New to Cruising- 1st timer Dining Q's

[Fishbait17]

Call me what you like, but there is REAL reason for these laws, and if you REALLY think such a little incident could do no harm, you are very wrong. Did you actually do the google I recommended? Don't you think the people who ignorantly/innocently brought the Med fruit fly into CA also thought they were doing no harm? A few grapes actually could bring down the agricultural economy of an island - how would you feel about that? Why weren't several bags of chips enough for a quick lunch? Or perhaps some boxed cereal to munch as well? Since you continue to defend your actions instead of admitting to an innocent mistake, you are teaching your children that perhaps laws don't apply to them either. Remember, we're not talking about bending some cruise line's rules, we're talking about breaking laws. I have seen the devastation caused to ecosystems by foreign invaders, and it has meant an absolute end to certain flora and fauna in areas where they have thrived for centuries. Like I said, an innocent mistake is one thing, but an ignorant and blatant disregard of laws is another. Perhaps you would feel differently about someone who has several drinks and drives anyway - and perhaps they feel as you do, that the laws don't apply to them and they are doing no harm..

[Flydude1063]

Lighten up Beachchick - this was three years ago when my children were toddlers and I didn't want them to eat food from a foreign country on a beach, so I took some pbj's along with. I don't think that qualifies as a reason that we needed to stay on the ship and not enjoy our vacation. And for the record, we brought all our leftover garbage back with us to dispose of properly. You call me incredibly selfish, I call you incredibly judgmental.

 

 

Wow. Sorry, but this kind of thinking is just downright scary. What Beachchick said was totally correct. She's being incredibly smart, not incredibly judgmental.

[beachchick]

Lighten up Beachchick - this was three years ago when my children were toddlers and I didn't want them to eat food from a foreign country on a beach, so I took some pbj's along with. I don't think that qualifies as a reason that we needed to stay on the ship and not enjoy our vacation. And for the record, we brought all our leftover garbage back with us to dispose of properly. You call me incredibly selfish, I call you incredibly judgmental.

 

Yes, I am incredibly judgmental on this issue because people who do things like you have done have cost my state millions of dollars, have damaged our agricultural infrastructure, and have massively inconvenienced the people who live here.

 

If the local laws say it is illegal to bring fresh food off the ship, then just follow them. There are no exceptions, not for toddlers, not for anyone. You didn't want your toddlers to eat local food on a foreign beach. Fine. You had the option to return to the ship to eat or to bring legally allowed pre-packaged items and beverages.

 

It doesn't matter that you brought the garbage back to dispose of properly, you were still risking contaminating country's ecosystem by bringing it off the ship in the first place. True, the risk is small, but it exists and the results have cost and are costing many islands, states, and countries a great deal.

 

How would you feel if someone visiting your area intentionally broke a law that then affected your region? Would you not think they were disrespectful? Would you not think they were selfish?

 

beachchick

 

p.s. to everyone who understood my point: Thank you, especially Fishbait17 because you gave me another reason to mention the Med fruit fly. In fact, I did live through it in California. It cost millions of dollars in lost crops and eradication; it cost hundreds of thousands of hours; and it meant we all had to schedule our lives around the malathion drops. It was horrible. That is one of the reasons I react strongly to these issues. Both past and current pest problems we're fighting are partly due to careless, casual, "it's only some grapes" smuggling.

[beachchick]

Shoot. Sorry all, dreaded double post.

 

beachchick

[brockwell]

Yes, I will admit I was wrong, however, I had no idea at the time (3 years ago) that I was breaking the law. I always thought that they didn't want you to bring food ashore because they wanted you to spend money there - and not 'borrow' from the ship. I had no idea that it was illegal, just thought it was against NCL rules. If it's as big of a deal as everyone here believes it is, I would think NCL would make us aware and at the very least check our bags on the way off the boat.

 

And just because I was naive and did this doesn't mean that I'm the same as a drunk driver, as someone stated above. That's a low blow and exactly why I said that people are being judgmental. If that's not being judgmental then I don't know what is.

[Fishbait17]

I appreciate you admitting to a mistake, I was only trying to educate you as to why the laws are there in the first place. I was concerned about you defending your actions after you were told that it was against the law, but I guess you never read that in the responses and just became defensive. My main concern was that others might read what you were saying and think that if you could do it, they could as well. As for NCL's informing cruisers of the law, the laws regarding what can and can't be taken ashore are clearly written in the daily at each port. It's the same with an airport - it is written in your customs declaration and on signs when entering a country - if you choose to disregard this information, it is your negligence, not the fault of the airline, airport, etc. As to checking all bags, this would take hours at each port, causing delays for everyone trying to get off the ship. Likewise, they don't check everyone's bags at the airport when you arrive in a country - the time and manpower needed for this would be outrageous. When you see the dogs sniffing incoming luggage, it is usually for such items as fruit and vegetables, not drugs as many might think. Yes, some items "slip by", but it is up to everyone in the population to obey these laws so that we can protect ourselves.

 

As for calling you the same as a drunk driver, I didn't say that you were the same. I was simply making a comparison to disregarding laws that are meant to protect us. Any blatant disregard for a law is the same, it can cause harm to others while the offender feels they were doing nothing wrong by bending the law to suit them.

 

Robin

[AKA/Nanna]

Yes, I will admit I was wrong, however, I had no idea at the time (3 years ago) that I was breaking the law.

 

I think perhaps if you had responded this way after the first negative post, that you would not have been picked on so much. My take on it was that people started getting annoyed after the lighten up comment. We're all human and make mistakes. It's how we handle the mistake after it's been brought to our attention that will make or break you.

 

JMHO

[brockwell]

I still stand behind my 'lighten up' comment. I don't like being attacked and if you look at the messages posted, it was beachchick who got nasty to begin with - calling me 'incredibly selfish'. The posters after that jumped on the bandwagon and started saying other derogatory things about me - including comparing me to a drunk driver. How do you not get defensive after that?

 

The mean-spiritedness of some of these posts is truly disheartening.

[nelson67]

Fishbait17 - Why do you say it's outrageous to expect the cruise line to check each bag when getting off in a port, but yet they check each bag coming back on when looking for alcohol? What's the difference?

[johnql]

Fishbait17 - Why do you say it's outrageous to expect the cruise line to check each bag when getting off in a port, but yet they check each bag coming back on when looking for alcohol? What's the difference?

I'm not Fishbait but I can give you one big difference - the size of the crowds. When the ship is ready to disembark, there's always a huge line because people are eager to get off the ship. The majority of the passengers are all looking to get off at roughly the same time. Getting back on is not the same - passengers return to the ship at all different times based on different lengths of excursions or just heading out independently. There's much more time available to do screening getting back on vs. getting off.

[nelson67]

Understood, but if taking food off the ship can truly be as devastating as everyone says, then you would think that NCL would do more than post a fine print message in a corner of the freestyle daily.

 

Not to mention that getting back on the ship is not always spaced out (like when you are tendered in), but they still find the time to check each person's bag thoroughly.

[Fishbait17]

Plus the scanners cannot really detect fruit and vegetables, etc. All bags would have to be hand searched, and I can imagine the complaints that would roll in about not being able to disembark in a port of call for likely 1 or 2 hours. Think of it like drug smuggling - you know you cannot bring, say, marijuana into a port of call (not really a great comparison because it would not be permitted on the ship anyway, but best that I can think of right now). But someone might bring it with them anyway, and into the port. Would you feel okay about having all of your bags hand searched and a long delay at every port because someone might ignore the law? It's comparatively the same thing - you are expected to know the laws and obey them, a trust system. If you are caught in the country with either item, expect large fines (or jail time for the drugs, I don't know for sure at what ports etc). The daily tells you what is allowed, and the are signs as you disembark as well, and you are expected to follow those laws. I know I would hate to be delayed by hours because someone might choose not to do what is right or lawful.

 

Robin

[Fishbait17]

Understood, but if taking food off the ship can truly be as devastating as everyone says, then you would think that NCL would do more than post a fine print message in a corner of the freestyle daily.

 

Not to mention that getting back on the ship is not always spaced out (like when you are tendered in), but they still find the time to check each person's bag thoroughly.

 

I understand what you are saying. I guess when you have done any international travel, you just know the law exists, but many might not be aware of the laws. It's more than fine print in the daily, it's posted under the info for the port on the port sheet that you should take with you off the ship. I just assume that most people read it because it's what you are supposed to do. I don't have one with me (I am out of town for a week) but I will look when I get home - I am fairly sure it is pretty large and clear on that paper. Also, there are signs when disembarking at the gangway. I think that most people might simply ignore all these warnings because, if they are smuggling goods off the ship, they don't know the consequences of those actions. That is why I was trying to educate the naive in the seriousness of this subject.

 

Brockwell, I apologize to you if you continue to think I was comparing you to a drunk driver. I have already explained that I was not disparaging you, but comparing your actions to that of someone else who ignored a law meant to protect. It was not meant in mean spirit, only to impress the seriousness of the issue. If you were not so continually defensive of your "crime", I would have thanked you right away for realizing your mistake. Please don't be offended, but instead learn that you made a mistake and move on - we ALL make mistakes, and it is what we learn from them that counts.

 

Robin

[younglegend]

I stand by my comments too. You comments were an overreaction. If there was a serious threat, as implied by your response, the cruise line or local government would check bags as you exit the ship. We are talking about food on a cruise ship from the US, which probably has some of the most restrictive customs laws of any country. The risk is minuscule and this is not at all comparable to drunk driving.

 

As for your comment about breaking laws, I guess you have never exceeded the speed limit.

[Sauer-kraut]

Just fly to American Samoa, they will fumegate the entire aircraft WITH the passengers still in their seats before they will allow the doors to open to the jetway.

 

Pests are a serious business, look at Hawaii, who never had tree frogs until someone brought some over as 'pets' and now they have taken over the islands and there are no predators who will feast on the little buggers.

 

I always look for the beagle patrol in the international terminal at the airport when returning home from Europe, sometimes I wish they had more aggressive dogs just to scare the bejeebers out of people with their bananas, apples, ham, and other products. :D

[Fishbait17]

Just fly to American Samoa, they will fumegate the entire aircraft WITH the passengers still in their seats before they will allow the doors to open to the jetway.

 

Pests are a serious business, look at Hawaii, who never had tree frogs until someone brought some over as 'pets' and now they have taken over the islands and there are no predators who will feast on the little buggers.

 

I always look for the beagle patrol in the international terminal at the airport when returning home from Europe, sometimes I wish they had more aggressive dogs just to scare the bejeebers out of people with their bananas, apples, ham, and other products. :D

 

I remember when they used to fumigate all planes in and out of most countries.. Even after it was disallowed it for Jamaican flights, I saw them sneaking it down the aisle spraying it from the hem of their skirts.. Nasty stuff! My daughter used to get so sick from the fumigations she would always spike a fever higher than 104 for a several hours after every flight - we carried prescription meds just for that purpose! I am happy we no longer have to deal with that on most flights anymore - that yukky cloud, ewwww...

 

Robin

[Sunbury]

Speaking of pests, have you heard about the emerald ash borer? People often do not listen to the warnings about transporting firewood when camping. I admit our family hates to pay money for wood that we are going to burn, but spreading the ash borer would be worse!

 

In case if you have not heard about the emerald ash borer, here is some info... "Emerald ash borer probably arrived in the United States on solid wood packing material carried in cargo ships or airplanes originating in its native Asia. Since its discovery, EAB has killed tens of millions of ash trees in southeastern Michigan alone, with tens of millions more lost in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Quebec, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin." http://www.emeraldashborer.info

 

The most effective way to get rid of / prevent this bug is to cut down all of the ash trees in the affected area.

 

Bugs accidentally brought in from other countries can be a problem!

[beachchick]

I stand by my comments too. You comments were an overreaction. If there was a serious threat, as implied by your response, the cruise line or local government would check bags as you exit the ship. We are talking about food on a cruise ship from the US, which probably has some of the most restrictive customs laws of any country. The risk is minuscule and this is not at all comparable to drunk driving.

 

As for your comment about breaking laws, I guess you have never exceeded the speed limit.

 

The ships aren't provisioned entirely in the US, even when they leave from US ports. It actually is a serious threat, but unfortunately, the laws are not strictly enforced in some places. Partly it is because they don't want to upset or offend visitors who are bringing tourist dollars. While the risk overall is small, it exists. It doesn't really matter that it's miniscule--it's there.

 

I wouldn't compare it to drunk driving because those are two entirely different actions. Drunk driving affects a finite number of people in a specific (and often predictable) way; agricultural contamination can affect thousands or more people for a long time, both financially and physically when crops/food must be destroyed. It can also result in higher food prices for everyone. And breaking the speed limit is not even in the same category as breaking agricultural laws.

 

I still stand behind my 'lighten up' comment. I don't like being attacked and if you look at the messages posted, it was beachchick who got nasty to begin with - calling me 'incredibly selfish'. The posters after that jumped on the bandwagon and started saying other derogatory things about me - including comparing me to a drunk driver. How do you not get defensive after that?

 

The mean-spiritedness of some of these posts is truly disheartening.

 

You know, I wouldn't have called you incredibly selfish if you hadn't posted the highlighted part of this:

 

We just got off the Dawn on the 27th, and took food ashore with us when we were worried that none would be available at the beach we were going to. We ordered (free) room service in the morning and asked for 4 PBJ sandwiches that came with chips and grapes. I had brought ziplocs along, so we packed them into ziplocs and took them ashore. Worked perfectly for my 3 young children who I worried about giving 'beach' food to. They did not check any bags leaving the ship, even though you're not supposed to take fruit ashore.

 

You knew it was illegal, but you did it anyway. That is what makes it selfish. Had you not known, then it would have been a different situation. I agree that the immigration officials with the cruise line's assistance should have checked everyone's bags. There are places where food sniffing dogs are used and anyone visiting who the dogs alert to is pulled aside for a full inspection. But the bottom line is that we are responsible for our own behavior. The fact that they may not check bags is immaterial to what we do as visitors

 

I did not and would not compare you to a drunk driver because they are completely different actions.

 

beachchick

[Anginette]

Lighten up Beachchick - this was three years ago when my children were toddlers and I didn't want them to eat food from a foreign country on a beach, so I took some pbj's along with. I don't think that qualifies as a reason that we needed to stay on the ship and not enjoy our vacation. And for the record, we brought all our leftover garbage back with us to dispose of properly. You call me incredibly selfish, I call you incredibly judgmental.

 

Yes, I will admit I was wrong, however, I had no idea at the time (3 years ago) that I was breaking the law. I always thought that they didn't want you to bring food ashore because they wanted you to spend money there - and not 'borrow' from the ship. I had no idea that it was illegal, just thought it was against NCL rules. If it's as big of a deal as everyone here believes it is, I would think NCL would make us aware and at the very least check our bags on the way off the boat.

 

And just because I was naive and did this doesn't mean that I'm the same as a drunk driver, as someone stated above. That's a low blow and exactly why I said that people are being judgmental. If that's not being judgmental then I don't know what is.

 

If this was just three years ago, your children, whom you state here are today 10 and 13+, were NOT toddlers.

[jdvmd]

You are not allowed to take food off period unless it is pre-packaged like a box of cereal. This has been the case since I started cruising in 1996 so it isn't new. And if anyone spends any time on these boards, you know this question probably comes up every day. I was walking off a ship once eating an ice cream cone and security pulled me aside and said I could not take the cone off the ship. I either had to finish it right there or throw it away.

[AKA/Nanna]

The mean-spiritedness of some of these posts is truly disheartening.

 

I can see how you'd feel that way, and sometimes I would agree. However, I still believe if you had just admitted the mistake and moved on, it would not have gotten so out of hand. There are some issues discussed here that cause a very strong reaction from people (i.e., smoking is another one).

[ncyankee]

Back to the initial question -- eat away. Just remember wear your tighter clothes early in the week. By week's end they may not button!

 

As for taking food off the ship, I agree a total NO NO -- I usually always pack a box of quaker oats granola bars and some sealed bags of candy. this way if we don't see something that my picky family considers edible -- we can nosh on that. when my boys were little I packed an entire carry on full on sealed prepackaged snacks. It was a hassle to pack but made the trip easier to know they always had something from home that they liked.

[brockwell]

If this was just three years ago, your children, whom you state here are today 10 and 13+, were NOT toddlers.

Wow, I'm so flattered that you are researching me to check my facts. I've been on 4 cruises in the last 9 years, starting when my kids were babies/toddlers. I'm positive I took food off the ship with me when they were toddlers, as well as the cruise in question from three years ago. I did not however take any food off the ship with me on my last cruise which was 4 weeks ago, since I have learned that there are valid reasons for the cruise lines prohibiting this.

 

Anything else you want to know about me? I take it as a compliment that you're so interested in me. For the record, I don't drink and drive either.

[Eskimo]

I recall when we took a Disney cruise, you could order a picnic lunch that was delivered to your cabin (room service) to bring with you on excursions. This was back in '97 so I don't know if things have changed since then. We never used the service, but I do remember it being available.

[johnql]

...I have learned that there are valid reasons for the cruise lines prohibiting this.

Just for the record, it's not the cruise lines that prohibit taking certain foods ashore; it's the local authorities.