Tips to ensure safe eating/drinking in Mexico?

I've been to Mexico before on a cruise but I never touched the food or drink there because I've heard so many horror stories. My and my gf are looking at hitting one of the beaches in cozumel when we are there and she really wants to get the eating/drinking package. I'm super scared to eat or drink anything there. What are some tips to ensure that I don't get sick? Thanks!

The only sure way is to not eat or drink. If you have to eat make sure it's thoroughly cooked. Avoid drinking the water (includes ice in your drink). Avoid eating things washed in the water (veggies) unless thoroughly cooked. Request that your bottled water be brought to you unopened. I do not recall having any difficulty with problems following eating in Mexico and I only drank cervasa (but it's been 41 years so memory may not be accurate).

We have been to 12 - 15 ports throughout Mexico, multiple trips to some, have always had lunch and snacks off the ship. On our last trip to Puerto Vallarta there was a large festival taking place on the boardwalk along the beach, my son and myself had Tostilocos made from a street vendor, garlic shrimp sold from a small shack along the beach, tacos and nachos from a small restaurant. Lots of horror stories from people hearing about people getting sick, but people actually getting sick is very, very rare. Stay in the tourist areas and you will be fine. As has been said many times before.. don't belive most of what you hear. happy cruising

We have been to 12 - 15 ports throughout Mexico, multiple trips to some, have always had lunch and snacks off the ship. On our last trip to Puerto Vallarta there was a large festival taking place on the boardwalk along the beach, my son and myself had Tostilocos made from a street vendor, garlic shrimp sold from a small shack along the beach, tacos and nachos from a small restaurant. Lots of horror stories from people hearing about people getting sick, but people actually getting sick is very, very rare. Stay in the tourist areas and you will be fine. As has been said many times before.. don't belive most of what you hear. happy cruising

If only this were true. I can tell you that from personal experience that it can happen anywhere. My wife and I both got ill while staying at a Four Seasons Resort in Mexico.

Usually when it happens the fresh vegetables (like lettuce and tomatoes) have been contaminated in the growing process and there is no way to tell, and cooking doesn't solve the issue.

The problem is no where near as bad as it used to be because Mexican sanitation rules have gotten a lot better. Well over half of the fresh produce in the US comes from Mexico and it is perfectly fine.

When troubles arise now, it is usually from contaminated water. The way to avoid the problem is to stay at resorts that filter water and the water that is used to make ice, or simply only drink bottled water.

Go to Mexico and not get some authentic Mexican food? Crazy!!:p

The beach clubs in Coz hosts thousands of tourists a year and could not stay in business if they were regularly making people sick. Definitely order bottled water, but otherwise I would no be too concerned. We have eaten at multiple places in Coz as well as Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Ixtapa and Cab San Lucas with no problems.

Pretty much anything cooked, and bottled drinks should be OK in tourist areas. The thing to avoid is unbottled water, things rinsed in unbottled water, and ice.

Thousands of cruisers getting norovirus on the ship, maybe hundreds from eating in Mexican ports, and most of those from over indulging in Margaritas. happy cruising

We've had many ports stops in Mexico over the years and have never been sick from anything we've had to eat or drink. :)

If you are not at a "tourist" spot, drink bottled water, and eat COOKED foods....don't use ice or raw foods that might have been washed in water.

The tourist spots that cater to the ships will be fine. Thousands of folks eat and drink there without any problem at all...as they CATER to the foreign tourists!

I've only gotten sick twice eating off the ship. Once in Quito before a Galapagos Islands cruise and once at a buffet at a floating restaurant on the Amazon River. We've eaten at places on Cozumel and other ports with no problem.

One hint that I wouldn't have thought of is if you are served a drink in a bottle or can that has been immersed in ice before serving, ask for a straw.

I've been to Mexico before on a cruise but I never touched the food or drink there because I've heard so many horror stories. My and my gf are looking at hitting one of the beaches in cozumel when we are there and she really wants to get the eating/drinking package. I'm super scared to eat or drink anything there. What are some tips to ensure that I don't get sick? Thanks!

The fear of dirty water is less prevalent now but still happens. You can rest assured a popular restaurant or big name restaurant will be using purified water for the ice, and clean water for washing fruits and veggies. Those places rely on positive feedback and don't want to make people sick.

Best thing I can think of is don't eat from a street cart food vendor, drink canned or bottled drinks that are opened as you order them. I've eaten in Mexico many times and have not gotten sick. Out of habit (and possibly fear?), I do buy bottled water when in Mexico because you want to stay hydrated and tap water is usually not good to drink unless its purified. Most places will have a purified filtration system in their restaurant, but if you are worried, buy bottled.

Stay away from things like raw oysters, they might make you sick because they are oysters, not because you are eating in Mexico.

Check into reviews for the place your gf wants to go. It will probably be fine.

One hint that I wouldn't have thought of is if you are served a drink in a bottle or can that has been immersed in ice before serving, ask for a straw.

That's a great idea! A lot of people also clean the can with a tissue/napkin and that seems to work well

Don't eat a snowcone . . . Made that mistake 20 years ago

Like these in in front of the church Mazatlan? He buys a huge block of ice that is shaved and topped with homemade syrups.

Traveled to Mexico many times in the past 25 years and haven't been sick yet.

We stick to established restaurants and some food trucks that have been around forever. Restaurants bring in potable water for cooking. We also enjoy going to the Mercados for lunch. Not too many places can you get a shrimp cocktail for 70 pesos (barely $4) and fresh squeezed OJ for 24 pesos ($1.25).

We check reviews on TripAdvisor. Last one we found was a little place in Loreto. We also rely on recommendations from locals and crew.

I've been eating from the street vendors for 45 years and not a single issue. I do drink lots of tequila based drinks and beer to wash it all down. I usually look for the "hole-in-the-wall" places or where the locals eat, food is usually better food. That's my .02 worth. Have a positive attitude and don't be scared by the so called "horror' stories, everyone and their systems are different, maybe I'm lucky or nothing too weird ever affects me.

I spent 2 weeks driving in Mexico while helping a friend move and didn't get sick.-- Eat where it's crowded. Nobody goes back to a place that makes people sick. That goes for restaurants and street side stands.

-- No untreated water. Avoid ice, raw veggies, and water out of the tap. I stuck with bottled water, sodas, and beer.

-- Bring an anti diarrhea remedy with you. I had some gut troubles in Australia, which has a very clean water supply. It was just different than what my gut is used to. It was an unpleasant couple of hours, then it passed and I got on with things. The same thing happened in Iceland. It was shorter lived because I had a remedy with me. I didn't have to find a pharmacy and buy something.

NOTE: Both of those unpleasant incidents happened in thoroughly Western, First World countries. I had no issues at all in Mexico, and I was eating 3 meals a day and staying at various hotels in that country for 2 weeks.

Before travelling, I always take Dukoral, an oral vaccine which protects you against e-coli for 3 months. I also take a Florastor tablet (probiotic) a few times a day while away . I have never been sick. Don't know if it's just coincidence but I'd rather come prepared just in case. Getting sick after spending thousands on a trip would be a real shame. Oh, I also bring Imodium just in case.

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If one gets sick on a cruise and has eaten in port, it is almost impossible to determine if the source was in port or onboard, or even if one was exposed to s that before boarding (if its early in the cruise).

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You will be perfectly fine in Coz; your GF is probably thinking of Sanchos or one of the other places that are all inclusive. No worries. I've eaten off ship in Coz many times and never had any problems. I do order bottled water, but then that is alonside a grande margarita on the rocks with local made ice cubes. :p:D No issues.

What are some tips to ensure that I don't get sick?

I have travelled to many places where many travellers get 'sick' including Mexico and India. I have always been fine. Eaten in local restaurants and always drank bottled water. The reason many people get ill is due to change of climate, hotter than they are used to and sitting in the sun too long and drinking too much alcohol.

Have never gotten food poisoning eating ashore in Mexico, either on cruise or land vacations, but I've gotten violently ill eating the food on the ship twice. Once on Carnival and once on Holland America

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You could try doing research on TripAdvisor. Been to Coz and eaten several places...checked TripAdvisor first.

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