Food off ship in ports

[6rugrats]

To help me understand, please enlighten me about taking food off the ship for consumption on a sailboat that I chartered. The tour company advised me to bring a 'box lunch' from the ship. In the communication, I got the impression this was a common and acceptable practice that the cruise line offered.

 

Is this a law in place to help create income for the island or is it a health/environmental issue? I am not opposed to that but why would the operator tell me to bring food from the ship? In addition, I am in a similar situation as the OP, I have a youngster that has a selective palate. He will eat PB&J for lunch everyday. I may find one somewhere on the island to take one on the boat.

 

Thanks for your input!

I have quite a difficult time taking this post seriously.

 

Why would you think a tour operator would have any knowledge about agricultural laws? Did you know you could purchase these:

They are sealed containers of peanut butter, and with some sealed crackers, problem solved.

[beachchick]

Thank you for your input, it has made me question my future actions. As someone that enjoys the outdoors I understand the need for rules in regards to the environment. For example, I am required to have a firepan that costs several hundred dollars to raft on some rivers.

 

To help me understand, please enlighten me about taking food off the ship for consumption on a sailboat that I chartered. The tour company advised me to bring a 'box lunch' from the ship. In the communication, I got the impression this was a common and acceptable practice that the cruise line offered.

 

Is this a law in place to help create income for the island or is it a health/environmental issue? I am not opposed to that but why would the operator tell me to bring food from the ship? In addition, I am in a similar situation as the OP, I have a youngster that has a selective palate. He will eat PB&J for lunch everyday. I may find one somewhere on the island to take one on the boat.

 

Thanks for your input!

 

No, the laws are not in place to generate income for the countries/islands. It's possible, but unlikely, that the specific port in question allows fresh food to be brought off the ship. A very few do. As 6rugrats wrote, tour operators do not necessarily know the agricultural laws, even though they should. Some that do know the laws ignore them the same way that some visitors do. The thinking is, "It's a small risk [and it is], so nothing could happen [but it could]."

 

The agricultural laws are in place to try to prevent non-native, non-adapted pests, pathogens, and other problems for invading. Let me give you a first-hand example. I lived through the big Med fly infestation in California more than 20 years ago. Because of casual smuggling, we lost millions of dollars in crops, which affected the economy significantly. In addition, it cost millions to eradicate the little bast...er..buggers. On top of that, we had to schedule our lives around malathion drops. Cars had to be covered (or have a new paint job), people and pets had to be indoors. It was a massive PITA and very costly.

 

Other examples in California alone: The glassy winged sharpshooter, which carries Pierce's disease that destroys grape vines; the light brown apple moth; the European grape vine moth; the Asian citrus psyllid. There are many others, nearly all of which we are desparately trying to erradicate or prevent and nearly all of which are invading partly due to casual smuggling (in addition to worldwide shipping). Other states and countries have their own difficulties with various pests, plants, and pathogens.

 

I think 6rugrats gave you a good suggestion. Get pb in the little sealed containers, sealed small containers of jam (if allowed), and sealed small packages of crackers.

 

beachchick

[Scooby450]

I have quite a difficult time taking this post seriously.

 

Why would you think a tour operator would have any knowledge about agricultural laws? Did you know you could purchase these:

They are sealed containers of peanut butter, and with some sealed crackers, problem solved.

 

I am serious. I enjoy learning....

 

As a former river guide I was taught the rules and also the reason for them. We were educated in local geography, botany, native animal life, and indigenous peoples. I believe people want to know the reason for things. Tours are designed to teach, otherwise people would go to ruins, etc., just to discover on their own.

 

As a local business shouldn't the tour operators know the laws?

 

As for the suggestion, which is valid, unfortunately the child doesn't care for crackers. I am sure we will find a solution. One thing is for sure, I will be doing more research on my own. I will look into the laws regarding bringing food into Grand Cayman and I will abide by them.

 

Still open to more enlightenment!

[5waldos]

Beachchick- I remember there being signs as you drove into California banning all fruits and other vegetation just for these reasons. And agree that breaking these apparently silly laws can have devastating effects on the ecosystem. Islands especially are often very fragile and the introduction of alien species of any sort can destroy them.

[beachchick]

Beachchick- I remember there being signs as you drove into California banning all fruits and other vegetation just for these reasons. And agree that breaking these apparently silly laws can have devastating effects on the ecosystem. Islands especially are often very fragile and the introduction of alien species of any sort can destroy them.

 

Yep. I'm afraid I'm rather a "nut" on the subject. I just thought of a "not funny at the time" story that happened to us in Hawaii. All passengers are required to fill out the agricultural import forms during the flight. It's not difficult to understand exactly what is absolutely forbidden and what you must declare and get cleared. You have to sign the form testifying that your information is accurate. That time, we landed in Hilo, a tiny airport. We're all sitting there looking out at the lava fields waiting for the stairs so we can get going. But no, we were delayed getting off the plane for 25 minutes because some idiot woman, who had filled out and signed her form, tried to get off the plane with a big bag of grapes! They had to call out an agricultural inspector, take a report, fill out more forms, and then pack the grapes so they could be properly destroyed. I was seriously peeved me at the time. Not because of the laws, but because of the selfish dolt trying to break them.

 

beachchick

[angielane]

So, am I to read that taking formula off the ship might be an issue too?

 

We take the those pre-packaged "to-go" bottles that you just pop a nipple on to...kind of like the horizon milk mentioned earlier. Pre-made, but doesn't need to be refrigerated.

 

I simply can't believe that mothers travelling with infants (and plenty of them are, according to CC posts) aren't routinely taking ready-made formula off the ship....

 

of course I want to abide by the law...but there's no way I'm going into port for a couple hours without taking a bottle for my infant.

[kitty9]

Of course you can take formula. The items you cannot take off the ship are things like fruits, vegetables, meats and anything else not factory sealed.

[kitty9]

I am serious. I enjoy learning....

 

As a former river guide I was taught the rules and also the reason for them. We were educated in local geography, botany, native animal life, and indigenous peoples. I believe people want to know the reason for things. Tours are designed to teach, otherwise people would go to ruins, etc., just to discover on their own.

 

As a local business shouldn't the tour operators know the laws?

 

As for the suggestion, which is valid, unfortunately the child doesn't care for crackers. I am sure we will find a solution. One thing is for sure, I will be doing more research on my own. I will look into the laws regarding bringing food into Grand Cayman and I will abide by them.

 

Still open to more enlightenment!

 

You do know that the US has rules and regulations with regards to bringing in food items to the US? It's the same for foreign countries. Just one single non-native pest or organism could destroy the ecology of a small island. It doesn't have to be bugs that do this, but organisms from any rotting food brought into a country by travelers could do major damage. So many non-native species have been brought into the US, many of which are now destroying a lot of things here, such as Emerald Ash Borers, Asian Carp and Japanese Lady Beetles. Every country has rules to protect their lands and not to force visitors to purchase their food.

[Katie John]

Isn't the milk on ships in individual sealed cartons. I thought I had read that on Carnival anyway they were.

[tkportersat]

They are sealed cartons. We used to take them to Tom at Paradise Beach (in Cozumel) for his baby.

 

Isn't the milk on ships in individual sealed cartons. I thought I had read that on Carnival anyway they were.

[kazbar]

You can relax. I spent two weeks in Belize (and I was pregnant). The food was perfectly fine. Nothing to worry about.:)

[block]

JUST TAKE THE MILK !!!! For the baby .

[nonns]

I have tried to do some investigation regarding bringing milk ashore in St. Thomas and St. martin. St. Martin's government website has been shut down, but the website for tourism still works. The reply I received from the tourism office is that it is legal to bring milk for consumption off of the ship.

The St. Thomas website also directed me to the tourism office and the reply I received from them is that each cruise line sets its own rules on dairy products. Since Norwegian has a policy against bring dairy off the ship in St. Thomas, we aren't taking any off. My son and daughter-in-law believe she will be just fine playing at the beach and will make it through an afternoon without her milk.

Her pediatrition suggested taking pediasure since the processed milk wouldn't have anything harmful to any environment. He also strongly suggested that she NOT have any water, milk, or juice from any of our ports and really only small amounts of food, but preferable no food as well. In his professional opinion they should err to the side of caution.