"To Go" lunch box for excursions

[Loonbeam]

Trust me, in many venues, baked goods ARE considered a potential invasive product because they can harbor certain small pests and mites if the grains aren't cooked properly (oats for example).

 

Unless you are 100 percent sure of the rules for a specific port, if it is not pre-packed and labeled by the manufacturer, leave it on the ship, or if tagged, accept with good grace.

[paul929207]

I was referring to independent excursions. I don't book them' date=' but I would hope if someone does, they would have contact info.

 

On the Princess site, it usually says if there's a lunch or snack provided during the tour.[/quote']

We take lots of private excursions. We always know in advance if a snack or a meal is included or available for purchase.

[caribill]

They say no food items to be taken off the ship ....

 

The Patter will often say that because they cut and paste from one day to another.

 

However, different countries forbid and allow different things. To keep it simple, the Patter just says "don't".

[Tara Jane]

In April on my cruise Sydney to Singapore with stops brisbane, airlie beach, cairns, darwin, komoda island, benoa.

Several times all passengers were asked to open backpacks at the location where the sea pass is scanned as we left the ship. It slowed everyone down but obviously considered necessary. Even quite small what I consider hand bags were inspected. I cant remember which ports but as a guess I would say 3 of the ports towards the end of the cruise but not benoa. I remember we were sitting in the lounge area at one port early in the afternoon when passengers were going on and off at various times so sat watching for quite a while the inspection.

Many times in many countries I have been in the situation with dogs walking around having a sniff as we were walking through.

In Adelaide once the labrador sat and looked at the handler after sniffing my bag. Panic stricken I waited and knowing there was no contraband wondered what would happen. the handler just checked asked it i had ever had fruit in the bag, and all was good. As it was a bag I regularly used to take my lunch to work it would most days have held fruit.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Tara Jane

[LoriPhil]

We debarked in FLL in April and noticed trash bins with signs reminding passengers to dump any fruit etc. Got to the immigration officer who said "carrying any of this" and pointed to a pile of bananas and oranges on her desk. Don't know if those bins had always been there and I was just more aware after touring several islands struggling with a banana blight, but I did understand the concern.

Edited July 2, 2015 by LoriPhil

[azgrandmax3]

I've never seen a backpack checked for food items as one debarks for a shore excursion.....have you?

We have travelled a lot and only in Mexican ports have we seen backpacks checked.

[Pam in CA]

We have travelled a lot and only in Mexican ports have we seen backpacks checked.

Keep on traveling and you'll see it. If I hadn't been afraid of the soldiers, machine guns and very large German shepherds checking every single passenger in Valparaiso, I might have taken a photo. I heard the dogs yapping and checking bags in San Francisco even though I didn't see them while we were delayed for hours disembarking. (Most of us missed our flights.) I've seen the beagles checking every arriving passenger in Boston. I could go on. Don't dismiss something just because you haven't seen it.

[shredie]

If I hadn't been afraid of the soldiers, machine guns and very large German shepherds checking every single passenger in Valparaiso, I might have taken a photo.... Don't dismiss something just because you haven't seen it.

 

Yes! Valparaiso is like a scene from a movie.:eek: In addition to the big dogs and big guards with big guns, there are signs all over the place in several languages telling what can't be brought on shore. And lots of pictures of forbidden food. None of those guards are smiling, either! I don't think any of them would accept "I've never seen this before" as an excuse.

[Sea Hag]

I've never seen a backpack checked for food items as one debarks for a shore excursion.....have you?

 

I sure have! Last time we were in Ensenada, we didn't want to go ashore. We spent the morning walking laps on the Promenade deck. And watching the "fruit dog" go down line after line of debarking passengers. When he sat, bags were searched, and food was confiscated. I call him the "fruit dog" because it was mostly fruit. Lots and lots of fruit.

[SadieN]

I sure have! Last time we were in Ensenada, we didn't want to go ashore. We spent the morning walking laps on the Promenade deck. And watching the "fruit dog" go down line after line of debarking passengers. When he sat, bags were searched, and food was confiscated. I call him the "fruit dog" because it was mostly fruit. Lots and lots of fruit.

 

 

There are at least two in Ensenada, both seem to be Lab mixes, one yellow, the other white. Both happy:). It's funny watching pax when the dogs sit next to them. They are clueless about what's going to happen, lol. Schadenfreude at its finest.

[caribill]

I sure have! Last time we were in Ensenada, we didn't want to go ashore. We spent the morning walking laps on the Promenade deck. And watching the "fruit dog" go down line after line of debarking passengers. When he sat, bags were searched, and food was confiscated. I call him the "fruit dog" because it was mostly fruit. Lots and lots of fruit.

 

What amazes me is the number of passengers who are unaware of the restrictions on bringing the fruit on shore despite several announcements over the ships load speaker plus a notice in the Patter or who choose to ignore the warnings.

[shredie]

What amazes me is the number of passengers who are unaware of the restrictions on bringing the fruit on shore despite several announcements over the ships load speaker plus a notice in the Patter or who choose to ignore the warnings.

 

"But they said it was okay on Crusie Critic!" LOL. ;)