Bringing outside food to the ship

[Xenni]

Hi all, we are going on our second cruise trip (to Alaska) this year (previous one was couple years ago). One thing I am wondering is does ship allow outside food onboard the ship.

 

For example, can we buy dinner in Juneau and bring it back to the ship to eat? One thing we figured is that there may be too many people in some of the more well-known restaurants and so eating in the ship may be a better option (that and washroom is closer too)

Edited June 2, 2022 by Xenni

[kazu]

There is very little food you can’t bring on board 😉 

You can’t take it off but you can bring it on.  I’ve brought on a number of things without an issue although, I confess, I have never brought on a meal 😉 

[chengkp75]

Technically, you are not allowed to bring anything that is not factory sealed onboard, but whether you get away with it or not, is up to chance.

[rkacruiser]

16 hours ago, Xenni said:

Hi all, we are going on our second cruise trip (to Alaska) this year (previous one was couple years ago). One thing I am wondering is does ship allow outside food onboard the ship.

 

For example, can we buy dinner in Juneau and bring it back to the ship to eat? One thing we figured is that there may be too many people in some of the more well-known restaurants and so eating in the ship may be a better option (that and washroom is closer too)

 

There are many benches along the cruise ship docks and, if I recall correctly, a small pavilion near the start of the Boardwalk with picnic like tables.  Those might be areas to consider for a take-out like picnic meal.  (The Ravens and other birds will be most appreciative of your crumbs that are left behind.)  

[TiogaCruiser]

48 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

There are many benches along the cruise ship docks and, if I recall correctly, a small pavilion near the start of the Boardwalk with picnic like tables.  Those might be areas to consider for a take-out like picnic meal.  (The Ravens and other birds will be most appreciative of your crumbs that are left behind.)  

So, in other words, you might bring along an umbrella.😉

[MisterMatthew]

I brought onboard only one food item onto my HAL cruise -- it was Zuiderdam -- and, this was in APRIL  of this year.  It was not a meal.  It was a sealed pouch of jerky. 

[tuolumne couple]

recently (April 2022) i saw someone bring back a half eaten taco from Mexico. As if there isnt enough food on board.  It was pretty hilarious. Maybe it was his alcohol content? He was trying to put it thru the xray machine. They wanted him to just hand carry his little Styrofoam container through. It was painfully funny so yes, I think as long as there is not any contraband in there, you are safe. 

[margretha]

I don't know about the ravens but on a pre-pandemic cruise we brought some favorite snacks onboard to have a little sail away celebration on our balcony. Got called away for the muster drill and returned to find glasses knocked off the table and some smashed and a bottle tipped over and plates all over and an extended family of seagulls making themselves at home on our balcony railings and the arms of the chairs. And, of course, very few remaining cheeses, dips and chips anywhere. Lesson learned.  margretha

[debdiva]

Frankly, if the weather is nice, there is a lovely pavilion where the ships dock and I'd eat there and watch the truly amusing characters on cruise ships. 

[kazu]

On 6/2/2022 at 9:12 AM, chengkp75 said:

Technically, you are not allowed to bring anything that is not factory sealed onboard, but whether you get away with it or not, is up to chance.

 

I am not disagreeing with you but what I was told is that you can’t bring anything not sealed off the ship - bringing on the ship is different.  (In all honesty for me, most things are sealed until they are opened but some are not).

 

After all the food the ships bring on is not all sealed (like fruit, eggs, etc) 

Flowers are not factory sealed - are brought on by the ship and by myself and I confess, I have brought them on numerous times and never had a problem on any ship I have been on.  

[chengkp75]

18 minutes ago, kazu said:

After all the food the ships bring on is not all sealed (like fruit, eggs, etc) 

The USPH/CDC VSP requires that all food brought on be from "verifiable sources" (so things that are not sealed and labeled cannot be verified that it is not contaminated) and that the condition of the food be documented (i.e. the temperature is documented to ensure that it has not "gone off").

[Dunmore2]

I’ve brought numerous pastries, fresh flowers, bags of spices, not sealed nor labeled, and never a word from ship’s security.

[shebag]

Yes I have brought on numerous things. For example a half eaten pizza in a box in Naples, even gave it to a crew member when we boarded to have.  Never had an issue.

 

[Cruise Junky]

The crew certainly do it. We’ve often brought back food to the ship. France = cheese 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Copper10-8]

3 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

The crew certainly do it. We’ve often brought back food to the ship. France = cheese 🤷🏻‍♀️

 

Right you are on that one! I, as have many other crew members, have gone to numerous markets around the world (The Winn Dixie in FLL off 17th Street is a crew fav as are the various Wal-Marts, but also in Seattle; Juneau; Hilo, HI; Sydney, Oz; Halifax, NS; Philipsburg, Curacao; Kanizawa, Japan, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, etc.) to purchase "provisions" (sealed and labeled) and have taken them onboard. Everything you bring on goes trough the X-Ray machine. Crew has brought on pizza (in the box)