Taking food/snacks off the ship ?

[pisces68]

We'll be sailing on the Pearl next month and I just saw a 'note' on several of the Dailies that reads that no food is allowed on OR off the ship and that includes items that are even packaged. A few of our excursions will be 3+ hours around lunch or dinner time. I was planning on taking some snack bags like Doritos or power bars with us in case we got hungry. Is this really not allowed??

[rbt001]

If you go back and read The Dailies closely is says "... except for instances when you're on 3+ hour excursions near lunch or dinner time, then you may bring snack bags of Doritos and power bars..."

 

Oh wait! It does NOT say that.

 

Yes, they really mean that you are not permitted to bring on or take off food & beverage items in ports.

 

In fact, some ports have guards with dogs trained to sniff out food and other ports search purses, bags and backpacks.

 

 

 

Now what will follow are posts from cruise critic experts who will tell you:

 

1. How they smuggle stuff off or on all the time

2. How it's your vacation and you don't have to follow the rules.

[BirdTravels]

The rules are not the ship's. They are established by the governments of the foreign countries you are entering. And the port you will be returning to.

[pollux]

when you arrive in Mexico look out.

No those are not drug dogs.

They are food dog and its a shame that people

take so much food off the ship.

Its not ww1 or ww2 everywhere there are stores and restaurants.

[ColinIllinois]

Those rules in ports are pretty much aimed at folks who take off fruits, vegetables, and believe it or not sandwiches with meats and cheeses. There are good reasons for that.

 

Now having said that. Packaged goods bought in the U.S. that are unopened/sealed are usually not a problem. You may lose them, you may not. Your choice of taking a chance.

 

Respect for their agriculture laws combined with a wee bit of common sense work fine.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

[BEACHBARB]

In Antigua a few years ago we saw a family take a zip lock bag out of their beach bag that was full of cold pizza. Once getting off a ship, I had an ice cream cone and they stopped me right off the ship and made me finish it before we could leave. I'm surprised a cone made it from the buffet to the gangway!!!

[oncruisecontrol]

I bring individually factory-wrapped granola bars (in their original, unopened box) on board every cruise I have ever taken since 2003. I have never had a problem; it is not fresh food. I suffer from hypoglycemia and I never go anywhere without a granola bar in my purse because I never know when a low blood sugar episode will hit. I also have a severe food allergy (I carry epi-pens) and cannot guarantee that restaurants on shore will have food that is safe for me to eat. So I can't risk being ashore for several hours without a snack. I would never take fresh food on or off the ship. OP should be fine if they follow this example.

[OCruisers]

Normally things unopened and packaged & sealed by the manufacturer are allowed.

[disneyochem]

I too carry packaged power bars and nuts in my bag when I get off the ship. I cannot go more than 4 hours within something to eat (disgestive issues--TMI!). I do not take off any ship food--am a scientist so recognize and honor the agricultural laws of the different countries. I have never been questioned by security.

 

 

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[Gershep]

I have always taken wrapped granola bars off the ship. Have also returned to the ship with unopened granola bars and have never been questioned.

[pisces68]

I bring individually factory-wrapped granola bars (in their original, unopened box) on board every cruise I have ever taken since 2003. I have never had a problem; it is not fresh food. I suffer from hypoglycemia and I never go anywhere without a granola bar in my purse because I never know when a low blood sugar episode will hit. I also have a severe food allergy (I carry epi-pens) and cannot guarantee that restaurants on shore will have food that is safe for me to eat. So I can't risk being ashore for several hours without a snack. I would never take fresh food on or off the ship. OP should be fine if they follow this example.

 

 

Thank you. This is exactly what I was wondering and for the reason you mentioned. Just a factory wrapped granola bar/power bar. It would never have been what others mentioned . Thank you

[Doug R.]

No means NO!

[BirdTravels]

Thank you. This is exactly what I was wondering and for the reason you mentioned. Just a factory wrapped granola bar/power bar. It would never have been what others mentioned . Thank you

Regardless of what others have smuggled into foreign countries, the rules state no food. No food off. No food on.

[mjkacmom]

Is this new? We’ve always taken factory sealed food off of the ship (usually gluten free items as one kid has celiac, so harder to find food). We don’t take anything not factory sealed.

[forgotmyCCname]

This appears to be recent as we have brought sealed rum cakes, unopened potato chips aboard in the past 6-9 months.

Didn't hide them; it was allowed. Also have brought sealed hot sauce aboard.

[ColinIllinois]

This appears to be recent as we have brought sealed rum cakes, unopened potato chips aboard in the past 6-9 months.

Didn't hide them; it was allowed. Also have brought sealed hot sauce aboard.

 

 

Absolutely, it is allowed.

[Mom2B&Z]

Yes the Dailes make statements about not bringing food off the ship. It’s likely easier than publishing every country’s individual regulations and reduces food going off the ship, which costs them money.

I too take sealed granola bars or cereal on day trips because guaranteed there will be someone who is “starving” and can’t wait until the next stop while on a group tour (the joys of travelling with kids!). I also check each port’s local regulations about visitors bringing food into their country and abide by these regulations. It’s not hard to find, a google search will lead you to the appropriate web page for each country you are visiting. ITA that agricultural safety is a huge issue with tourists and we want to leave each place the way we found it, or better.

 

 

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[forgotmyCCname]

Absolutely, it is allowed.

 

 

 

Phew! I would hate to be a rule breaker[emoji12]

 

 

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[Seminole1975]

I too have hypoglycemia. Have always taken unopened protein bars with me off the ship that I brought from home. No problems.

[ray98]

Never had a problem with factory sealed items, it is the fresh food that they worry about. I have even been stopped and waved right on through with chips and granola bars when the person in front of me was scolded when an apple and banana were confiscated.

[JZenkow]

In one sense this is comparing apples to oranges. The OP said she was on the Pearl in May which is on a Seattle- Alaska itinerary, But she was looking at recent Dailies, which is while the Pearl is in the Caribbean, or several foreign ports, vs the USA cruise(Except Victoria) she will be on. Should not be a problem for her cruise.

[lisakoivu]

Typically carry a couple of Cliff bars. Never had a problem. Again, these are always sealed and they're not "fresh food" like fruit, veg, meat, and they're not "ship food", they're my food from home.

 

Half the time we're carrying them because we forgot we had them...in a foreign country, we eat like the locals, the cliff bars are for the stupid airplane.

 

But we've never been asked to dispose of them.

[coldinerie]

I always take a zippy bag full of cheese-its and have yet to be stopped in over 30 years of sailing. Got to have my cheese its just in case the world runs out of food:)

[poohdreaming]

On my last cruise, I actually did bring my travel mug that was filled with apple juice out of the cruise ship. It was allowed off and back on the cruise ship. And some small snacks like cough candies, and bars.

[pisces68]

Thank you everyone. I really do appreciate your feedback. And yes it will be an Alaskan cruise out of Seattle in May :-) I was strictly asking about the sealed/factory wrapped bars I'll be bringing from home. Maybe even those individual sealed snack bags of pretzels. Definitely no 'fresh' food, fruits, sandwiches etc etc Sorry if I caused any 'confusion' or 'upset' others.