"Box lunches"

Will Oceania prepare a box lunch for a passenger(s) upon request if the passenger is going to be off the ship during lunch time and restaurants are not available where she/he is going? If so, does it make a difference which stateroom category the passenger is in?

Many countries don't allow food to be brought in (ashore), and often employ food-sniffing dogs to help enforce the rules.

We were in a PH cabin on the Black Sea cruise and our butler fixed us a great boxed lunch one day.

But when was that JBVols? I seem to recall (and I'm not positive) that O had stopped preparing the lunches. Perhaps we were in a port such as Druke mentions where taking food off the ship wasn't permitted (such as in New Zealand and Australia).

We didn't even ask on our most recent cruise this summer and I don't remember the subject even being brought up.

Mura

I asked our GDR servers specifically about this on Regatta during our Sep/Oct 2010 Mediterranean cruise, and at first they didn't seem to understand what I was asking. However, before our dinner was over, one of the senior dining room staff came over to tell me that they no longer offered boxed lunches. I was in a concierge veranda cabin, so no butler to make a lunch if one could be made. Didn't ask my steward since I started having fun getting gelato and bakery treats on shore... but it appears that perhaps the dining service no longer offers if they offered in the first place. I've had boxed lunches made on Crystal & Cunard, for example, and it also is true that you are not allowed to bring food into port in some locations.

Will Oceania prepare a box lunch for a passenger(s) upon request if the passenger is going to be off the ship during lunch time and restaurants are not available where she/he is going? If so, does it make a difference which stateroom category the passenger is in?

I once met a passenger on a cruise who told me they brought along a box of Zip-loc bags and hit the buffet each day to pick up food to take with them in port...I couldn't figure out if they just loved the buffet food so much, distrusted local food off the ship, didn't want to take the time to stop and eat... or were just being cheap...

Personally, I have never visited a port where food was not available...Even if you are headed for some ultimate destination in the remote hinterland, you can always stop somewhere in town and pick up some sandwiches or something to go...

I actually like to eat my meals off the ship while in port...It's the lone opportunity to savor the local cuisine

We were on the Black Sea cruise 6/18-30/2010. We had a full day of touring and did not want to stop for lunch. This was the only time we have done this and frankly I'm like Steve I would rather take a break and enjoy a local restaurant.

We have taken a couple of all day bus trips that included a cold boxed lunch but other than that we were on our own.

We to have seen people with baggies making sandwiches, etc at breakfast. TACKY!

It also may be illegal to take them off the ship.

The most we ever take is a banana or apple to enjoy as a snack. We always pack a box of oatmeal/fiber bars and have those available in our day bags.

We have never starved ashore.

I don't agree that it is tacky to take along zip locks and make yourself a lunch for on shore. We ordered sandwiches from room service the night before one of our days in St. Petersburg and took them with us for a quick lunch on the run. Our days there were so full that we really didn't have time to stop for lunch both days if we wanted to see everything that we wanted to see. As a matter of fact, our private tour guide suggested that we do this. Stops for lunch there take a couple of hours away from touring.

Isn't one of the reasons for cruising is to appreciate different cultures and foods. Having said that, we know some ports you could walk off a ship with a nuclear device tucked under your arm, but heaven help you if you happen to have an orange or banana.

You may consider it tacky. But a sandwich made by me on Oceania is better than food poisoning from on shore. I always bring a plastic Tupperware like box. Often there is no food onshore in more remote ports .A sandwich costs less for O than a full lunch.

But a sandwich made by me on Oceania is better than food poisoning from on shore. I always bring a plastic Tupperware like box. Often there is no food onshore in more remote ports .A sandwich costs less for O than a full lunch.

Be sure to check the regulations for taking food ashore in the particular port. Some only allow prepackaged foods.

In some ports you can pay a hefty fine for taking fruits, meat & cheeses ashore

We take granola or protein bars with us for occasions where food sources may be scarce or questionable.

Lyn

And don't even TRY to bring anything off the ship in Australia and New Zealand. They go through everything and if they find it, they'll take it out and keep it for you!! Arlene;)

Many countries don't allow food to be brought in (ashore), and often employ food-sniffing dogs to help enforce the rules.

How does one find which countries don't allow food to be brought ashore?

I don't know if the US Department of Agriculture could provide you a list or not.

The ships do put notes in their daily papers about not taking food ashore when it is prohibited locally, and usually have signs at the disembarkation exit.

Did you ever notice which ports posts large signs warning you NOT to take food ashore - It's our own home ports in the US! I haven't seen them in foreign ports, have you?

I am one of those tacky people who pack food in the plastic bags to eat for lunch in port on tour. The food on the AM buffet will get me through until I get back to the ship for dinner. I usually book private tours and we don't want to take the time to sit for an hour or two and eat lunch. I love trying the local cusine but don't want to take the time out from our touring. We can cover many more towns and miles if we keep moving - that's why I am visiting the country - to see it. If we have the time I will look for a local bakery and try some of the local sweets. However, I agree with umtali but sometimes you can't have it all. I will eat lunch in port if I am not heading out on an all day tour.

Last year in Morocco we had a wonderful tour. The guide brought us to a lovely restaurant but it took us too long to eat and we wasted a lot of precious touring time. That won't happen again!

Marion

When we visited St. Petersburg, I asked our tour company if it was possible to have lunch with a Russian family for one of our days and eat at a local (non-touristy) restaurant on our second day. For our first day, our group had lunch at the home of a retired ballerina and her mother, an experience that none of us would have traded by sightsseeing more museums, churches, etc. Likewise, the restaurant was very memorable.

Also, for Cochin, India, I booked a houseboat for a group of 10. We spent the day cruising lazily the backwaters while a typical fish lunch with all the trimmings was prepared for us on the stern.

We have many other fond remembrances where on-shore food played a huge part in creating memories for us, and for us those memories linger longer. We have been fortunate to have seen many museums, churches, cathedrals, etc, over the years and now we take a more relaxed approach and want to experience the culture of the people, their everyday markets, their lifestyle and their food.

Did you ever notice which ports posts large signs warning you NOT to take food ashore - It's our own home ports in the US! I haven't seen them in foreign ports, have you?

 

 

Marion

Mexico has the signs

...We take granola or protein bars with us for occasions where food sources may be scarce or questionable.

 

 

Lyn

A woman after my own heart! There have been sightseeing days during which my spouse simply refused to stop for lunch (fortunately less often now as we age). On those days, he is able to eat a big breakfast and be fine until dinner, but not me - I get very crabby if not fed during the day - so, yes, I always bring a ziploc bag full of granola bars with me on any trip to Europe. And perhaps two or three times during the trip, that is it for lunch!:)

Two summer agos, on my first Oceania cruise and first visit to Athens, I was forced to eat one on while in the Agora just below the Temple of Hephaestus because he absolutely refused to leave the excavation site for a lunch break.

However, in all other ways (except for his anti-shopping while on vacation gene), he is a great sightseeing companion!:D

We have many other fond remembrances where on-shore food played a huge part in creating memories for us, and for us those memories linger longer. We have been fortunate to have seen many museums, churches, cathedrals, etc, over the years and now we take a more relaxed approach and want to experience the culture of the people, their everyday markets, their lifestyle and their food

For us as well, the food part of any time onshore often creates the best, most lasting memories. Also food eaten on trips often becomes part of our everyday lives/meals and we remember the time/locale everytime we eat it.

An example is a simple cheese sandwich we shared as a snack in Aix en Provence. It came on a baguette (mais oui!) and the cheese was Brie. Until this point I had never considered Brie as sandwich cheese. It is now one of our favs and I often pick up Brie and a baguette on the weekend for lunch. Even better with some thin slices of apple or pear.

Mo

add some avocado slices to your Brie sandwich...magnifique!!!

- I get very crabby if not fed during the day - so, yes, I always bring a ziploc bag full of granola bars with me on any trip to Europe. And perhaps two or three times during the trip, that is it for lunch!:)

 

However, in all other ways (except for his anti-shopping while on vacation gene), he is a great sightseeing companion!:D

Yup on any trip I have my bag of bars.

even in the car

I have a switch that if I do not eat within 10 minutes of feeling hungry ...you better stand back LOL

DH can tell when the B switch is ready to flip on:p

Our DH would get along great ..mine also does not like the shopping parts unless it is for coffee beans :D

I never take food off the ship other than packaged stuff

Lyn

I never take food off the ship other than packaged stuff

 

Lyn

Good point, Lyn.

I do not want trouble with the authorities, squooshed food or spoiled by the heat tummy issues.

I asked Oceania about this prior to sailing in the Mediterranean and west coast of Europe last summer. The reason I asked is we were booked on all day excursions every day, that started early in the morning and ended just before dinner time. Oceania provides water when you leave the ship, but they told me no "boxed lunches," due to port regulations. However, I have seen other lines who specifically offer boxed lunches to take away from the ship (I just saw one within the past week, perhaps Windstar?)

I'm thinking that the reason Oceania said "no" is they didn't want to bother with this issue. From what I saw on board, passenger tastes and food idiosyncracies were so varied that there was no "upside" to offer such a thing. If they charged, the passengers would complain about the price, what was offered, the quality, etc. So to make things simple, "just say no."

Yes, ports all have food available of some type. However, day trippers sometimes have no time to stop. Some excursions take you to remote places where there's no options at all. One port we stopped at used British pounds, the only port on the cruise that required that. It also had the worst food on shore that I've had in a long time. Pub that can't make decent "chips?"

I'd love to take a fresh baguette, some cheese, sausage and fruit along and picnic if and when we get a break on excursion. We actually started to pick this stuff up while in port, and put it in our refrigerator, which came with our cabin. Then we had the contingencies covered!

We are taking Insignia April 23 to the mid east. I am not too thrilled about eating in some ports such as Egypt. (Other posters said they picked up ecoli in Egypt.) Although I agree that the local food is part of enjoying the culture of another country, I don't want to take a chance in unsanitary conditions.

I am sure 90% of the countries will be fine. But I would rather keep my options open with a box lunch or snack from the ship.