Celebrity Box Lunch

[Beally]

I have been reading alot about taking a "Box Lunch" with you on excursions so you do not need to stop for lunch. What exactly is in a Celebrity box lunch? Is there a charge? When should it be ordered? Thanks

[superjerryw]

That's an interesting question since most ports prohibit you from bringing food off the ship. Where you can bring food off the ship it is usually limited to food that is prepackaged.

[deb18]

many years ago on an excursion we had a can of tuna, crackers, canned fruit, a drink and a cookie. that was at least 5 years ago though.

[zelker]

Have never seen a box lunch per se offered but we've made our own. Bring multiple sizes of baggies (a must-have on any trip anyway) and pack your own, either by making sandwiches, etc. at the buffet or ordering room service and having lunch delivered. In fact, we're taking a small 6-pack soft cooler to the Baltic to have lunch one day while touring in St. Petersburg -- that way we can throw some ice in, too.

[gracecarmo]

I recall reading in the daily newsletter that under no circumstances that you can bring food ashore from the ship. (legally). Some people bring fruit, and I have seen a table full of bananas, oranges and apples! I don't know how they can police people that have things in their purses etc. but if they see a cooler....well it would probably stay on the ship.

[Gonzo70]

Have never seen a box lunch per se offered but we've made our own. Bring multiple sizes of baggies (a must-have on any trip anyway) and pack your own, either by making sandwiches, etc. at the buffet or ordering room service and having lunch delivered. In fact, we're taking a small 6-pack soft cooler to the Baltic to have lunch one day while touring in St. Petersburg -- that way we can throw some ice in, too.

 

Not such a good idea. In addition to possibly contaminating the place you are visiting (i.e. thorugh introducing new bacteria) it is illegal and you may be hit with a very hefty fine if caught. You can only bring pre-packaged food off the ship.

[Glenndale]

The tinned tuna, canned fruit, cracker lunch sounds like the one Celebrity supplied on a trip to Tulum about 5 years ago.

This was down to immigration regulations, we were not allowed to take in fresh fruit etc.

If you're planning on taking food from the buffet off the ship contrary to a country's regulations then you are asking for trouble.

[mafig]

Have never seen a box lunch per se offered but we've made our own. Bring multiple sizes of baggies (a must-have on any trip anyway) and pack your own, either by making sandwiches, etc. at the buffet or ordering room service and having lunch delivered. In fact, we're taking a small 6-pack soft cooler to the Baltic to have lunch one day while touring in St. Petersburg -- that way we can throw some ice in, too.

 

 

I just think you should obey and respect the law(s) of the country you are visiting.

[darrencantwait]

The tinned tuna, canned fruit, cracker lunch sounds like the one Celebrity supplied on a trip to Tulum about 5 years ago.

This was down to immigration regulations, we were not allowed to take in fresh fruit etc.

If you're planning on taking food from the buffet off the ship contrary to a country's regulations then you are asking for trouble.

 

Yes, we had this same lunch en route to Tulum this last October. We were so disappointed to see our boxed lunch was "American." We were hoping to get some nice empanadas or something. Since the boxed lunches were prepared shoreside by the tour company, it wouldn't have to be prepackaged for int'l customs/agriculture reasons. It was nice of them to provide us "American" food...we were just hoping to get a bit more South of the Border taste.

[zelker]

:confused: Spending a lot of time in Hawaii, we are extremely sensitive to not being able to bring things like fruits or some types of plants in to or out of the state and would never intentionally break any immigration laws (so please don't rip us a new one before offering up more information) -- but where are you getting your information that says it's illegal to bring a sandwich or a cookie from the ship into a country, please? Also, the only "trouble we might "ask for" is totally innocently having food that would be confiscated by a port authority and which we would be more than happy to turn over if asked or if we saw a sign that said we were not to bring food into the country or read it somewhere (other than in a ship's newsletter, which have been known to publish incorrect or "untrue" information from time to time, believe it or not). Again, I'd like to research this before our next cruise in September to the Baltic if you can point me in the right direction.

 

And this certainly has NOTHING TO DO with our not respecting laws. We are law abiding people, wherever we are - in the US or anywhere else on the planet.

 

Lighten up a little, people. We are not criminals!! Why you have decided that we should be incarcertated over food is beyond me!

[Ine]

:confused: Spending a lot of time in Hawaii, we are extremely sensitive to not being able to bring things like fruits or some types of plants in to or out of the state and would never intentionally break any immigration laws (so please don't rip us a new one before offering up more information) -- but where are you getting your information that says it's illegal to bring a sandwich or a cookie from the ship into a country, please? Also, the only "trouble we might "ask for" is totally innocently having food that would be confiscated by a port authority and which we would be more than happy to turn over if asked or if we saw a sign that said we were not to bring food into the country or read it somewhere (other than in a ship's newsletter, which have been known to publish incorrect or "untrue" information from time to time, believe it or not). Again, I'd like to research this before our next cruise in September to the Baltic if you can point me in the right direction.

 

And this certainly has NOTHING TO DO with our not respecting laws. We are law abiding people, wherever we are - in the US or anywhere else on the planet.

 

Lighten up a little, people. We are not criminals!! Why you have decided that we should be incarcertated over food is beyond me!

 

If Europeans enter the USA we can be searched (and also asked for) if we bring ANY food or fruits into the country, also we have to fill out a form stating this. It is against your laws.!

The same goes for bringing any food of the ship into e.g. Mexico, most European countries and I am sure also Hawaii. I have seen food taken away from people.

Remember that not only fruits, plants but also cheese or meatproducts can bring unwanted diseases into the place. Of course a single cookie is no harm.

[DallasTX]

Celebrity did not offer a formal 'boxed lunch' program, but we had no problem making our lunch from the buffet the day before (or morning of) and taking it ashore. We only did this in St Petersburg being so much to see and wanting to keep moving, but I don't think you'd have trouble in any of the countries. We brought along an insulated backpack, but it could just have easily been a little collapsible cooler because lunches tended to be on the bus between stops rather than on a walk somewhere. If you're concerned about bringing in something detrimental to the local environment, just make sure everything is cooked or processed (no fruit for instance).

[Gonzo70]

:confused: Spending a lot of time in Hawaii, we are extremely sensitive to not being able to bring things like fruits or some types of plants in to or out of the state and would never intentionally break any immigration laws (so please don't rip us a new one before offering up more information) -- but where are you getting your information that says it's illegal to bring a sandwich or a cookie from the ship into a country, please? Also, the only "trouble we might "ask for" is totally innocently having food that would be confiscated by a port authority and which we would be more than happy to turn over if asked or if we saw a sign that said we were not to bring food into the country or read it somewhere (other than in a ship's newsletter, which have been known to publish incorrect or "untrue" information from time to time, believe it or not). Again, I'd like to research this before our next cruise in September to the Baltic if you can point me in the right direction.

 

And this certainly has NOTHING TO DO with our not respecting laws. We are law abiding people, wherever we are - in the US or anywhere else on the planet.

 

Lighten up a little, people. We are not criminals!! Why you have decided that we should be incarcertated over food is beyond me!

 

Nobody is saying you should be incarcerated! Whether you are aware it is against the law or not, you still can be fined for it. I have heard that some ports even utilize dogs to "sniff out" people smuggling food off of the ships in order to protect their environment. Its simple; eat a big meal before leaving the ship, eat something at the port, or come back to the ship for lunch.

[zelker]

Nobody is saying you should be incarcerated! Whether you are aware it is against the law or not, you still can be fined for it. I have heard that some ports even utilize dogs to "sniff out" people smuggling food off of the ships in order to protect their environment. Its simple; eat a big meal before leaving the ship, eat something at the port, or come back to the ship for lunch.

 

Oh, but someone DID reply that "I just think you should obey and respect the law(s) of the country you are visiting", insinuating that we are criminals if we bring food off the ship.

 

I guess I would have to believe that if something is not against the law, they will not fine someone..... but if we get attacked by chocolate-chip cookie or apple sniffing dogs I'll be the first to admit you were right and I was wrong. :rolleyes:

 

In any case we checked with the US Consulate and Russian Immigration web sites yesterday as well as saw the actual form used for arriving passengers on Aeroflot Airlines (a Russian company) and the only plants and foods they mention are live plants and sturgeon, neither of which we will be bringing off the ship. Further, Red October, a licensed and very reputable tour company that we will be using for 2 days, told us that it was fine for us to bring lunch from the ship and asked us to bring sandwiches for our driver and guide the one day we will be eating "on the run". If the rules change between now and then, we will adjust plans accordingly.

 

 

Had enough of this thread. Sorry I ever responded. Am used to discussing topics in a more civil manor.

 

Bye.

[rosapdx]

I am in the same situation as Zelker. I will be taking a tour with Red October in St. Petersburg and the group decided to take a box lunch one day. Red October offered that as one of the options, so it should be OK.

 

I will be on Princess but it sounds like we will need to make our own box lunch. It isn't something that we can request from room service or ???

Thanks in advance!

[negc]

I am in the same situation as Zelker. I will be taking a tour with Red October in St. Petersburg and the group decided to take a box lunch one day. Red October offered that as one of the options, so it should be OK.

 

I will be on Princess but it sounds like we will need to make our own box lunch. It isn't something that we can request from room service or ???

Thanks in advance!

 

If Red October is offering a box lunch on the excursion, it is most likely that it is made up of local foods and not food taken off the ship and will be no problem.:) I would be most wary of making up your own box lunch with food from the ship (Princess or any line). Pay attention to the information you receive from the cruiseline. If they tell you that taking food off the ship isn't permitted, I'd take them at their word. Claiming that their information is wrong because it doesn't permit you to do something that you want to do is, IMHO, extremely pretentious and foolhardy. Like it or not, people who violate local laws and regulations can have the food confiscated and face the possibility of fines. If that makes you sound like a criminal, so be it.:rolleyes:

[darrencantwait]

When my friend and I did our post-college backpacking tour, my friend tried to sneak 2 Spanish chorizos back to the U.S. The dogs totally sniffed him out! I had no idea he had the chorizos and wondered why in the world they were pulling him aside. He quickly admitted to having a chorizo and handed one over. They let him go...and he still had the other chorizo in his bag.

 

So, if you have chorizo flavored cookies...look out!

[kitty9]

On a recent cruise on Regent, whenever we were in port, an announcement came over the loudspeaker every five minutes telling passengers not to take any ship's food off the ship. Since Regent is one of those cruise lines that don't make many public announcements, I think they were serious about this and didn't want their passengers to get into any kind of trouble. Pre-packaged goods like those small containers of cheese and crackers, granola bars and anything factory sealed is fine to take off the ship. But anything containing ship-prepared items, including cookies, breads and any meat products is not allowed in most countries.

[Squirrel's Mom]

It never even dawned on me that I was taking food off the ship but in one port I was finishing a yummy ice cream cone as we were walking off. I was politely asked to step out of line until I was finished.

[Gonzo70]

I guess I would have to believe that if something is not against the law, they will not fine someone..... but if we get attacked by chocolate-chip cookie or apple sniffing dogs I'll be the first to admit you were right and I was wrong. :rolleyes:

 

Zelker, nobody is taking pot shots at you. Perhaps you are even right and Russia is the rare exception that allows food, but I am 99% sure you are misinformed and I don't want other passengers to get the wrong idea and engage in a behavior that may cause damage to the city they visit and/or get themself in trouble. As you can see, several other people have now chimed in and stated that bringing non pre-packaged food off the ship is taboo. There are no "attack" dogs, but at some ports on some occasions there are dogs who sniff for food being brought into the country the ship is visiting. At the very least anybody planning on bringing food off a cruise ship should check with guest relations and inquire about the rules at the upcoming port; there may be some variations from port to port, but the general rule is only pre-packaged food may be brought off of the ship.

[rosapdx]

I emailed Red October after I saw this thread; I should get a reply by morning.

 

After I _logged_ into Cruise Critics, I saw the magic "Search" menu item. I typed in "box lunch" and it seems to be a common topic. People have ordered box lunches (not sure which cruise line) and others have ordered sandwiches the night before and put them in plastic bags. Others have stopped at a grocery store in St. Petersburg and bought picnic makings to take in the van. It looks like there are lots of options.

[zelker]

I emailed Red October after I saw this thread; I should get a reply by morning.

 

After I _logged_ into Cruise Critics, I saw the magic "Search" menu item. I typed in "box lunch" and it seems to be a common topic. People have ordered box lunches (not sure which cruise line) and others have ordered sandwiches the night before and put them in plastic bags. Others have stopped at a grocery store in St. Petersburg and bought picnic makings to take in the van. It looks like there are lots of options.

 

 

Hi, Rosapdx,

 

I will be surprised if RO tells you anything different than what they seem to tell anyone that asks (bring food for lunch from ship to eat en route) but please post your answer when you hear from them. Are you dealing with Laura by any chance?

 

I emailed the US Consulate in St. Petersburg this evening and asked if they could shed any light on the subject. Will post if I get a response. Funny how this topic goes back 2-3 years, all with a common theme (some do it, some think you deserve to lose body parts if you do it). And I truly believe no one is doing it to be hateful or ruin a country's agricultural industry. By the way, I'm also researching chorizo-sniffing dog training -- want to see about getting my 14 pound miniature poodle enrolled. ;)

 

Zelker

[tbelian]

Just wondering, if Celebrity charged for a box lunch to 'take with', would you pay to have this?

[rosapdx]

Hi, Rosapdx,

 

I will be surprised if RO tells you anything different than what they seem to tell anyone that asks (bring food for lunch from ship to eat en route) but please post your answer when you hear from them. Are you dealing with Laura by any chance?

 

I emailed the US Consulate in St. Petersburg this evening and asked if they could shed any light on the subject. Will post if I get a response. Funny how this topic goes back 2-3 years, all with a common theme (some do it, some think you deserve to lose body parts if you do it). And I truly believe no one is doing it to be hateful or ruin a country's agricultural industry. By the way, I'm also researching chorizo-sniffing dog training -- want to see about getting my 14 pound miniature poodle enrolled. ;)

 

Zelker

 

Zelker,

Anastasia at RO said there were no limitations what we could bring from the ship even fresh fruit is ok, just to not tell anyone on the ship. I live in Oregon and we have strict laws about what can come into the state to protect the agricultural, nursery and wine industries. Rules also change over time, so I guess we will see what happens when we get there.

 

I know someone who for years has refused to eat airline food and always packs a meal. Apparently, there are food-sniffing beagles at some airports and they always found whatever she had not eaten. Your poodle may have soon have a career!

 

Rosapdx

[StknCPA]

<snip>no limitations what we could bring from the ship even fresh fruit is ok, just to not tell anyone on the ship.<snip>

Rosapdx

 

Why not tell anyone?