Taking food off the ship, and shipboard tips

[NDRB]

What is Holland America's (Amsterdam) policy about taking snacks off the ship for lunch while we're in port (and unable to eat our lunch onboard)?

 

We've never had any problems with Princess or Royal Caribbean...

 

Also, I assume that one can charge tips for the ship's staff to one's account at the conclusion of the trip, or are they now automatically charged to one's account?

 

Nina

[shmabbies]

I don't know about Holland America's policy, but I THINK I recall last year while on Princess in Chile that we had to sign GOVERNMENT forms in every Chilean port that we were not bringing food on shore. Maybe it was only fruit and/or meat. I had never encountered anything like this before and I'd appreciate clarification from someone else (because the old memory ain't what it used to be!) but I assume since you're asking questions about this on the South American board that this is where you'll be so it bears looking into.

[lk4xits]

Its more a policy of the port or country you are visiting. In our recent trip to the Mexican Riveria we werent permitted to take fruit with us in Acapulco by order of the local Mexican government officials. I assume that would hold true of all food but not bottled water.

[hooked-on-travel]

We weren't allowed to take food off the ship (Royal Caribbean) last summer in Alaska. "Ship policy" we were told. I guess the key is not to let them catch you. They weren't searching backpacks or anything. I had the apple in my hand and was eating it. It was confiscated. The policy didn't seem to have much to do with destination.

[Bill S]

Nina: HAL has an automatic $10 per person/per day tip charge to your bill. However, you can ask to have that charge removed. Also, you can leave it on and always "tip up" as appropriate to deserving staff, if you desire. The auto-tip is spread between the front-staff (waiters, room stewards, bar staff) and back staff (chefs, cooks, janitors, dishwashers, etc). We did HAL's Amsterdam SA/Antarctica cruise last year and I recall that Chile and perhaps one other country would not allow unprocessed food off the ship. Have fun!

[Jon&Cheryl]

I'll let you know what I found out about taking a box lunch into Brazil. I got the impression that it is a Brazilian customs issue - not a "ship policy".

 

I had a friend in Brazil check with the Brazilian Customs Police - they said that we couldn't take food ashore.

 

I wrote to the Brazilian Embassy in New York; they 'phoned back to say that a box lunch from the ship is fine - they just don't want any fruit and vegetables grown elsewhere brought in.

 

So with this conflicting information, I intend to have the ship prepare (or I'll prepare) a box lunch to eat ashore. If it gets confiscated, I'll just deal with it and buy some local lunch.

 

Jon

[Aussie Gal]

No-one is allowed to take food off ships and planes into Australia. If you are caught and you will be as we have sniffer dogs here, you are 1) very embarrassed and 2) could face a hefty fine.

 

The reason is that we do not have the diseases that the northern hemisphere have with animals and food stuffs. I am sure that this is probably the case in Southern America and I would be very wary of taking food ashore. I would check first of all with the various Embassies for each country before you leave home.

 

HAL themselves probably wouldn't care at all whether you took food off or not it is the country that cares and I would be very careful.

 

Jennie

[pmcrusta]

We went from BA around the Horn through the Panama Canal to Ft. Lauerdale.

It was on the Royal Princess in Feb/March of 2004. But the it was made pretty clear. If you got caught taking food/fruit off the ship. It was a major infraction of their laws.

We did both ship tours and private tours. We never drank water. But we ate

at every port. Only at the locations we were taken to to eat. We never had a problem. Althought there was a minor outbreak of the nasty little virus on the ship. Just keep washing your hands. Take and I am not kidding toliet paper (small compact rolls can be bought at many drug stores) and the hand wipes for tours. Came in really handy. Even on the ship you might want to use the hand wipes.

They even recommended using a paper towel to open bathroom doors on the ship. There's no reason to be paranoid. Just a little extra effort will save you a lot of head aches or tummy aches :D .

[greatam]

As most posts have indicated, it is against most South American countries' agriculture policy to allow food from foreign countries on their soil, without inspections, certifications, etc. And you won't get those inspections with your snacks from a cruise ship, EXCEPT on a cruise ship excursion with box lunches. Those box lunches have the required inspections, certs, etc.

 

Our company handles logistics for the Thompson seedless grapes out of Chile and Peru to the US in the winter. I deal with the inspections on a daily basis and am very familiar with the ag rules in South America.

 

Meat and especially produce is embargoed in most first tier countries, without all the proper inspections. Those same prohibitions are also in place between certain states in the US. Ever drive from Oregon, Nevada, or Arizona into California? You had to stop for agriculture inspection and the questions they asked you were: Where are you coming from? And do you have any fruits or vegetables in your vehicle? If you do, all fruits/veggies are confiscated. If you fib and they search and find, the fines can be astronomical. Ask my friend who tried to bootleg 3 boxes of Harry and David gift pears into California. $700.00 fine and she still had the pears confiscated.

 

Those agriculture inspections, whether in foreign countries or between states in the US, are to prevent diseases and pest infestation across borders (mainly med fly in California). The ag guys probably won't confiscate your tuna sandwich, but they may confiscate your roast beef. And they definitely will confiscate your fresh produce. For your own peace of mind, don't take food off the ships, other than maybe potato chips, candy bars or something like that. You don't want to spend your vacation trying to explain to someone, who probably does not speak your language, that "it's only an apple" and then paying a large fine for the privilege. That would really wreck a vacation.

[joramrose]

I know first hand about the sniffing dogs in Australia!

 

I forgot I had stuck a banana in my carryon to eat on the plane to Sydney, so of course, I did not declare anything. While I was waiting for luggage, a little doggie came up to me. I petted him, thinking he was a friendly little thing, and he stayed with me until oops! an inspector arrived and asked to check my bag.

 

Imagine my chagrin when she found the banana that the dog had sniffed out.

 

I now had to go through the whole routine, getting all my baggage inspected before I could leave the airport. Missed my ride into town, as well as a harbor tour I had booked before joining my cruise ship.

 

It didn't cost me a fine, but I learned a big lesson.

 

love

joan