Ports checkin/checkout

[amitt]

Hello veterans - I am a first time cruise - need some help on food at ports.

 

Do not think I got as much time for my food at ports. I was wondering if I could take food from Johnny Rocket (because it is paid) out of the ship? I assume they would not allow free food to go out on the ports?

 

BTW what is the process when people get down from the ship on ports - do they have proper checks of any items we carry? And is there a similar kind of checking when we get aboard from the ports ?

 

Thanks!

[boulders]

Assuming that you are cruising the Caribbean or Mexico:

 

You cannot take any non-pre-packaged food off the ship.

 

You will clear customs when you disembark and/or return to your country of origin. Customs is not cleared by passengers at each port.

 

Of course, anything that you bring back on board the ship will be checked by security.

[fridaythe13th]

Hello veterans - I am a first time cruise - need some help on food at ports.

 

Do not think I got as much time for my food at ports. I was wondering if I could take food from Johnny Rocket (because it is paid) out of the ship? I assume they would not allow free food to go out on the ports?

 

BTW what is the process when people get down from the ship on ports - do they have proper checks of any items we carry? And is there a similar kind of checking when we get aboard from the ports ?

 

Thanks!

 

We usually bring some pre-packaged snacks with us to keep in our cabin (nuts, crackers, gum, candy, etc). I have also brought zip lock bags and brought some "pastries" from the buffet. I put some snacks in my tote bag I carry off at the ports. They have never checked my bag as I was leaving the ship. Your bags will be checked upon return to the ship and if you have purchased alcohol they will hold it for you for the remainder of the cruise.

[TBSCruiser]

We usually bring some pre-packaged snacks with us to keep in our cabin (nuts, crackers, gum, candy, etc). I have also brought zip lock bags and brought some "pastries" from the buffet. I put some snacks in my tote bag I carry off at the ports. They have never checked my bag as I was leaving the ship. Your bags will be checked upon return to the ship and if you have purchased alcohol they will hold it for you for the remainder of the cruise.

 

 

You are not allowed to bring any fresh foods off the ship, if you are caught you will be fined!! Just because you got away with it you should not suggest it for others.

 

You can carry off pre-packaged foods

 

And yes on the way back on the ship they will xray everything and if you have any restricted items like alcohol or such they will confiscate it.

[akcruz]

The main thing to think about when taking food off of the ship is how you are affecting the local environment. The main reason they do not want you taking things that are not prepackaged off the ship is due to environmental reasons. Things such as fruit in particular can have 'diseases' that are different from the countries/islands you are visiting. If you are to take these things off the ship you could be infecting that country.

 

If they find you are carrying anything off the ship, open food, or even a cup of coffee, they will have you toss it before leaving.

 

Upon boarding you will go through a 'security' area where you must pass any items through a scanner similar to what you see in airports. So, yes they do check on coming back on board. Here again, the same rules apply!

[fridaythe13th]

You are not allowed to bring any fresh foods off the ship, if you are caught you will be fined!! Just because you got away with it you should not suggest it for others.

 

You can carry off pre-packaged foods

 

 

I learned something new today, thanks for enlightening me. From now on I will only take off my pre-packaged goodies. Glad you weren't typing in all caps because I thought you were yelling at me. (or maybe you were);)

[TBSCruiser]

I learned something new today, thanks for enlightening me. From now on I will only take off my pre-packaged goodies. Glad you weren't typing in all caps because I thought you were yelling at me. (or maybe you were);)

 

 

Nah,I don't yell at anyone that I didn't bring into this world or married...lol:D

 

Many don't realize the rules, sorry if you took it the wrong way.

[amitt]

Thanks for all this, now I know I cannot take anything outside as I thought! Though I think I will hear a no, are ziplock bags ok in some way for non-ship food prepackaged by me before boarding the ship on day 1?

[TBSCruiser]

Thanks for all this, now I know I cannot take anything outside as I thought! Though I think I will hear a no, are ziplock bags ok in some way for non-ship food prepackaged by me before boarding the ship on day 1?

 

 

No, prepackaged means sealed.

[Bell Ringer]

Thanks for all this, now I know I cannot take anything outside as I thought! Though I think I will hear a no, are ziplock bags ok in some way for non-ship food prepackaged by me before boarding the ship on day 1?

For sure, there are many Agriculture laws that pertain to this, and each country including ours requires you to not take privately prepared food, and things like plants from one place to another.

Not to confuse this subject, but the flowers that you purchase on the ship have to stay there when you leave.

Now, some of us have taken a zip lock bag to collect sand or shells from various islands. That probably is frowned upon, but I don't believe it is illegal.( I am sure someone will clarify that!)

[uppitycats]

For sure, there are many Agriculture laws that pertain to this, and each country including ours requires you to not take privately prepared food, and things like plants from one place to another.

Not to confuse this subject, but the flowers that you purchase on the ship have to stay there when you leave.

Now, some of us have taken a zip lock bag to collect sand or shells from various islands. That probably is frowned upon, but I don't believe it is illegal.( I am sure someone will clarify that!)

 

Depending on the port you're at, it also is very often illegal to collect shells. Even Florida has serious laws against this. I don't know about sand...but given the fact that there are all kinds of very tiny living things IN sand (yes, it's true!) I would think that it is not legal to move sand from one location to another, either.

 

Now, YOU didn't suggest this..but I know this is a common argument: "It's all a conspiracy to make the vendors richer!" -- used for both those selling food ashore, and sea shells and such. Also not true. As nearly everyone in this post has suggested, there are serious agricultural challenges that occur, and environmental problems, when opened food and "formerly living things" are transferred from place to place. Shells sold ashore presumably have been approved by the agricultural agents in that country, and are treated (bleached, polished, sealed, whatever), and won't (or shouldn't!) be carriers of anything.

 

And it also isn't true that the ship forbids you taking food off, or "I've already paid for the meals on the ship so I'm gonna take food with me". Again, it's against laws of many countries..including the US...to do this.

 

No, food "packaged" in zip-lock bags isn't "pre-packaged". "Pre-packaged" in this case means "commercially package and sealed" -- store-bought.

 

If you really don't want to buy food on shore -- then load up at breakfast, and maybe you'll be sustained until you re-board for dinner. Or come back on board, eat lunch, and go off again.

 

Just because you might have managed to do this and not gotten caught, doesn't make it right or legal to do. And just because 20 years ago when you first started cruising you did this routinely, doesn't mean it's OK to do it now. That was then, laws have changed, it isn't legal now.

[amitt]

Hi uppitycats and others, thanks a ton - no more doubts could persist..