Source of HAL food in the Med

[OzCanuck]

Though not related to HAL, we sailed on NCL from Buenos Aires to Valpo. I was told all of the food except produce was shipped frozen from the US.

 

Oddly enough they did not reprovision in BA, but rather the first stop - Montevideo. The horror inducing problem was that they had actually run out of beer on the previous sailing (over NYE). So we had one night without beer. The horror.

 

They had a problem acquiring arugula as well - as it was not gassed to preserve it. Kept running out as it would spoil too quickly.

 

So many moving parts and logistics issues - I am continually amazed that there really are so few hiccups with this industry.

[visagrunt]

The simple answer is that a cruise line will provision in the most cost-effective way whilst still meeting regulatory requirements and internal policies.

 

The regulatory regime is not as cut and dried as some posters suggest. US Law can only be applied to a foreign vessel when it is calling at a US port. A cruise segment entirely outside the United States is entirely outside US jurisdiction. Furthermore, even segments that do call at US ports may have foreign provisioning in some cases. All provisioning in Vancouver is done by a mix of Canadian and US suppliers, and the provisions are a mix of NAFTA sources, depending upon the type of product. (All dairy onloaded in Vancouver will be Canadian from Canadian suppliers, for example, but produce may be from multiple sources).

 

In the Med, the regulatory environment is clearer--an EU registered vessel, sailing between EU ports is going to be entirely subject to EU law. US poulty is banned in Europe. So no HAL ship is ever going to have US source poultry on a cruise in the Med, because there is nowhere they can provision it, and they are banned from importing it on the vessel. Seafood, on the other hand, can come from US sources, because a certain number of US suppliers are EU certified. Beef is a troublesome product, since there are a number of EU measures to restrict imports of North American beef, the beef hormone dispute not being the least among them.

[chengkp75]

I agree with the general aspect of the previous poster, but there are a few clarifications. Even for ships calling at US ports, the requirement is not for US suppliers only, it is for suppliers that meet (quote from USPH VSP manual):

 

" 7.3.2.1.1 Comply with Law (15 C)Food must be obtained from sources that comply with applicablelocal, state, federal, or country of origin’s statutes, regulations, andordinances."

 

Also, in regards to US sourced poultry, it is indeed allowed on ships within the EU. It must be imported to the EU as "bonded ship's stores", and kept in a bonded warehouse, but it is legal to import it. From the USDA's list of eligibility to export products to the EU:

 

"Ships' Stores: Products intended for ships’ stores in the EU are eligible from any federally inspected establishment. Product must be destined to an authorized bonded storage point. Products intended for ships' stores destined to an EU registered cruise ship at a U.S. port are also eligible from any federally inspected establishment."

[visagrunt]

Good catch--I hadn't noted the ships' stores exemption.

[chengkp75]

You are correct in regards to garbage handling and costs, but it doesn't matter when you dispose of the final bit of foreign source food (actually the garbage from that food), it takes one year before your garbage is considered to be of US origin. Even US flag ships are monitored in this way, and the "foreign source" garbage is charged at the foreign source rate, even if the ship does not voyage to a non-US port for one year.

 

However, the original question was sourcing in Europe, and this still remains that it can be of European origin, or US origin, depending on company policy more than government regulation.

[chengkp75]

Thank you for the details Chief.

So, the cruise lines CAN purchase many non US food items while overseas, if they are willing to take the chance of paying huge financial penalties for foreign garbage removal once they return to a US port.

Sounds like the USGovernment has found a good way to control food purchases when a foreign ship is outside US waters.

 

This is one of the reasons that RCI lands garbage at one of the Caribbean islands instead of in the US.