Organic or non GMO foods on board

[Ex techie]

Most European countries have gone non-gmo - but even vessels which are sailing mostly European ports - IF they make a stop in the US, such as a crossing - are subject to having their meats under USDA certification/jurisdiction. There have been other threads on here before about it, and what that entails, if you do a search.

 

If you want that food you will have to pay more for it. We get grass fed beef, free-range chicken, wild caught salmon and other fish, as well as Neiman ranch pork on the board when we sail certain ships, but we also sail in a suite with a separate restaurant and it's twice the cost. I don't do it just because of the higher quality food, there are many bonuses - but I do know the food will be great and of the highest quality. But it costs more. There is no way around the fact that if you eat in a specialty restaurant, for 100 people, everything cooked to order, you get better quality than what they give you in a 700 person restaurant with a set menu. And you will have to pay a great deal more to get that better quality of beef, pork, or fish. I have to agree that I don't think any cruise line will absorb the cost of serving the grass fed beef, wild caught coho salmon or other such foods to 4000 people every night. But they may serve them to 400 people who paid double. That just seems like reality for a company with shareholders to keep happy.

Perhaps a line like Oceania who specializes in "foodie" cruises will make the change for all passengers. I don't see Disney doing this on their ships...

 

Are you suggesting the current cruise fare prices would require doubling to use free range and organic meat and veggies?

 

ex techie

[llachance]

probably not but the bottom line is - if you have particular eating habits then go on a vacation that meets those habits and don't disparage organizations that don't have "your diet" in mind. Pretty simple in my book - nobody forces you to cruise DCL or any other cruise line for that matter. Choose something that meets your needs.

[Ex techie]

probably not but the bottom line is - if you have particular eating habits then go on a vacation that meets those habits and don't disparage organizations that don't have "your diet" in mind. Pretty simple in my book - nobody forces you to cruise DCL or any other cruise line for that matter. Choose something that meets your needs.

 

Who was that comment directed towards? Myself, or axelskater?

 

ex techie

[llachance]

for travelers in General! You can speak with your money and if DCL doesn't meet your needs then take your money somewhere else. Seems simple rather then complaining that for the price Disney needs to change the way they do things. I don't know what the cost difference would be but it doesn't matter to me. I know what DCL offers, am happy with the product and will pay that price - if you don't like it move on

[Ex techie]

for travelers in General! You can speak with your money and if DCL doesn't meet your needs then take your money somewhere else. Seems simple rather then complaining that for the price Disney needs to change the way they do things. I don't know what the cost difference would be but it doesn't matter to me. I know what DCL offers, am happy with the product and will pay that price - if you don't like it move on

 

Good for you!

I also am somewhat happy with the product. I think improvements could be made to make the brand better and add value. Am I not entitled to an opinion ?

 

 

How have I disparaged DCL?

 

ex techie

Edited August 10, 2015 by Ex techie

[BlueRiband]

To answer the original question: No, DCL does not provide organic or non-GMO foods. Their web site FAQ concerning dining mentions special diets but nothing about your concern.

 

All food going on to cruise ships needs a chain of custody between sourcing and delivery. Just as a theoretical example, the executive chef can't go down to the local farmer's market near the dock and arrange for some cases of organic, non-GMO local produce to be delivered to the dock. It wouldn't have the sourcing documentation. And could it get contaminated in any way on the trip from the market to the ship? The local delivery person doesn't have a TWIC card to get near the ship. So now somebody else has to handle it. The ship would have serious violations with the USPHS.

 

Why don't they include organic and non-GMO foods in their provisions? It's more expensive and not enough passengers are willing to pay for the added costs.

 

You might consult with like minded people for alternative vacation ideas if this is a deal breaker for you.

Edited August 10, 2015 by BlueRiband

[llachance]

If you read through any number of posts people post that they have paid X amount of money and the "Cruiseline" should be exactly what they want....no it shouldn't these are vacations put together for the "masses" not for "you" and if you don't like what the product is you are free to move on and give someone else your business - that is all. No more no less. "We" have become a generation that expects that the world bend over for whatever is right for "me". I am an old fogie and expect that I have a part in what makes me happy.

[Ex techie]

To answer the original question: No, DCL does not provide organic or non-GMO foods. Their web site FAQ concerning dining mentions special diets but nothing about your concern.

 

All food going on to cruise ships needs a chain of custody between sourcing and delivery. Just as a theoretical example, the executive chef can't go down to the local farmer's market near the dock and arrange for some cases of organic, non-GMO local produce to be delivered to the dock. It wouldn't have the sourcing documentation. And could it get contaminated in any way on the trip from the market to the ship? The local delivery person doesn't have a TWIC card to get near the ship. So now somebody else has to handle it. The ship would have serious violations with the USPHS.

 

Why don't they include organic and non-GMO foods in their provisions? It's more expensive and not enough passengers are willing to pay for the added costs.

 

You might consult with like minded people for alternative vacation ideas if this is a deal breaker for you.

 

I missed this as well from post #21 and DCL DO have organic chicken on some of the menus posted on line. I have seen them as well.

 

ex techie

[Ex techie]

If you read through any number of posts people post that they have paid X amount of money and the "Cruiseline" should be exactly what they want....no it shouldn't these are vacations put together for the "masses" not for "you" and if you don't like what the product is you are free to move on and give someone else your business - that is all. No more no less. "We" have become a generation that expects that the world bend over for whatever is right for "me". I am an old fogie and expect that I have a part in what makes me happy.

 

You might be an old fogie, but you still expect to have a part in what makes you happy, but yet requesting or petitioning DCL to use organic and free range produce makes you unhappy?

You are taking your grandkids on a DCL cruise I see from the impressive display of past cruises. You are happy for them to eat GMO and pesticide sprayed produce, caged hen eggs?

Wouldn't you prefer them not to if DCL could use better healthier produce?

 

ex techie

Edited August 10, 2015 by Ex techie

[BlueRiband]

You might be an old fogie, but you still expect to have a part in what makes you happy, but yet requesting or petitioning DCL to use organic and free range produce makes you unhappy?

You are taking your grandkids on a DCL cruise I see from the impressive display of past cruises. You are happy for them to eat GMO and pesticide sprayed produce, caged hen eggs?

Wouldn't you prefer them not to if DCL could use better healthier produce?

 

ex techie

 

Somehow, I managed to reach adulthood despite being fed white bread, whole milk, seedless grapes (they're GMO you know), eggs from caged chickens, and red meat from cattle fed who knows what.

 

Bottom line is that the vast majority of cruise ship passengers either don't give a rat's rear end about organic and GMO food and won't care to pay for the added cost.

 

You might want to petition the cruise lines to start doing so for the reasons you just outlined - that you believe children need better and healthier food than what they are currently providing. Please check back and let us know how it is going.

[llachance]

BlueRiband for your thoughts - I so agree. My mother smoked and drank while she was pregnant with me and I am about 60 and ok - and BTW she will be 80 and is traveling to South Africa for another photo safari in November and we have a cruise, together, in Viet Nam in two years time. Before we were all about what is "healthy" we were a much healthier society...what we have now is a society that assumes that they are informed and assumed that what somebody else says is "for us" must be. Good example is the "more nutritious food" in the lunch room. I through out more food last year then I have in my life because it isn't what the kids wanted to eat. However, when we were younger and ate "that food" we had recess two times a day plus lunch and PE almost every day, and we play outside - the difference isn't that food doesn't have "something" in it, on it or around it, it is how we live our lives today.

 

Yes I take my grandkids on cruises and one only eats Macaroni and Cheese and one only eats burgers and chicken fingers...that said both are in gymnastics, soccer, play on the playground at home and at school...you get the point. You can eat almost anything in moderation, bar allergies, but you have to have the output for any sort of input that you may have. I still eat wonder bread regularly, my preference, have my glasses of wine and all...but I work out almost every day (although I have been sidelined for a few months with a fractured knee cap) and know that if I eat something not so good one day that I need to counter it with something better the next time I put food in my mouth. Tomorrow morning my grandson and I will have donuts because that is what we eat when he comes to Nanni's house.

[Ex techie]

If you read through any number of posts people post that they have paid X amount of money and the "Cruiseline" should be exactly what they want....no it shouldn't these are vacations put together for the "masses" not for "you" and if you don't like what the product is you are free to move on and give someone else your business - that is all. No more no less. "We" have become a generation that expects that the world bend over for whatever is right for "me". I am an old fogie and expect that I have a part in what makes me happy.

 

So expanding on the part of your post that you state you expect to have a part in what makes you happy.

 

Are you happy to eat meat and have your grandchildren eat meat that is pumped up with antibiotics, growth hormones and eat genetically modified feed?

Are you happy to eat eggs from chickens that are caged in a wire coup little bigger than their body size, unable to move around?

 

The chemicals used to produce super quick growth chickens and stop the diseases caused by overcrowding livestock today are far worse than in decades gone by.

Far far worse.

 

Here is an example of a major corporation using free range eggs for over a decade due to customer demand. Since before 2003. You may be surprised by the corporation.....

http://www.mcdonalds.co.uk/ukhome/whatmakesmcdonalds/questions/food/animal-welfare/are-all-the-eggs-you-use-free-range.html

 

Whilst not organic yet, the British have had their voice heard and the McDonalds corporation have responded. In the US they are still debating whether to not used caged hens or not?

 

Your thoughts?

 

ex techie

[axelskater]

Are you suggesting the current cruise fare prices would require doubling to use free range and organic meat and veggies?

 

ex techie

 

Not at all and I didn't intend suggest that - Cunard Grills gives you a suite with huge room & bathroom, walk in closet, a private lounge for drinks, afternoon tea & evening concerts, private sundeck, many other extras, like en suite bar set up, champagne on boarding, butler service if you are having a party or guests, canapes delivered to your suite before dinner, a concierge lounge to handle booking requests, fresh flowers in your room and more. Plus a private restaurant where you may dine any time you like, because the table is yours for the cruise and you may also - with some notice to the Head waiter - order anything you like, whether it is on the menu or not. So yes all of that is worth double - or more. They advertise all of those things.

 

In regards to better food though - one of things which is included on the Grills menus is higher quality and better prepared cuts of meat, as well as larger variety of freshly prepared salads and vegetables, any way you like. Some of it may still be non-organic but it is prepared better and the meats and fish are definitely higher in quality above the MDR. So no - I don't see Disney becoming a cruise line with those options for all of the MDR's unless they charge substantially more or create a full "ship within a ship" experience, which has always been a Cunard tradition for those wanting it. I certainly don't sail Disney for the food - I think it is mediocre at best except the specialty restaurants - and I know ahead of time I will have to pay for those. I don't think most others choose Disney cruise line for the food either.

[Emperor Norton]

I'll just leave these here:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentine/2014/09/17/the-debate-about-gmo-safety-is-over-thanks-to-a-new-trillion-meal-study/

 

http://gmopundit.blogspot.com/p/450-published-safety-assessments.html

[rguy123]

People often do not want scientific facts, it interferes with their beliefs

[Emperor Norton]

People often do not want scientific facts, it interferes with their beliefs

 

I know, sadly it seems to be a trend to ignore science.