New Zealand customs for packaged cookies?

[OzKiwiJJ]

12 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Fantastic lot of information on sweets. I thank everyone for participating in this delicious thread.

 

I note you have Lindt down there.  This is my go-to for dark chocolate and I LOVE the Lindt "Excellence" Dark Madagascar with vanilla.  I have never tasted such smooth chocolate and the vanilla gives it a perfect "extra"! I buy these 100g bars on sale of 3 for $10 CND and horde them!

I've never seen that particular variety down here. It must be a local speciality. Both Countdown  and New World in NZ do have the Smooth Blend 70% variety though.

[chubbypiggy]

On 2/17/2023 at 10:29 PM, possum52 said:

If you like coconut in chocolate, Whittakers have the best coconut chocolate I have ever tasted. My absolute favourite, I had a small slab/bar this afternoon. 

We will be in Sydney one day before we embark on a 27 days Princess cruise from Sydney to L.A.  We will not have any Australia ports, but will have 3 NZ ports.  

 

I don't want to deal with Customs when entering Sydney, so decided not to bring any snacks from the U.S.  Plan to buy some packaged snacks in Sydney so can bring on shore to eat during our long excursions in NZ.  Will we be allowed to bring those coconut bars off the ship in NZ.  I heard so many posts saying we are not allowed to bring food off the ship during port visits. 

 

[possum52]

1 hour ago, chubbypiggy said:

We will be in Sydney one day before we embark on a 27 days Princess cruise from Sydney to L.A.  We will not have any Australia ports, but will have 3 NZ ports.  

 

I don't want to deal with Customs when entering Sydney, so decided not to bring any snacks from the U.S.  Plan to buy some packaged snacks in Sydney so can bring on shore to eat during our long excursions in NZ.  Will we be allowed to bring those coconut bars off the ship in NZ.  I heard so many posts saying we are not allowed to bring food off the ship during port visits. 

 

You can bring pre-packaged food such as chocolate bars off the ship. You can't bring fruit or food from the ship such as sandwiches, unpackaged cookies, cakes etc.

[lissie]

2 hours ago, chubbypiggy said:

We will be in Sydney one day before we embark on a 27 days Princess cruise from Sydney to L.A.  We will not have any Australia ports, but will have 3 NZ ports.  

 

I don't want to deal with Customs when entering Sydney, so decided not to bring any snacks from the U.S.  Plan to buy some packaged snacks in Sydney so can bring on shore to eat during our long excursions in NZ.  Will we be allowed to bring those coconut bars off the ship in NZ.  I heard so many posts saying we are not allowed to bring food off the ship during port visits. 

 

Wittakers are made in NZ - you can buy them here 🙂 

[SilvertoGold]

1 hour ago, possum52 said:

You can bring pre-packaged food such as chocolate bars off the ship. You can't bring fruit or food from the ship such as sandwiches, unpackaged cookies, cakes etc.

I hope you are right about this, but HAL World Cruise is saying nothing but sealed water off the ship in ports. 

[lissie]

59 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

I hope you are right about this, but HAL World Cruise is saying nothing but sealed water off the ship in ports. 

They are simplifying it - because people are pretty stupid about this.  The official rules are:

Food items that cannot be removed include:

• fresh fruit and vegetables
• meat of any kind
• prepared meals (including sandwiches)
• dairy products
• eggs
• honey.

Also, flowers, seeds, or plants cannot be removed.

Only commercially bottled drinking water, chocolates, confectionery, and biscuits are permitted to leave the vessel.

Passengers and crew going ashore are requested to present their hand luggage, including backpacks for inspection if requested.

Leave it on the ship or risk a $400 instant fine.

Biosecurity information for cruise ships | NZ Government (mpi.govt.nz)

[chubbypiggy]

2 hours ago, possum52 said:

You can bring pre-packaged food such as chocolate bars off the ship. You can't bring fruit or food from the ship such as sandwiches, unpackaged cookies, cakes etc.

Thank you.

[chubbypiggy]

2 hours ago, lissie said:

Wittakers are made in NZ - you can buy them here 🙂 

Thank you.  Yes, I plan to buy it at my first NZ port so I can bring them for snacks for the next 2 NZ ports that I booked a full day excursion. 

[Jean C]

Always Declare, Declare, Declare, even when you are confident that what you are bringing ashore is allowed. That way, if you have something they question, then you won't be fined, if they don't like what you have they will simply confiscate it 🙂

[chubbypiggy]

14 hours ago, Jean C said:

Always Declare, Declare, Declare, even when you are confident that what you are bringing ashore is allowed. That way, if you have something they question, then you won't be fined, if they don't like what you have they will simply confiscate it 🙂

So we get the Declare form from Guest Service on the Princess ship?  And then fill it out on the ship and bring with us to show the officer on the way out from our ship for our excursion?  Even if I am only bringing 1-2 small packaged cookies on shore that I bought in a prior NZ port? 

[Jean C]

7 hours ago, chubbypiggy said:

So we get the Declare form from Guest Service on the Princess ship?  And then fill it out on the ship and bring with us to show the officer on the way out from our ship for our excursion?  Even if I am only bringing 1-2 small packaged cookies on shore that I bought in a prior NZ port? 

Sorry, I don't know precisely how it's done, it wouldn't be through Guest Services. You'll either have the Customs form delivered to your cabin before arrival in NZ or you may simply be asked by staff at the Port. You can definitely take just about all commercially packaged goodies ashore so take your chocolate bars/cookies, just tell staff what you have if asked.

[chubbypiggy]

45 minutes ago, Jean C said:

Sorry, I don't know precisely how it's done, it wouldn't be through Guest Services. You'll either have the Customs form delivered to your cabin before arrival in NZ or you may simply be asked by staff at the Port. You can definitely take just about all commercially packaged goodies ashore so take your chocolate bars/cookies, just tell staff what you have if asked.

Thank you.

[Aus Traveller]

8 hours ago, chubbypiggy said:

So we get the Declare form from Guest Service on the Princess ship?  And then fill it out on the ship and bring with us to show the officer on the way out from our ship for our excursion?  Even if I am only bringing 1-2 small packaged cookies on shore that I bought in a prior NZ port? 

You don't have to fill out a form to declare goods when you are leaving the ship on an excursion. It is only when you are disembarking the ship at the end of your cruise. For shore excursions, I suggest you take the cookies (or other processed food but definitely not fruit or meat etc). Have the item in your hand luggage and ask the quarantine officer you will see in the terminal if the item is OK to take ashore. If not, then you will have to hand it over but I am confident you would not be fined. This occurs when contraabanc food is discovered.

[MMDown Under]

8 hours ago, chubbypiggy said:

So we get the Declare form from Guest Service on the Princess ship?  And then fill it out on the ship and bring with us to show the officer on the way out from our ship for our excursion?  Even if I am only bringing 1-2 small packaged cookies on shore that I bought in a prior NZ port? 

I would think if you took ashore sealed packages of cookies you bought in NZ at another port that wouldn't be an item you would need to declare.  You could keep NZ receipt with cookies. The Auths. would be  concerned about bringing foreign food in to NZ, not NZ food. 

[Pushka]

On 2/20/2023 at 7:25 AM, possum52 said:

You can bring pre-packaged food such as chocolate bars off the ship. You can't bring fruit or food from the ship such as sandwiches, unpackaged cookies, cakes etc.

I doubt it to be honest. They will want to inspect the ingredients at best. At worst it will be a general instruction, don't take anything but water off the ship. 

[possum52]

3 minutes ago, Pushka said:

I doubt it to be honest. They will want to inspect the ingredients at best. At worst it will be a general instruction, don't take anything but water off the ship. 

From https://www.mpi.govt.nz/import/border-clearance/ships-and-boats-border-clearance/cruise-ships-and-passengers/ as Lissie quoted in her post above above -

Announcement to passengers

Cruise ships must broadcast this announcement:

New Zealand's biosecurity law prohibits the removal of certain food items from this vessel, whether available on board or brought on personally.

Food items that cannot be removed include:

• fresh fruit and vegetables
• meat of any kind
• prepared meals (including sandwiches)
• dairy products
• eggs
• honey.

Also, flowers, seeds, or plants cannot be removed.

Only commercially bottled drinking water, chocolates, confectionery, and biscuits are permitted to leave the vessel.

Passengers and crew going ashore are requested to present their hand luggage, including backpacks for inspection if requested.

Leave it on the ship or risk a $400 instant fine.

Due to the current outbreak of foot and mouth disease in countries overseas, our frontline border staff are paying close attention to goods and are stepping up baggage searches.

Please declare If you’ve been in contact with livestock and ensure all shoes, clothing, and sporting equipment are clean.

Thank you.

---

 

[Pushka]

15 minutes ago, possum52 said:

From https://www.mpi.govt.nz/import/border-clearance/ships-and-boats-border-clearance/cruise-ships-and-passengers/ as Lissie quoted in her post above above -

Announcement to passengers

Cruise ships must broadcast this announcement:

New Zealand's biosecurity law prohibits the removal of certain food items from this vessel, whether available on board or brought on personally.

Food items that cannot be removed include:

• fresh fruit and vegetables
• meat of any kind
• prepared meals (including sandwiches)
• dairy products
• eggs
• honey.

Also, flowers, seeds, or plants cannot be removed.

Only commercially bottled drinking water, chocolates, confectionery, and biscuits are permitted to leave the vessel.

Passengers and crew going ashore are requested to present their hand luggage, including backpacks for inspection if requested.

Leave it on the ship or risk a $400 instant fine.

Due to the current outbreak of foot and mouth disease in countries overseas, our frontline border staff are paying close attention to goods and are stepping up baggage searches.

Please declare If you’ve been in contact with livestock and ensure all shoes, clothing, and sporting equipment are clean.

Thank you.

---

 

We have had commercially packaged goods taken from us by biosecurity regardless of the rules. Luck of the draw maybe. 

[possum52]

2 hours ago, Pushka said:

We have had commercially packaged goods taken from us by biosecurity regardless of the rules. Luck of the draw maybe. 

Evidently the biosecurity officers don't know what is or not allowed. May I ask where you had your goods confiscated? In our last visit to NZ, before Covid we were standing in a line to leave the ship at Port Chalmers, waiting for permission for passengers to disembark. It was quite a long wait and we heard the above announcement so many times, that those in the queue were announcing it too each time it came on.

[Pushka]

40 minutes ago, possum52 said:

Evidently the biosecurity officers don't know what is or not allowed. May I ask where you had your goods confiscated? In our last visit to NZ, before Covid we were standing in a line to leave the ship at Port Chalmers, waiting for permission for passengers to disembark. It was quite a long wait and we heard the above announcement so many times, that those in the queue were announcing it too each time it came on.

It was in Auckland. Husband was peeved he lost his snacks. 😂

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, Pushka said:

It was in Auckland. Husband was peeved he lost his snacks. 😂

Were they a well-known brand bought in NZ?

Edited February 21, 2023 by OzKiwiJJ

[Pushka]

18 minutes ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Were they a well-known brand bought in NZ?

They weren't bought in NZ. They might be available there though, we didn't look.  But they were packaged as per the documentation above. 

[OzKiwiJJ]

18 minutes ago, Pushka said:

They weren't bought in NZ. They might be available there though, we didn't look.  But they were packaged as per the documentation above. 

That may have been why. If they weren't recognisable and looked like they may have had ingredients that were problematical, ie honey, then the customs official might have thought they were risky. Then again, the customs official might just have been being bloody-minded! 

[SilvertoGold]

9 hours ago, possum52 said:

From https://www.mpi.govt.nz/import/border-clearance/ships-and-boats-border-clearance/cruise-ships-and-passengers/ as Lissie quoted in her post above above -

Announcement to passengers

Cruise ships must broadcast this announcement:

New Zealand's biosecurity law prohibits the removal of certain food items from this vessel, whether available on board or brought on personally.

Food items that cannot be removed include:

• fresh fruit and vegetables
• meat of any kind
• prepared meals (including sandwiches)
• dairy products
• eggs
• honey.

Also, flowers, seeds, or plants cannot be removed.

Only commercially bottled drinking water, chocolates, confectionery, and biscuits are permitted to leave the vessel.

Passengers and crew going ashore are requested to present their hand luggage, including backpacks for inspection if requested.

Leave it on the ship or risk a $400 instant fine.

Due to the current outbreak of foot and mouth disease in countries overseas, our frontline border staff are paying close attention to goods and are stepping up baggage searches.

Please declare If you’ve been in contact with livestock and ensure all shoes, clothing, and sporting equipment are clean.

Thank you.

---

 

This is good info, but it looks as if some ships/lines are adding to this list.  Passengers on the HAL World Cruise were told nothing off the ship but sealed water. Period,  Why HAL is going above and beyond is the question. 

It was interesting because the blog writer mentioning this was standing near a bar guy who was getting ready to sell that "sealed water" when the announcement was made. He also had pop/soda on his cart to sell and he hastily removed it when he heard the announcement.

Edited February 21, 2023 by SilvertoGold

[GUT2407]

On 2/19/2023 at 9:47 AM, lyndarra said:

I bought what looked like a nice pasty from The Bakery, Greenhills. I couldn't eat it. Some idiot pastry cook had decided it should have broccoli in it. Ugh!

Bet it was Baker’s Cottage?

 

[lyndarra]

56 minutes ago, GUT2407 said:

Bet it was Baker’s Cottage?

 

That's the one!