don't hate me for this question, but can we take food off the ship?

[feenix]

I was wondering, since we have already paid for all of our meals on the ship, when you leave the ship for the day, are you allowed to take any food/drinks with you? I don't know if there are any packaged snacks/bottled water or other things that we could carry with us in case we get hungry out there. Or, does anyone go back to the ship for lunch, then back out to explore a little more? Thanks!

[RoofingPrincess]

Many countries have restrictions about bringing food in. Some enforce it more strictly than others. However, for the most part, I've heard that prepackaged food items (like those little boxes of cereal) are OK. Making a sandwich to take along is not. Taking fruit off is generally not - I have seen tables at the head of the gangplank, covered with the items people discovered they could not take with them.

On our Mexican Riviera cruise, there were actually some sort of local enforcement personnel on the dock (where the tender came in) in Cabo San Lucas, checking people's bags!

I have done the explore-lunch-explore some more routine on occasion, when the places I want to see are near the ship (like when we docked at the West End of Bermuda. Most of the time, though, I view a port stop as an opportunity to explore the local cuisine.

[KULPN]

I don't think it is encouraged. After all, you paid for what you will eat while on the ship, not off the ship.

[jp2001]

Also, you will probably have bottled water in your stateroom but they are not free. If you take one, you will have to pay for it.

[Roz]

As far as getting off the ship and then back on for lunch, and then back off, I do that when the pier is conveniently located in terms of the port city. Sometimes it's quite a distance away, or it's a tender port where the ship anchors offshore and you're brought in in small boats.

 

Roz

[Host Walt]

Check with the Pursers Office or the Shore Excursion desk to learn the rules. But still be skeptical.

 

I've been on cruises where the ship sells take-away lunch boxes and others that provide box lunches for day-long excursions as part of the price of the excursion. Also the cruise lines will sell bottled water in almost every port with no apparent concerns from local authorities.

 

Finally, we always carry a water bottle (filled in our room before we leave - the ship's reverse osmosis purified water is far better than most commercially bottled water)and have never had any problem.

 

I've also seen people who will take sliced meats and cheese, and some bread, from the breakfast buffet in the Lido, make sandwiches, and wrapping them in paper napkins, again with no problems.

 

But the local regulations should be followed so that you don't unwittingly introduce a problem to local agriculture or health in some manner. That's why you should check with an onboard authority before doing anything.

 

In our case, we like trying new things and will research places for lunch ashore so we really never give much thought about making our own lunch bags on board ship.

[klfrodo]

Why not try authentic foods from the country of origin?

Taco Bell is not really authentic Mexican food.

[cb at sea]

A candy bar, box of cereal, etc... is ok---fruits, veggies or meat is NOT ok! You can get food in the ports if you get famished! Eat a large breakfast before you go!

[feenix]

Are you serious? Who knew that taco bell was not authentic mexican...

Next you're going to tell me Olive Garden is not real italian.;)

[klfrodo]

Are you serious? Who knew that taco bell was not authentic mexican...

Next you're going to tell me Olive Garden is not real italian.;)

 

Read these boards long enough and you'll be amazed at how many people complain that the foods in port don't taste like foods at home.

 

Go figure..:eek:

[CGinMTL]

I have been on several cruises and I feel there is nothing wrong with taking some food off the ship. As long as it is permitted.

If they make an announcement Not to take some specific food off the ship. Take it seriously. If not, assume it is OK this is what we do.

- Water. Yes they sell water. But that can get expensive and there is nothing wrong with the drinking water on board. Bring a refillable bottle from home.

In shore days, fill it up from the ice in your cabin and the rest with water.

- Bring baggies to store food.

- I usually bring high nutrient food to tide me over until we get back. No empty calories.

- Cereal boxes,muffins, banana, oranges.

- Whatever we do not eat, we keep in the cabin for the next shore day.

- I feel that if I am not wasting, I am not doing anything wrong.

- You can even make a sandwich at breakfast and store it in your sandwich bag.

Have a good trip.

[G'ma]

Can you? Probably.....it would need to be smuggled off.

 

It's not permitted.

 

Most countries prohibit bringing in fresh food items being cautious about introducing bacteria/fungi, etc to their own crops and food supply...just like the US prohibits it.

 

Pre packaged foods like chips, cookies, etc are fine.

[Keith1010]

You have asked a great question.

 

Whether you can take food off the ship does indeed vary by location around the world. Some countries prohibit this and you will be duly informed. Do not try to sneak it off the ship if you are not allowed to take the food off. It's not legal and some will have dogs on the dock checking. And in some places they will bring a dog onto the ship to check as folks are leaving the ship. For those places that allow you to take it off the ship you can.

 

Some cruise lines will gladly prepare you a boxed lunch to take off the ship but others don't do this so you would need to find some items to take with you.

 

Keith

[Nebr.cruiser]

Unless it's something pre-packaged, like candy bars, energy bars or the cereal boxes it's probably not only not legal but also, to me, would be a big mess and not worth the bother. We try to eat a big breakfast to tide us over until we are back on the ship; then we eat a light or late lunch.

 

I know not everyone can go without skipping meals, but I'm usually so stuffed from eating so often on board that it actually feels good to miss a meal! My stomach thanks me.

 

Sometimes we do eat at a restaurant or cafe on shore, which is always fun, too. Some excursions do have lunch included, as well as drinks. We always carry reusable bottles that we fill with water from the room and keep cool in the fridge to take along.

[Toyz711]

some times you will see something like this in the dailey newsletter. many ports are checking to make sure you don't carry fruit or other open food items, off the ship. just depends on your port of call and whether they permit it.

[feenix]

Thanks for the helpful information!

[Andee]

Where it's permitted, we've taken sandwich fixings, fruit, and a bottle of wine because we enjoy a picnic lunch much more than eating in restaurants.

[CanWeGoYet?]

Haven't done it myself, but have heard of people ordering room service sandwiches in the wee hours the night before a port day, and popping them into baggies they brought from home.

 

Like others have posted, if taking food items off the ship is banned in the local area I would not try it.

[SuperLarz]

I asked this very same question today over on the "Princess" boards!

 

Here is the link: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=898110

 

I definitely received a strong NO as the answer, and they offered some very good reasons. Primarily the health/quarantine issue. I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense.

[eh2zed]

As most have indicated it depends on local rules. Fresh items are almost always a n no. We have taken off baked goods like cookies od cinammon buns on occasion. Some ports have restrictions but there is no enforcement. Others like in Oz and NZ enforce strictly.

We often return to the ship for lunch and explore again after. eg. morning tour, lunch explore on foot or vice versa. Does depend on location of pier or if tendering. However, we have tendered back for lunch and gone back to shore. Depends really on what you want to accomplish and how active you want to be. We are generally port warriors and want to accomplish as much as we can.

[gizmo]

I have been on several cruises and I feel there is nothing wrong with taking some food off the ship. As long as it is permitted.

If they make an announcement Not to take some specific food off the ship. Take it seriously. If not, assume it is OK this is what we do.

- Water. Yes they sell water. But that can get expensive and there is nothing wrong with the drinking water on board. Bring a refillable bottle from home.

In shore days, fill it up from the ice in your cabin and the rest with water.

- Bring baggies to store food.

- I usually bring high nutrient food to tide me over until we get back. No empty calories.

- Cereal boxes,muffins, banana, oranges.

- Whatever we do not eat, we keep in the cabin for the next shore day.

- I feel that if I am not wasting, I am not doing anything wrong.

- You can even make a sandwich at breakfast and store it in your sandwich bag.

Have a good trip.

 

You should NEVER take fruit on shore. I do both Mexico and Caribbean cruises and there have always been warnings about this.

You are not suppose to even bring fruit off the ship in the USA.

 

I don't know what the laws are anywhere else, but I wouldn't take fruit off the ship no matter where it was.

[RoofingPrincess]

On one of my cruises, one of the women at the breakfast table requested a side order of bacon. She ate very little of it.

At the end of the meal, she took her cloth napkin, wrapped her bacon in it, and put it in her purse, saying she was saving it to have as a snack later at the beach! She said she does it all the time.

She also said her sisters (with whom she was cruising) refuse to come to breakfast with her.

Gee, I wonder why!!! I wonder if they refuse to go on shore excursions with her as well.

Can you just picture it if she gets off in a port where they have food-sniffing dogs??? :D

[gizmo]

On one of my cruises, one of the women at the breakfast table requested a side order of bacon. She ate very little of it.

At the end of the meal, she took her cloth napkin, wrapped her bacon in it, and put it in her purse, saying she was saving it to have as a snack later at the beach! She said she does it all the time.

She also said her sisters (with whom she was cruising) refuse to come to breakfast with her.

Gee, I wonder why!!! I wonder if they refuse to go on shore excursions with her as well.

Can you just picture it if she gets off in a port where they have food-sniffing dogs??? :D

 

LOL at the dogs. :D On my last Mexcian Riveria cruise, if you had a bag or purse, local authorities made you open them when leaving the ship.