Bringing food / drink on and off the ship?

[SJChaput]

I am aware it is against the rules for me to take food off the ship to take along with me on an excursion but how would they know if I did?

 

If I ordered a roast beef sandwich the night before and put it in the fridge then put it in a backpack how would they know I was smuggling food?

 

Same question about taking booze onto the ship... How would they know I was doing that? You are allowed one bottle of wine per person so if I took two on and a 20oz Sprite bottle of Vodka how would they even know?

 

Do they look through your bags?

[Pegs222]

I am aware it is against the rules for me to take food off the ship to take along with me on an excursion but how would they know if I did?

 

If I ordered a roast beef sandwich the night before and put it in the fridge then put it in a backpack how would they know I was smuggling food?

 

Same question about taking booze onto the ship... How would they know I was doing that? You are allowed one bottle of wine per person so if I took two on and a 20oz Sprite bottle of Vodka how would they even know?

 

Do they look through your bags?

 

They frisk you, make you strip down and they will find all contraband ;).

 

YOU MUST FOLLOW THE RULES !!!!!!!!!

[TravellinGranny]

I am aware it is against the rules for me to take food off the ship to take along with me on an excursion but how would they know if I did?

 

If I ordered a roast beef sandwich the night before and put it in the fridge then put it in a backpack how would they know I was smuggling food?

 

Same question about taking booze onto the ship... How would they know I was doing that? You are allowed one bottle of wine per person so if I took two on and a 20oz Sprite bottle of Vodka how would they even know?

 

Do they look through your bags?

 

As far as taking food off the ship.........why risk it? There have been numerous posts ( and a few rather heated discussions about this). Only pre-packaged foods are allowed to be taken off the ship. Not only is it an enviromental issue, but could also deveolp into a health issue should the food even start to spoil.

As for the booze. You would probably be ok as long as it is checked luggage. I did once bring a few wine coolers on once........no problem.

But remember one thing, security DOES have the right to check your carryons.

granny :cool:

[Pegs222]

As far as taking food off the ship.........why risk it? There have been numerous posts ( and a few rather heated discussions about this). Only pre-packaged foods are allowed to be taken off the ship. Not only is it an enviromental issue, but could also deveolp into a health issue should the food even start to spoil.

As for the booze. You would probably be ok as long as it is checked luggage. I did once bring a few wine coolers on once........no problem.

But remember one thing, security DOES have the right to check your carryons.

granny :cool:

 

I was being flippant in my reply, but I do agree that it is not advisable to take food off the ship, especially on the islands. I believe it is a insect issue. They do not want "bugs" in their country that they do not already have. It has to do with fruit being taken off the ship. I believe you can take packaged food, but not unpacked. As far as booze, I do not know.

[yst347]

You can get away with taking food off the ship. The chances you will be caught are exceedingly small. The reason countries, including our own do not want you to bring fresh food off the ship is to reduce the chance of a parasite being turned loose on their agriculture.

 

What kind of person is so foolish that they would risk doing this to their hosts?

[Sanger Cruiser]

If they tell you not to take food off at that port then don't but there are a lot of ports that it is not an issue. We packed our lunch when we did the northern Baltic cruise and it worked out great. It was both a time and money saver. We did not have to stop and waste time purchasing food and we didn't have to pay to switch our money over to be able to pay for it. Where some other people paid almost $100 for three people to eat cafeteria food.

[katiel53]

I am aware it is against the rules for me to take food off the ship to take along with me on an excursion but how would they know if I did?

 

If I ordered a roast beef sandwich the night before and put it in the fridge then put it in a backpack how would they know I was smuggling food?

Do they look through your bags?

 

If you know taking food off the ship is against the rules, why would you even think about doing it? There are good reasons why food is not to be brought off the ship. Think about the Med Fly infestation in the US a few years ago. Are you willing to have something like this happen to another country because you choose to not spend money buying food in port?

 

As mentioned previously, you can take pre-packaged food with you so why don't you bring some of that from home and take it off the ship? Much safer than putting a roast beef sandwich into a cooler, which is really what the refrig on the ship is, and putting it into a backpack and out into the heat.

[Shipshape7]

If they tell you not to take food off at that port then don't but there are a lot of ports that it is not an issue. We packed our lunch when we did the northern Baltic cruise and it worked out great. It was both a time and money saver. We did not have to stop and waste time purchasing food and we didn't have to pay to switch our money over to be able to pay for it. Where some other people paid almost $100 for three people to eat cafeteria food.

 

I'm not hazarding an opinion (and I do mean "hazard", lol) but you make an excellent point here that is frequently overlooked. Some posters seem to just assume that all ports are tropical. The spread of insects and seeds is more of an issue in the Caribbean and Hawaii and having food spoil in your backpack due to heat is not always a significant consideration in Canada or Northern Europe.

 

Just wanted to add that I do realize the Legend itinerary is Caribbean and I, personally, wouldn't do it there because US$ are accepted in every port on that itinerary without hassle and several of the ports are quite poor and I'd prefer to contribute to their economy. The problem with sandwiches is that the bread may (or may not for that matter) contain seeds that could disrupt the ecology of the place you visit. Most people who bring a sandwich don't mean any harm, they are unaware of the reason for the rule.

[MrPete]

I am aware it is against the rules for me to take food off the ship to take along with me on an excursion but how would they know if I did?

 

If I ordered a roast beef sandwich the night before and put it in the fridge then put it in a backpack how would they know I was smuggling food?

 

Possibly, about a year after your visit, you read about an eco disaster, because you brought something harboured in the food, a microscopic anything, where there was no natural defense on the island to combat it.

[maxamuus]

If I ordered a roast beef sandwich the night before and put it in the fridge then put it in a backpack how would they know I was smuggling food?

 

Would you honestly want a soggy stale nasty roast beef sandwich that was in a hot backpack till lunch time?

 

When traveling we always enjoy trying local foods. Last week in Mexico we had some delicious fish tacos, carne asada tacos, fresh grilled Jalopenos right off the grill, garlic shrimp and cold beers soooo yummy.

 

Would you really want to pass up those wonderful foods for a nasty roast beef sandwich hidden in your backpack?

[Sanger Cruiser]

People have packed lunches to take to work for years so I wouldn't be worried about taking my lunch in an insulated bag. I would not take off food somewhere they told me not to. Sometimes there are issues of allergies to consider and taking food for those that might get sick if they eat the wrong thing is a better idea.

[Valentine's Mom]

Reguarding the "Sprite" bottle... I travel with a service dog and when we recently cruised out of Baltimore on the Pride I was stopped from bringing an open, but full, bottle of water on board. I tried to explain that I bring it to avoid stomache problems for my dog. They would not allow it and I had to toss it before I could board. I'm sure that they thought that I was bringing alcohol in the water bottle but it was really just water.:rolleyes: If you bring it put it in checked luggage or run the risk of havig to toss it.

[soccermom716]

I brought a box wine in my carry-on. When the bag went through the security machine, I was asked if I have wine. Thinking I was going to have it confiscated, I said "Yes." He asked to see it & when I showed it to him, it was fine & let me through. I was so happy. My friends brought bottles of wine & champagne in both their carry-on & checked luggage. No problem. I also packed a box of cosmos in the suitcase & it also arrived in my room.

 

As far as the food, remember wherever you dock you can go back to the ship to eat. I personally wouldn't take any food off the ship for health safety reasons. Buy a snack if you need to.

 

Hope this helps.

[jayesouthworth]

All the cruises we have been on, when leaving the ship there's staff at the door asking to look in your bag. There's a barrel right by the door and it usually gets filled up with bananas, apples, sandwiches, etc. I've seen younger people get caught smuggling booze back on board whereas I've seen older people get waved right on through with booze. We bring our booze through the porter check in and never had a problem. When we get to the ship, we just put a lock on the bag, tip the porter well and we've never had a problem. There's usually hotels at ports where it's safe to eat. DH and I never wander too far from the ship so we can have lunch on the ship. Pack some Atkins bars or other bars to eat when on shore to hold you over.