricultural is going to be tough to get in.

http://www.senasica.gob.mx/?Idioma=2&id=622

 

But if I can do a google search, surely you can too. So I'm not going to look for your other ports.

[Charles4515]

Does anyone have a link to the exact local laws regarding what foods/drinks you can and can't take off the ship into Cozumel?

 

I know the general recommendation here on CC is only prepackaged foods off the ship, but I am looking for specific information for my ports of call (Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan).

 

Thanks

 

It is not a recommendation it is the law of many countries. Mexico is one of those countries that only allows prepackaged foods. Bottled water is also allowed. I guess you have never taken a fight to Mexico but they actually have a scan machine when you fly into Mexico that scans for agricultural products when you go thru Mexican immigration. They don't use the machine at the ports but they do have customs officials watching out. The rules are to protect their local agriculture from foreign pests and invasive species. It has nothing to do with wanting visitors to purchase local food and beverages.

Edited September 4, 2015 by Charles4515

[Libertarian]

Hi,

We have been to all three ports and have taken pre packaged snacks off and bottled water without a problem.We are really glad we did in Belize, we had an 9 hr ruin excursion and it started very early like 7:30 but they didn't give us lunch till 3.

[Charles4515]

Hi,

 

We have been to all three ports and have taken pre packaged snacks off and bottled water without a problem.We are really glad we did in Belize, we had an 9 hr ruin excursion and it started very early like 7:30 but they didn't give us lunch till 3.

 

 

On excursions to the Tulum ruins from Cozumel because it is long bus ride they usually provide a prepackaged lunch.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited September 4, 2015 by Charles4515

[runner15km]

I have seen food/drug sniffing dogs on the Puerta Maya Pier in Cozumel.

[anonmom]

John, Links in either English or Spanish are fine.

 

I'm not trying to avoid eating local food, I just don't want to be getting off the boat into an area that is pure junk food and have to pay tourist prices for something that is nutritionally/gastronomically inferior to the food we've already paid for on board.

 

Skittl, apparently your Google skills are far superior to mine because I did not find anything even half as useful as the page you linked. The PDF on that page is somehow "incorrectly formatted" according to Adobe Acrobat, but once I used Polaris Office, it was exactly what I was looking for.

 

For those who do not have the correct software on their phone, or who just want the cliff notes, basically it seems like vegan baked goods are fine, even without packaging. This is great news for me, because I'd rather grab a couple of rolls or a few handfuls of crackers and bring them ashore in a baggie instead of buying Doritos or Takis on shore.

 

Another interesting note is that it seems like a baggie of cooked shrimp, in portions that correspond to personal consumption, would also be perfectly acceptable, as long as they are accompanied by a sealed ice pack!

 

All other meats/dairy/fish need to be processed and in sealed packaging and there are various subregulations depending on type.

 

I didn't look too closely at the nut list, since my daughter is allergic, but certain nuts are ok unpackaged as long as they do not have shells. Anyone who is Celiac or has other severe dietary restrictions might want to look at the original document for ideas of thing that can be brought ashore unpackaged in small quantities.

 

Charles, that's why I say it is the recommendation here on CC. Each country has different laws, and for many CCers, it is easier to just remember "packaged food only". But for some of us, we'd rather Google and post questions and read documents to figure out the actual laws in each actual port we are visiting.

 

Libertarian, exactly! :) We will sit down and eat lunch at some point at each port, but I do not want to get stuck on a bus or a public beach with nothing to eat or drink. I'd rather plan ahead.

 

Runner, I have heard that is the case, hence my desire to know what the actual laws and port regulations are.

[Charles4515]

Libertarian, exactly! :) We will sit down and eat lunch at some point at each port, but I do not want to get stuck on a bus or a public beach with nothing to eat or drink. I'd rather plan ahead.

 

 

All the beach clubs sell food and drink. If you go to one you won't be able to bring your own food and drink. If you don't go to a beach club you likely won't be going to a beach at Cozumel.

[Purvis1231]

It is not a recommendation it is the law of many countries. Mexico is one of those countries that only allows prepackaged foods. Bottled water is also allowed. I guess you have never taken a fight to Mexico but they actually have a scan machine when you fly into Mexico that scans for agricultural products when you go thru Mexican immigration. They don't use the machine at the ports but they do have customs officials watching out. The rules are to protect their local agriculture from foreign pests and invasive species. It has nothing to do with wanting visitors to purchase local food and beverages.[/QUOTE]

Of course, this is real reason. A few years ago there were no check points at the cruise ports but as the number of vendors, restaurants, and stores expanded they did not want people bring food off the ships.

[perditax]

So what I've learned from this thread is that the only food available in Cozumel is Doritos?

[skittl1321]

So what I've learned from this thread is that the only food available in Cozumel is Doritos?

 

What?

[ABQrobin]

Cozumel is a very friendly and diverse island... food places are everywhere, like a restaurant every block practically, and the food is good. If you want KFC or McDonald's you can get that downtown even. You will not find it hard to find almost any kind of food, but expecially the local foods... like tacos and seafood. There is zero reason to worry about it on Cozumel....

 

The food at all of the cruise ship docks is going to be slightly higher priced and also more Americanized. If you want more authentic food, walk a block or two away from the ocean. Downtown, around the square, there are a dozen places to eat with huge menus.

 

some of my personal favorites:

Los Otates

La Choza

Casa Denis

 

for Beach clubs, we think Money Bar has good food at a very good price.

 

you can find each of these on Trip Advisor with menus and map.

Edited September 5, 2015 by ABQrobin

[perditax]

What?

 

 

Eh, it was satire based on a previous poster's view of the available food and why they should take food from the ship instead. Sorry.

 

Tangent: I've been reading some non-cruise-oriented travel guides, specifically about Cozumel and the surrounding areas, and some of these (mainstream) guidebooks make cruise ship pax sound like some sort of plague of locusts descending on the islands/ports, and even offer tactics to avoid them at all costs. >.>

[Charles4515]

Eh, it was satire based on a previous poster's view of the available food and why they should take food from the ship instead. Sorry.

 

Tangent: I've been reading some non-cruise-oriented travel guides, specifically about Cozumel and the surrounding areas, and some of these (mainstream) guidebooks make cruise ship pax sound like some sort of plague of locusts descending on the islands/ports, and even offer tactics to avoid them at all costs. >.>

 

 

Yeah. I can see why when many of us want to take food from the ship or return to the ship for our "included" food instead of experiencing the local fare. A lot of cruise passengers act "ugly".

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Edited September 6, 2015 by Charles4515

[perditax]

Yeah. I can see why when many of us want to take food from the ship or return to the ship for our "included" food instead of experiencing the local fare. A lot of cruise passengers act "ugly".

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

 

I've never been to Cozumel yet (hence my reading and also see sig), but there's a place called Casa del Mojito in downtown with my name on it. (Possibly not fully authentically "local" cuisine, but I am extremely Cuban-deprived in my area and it's a big problem!)

[Lionesss]

August 1, 2015

 

Oasis of the Seas

 

Dogs sniffing all carry ons and back paks as you near the pier exit.

Saw a large bin of fruit, mostly bananas.

Guess they did not want it in port.

????bugs???

 

Did not see anyone arrested.

 

Sea Ya

[Kletina]

Skittl, apparently your Google skills are far superior to mine because I did not find anything even half as useful as the page you linked. The PDF on that page is somehow "incorrectly formatted" according to Adobe Acrobat, but once I used Polaris Office, it was exactly what I was looking for.

 

For those who do not have the correct software on their phone, or who just want the cliff notes, basically it seems like vegan baked goods are fine, even without packaging. This is great news for me, because I'd rather grab a couple of rolls or a few handfuls of crackers and bring them ashore in a baggie instead of buying Doritos or Takis on shore.

 

Another interesting note is that it seems like a baggie of cooked shrimp, in portions that correspond to personal consumption, would also be perfectly acceptable, as long as they are accompanied by a sealed ice pack!

 

All other meats/dairy/fish need to be processed and in sealed packaging and there are various subregulations depending on type.

 

I didn't look too closely at the nut list, since my daughter is allergic, but certain nuts are ok unpackaged as long as they do not have shells. Anyone who is Celiac or has other severe dietary restrictions might want to look at the original document for ideas of thing that can be brought ashore unpackaged in small quantities..

 

I suggest to bring the PDF with you, becuz maybe custom staff and dogs will not be aware of the exceptions