How often do NCL ships take on supplies, and where?

[WashyWashyHappyHappy95]

If you've got 3 sea days, I'd rather order the mussels on the first day than the third, y'know?

 

Can NCL ships take on supplies anywhere besides US ports? Whenever I do the bahamas/FL route out of NYC, you always see them taking on tons of stuff in Port Canaveral.

[1025cruise]

For the most part, supplies are only taken on at the embarkation port. There are exceptions, but generally only at embarkation.

 

With regards to the mussels, they were frozen before getting to the ship, and will stay frozen until needed.

[KeithJenner]

NCL ships can certainly take on supplies at non US ports.

 

I wouldn't want to be eating any of the food on the Spirit otherwise, and just imagine what it would have been like on the Jade for all those years. :)

 

As above, the ship is generally fully stocked at the embarkation port. Lots of it is frozen. For example, I was told that there was only one restaurant where the steaks aren't been (although I don't know how true that it).

Edited January 22, 2017 by KeithJenner

[computerworks]

If you've got 3 sea days, I'd rather order the mussels on the first day than the third, y'know?

 

You are quite right... same with the Sushi on the last half of a cruise.

[ColinIllinois]

You are quite right... same with the Sushi on the last half of a cruise.

 

 

The fish is caught daily by the crew. Nothing to worry about there.

[cheaperts]

If you ever have the opportunity to tour the kitchens do it. We were treated to a tour of the Getaway kitchens July of 2015, a truly amazing operation, the cold storage and freezers are immense and everything was pristine. We watched a crew member slicing endless tubs of Filets, can't imagine the cost of it all....

[zqvol]

You are quite right... same with the Sushi on the last half of a cruise.

 

Why? It is all frozen before it ever gets on the ship, it is thawed as needed.

[seamonkey]

If you've got 3 sea days, I'd rather order the mussels on the first day than the third, y'know?

 

Can NCL ships take on supplies anywhere besides US ports? Whenever I do the bahamas/FL route out of NYC, you always see them taking on tons of stuff in Port Canaveral.

 

It's cheaper in Pt. Canaveral than N.Y....They don't charge as much for delivery.

Also they can supply fresh seafood, as it's also a fishing community...Look to see if a different fish appears on the menu after that port stop....I don't eat mussels and they are farmed in Florida.

I have seen the Asian crew on the ships, purchasing their own FRESH caught that morning or during the night for fish from a certain shop, at the docks, which are in another area from where you board the ship.

Pt. Canaveral itself does nothing for the crew, but a person who used to work on ships took up the mantle. He takes very good care of the ships crew because the port offers nothing for the crew for those who have off time.

Crew buses are provided and they do a loop of Cocoa Beach stopping at BJs, Wal-Mart and the Mall... with a special spot at the Mall where crew can make calls and use the internet, along with some snacks from their home nations....There is another in Key West.

OK ....That was longwinded and off the subject....We once ran out of lettuce on a Trans-Atlantic cruise of 14 days so no salads but only the last 3 days. The chef rejected the lettuce he inspected at a port.

The longer cruises usually have a contract with suppliers in the ports they stop.

While cruising along Chile, we took on supplies all along the coast at each port, as most people know, it's where we get most of our fresh food during the winter months and it's summer down there.

Edited January 23, 2017 by seamonkey

[Chuck2810]

The fish is caught daily by the crew. Nothing to worry about there.

 

Very good:) - and if you are in a aft balcony, you are expected to leave some squid for bait on the balcony when you leave for the day, so the workers don't have to pay for their own.:D

[mking8288]

If you've seen the BTS ship tour, you would realized that inventories are loaded often by the pallets, sacks and crates - dated & rotated - usually, if not always, on a FIFO basis to keep everything as fresh as possible. Extra days of supplies are always stocked in case of a diversion or what not.

 

Just because bags of potatoes, onions and live chicken or lobsters (just kidding ... it's all frozen) were loaded @ Port Canaveral don't result in fresh ones being served that evening or even the next day. Giant folk lifts are used in NYC as well to unload things but also to take on new supplies - the tractor-trailers lined up on W. 55th Street, off 12th Avenue in the morning ... now that they are selling more bottled waters :rolleyes:

 

As for those balconies - enjoy your breakfast or room service while at dock, but watch out for the seagulls - they divebomb and will share/seize yours as trophies ... even at GSC if you turn your back and don't cover it up.

[cage keeper]

the fish is caught daily by the crew. Nothing to worry about there.

 

lol

[luddite]

Hmmmmmm.

I don't recall ever seeing a giant folk lift in action.

Any giant folks have any input?

[BirdTravels]

If you've got 3 sea days, I'd rather order the mussels on the first day than the third, y'know? Can NCL ships take on supplies anywhere besides US ports? Whenever I do the bahamas/FL route out of NYC, you always see them taking on tons of stuff in Port Canaveral.

 

The Breakaway, specifically, provisions in NY when sailing to Bermuda and provisions in Port Canaveral when sailing the Caribbean. The Epic provisions in Port Canaveral during its Caribbean season.

[SteveH2508]

Hmmmmmm.

I don't recall ever seeing a giant folk lift in action.

Any giant folks have any input?

 

They are for removing some pax after the cruise - embark as passengers - disembark as cargo.:rolleyes:

[chengkp75]

Provisions are normally taken once per cruise, as others have said, usually at turn-around, but sometimes at at port like Canaveral during the cruise as the price/delivery is less than in Northern ports.

 

Shellfish is some of the only protein that is allowed to come onboard unfrozen, but is strictly regulated and must be documented as to point of origin, because of things like red tide.

 

All sushi served in the US has been frozen, even when claimed to be "fresh". This is required to kill any parasites in the fish.

 

For longer cruises (more than 14 days), some lines will utilize the local products at ports of call, some will have staged containers of products to those foreign ports from their trusted suppliers in the US, in order to maintain their quality as evenly as possible. Under the various sanitation regimes; USPH for ships calling in the US, ShipSan for ships in the EU, and the WHO regulations for passenger vessels everywhere else, all food must be from verifiable sources, and in proper condition and at proper temperature when delivered to the ship.

[WashyWashyHappyHappy95]

Your claim about "all sushi serves in the US" being frozen is simply not true.

 

That said, even stuff from the Raw Bar is served frozen? There's nothing nastier than eating a frozen oyster. Bitter, bitter, bitter.

[chengkp75]

Your claim about "all sushi serves in the US" being frozen is simply not true.

 

That said, even stuff from the Raw Bar is served frozen? There's nothing nastier than eating a frozen oyster. Bitter, bitter, bitter.

 

There are some species of tuna that are exempt from the flash freezing requirement, and all other species of fish, intended to be served "raw, raw-marinated, partially cooked, or marinated-partially cooked" must be frozen for a minimum of 24 hours at -4*F. (FDA Food Code Chapter 3, section 401.11)

 

Molluscan shellfish (clams, mussels, scallops and oysters), as I stated, are among those items not required to be frozen, but these should only be kept in refrigeration for a couple of days.

[WashyWashyHappyHappy95]

There are some species of tuna that are exempt from the flash freezing requirement, and all other species of fish, intended to be served "raw, raw-marinated, partially cooked, or marinated-partially cooked" must be frozen for a minimum of 24 hours at -4*F. (FDA Food Code Chapter 3, section 401.11)

 

Molluscan shellfish (clams, mussels, scallops and oysters), as I stated, are among those items not required to be frozen, but these should only be kept in refrigeration for a couple of days.

 

So that basically means if you want to hit up the Raw Bar...don't do it on the last day of the cruise.

[ew101]

Provisions are normally taken once per cruise, as others have said, usually at turn-around, but sometimes at at port like Canaveral during the cruise as the price/delivery is less than in Northern ports.

 

For longer cruises (more than 14 days), some lines will utilize the local products at ports of call, some will have staged containers of products to those foreign ports from their trusted suppliers in the US, in order to maintain their quality as evenly as possible. Under the various sanitation regimes; USPH for ships calling in the US, ShipSan for ships in the EU, and the WHO regulations for passenger vessels everywhere else, all food must be from verifiable sources, and in proper condition and at proper temperature when delivered to the ship.

 

We had it explained that each sailing is met by a staged container with the dry goods and frozen items for that trip from headquarters (and or trusted local suppliers as above). This way needed other supplies for the ship etc. can go out as well. They need to order 4 weeks in advance :) We were baffled on Europe sailings by the steady supply of US beer but not local beer aboard.

[Dcoy]

Very good:) - and if you are in a aft balcony, you are expected to leave some squid for bait on the balcony when you leave for the day, so the workers don't have to pay for their own.:D

 

I have an aft balcony cruising Alaska. You don't think they'll mind if I drop a crab trap off my balcony? :-)

 

Don

Edited January 23, 2017 by Dcoy

[chengkp75]

We had it explained that each sailing is met by a staged container with the dry goods and frozen items for that trip from headquarters (and or trusted local suppliers as above). This way needed other supplies for the ship etc. can go out as well. They need to order 4 weeks in advance :) We were baffled on Europe sailings by the steady supply of US beer but not local beer aboard.

 

Except that it amounts to 12-15 containers, and not everything is done this way. For example, since the Hawaii operations would require shipping of everything from the mainland, at added cost, NCL uses as much local products as possible. The produce comes mainly from a farmer's co-op on Maui, and the ice cream is local.

 

For a medium sized ship, there will be 6-8 refrigerated/frozen trailers/containers for provisions, and then 6-8 trailers for hotel stores, deck and engineering stores, etc, each week.

 

Their market analysis must show that US beer is preferred by the majority of the demographic, over European beer (not for me, though).

[Joshthedog]

This video is about an RCL ship but it shows what goes into provisioning a ship with food.

 

https://youtu.be/FaAtUYi-pg4

[luddite]

We were baffled on Europe sailings by the steady supply of US beer but not local beer aboard.

 

Their beer supply is baffling no matter where it's loaded.

[zqvol]

Not that this applies to NCL, but often on the luxury lines with only a couple hundred passengers the chefs will take you with them to local markets and you will help them buy that night's dinner. We spent a wonderful time at the market in Kotor with the chef from Sea Dream and among other things took lots of cured meats and olives back which were served the next day. I also watched them reprovision the ship while docked at Miteline, Lesvos, Greece. Fascinating when you can see it up close.

[UnaPalomita]

Your claim about "all sushi serves in the US" being frozen is simply not true.

 

That said, even stuff from the Raw Bar is served frozen? There's nothing nastier than eating a frozen oyster. Bitter, bitter, bitter.

 

It's true. I've heard it as well. There are places like Mitsuwa in NJ, who will fly over a huge fresh tuna from Japan and slice it fresh for customers once a year for $$$$

 

I've heard that they keep salads in water and it preserves the leaves :) at least on a 10 day cruise.