Another Savings Tip...

[bombero]

If you think your going to be away from the ship at lunch time and are short on money, call Room Service before you go and order a couple sandwiches and some fruit.. Bring along a few zip-lock bags and a softside lunch box from home and you can take your lunch with you.. Food may be very cheap where your at, but it can also be very expensive... Bombero

[smeyer418]

many countries will prohibit you from taking food(especially fruit) ashore. Generally rocessed food like meats are ok bit the lettuce on the snadwich is a no no... examples Bermuda and Hawaii. especially Hawaii they are serious about this.

[Patpcozy]

Thanks for the heads up i didn't know about the lettuce and fruits

[bombero]

We've done this many times and have yet ever had anyone check our bag, or even ask us about it.. To each his own...

 

 

 

many countries will prohibit you from taking food(especially fruit) ashore. Generally rocessed food like meats are ok bit the lettuce on the snadwich is a no no... examples Bermuda and Hawaii. especially Hawaii they are serious about this.

[JCH]

Isn't that the reverse thinking, re: bringing alcohol in your luggage so you don't have to pay for it onboard?

 

JCH

[brillohead]

Depending on where you're going (when in port, not on the ship!), you may not feel comfortable eating/drinking what is available to you, either b/c you don't care for it or b/c you're afraid of needing that anti-diarrhea medicine you brought along "just in case".

 

We never did track down the exact cause, but I caught a particularly hellacious case of food poisoning the day before we left London, England to head home. If you've ever been on a transatlantic flight with diarrhea, vomiting, aches, and a 103-degree fever, believe you me, you think twice about eating food that has been prepared using "questionable" drinking water, etc!

 

I've been on tours where I didn't think twice about the food that was offered (like the snackies you get on the way back from a snorkel trip, etc.), and I've been on tours where I never saw a single place where I'd touch the food, let alone actually eat it. (Anyone ever see those stands at the side of the road on Dominican Republic that sell chicken to passersby??? EWWWWW!) :eek:

 

I'm probably overly cautious, but after having spent over a month recovering from a single bout of food poisoning, I feel I'm justified in being suspicious of food/drink sources! I also have a preschool-aged child, and the food poisoning that I encountered as an adult would possibly have been fatal to his little 35-pound body. (remember all those kids that died after eating at Jack-in-the-Box a decade or so ago?)

 

Sorry to be a downer, just thought I'd share another way to look at it -- rather than saving ten bucks on lunch, you may be saving tens of thousands of dollars on a helicopter ride back to the USA and intensive care in a hospital! (And hopefully I don't get blasted for this... I'm not saying that all land food is dangerous!!!!! I'm just saying to be aware of your surroundings, that's all!)

[saw1953]

brillohead, I agree with you. I have never taken ship food ashore; however, I have been in ports and seen food I would not eat. I have no desire to get sick on vacation and am very careful about where and what I eat in other countries.

[Speechless]

Savings tip #45

 

Eat an entire onion and a clove of garlic before docking.

Bargain loudly with vendors while maintaining close facial contact.

 

I haven't figured out why this works, but it's very effective.

[bombero]

Savings tip #45

 

Eat an entire onion and a clove of garlic before docking.

Bargain loudly with vendors while maintaining close facial contact.

 

I haven't figured out why this works, but it's very effective.

A couple of beers along with the above ingredients and close proximity will guarantee results, whatever they are. :D :D :D .. Bombero

[98Charlie]

Would never try to take food from the ship into a port city. In fact, after eating breakfast on the ship after still being filled from dinner the night before, DH and I feel we can miss a lunch or two while in port.

 

And during the rare occasions we're actually HUNGRY in port we like to snack on local foods. We stay away from street vendors - and way away from fresh veggie salsa and avacado dishes, normally eat and drink in restaurants nationally known or recommended by cruise ships - those restaurants can't afford to have a reputation for Montezuma's revenge or Tourista.

 

Only time either one of us has gotten ill after a port call was in Cancun when DH drank ice tea from a glass and not from a straw, ate quacamole (number one on the hit list of items that can give you tourista) and drank about 5 margarittas in the hot sun on a private resort excursion.

 

Take food off the ship to eat in port? Why take a cruise to experience other cultures unless you want to experience cultures? Food is part of that culture. Just be careful of what you eat and where you eat and enjoy.

 

Just had a shrimp cocktail at the Shrimp Factory in Cabo San Lucas that was completely different from any shrimp cocktail we've ever had before, and we've traveled alot. It was terrific and we can't wait until we can go back to the Mexican Riviera and have another shrimp cocktail like those we just enjoyed.

[moopig]

I did this getting off the ship in Cozumel and I was glad I did because we did a glass bottom boat trip and had I not had anything to eat on that boat, I probably would have gotten sick from the motion (and I had eaten breakfast too!). We packed a sandwich and some raw veggies and were so glad to have them! Will take zip lock bags for my next cruise.

 

I also like to try the food at the ports too, so not like I am doing this to avoid eating at port (LOVE to try new things!). Just nice to know you have a snack if you are going on an excursion. I take motion sickness meds but they don't always work for me. If I eat something when I start to feel this way, I am less likely to get sick (I must be the only person who feels better after eating when feeling sick!) In Cozumel, we later went to Chankanaab and I had the best guacamole!

[mswolffan]

I will probably try this when we go in port. I love to try different foods but I have diabetes and have to eat on a certain schedule. With planned excursions sometimes the timing doesn't always right to stop and have a meal when I need to. This way, I have something to tide me over until we can get to a place for a meal.

[jfishe]

We wouldn't take fruits or veggies off the ship into a port, however, I always pack a box of individually sealed granola bars and a box of individually sealed cookies... fruit snacks are good too

[98Charlie]

Always pack a supply of sealed peanut-butter cracker snacks or breakfast bars in carry-on baggage we can use in port or on an airplane. Peanuts and pretzels on short hops only go so far after a few hours on the planes and sealed, dry products are never turned away in most ports of calls. If we don't need them on the cruise trip, our grandsons are always more than willing to help us eat up the leftovers - specially if the the treats get really crushed and crumbled during travel.

[Tarheelbelle]

We always take a snack or sandwich from the ship on long shore excursions, expecially if they do not include lunch. I am a vegetarian and since most lunches on excursions include meat, I always carry a snack or protein bar.

[KaC-Cruiser]

We also go for the sealed granola bars or protein bars, and the occassional mini box of cereal (Cherrios are great) from the breakfast buffet. We do scuba diving so it's good to have a little something on the boat between the 2 dives, but nothing too heavy - or you might be feeding the fishies!;)

[lahore]

If you ever cruise to Australia don't even let the thought of bringing food off the ship ashore enter your mind. The quarantine and inspection services here are mega mega strict and don't blink an eye at fining anyone big time for bringing anything fruit, meat, diary, etc etc.. And fair enough too as we don't have many agricutlural, meat borne diseases in this country. My mum was taken aside after a sniffer dog went nuts on her at the airport, and she wouldn't dream of doing anything wrong. Turns out she had had a banana in her handbag the day before and the smell was still there! Cute little beagles with extraordinary noses:)

[vijoge]

"drank ice tea from a glass and not from a straw"

 

Why did this make him sick?

[betsyrossapk]

I'm thinking they meant 'dirty' glass.

[HappyStamper]

If either the glass or the ice are suspect what difference would a straw make? Using a straw to drink a beverage from a can or bottle instead of using a glass may be what was meant.

[njgail]

taking sandwiches from the ship for an excursion, how do you keep it cool and safe? I would think in the heat any meats would go rancid, did you also pack ice? you mean bring a dry ice container with me? Oh no, not another think to pack!

[oscarmoraz]

Great ideas...you could buy one of those small cooler bags from Wallyworld.