packaged snacks for excursions?

[drnojd]

Newbie question. I know we're not supposed to bring unpackaged food items off the boat at the ports. Will the buffets or other food places on the ship have any packaged items, e.g., chips, granola bars, etc, that we could take with on excursionss?

[denisey]

You're gong to have a whole lot of people telling you to order a room service sandwich and pack it in a baggie....that's not my thing, but that is what you will hear.

 

About the only thing you will find on the buffet that is prepackaged is individual boxes of cereal. Hubby and I still joke about how good the Fruit Loops were in Spain.

 

I usually have a handful of granola bars/energy bars in my suitcase for long exursion days.

[Cotton]

I hope most folks know and abide by the not taking food off the ship rule.:)

 

There won't be any prepackaged snacks for you at no charge. You can bring some from home or buy some in the sundries shop on board. As mentioned, the small boxes of cereal or packaged crackers would be about your only other option.

[OhioJeff]

Newbie question. I know we're not supposed to bring unpackaged food items off the boat at the ports. Will the buffets or other food places on the ship have any packaged items, e.g., chips, granola bars, etc, that we could take with on excursionss?

Sometimes the gym will have energy bars.

[tgray69]

i know it's not right but i have taken cereal and banana from ship

[Sherrybaby412]

i know it's not right but i have taken cereal and banana from ship

 

How nice of you to care about the environment in a foreign land. How would you like people to purposely bring things not allowed here? Produce can introduce insects not indigenous to the country and harm their native produce. Way to go and how selfish. Also consider the fine of $50,000 if I am remembering correctly.

 

Fruit and veggies are NOT to be taken off the ship! No excuses.

[zqvol]

How nice of you to care about the environment in a foreign land. How would you like people to purposely bring things not allowed here? Produce can introduce insects not indigenous to the country and harm their native produce. Way to go and how selfish. Also consider the fine of $50,000 if I am remembering correctly.

 

Fruit and veggies are NOT to be taken off the ship! No excuses.

 

In most (notice the emphasis on most not all) Caribbean ports the rules about taking items off the ship are ship rules and not local rules. The locals know that the food on the ship is not harboring insects, etc, since it came from the US and they really don't care, and there are no laws or rules preventing items being brought on shore from the ship.

 

You will often find that a lot of the smaller lines, with approval of the host countries prepare picnics for passengers and take the food off the ship.

 

However, to answer the OPs question, if you need snacks the best thing to do is buy them at home and take them with you on board. There are none on the ship and that will be less expensive than buying them ashore.

[LHP]

Ports like Cozumel are trying to stop the Red Palm Mite from entering their local agriculture....so these are not just "ship rules"...they are local steps being taken to protect their agriculture.

 

Now I have no idea what a Red Palm Mite is or how it would damage the agriculture and economy...but those are the ports rules and I abide by them.

I am a guest in their country and as such, I always try to be respectful.

 

I have a special needs child that won't just sit down and eat anything...anywhere....so we schedule our time in port around his needs.

 

We eat a big breakfast and arrange to be back on the ship for lunch. However, you CAN take off prepackaged (boxed) cereal (which is free from Lido) or any other bags of chips etc you can purchase from the gift shop or bring from home. You can also always buy chips, granola bars etc in port...if you have a child like mine that won't eat the local foods.

[Catrin]

Those boxes of cereal are a savior to parents of little kids (and big kids!)!!

 

And.. yes, I admit I have brought some cinnamon buns in ziploc bags too. But the last few cruises, I brought a box of Granola Bars in my suitcase - this was the trick. Just enough to get us through until we went back to the ship for a late lunch.

 

Catrin