Snacks/meals for toddlers on shore

[danilynn17]

Cruising in 2 weeks on Holland's Ryndam with our almost 1 year old. Any parents out there have ideas for prepackaged snacks that we can bring ashore for her? I know that most food brought between the ship and land must be sealed. I am also guessing that you also can't bring opened food back on the ship. So if I took a new container of Puffs off the ship, I couldn't bring it back on the ship once it was opened? Or am I wrong.

 

We have a few single-serve containers of Cheerios that I picked up the other day, but am not sure of what else I can come up with. It doesn't sound like we could bring bananas or other fruit off the ship, either. I know fruit tends to be a no-no.

 

If it means anything, we're going to Key West (not much of an issue because it is the US), Belize City, Roatan and Costa Maya.

 

Any help/ideas are appreciated!

[ahamill]

We are sailing in March with our son, who will be 16 months old. I am bringing cereal bars, he likes the Earth's Best ones, Baby Mum-Mums (those are more for entertainment but he likes them) and I will probably get some of the little packs of either teddy grahams, cheez-its or something like that.

He also loves Buddy Fruit, have you seen those? They are in the produce section and are in pouches, 100% fruit and they suck on them, he loves them. I will probably bring some of those as well. Also, applesauce and the shelf-stable gerber yogurt would be good ideas as well.

 

Have fun!

[danilynn17]

Great call on the applesauce and the shelf-stable yogurt!!! She loves yogurt. Thanks!

[akcruz]

Not sure about your ship in particular, but every ship I have been on has had the individual boxed cereals at the breakfast buffet. No need to bring your own with you unless she is very picky on which she likes.

 

And yes, you are right, fruit is a definite no no even in Key West as it may have been loaded onto the ship from a foreign port.

[Julienatul]

Get Gerber graduate meals, prepackaged and most dont really need warming since they are room temperature. We used to carry those for DD in ports with a disposable sppon for a quick meal.

[cb at sea]

There will be food ashore....prepackaged, or not. But, a box of cereal from breakfast is a good fingerfood snack.

[nlt46]

You can bring opened food back on the ship. You can bring flowers, etc. back on the ship.

 

Nancy

[cruisinbanddirectors]

I echo the cereal from the ship. I would add the mini boxes of raisins, snack packs of cheese its or goldfish, and the little packs of fruit chews. Those all worked well for us last year with a 2 year old.

[russianmom]

You can bring opened food back on the ship. You can bring flowers, etc. back on the ship.

 

Nancy

 

 

This is untrue... per a recent Spirit daily...

Go ahead eat your fruits and veggies, they're good for you! But please do not bring them into the ports of call. They have agriculture regulations that prohibit taking ashore any fruits, nuts, plants, flowers, vegetables or food items so don't take that muffin- it could cost you!

Local produce, prepared foods and plants are not allowed to be brought back onboard either.

So eat and enjoy when ashore but leave 'em there too!

[acceber32]

We took those Gerber cereal bars, Gerber jarred diced carrots, box of Cheerios we got from the ship, goldfish crackers and teddy grahams in small containers. However, we never had any problem taking food on or off the ship. And we never ate a full meal off the ship, just snacks.

[SadieN]

Not sure about your ship in particular, but every ship I have been on has had the individual boxed cereals at the breakfast buffet. No need to bring your own with you unless she is very picky on which she likes.

 

And yes, you are right, fruit is a definite no no even in Key West as it may have been loaded onto the ship from a foreign port.

 

You are so right about not bringing fruit off even in a US port. Even if it came from the same port. We once got stuck in the Dome in Long Beach. Carnival could only bring off water even though the ship was just loaded a few hours before.

California has the same issues as Florida with imported pests wrecking havoc on the citrus crops. Sometimes in CA we cannot transport backyard fruit outside our city, county or valley. There is something Vector Control is concerned about now because there are yellow traps on the orange trees all around me.

 

Port of San Diego actually has an Agriculture dog. Seen several passengers undoing their luggage on the asphalt because the dog alerted on something. He even alerted on my lemonheads once.:p

 

In the 90's we had the Mediterrean Fruit Fly. Vector Control decided the best way to get rid of these was to aerial spray Malathion. Vents had to be closed, no air conditioning could be used. All outside animals had to be brought in, everything outside covered. Ever try to tarp a swingset? In the morning uncover everything. Tarps didn't always stay where you wanted them. Ever try to scub a swingset? Malathion is very sticky and hard to remove. They did this about a dozen times.

[sarahc78]

You can also bring those little gerber fruit snacks, cereal bars, etc...

[nlt46]

This is untrue... per a recent Spirit daily...

Go ahead eat your fruits and veggies, they're good for you! But please do not bring them into the ports of call. They have agriculture regulations that prohibit taking ashore any fruits, nuts, plants, flowers, vegetables or food items so don't take that muffin- it could cost you!

Local produce, prepared foods and plants are not allowed to be brought back onboard either.

So eat and enjoy when ashore but leave 'em there too!

 

From the Carnival website: • Flowers and Plants: May be brought on board in the port of embarkation but are not permitted to be taken off the ship in the United States, per the U.S Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Agricultural Division.

Likewise food is allowed to be brought onto the ship... you just can't take it off if it is opened... and well you shouldn't as has been discussed. I haven't been on the Spirit since her first year.. so I can't speak to that. But I have been on other ships and food was allowed.

Nancy