Food question

[deeolasingh]

I have a question has anyone ever taken food (example fresh fruit, sandwiches,cookies ect...) from the ship to the beach? A lady at my church said that we should pack ziplock bags in assorted sizes. This will be my second cruise and Im not sure of her advise. We are cruising with about 12 to 14 adults some says that sounds like a good idea some say it sounds cheesy What do you think????

Any comments/response would help.:)

[jerseygirl3]

I saw a group last week do that in Costa Maya, and personally, I thought it was very tacky. They went to a beach with free lounge chairs and the proprietors do expect you to eat/drink there. They did drink, but I think it was really tacky that they pulled out their own sandwiches for lunch (they were a group of about 10-12). Besides, I'd be worried about the food spoiling. I'm not on vacation to haul around a cooler just to save a few bucks. I think if you want to bring a piece of fruit or small snack, that's fine, but to bring lunch ashore from the ship is, IMO, pushing it.

[yst347]

You are not allowed to take food off the ship. You will be asked to dispose of any food before you are allowed to exit. Yeah, I know...I know, you can hide it and sneak it off.

[texas greeneyes]

Things like unopened boxes of cereal ARE allowed to be taken off the ship. It is NOT permitted to bring unsealed food off the ship. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but it is against the rules. Its up to you whether or not to observe them.

 

Happy cruising! :)

[GoinCruisin]

The biggest no-no is fruit... most countries have laws about bringing fresh fruit/produce into their country. Many also prohibit meat/beef, etc. To be on the safe side, take only sealed food (cereal boxes, etc). If you take sandwiches, I would suggest removing lettuce/tomato.. Please respect the laws of other countries... a quick internet search will let you know that countries take this seriously and will fine you in a second.

[mrdood]

this can get to be a hot topic, you can find many posts when you search, here is one of the more civil ones:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=210556

[deeolasingh]

Thanks for the info.... I guess the folks Im cruising with heard me complain a couple of times about this one place in Antiqua where the were charging $52.00 US dollars for a small pizza pie:( . They didnt get any of my US dollars for that pizza. I did purchase a few bottles of water at $3.50 US a pop but when we were good and hungry all four of us got a cab ride which was about 15 minutes from the beach back to the ship for about $20.00

[salty dingo]

I think it all depends where you are. I would not bring fruit or sandwiches in any case since they would not travel well and may well be illegal.

 

However, we usually bring packs of crackers, bags or trail mix, etc. from home to have something to nibble on while walking around.

 

If you are lounging on a beach on the property of a resort, I can see where they would not take to kindly to folks who bring lunch. It is way too much hassle to bring a lot of food ashore.

 

Think of it this way - you can eat a big breakfast and a huge dinner on the ship, plus snacks, etc... use the brief time on shore to get away from eating a lot. A few snacks is probably all anyone needs.

 

I think it is funny the people who go on cruises and hope to "sample the local cuisine" while in port... like they are going to be hungry after all that food on the ship!

[hstrybuf]

Not only is it tacky, it may well be against the laws of the country you are visiting, even if it's California! Signs may or may not be posted telling you not to take food off the ship, people may or may not follow them. Don't take chances. Leave the food on the ship.

[dan40]

Right now, Florida citrus products are not allowed to be shipped even to neighboring states or to anywhere that is also a citrus producing area. Due to "canker" and "greening", 2 diseases that have not been controlled in Fl. Millions of commercial trees have been burned here and it has done nothing to stop "canker"

 

But most countries, including the USA do not allow any uninspected food products to be brought into their territory. That's the reason the ships say you're not allowed to take food off. Not that they'll miss the food, its against local law.

 

Dan