How careful do I need to be about where I eat?!!

[Chickpea19]

I'll be going on my first cruise on the NCL SUN leaving 12/31. Our ports are Cozumel, Santo Tomas de Castilla (guatemala), Costa Maya, and Belize. I've heard all sorts of stories from land travelers about either drinking or consuming the water from food and getting sick (especially in Mexico), but have never heard anything like it on these boards. My question is, how careful do I need to be about where and what I eat? Will I get sick if I don't eat at a tourist resort where they prepare the food with purified water? How do I know if the food IS prepared with purified water? I'm an adventurous eater and love to try new things. I’d hate to miss out on the local cuisine, but I also don’t want to spend my vacation with either end glued to the toilet bowl! I'm used to traveling in Europe, where you can eat any old thing from any vendor on the street and not worry about anything. Please help!!

[98Charlie]

Chickpea

 

Click Herefor a link to a recent thread on water purity in Mexico.

 

We too love to try foods at the various ports. However, we always avoid street vendors and are very choosy about what and where we eat.

 

Raw foods at non-tourist restaurants are a no-no for us. Sadly, that includes things like salsas which we enjoy with a local brew:D

 

Fully cooked items are, for us, a worthwhile risk at restaurants that are not on the tourist trail.

 

In Cozumel we usually end up at Pancho's Backyard, located in the Los Cinco Soles shop. Great food! We also use their Margaritas as the standard by which all others are measured;)

 

In Costa Maya we went to Mahajual. There are a lot of restaurants that have beach front seating. They are located on the land side of the road with the tables, umbrellas and usually a bar on the beach side. I don't remember the name of the one where we ate. I do know that we looked in to the restaurant before we went to the beach. It appeared clean and well maintained so we went across the road to the beach area for them. The waiters will be in the street ready to seat you any time.

 

In Belize we usually stay in the port compound. We have felt safe to eat anything on the menues at the restaurants there, including salsa:D

 

Never been to Guatamala.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Charlie

[CaptData]

You can always ask. Most of the tourist restuants will be ok (water purified). If you do the Passion Island Escape they tell you while you are going there that the water and ice are from a purified source. So on Passion Island (Coz) it will be ok to eat drink and be merry. They have nice salsa too. Food and drinks are included in price.

[Chickpea19]

Let me make sure I understand...

The key is to make sure that anything eaten uncooked has been prepared with purified water. Cooked items should be ok as long as the whole thing is very hot.

Did I get that right?

Thanks everyone!

[on board]

My Dr. told me to avoid drinking water off ship unless it is bottled water, don't eat fresh fruit unless you know for sure it has been washed. Anything cooked should be ok, but you can get sick from cooked food anywhere. When in doubt don't eat it!

Make sure you wash your hands before you eat EVERYTIME!

Goodluck

[98Charlie]

These are in the category of raw foods. I would personally not eat raw fruits or vegetables outside of the tourist restaurants.

 

Washing fruit in clean water and then peeling it yourself is really the way to go if you want to eat fruit.

 

Bottled water is great. But, make sure that the bottle is delivered to your table sealed, preferably as a twist off so that you can be sure that it was not refilled.

 

Charlie