Help- European locals- consumable gift

[GARNERSINMH]

We will be staying at smaller hotels pre and post cruise and would like to bring small gifts (in addition to cash tips) for staff on the cruise and on land. After reading several what-not-to-give threads are there any 'American' consumables that are hard to get in Europe? Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!

[EV2008]

We will be staying at smaller hotels pre and post cruise and would like to bring small gifts (in addition to cash tips) for staff on the cruise and on land. After reading several what-not-to-give threads are there any 'American' consumables that are hard to get in Europe? Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!

Maybe Peanut Butter, and Oreo Cookies.

[CintiPam]

Well, I am not a European local, but I have heard "peanut butter" as well.

[AmoMondo]

I am European and we have peanut butter albeit not American brands. I think this is very thoughtful of you to think about bringing other gifts. You might want to bear in mind the weight for your luggage (the airlines are so strict) and also certain foodstuffs might not only be confiscated by Customs but land you with a fine. I think cruise staff especailly prefer cash to all else. Some cruiselines forbid them from having food etc in their cabins, plus theirs are often a lot smaller than ours and space is at a premium.

Most consumable items are readily available throughout Europe 9albeit sometimes more expensive than in the US). I think this is a great idea if you are going somewhere like Kenya where they really appreciate being able to get things they cant buy for themselves. In Europe especially the EEC countries, you run the risk of causing offence,

[GARNERSINMH]

AmoMondo, offense is what I really, really want to avoid, so thank you for the warning and the customs thought is worth looking into. I know space is at a premium for the cruise crew, which is where the treat idea came from, something from the US, that they may not have ready access to. I was thinking candy, cookies, like that. Ice wine was mentioned in another thread, maybe some type or brand of liquor? Please keep the suggestions coming!

[Shiver]

I'm from Norway, I have lived in the US for a year some years ago and something miss, and have not seen in any other European countries, are Starburst :)

[carlmm]

The idea is quite nice. Just keep in mind as AmoMondo suggested that you are not going to countries where there is any shortage of food or drinks. Thus it needs to be something that is clearly given because it reflects your local cusine.

 

I guess most people would appreciate something that is not only American but from your specific region. If you come from a wine producing area or have a whiskey destillery close by these would be great presents.

Just be careful with the quality: For example for Ice Wine there are very strict rules in Europe about only calling something "Ice Wine" if it has been made from grapes picked after natural frost while many "Ice Wines" from North America are produced from artificially frozen grapes. The same obviously goes for "Champagne" which in Europe can only be from the Champagne area in France.

 

While peanut butter is not widely availabel in Europe, there is a reason for it: It is very specific to the American taste and many / most Europeans do not like it. Thus I would advise against taking it.

 

Maybe you have a local farmers market which sells homemade dressings or something else special?

[GARNERSINMH]

Locally produced things sound like a great idea too! How are jams and jellies liked/disliked in Europe? (I know Europe is a large, diverse area and really there's no way for anyone to give an opinion that covers everywhere. I'm just looking for suggestions and ideas.) We have a couple different types of jellies from Idaho, blackberry, leaps to mind. We also have a very distinctive candy bar that I love. I'll be bringing a batch of those too!

[CintiPam]

 

While peanut butter is not widely availabel in Europe, there is a reason for it: It is very specific to the American taste and many / most Europeans do not like it. Thus I would advise against taking it.

 

I am American but I simply love Nutella!:D

[iancal]

I am not certain that I would take American chocolate bars to Europe. The chocolate in most US non specialty bars is, in our opinion, very much inferior to those that can be obtained in Europe.

[Misty1937]

Wherever I travel in the world I always go loaded with clip on Koalas and kangaroos. The beaming faces of the little children is a joy to behold. Even staff are really happy to take home an unusual gift for their child/children, nieces/nephews etc in preference to something for themselves. Beware though when handing them out on the street you are likely to be swamped with children and it is horrible when you run out and see the disappointed faces.

 

As an aside, when I went to China I had to open all the packets before I left home so I could remove the "Made in China" stickers on the bottom of each;)

 

Lovely idea you have though and I am glad to see it here. Have a great cruise.

 

Cheers Misty

[cruisemom42]

I am not certain that I would take American chocolate bars to Europe. The chocolate in most US non specialty bars is, in our opinion, very much inferior to those that can be obtained in Europe.

 

Kind of like taking processed American cheese to France?

[swalm22]

Well, I am not a European local, but I have heard "peanut butter" as well.

 

We have plenty peanut butter here.

[CintiPam]

The previous posts indeed do seem to indicate that bringing American consumables to Europe as gifts may indeed be somewhat of an oxymoron!:)

[AmoMondo]

oreo cookies and local cookies usually are usually well received. They don't weigh much, don't get you in to any bother at customs either. I'm from Scotland and sometimes take small packs of shortbread, oatcakes, fudge or toffee. Not the mass factory produced stuff you can get overseas but more specialist stuff. I'm sure you will have things like that too

I definitely not bring chocolate goods though, 1) likely to melt 2) Europeans much prefer our own chocolate.

 

Can I just reiterarte what a thoughtful nad kind gesture this is. Too many people treat the very hard working crew with complete indifference or worse. it is lovely that you want to bring them something to show your appreciation for their efforts.

[English_in_Spain]

Maybe Peanut Butter, and Oreo Cookies.

 

We can get both of those here

[cristine]

We will be staying at smaller hotels pre and post cruise and would like to bring small gifts (in addition to cash tips) for staff on the cruise and on land. After reading several what-not-to-give threads are there any 'American' consumables that are hard to get in Europe? Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks!

 

We will be spending 4 days in Venice prior to boarding thr Ruby TA in Oct.

We are staying in a small B&B and plan on bringing a few small tokens of appreciation as well, My ideas are some local favorites, orange blossom honey, keylime cookies, handmade sharkstooth or shell necklaces...Easy to pack and a little taste of my hometown.. I think handmade items add a personal touch..Great for our cabin steward too..

 

Cris

[EV2008]

Kind of like taking processed American cheese to France?

That is a good one, very true, I perfer most product from europe over US products, sorry.

[texancruzer]

I have heard many times THE BEST gift you can give any of the staff onboard your ship is a pre-paid phone card.

 

This gives them a "freebie" to call home.....the thing they miss the most :(