Pack Lunch for Port Excursions?

I am a first time cruiser with plans for an Alaska cruise. I am planning a few port excursions for which it would be nice to take a packed lunch, sandwiches, etc. How can I best plan for this?

Some ports do not allow you to bring food off the ship, best check first. They might allow pre-packaged food, again check.

J.

Eat a large breakfast

Many tours will provide a lunch or stop where you can purchase it.

At the most tours last 4 hours and there are many nice places to have lunch in any port. In Skagway for example there is the Skagway Brew Bar. Very nice, good beer and reasonable prices on the food.

Happy crusing 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

I am a first time cruiser with plans for an Alaska cruise. I am planning a few port excursions for which it would be nice to take a packed lunch, sandwiches, etc. How can I best plan for this?

We did Millie SB last August and it depends on which excursions you are taking. Some of them will include 'light refreshments' others will not and advise to bring cash/credit cards. We did mainly private excursions and only one ship.

You can possibly bring things in your purse or backpack to snack on while off ship.

We brought pre-packaged bars, but found that more often than not we could be back on or off the ship around lunch time if we wanted to eat there on a particular day.

Which ship and ports will you be visiting where a lunch would be necessary or desired unless you need it for medical reasons? In most ports it was quite easy to get back to the ship to eat, unless you are taking the train ride, which is a full day, we did not.

bon voyage

The vast majority of ports do not allow you to take meat, cheese, sandwiches, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables off the ship. Packing a lunch is generally forbidden, and is spelled out in the Daily.

If you need a snack for medical reasons, bring only sealed, pre-packaged, commercially prepared foods like granola bars.

Don’t even think of grabbing an apple or banana from the breakfast buffet to take ashore You can incur heavy fines.

Alaska has strict agricultural laws and it is ILLEGAL to bring many types of fresh food into Alaska without declaring it and clearing it with local officials. As such only bring pre-packaged, factory sealed items off the ship if you must bring food with you. Otherwise eat a large meal beforehand and/or enjoy some food you purchase while in port. If it is a long excursion, chances are high it either includes some food or a stop at a venue where you can purchase food.

I am a first time cruiser with plans for an Alaska cruise. I am planning a few port excursions for which it would be nice to take a packed lunch, sandwiches, etc. How can I best plan for this?

As a result of public health/agricultural laws [and pretty much no matter where one travels], it's most always sealed/pre-packaged items only that may be taken ashore... Things like sandwiches, fruit, and/or unpackaged pastry/cookies are generally not be permitted...

In fact at some ports, inspectors may do bag checks or use sniffer dogs to detect violations as one exits the gangway... If monitoring is in effect and "if caught"--one will--at best need to discard food items regarded as unacceptable... In some places, fines may be levied...

As most food available aboard ship is not sealed/pre-packaged, I often pack a supply of snack bars if I expect that I might need something to tide me over unless I choose to purchase something ashore [frankly, easiest] before I return to the ship...

My experience taking many ship tours is, Ive Never Gone hungry! If the tour extends over a meal, usually lunch, as stated in earlier posts, Lunch will be provided (and stated so in the tour description) or time made available to buy a meal.

No one has ever gone even close to being hungry on a cruise - aboard ship or organized tours. Even private tours. The only way you’ll miss a meal is wander around on your own and intentionally not dine.

Don’t worry, be happy!

Den

Most countries don't allow food brought ashore from the ship . Factory packed food is acceptable as long as it isn't a fruit or vegetable produxt.

What do you have in mind for your port excursions? Ship excursions? Independent excursions? DIY?

My experience is that any planned tours, whether through the ship or independent will either provide lunch (will state if lunch is included) or provide an stop where you can purchase a lunch (will usually not state this - but like bathroom stops, if you put a group of people together for 8 hours, some stops will invariably be planned for even if not explicitly stated). If you are going to DIY, then yes, you may have to figure out if and when you’ll be able to stop. But I’m very ridged about eating and can’t skip lunch, and to second an earlier post, I’ve done many full day excursions and have never gone hungry.

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Celebrity specifically states that you are not to take food from the ship when you leave the ship. If you get caught by one of the dogs, you could risk a very hefty fine. Please be a responsible traveler and respect the rules in the places you are visiting. There's a reason these rules exist. Thanks.

My experience on many tours through the years is that any long excursion will include food (the description will so state) or will include a stop in a shopping/tourist area where you can purchase a meal or snack. Otherwise, the advice regarding packaged foods is appropriate.

On my first Celebrity cruise stopped in Cozumel. We were supposed to get lunch on our tour to Mayan ruins but it was ham and I don't eat pork products. I did not realize bringing food would be a problem, made a nice cheese and tomato sandwich at breakfast to bring. Sniffer dog got me - could not figure out why, thought they were looking for drugs!!

They confiscated sandwich but no fine.

Eat a large breakfast

This is what we did - on the days we had excursions booked, we generally had a good breakfast at OVC then once back from the excursion we went back to the OVC for afternoon tea

One of my favorite cruise jokes is, when in port and someone asks me where’s the best restaurant in town; I stand there a few seconds thinking, then I turn, point to the ship and say, ‘go to that 14-story building and there are a number of great dining places there and they won’t charge you!’

Nobody seems to roll over laughing and my wife just gives me that cold, cold stare of when are you going to give it up.

Den

Does this also apply to beverages such as coffee and water? Can we fill a travel mug or water bottle to take on excursions? Newbies on the Solstice June 29.

Does this also apply to beverages such as coffee and water? Can we fill a travel mug or water bottle to take on excursions? Newbies on the Solstice June 29.

we were on solstice 2 weeks ago and at every port we stopped at they were giving out bottles of water as you were leaving the ship

Does this also apply to beverages such as coffee and water? Can we fill a travel mug or water bottle to take on excursions? Newbies on the Solstice June 29.

Coffee isn’t allowed because it is plant based. Water bottles or sports bottles are allowed.

On my first Celebrity cruise stopped in Cozumel. We were supposed to get lunch on our tour to Mayan ruins but it was ham and I don't eat pork products. I did not realize bringing food would be a problem, made a nice cheese and tomato sandwich at breakfast to bring. Sniffer dog got me - could not figure out why, thought they were looking for drugs!!

They confiscated sandwich but no fine.

You were lucky. In Chile, a woman was stopped with food and a piece of fruit. She was escorted into a separate room by two police. The CC host later told us, they held her there for a few hours, then escorted her back to the ship and she was told not to renter and not to get off at the next Chilean port, and when we docked at Valparaiso, she and her group were told to go directly to the airport in Santiago and await their flight which for most all of us was 10pm.

The CC host also stated it wasnt just bringing food on shore, she attempted to hide it so it was obvious she knew the rules. She came close to being held for the magistrate and would have missed our departure, and may have been in Chile for an extended time. But I understand the Chilean jails are much like a cruise ship SR.......yeah.

Heads up on “I’ll save a few bucks taking a sandwich ashore” or for convenience. Heck, after that, I don’t even chew on my nails stepping off the ship!

Den

Clarification, they don’t give bottles of water, they sell them. As they are included in beverage packages it may have appeared that they were giving them out.

I remember one port where to-go cups and plastic bottles were not allowed. That town didn’t want them in their landfills. Personal water bottles were allowed because presumably they wouldn’t be discarded.

We’re not big drinkers so probably not purchasing a beverage package. Thanks for all the good info.

Wasn't trying to save money. We had over 3 hour ferry and bus trip and they weren't stopping for lunch, just giving boxed lunch on the bus.

Just took several ship excursions on the Millenium. We were told not to take food off the ship. As a diabetic, I always bring food with me. As long as it was sealed package, it was ok. On excursions with meals, guide always asked about dietary restrictions. We traveled with people who did not eat pork or shellfish. They asked for a vegetarian meal. Never had a problem.