Can you take food out of the Windjammer on 1st day?

[sfgiants72]

I've heard some say that when boarding, normally people tend to head straight up to the Windjammer to get lunch therefore its extremely crowded. When some have tried to take their plates outside (to eat on deck) they've been stopped and said that can't be done.

 

Have others experienced this? I'd much rather eat outside than in a crowded dining room, especially on boarding day.

 

Thanks!

[emmy]

I've heard some say that when boarding, normally people tend to head straight up to the Windjammer to get lunch therefore its extremely crowded. When some have tried to take their plates outside (to eat on deck) they've been stopped and said that can't be done.

 

Have others experienced this? I'd much rather eat outside than in a crowded dining room, especially on boarding day.

 

Thanks!

 

Yes I experienced this when I sailed on Mariner this past April. It was only on the first day while still in port in San Pedro. Not sure of the exact reason.

 

I have not experienced this on any other ship.

[5inthefamily]

Yes I experienced this when I sailed on Mariner this past April. It was only on the first day while still in port in San Pedro. Not sure of the exact reason.

 

I have not experienced this on any other ship.

 

 

So to clarify...you could take food out on deck after that first day? I've never heard of this rule in our many years of cruising either.

[PSCruiser]

Never had any problem, any day, taking food from the Windjammer to any part of the ship - tables on pool deck, Solarium, to our room. Why would they care?

[mjldvlks]

Sounds odd. Certainly not fleet wide. Some of the ships I have been on [e.g. Splendour] have outdoor seating areas associated with Windjammer.

[emmy]

So to clarify...you could take food out on deck after that first day? I've never heard of this rule in our many years of cruising either.

 

Yes after we left port we could bring food out on deck. It was some law that was California based. Perhaps someone from the state can shed more light.

 

The WIndjammer greeter staff were stopping you from bringing it on deck embarkation day.

[NorbertsNiece]

Jewel has outdoor WJ seating too. Also never heard of not being able to take food out. Clearly as rooms not ready until 1 ish you can't go there.... but anywhere else should be ok.

[Clarea]

Yes after we left port we could bring food out on deck. It was some law that was California based. Perhaps someone from the state can shed more light.

 

The WIndjammer greeter staff were stopping you from bringing it on deck embarkation day.

Same thing happened to us on Mariner this past May, except we were also warned not to bring food out on the deck on the last day. They said it was a California Dept. of Agriculture regulation, to reduce the possibility of crop damage.

[iamwhatiamnot]

Same thing happened to us on Mariner this past May, except we were also warned not to bring food out on the deck on the last day. They said it was a California Dept. of Agriculture regulation, to reduce the possibility of crop damage.

 

 

Reduce the possibility of crop damage:

 

So their worried about crop damage - so should we be worried about our intestines then!!!

[KarinaGW]

Reduce the possibility of crop damage:

 

So their worried about crop damage - so should we be worried about our intestines then!!!

 

I never thought about the cruiseship ramifications of California.

 

They are very strict about people bringing produce into their state (think or google medfly)...I guess with Windjammer, it's easier just to say No across the board rather than try to police what's on your plate.

 

I was taking a Greyhound bus into California once and the border patrol at the toll booth asked the bus passengers about fruit. They made the one person who admitted to an apple choose between eating right then or pitching it.

[cb at sea]

Maybe they're afraid you'll throw something overboard and foul the waters...introducing some "foreign" life form not native to the area.

 

Just eat inside on boarding day----OR--eat a late breakfast and skip the lunch mayhem altogether!

[imsulin]

Yes. California is worried about the possibility of crop damage due to foreign pests. This policy has been in effect for years. Just as the UK had to deal with Mad Cow disease several years ago. I was in Cancun during that time, and arriving UK passengers had to step into a pesticide foot bath, because Mexico didn't want any foreign pests, either! Do you remember that?

 

This is in reply to IamwhatIamnot

[iamwhatiamnot]

Yes. California is worried about the possibility of crop damage due to foreign pests. This policy has been in effect for years. Just as the UK had to deal with Mad Cow disease several years ago. I was in Cancun during that time, and arriving UK passengers had to step into a pesticide foot bath, because Mexico didn't want any foreign pests, either! Do you remember that?

 

This is in reply to IamwhatIamnot

 

I think I have lost the plot here but the original poster asked about food being taken out of windjammer on 1st day. Someone then said about Calafornian laws or regulations but not all cruises and the original op did not specify start in main land america. We are out of San Juan and before anyone jumps yes I understand agricultural border controls and each country/island has its own.

 

I just thought it quite funny that crops were deemed more important than what goes into your body foodwise from the WJ. My warped sense of humour.

[RetireeWannabee]

I was taking a Greyhound bus into California once and the border patrol at the toll booth asked the bus passengers about fruit. They made the one person who admitted to an apple choose between eating right then or pitching it.

Yep. Family trip by car, many years ago. Big bag of peaches. Mom insisted we pull over and eat them, no way they were going to get thrown away!

[MrPete]

Interesting. Still learning something new every day!

[imsulin]

I think I have lost the plot here but the original poster asked about food being taken out of windjammer on 1st day. Someone then said about Calafornian laws or regulations but not all cruises and the original op did not specify start in main land america. We are out of San Juan and before anyone jumps yes I understand agricultural border controls and each country/island has its own.

 

I just thought it quite funny that crops were deemed more important than what goes into your body foodwise from the WJ. My warped sense of humour.

 

San Juan, Puerto Rico is a US territory, so it would seem logical that food items that are transported onto the ship before embarkation have passed USDA inspection guidelines. This means you probably won't eat bad food in the WJ. The crops that may be affected by someone violating guidelines by throwing hours-old food into the water, taking improperly packaged food offshore, etc., may affect YOUR next cruise. During the Mad Cow scare, beef wasn't even served at my resort in Mexico. The crops that are deemed healthy are harvested and served as food on YOUR cruise.

[TEXASMUNK]

Now it makes sense. Anything that makes common sense, you can probably find a law against it in California....

Think about it...The food you would be bringing OUTSIDE of the Windjammer, in a California Port, was brought on the ship at that Califnoria port and transported through California to get to the ship...

Yup, sure glad we have California! Makes the other 49 almost seem normal.

[MrPete]

The food you would be bringing OUTSIDE of the Windjammer, in a California Port, was brought on the ship at that Califnoria port

 

What makes you think that?

[iamwhatiamnot]

San Juan, Puerto Rico is a US territory, so it would seem logical that food items that are transported onto the ship before embarkation have passed USDA inspection guidelines. This means you probably won't eat bad food in the WJ. The crops that may be affected by someone violating guidelines by throwing hours-old food into the water, taking improperly packaged food offshore, etc., may affect YOUR next cruise. During the Mad Cow scare, beef wasn't even served at my resort in Mexico. The crops that are deemed healthy are harvested and served as food on YOUR cruise.

 

I think you have lost the plot now:

 

Original post :

 

I've heard some say that when boarding, normally people tend to head straight up to the Windjammer to get lunch therefore its extremely crowded. When some have tried to take their plates outside (to eat on deck) they've been stopped and said that can't be done.

 

Have others experienced this? I'd much rather eat outside than in a crowded dining room, especially on boarding day.

 

Thanks!

 

No mention of where he/she was sailing from just a general question.

 

Another poster made a reference to Californian agri regs as she was on a bus and asked to eat the apple or have it removed (I think that was the first ref to California.

 

Why bring up the ref to bad food and the capitalised YOUR (twice) please don't shout.

 

Lighten up and take a chill pill cos life is toooooo short and you are a very very long time dead!!

[KarinaGW]

I think you have lost the plot now:

 

Original post :

 

I've heard some say that when boarding, normally people tend to head straight up to the Windjammer to get lunch therefore its extremely crowded. When some have tried to take their plates outside (to eat on deck) they've been stopped and said that can't be done.

 

Have others experienced this? I'd much rather eat outside than in a crowded dining room, especially on boarding day.

 

Thanks!

 

No mention of where he/she was sailing from just a general question.

 

Another poster made a reference to Californian agri regs as she was on a bus and asked to eat the apple or have it removed (I think that was the first ref to California.

 

Why bring up the ref to bad food and the capitalised YOUR (twice) please don't shout.

 

Lighten up and take a chill pill cos life is toooooo short and you are a very very long time dead!!

 

Actually, it was Emmy. She has been the only one thus far who has responded that she has experienced this and that it was while she was sailing out of California on Mariner. She opined that it was probably some kind of California-based law. Thus came the discussion of why the Windjammer issue might come up on a sailing out of California and not necessarily anywhere else

[lcguy]

Now it makes sense. Anything that makes common sense, you can probably find a law against it in California....

Think about it...The food you would be bringing OUTSIDE of the Windjammer, in a California Port, was brought on the ship at that Califnoria port and transported through California to get to the ship...

Yup, sure glad we have California! Makes the other 49 almost seem normal.

Amen!!! That's why I live in TEXAS!!! :)

 

Seriously, on embarkation day, I can not understand why you can't bring food outside of the Windjammer. They're also serving food in the Solarium. :confused:

 

Maybe it's just the Mariner and its' captain's quest to run the healthiest P&L on the line figuring no food out of the WJ saves money on busing dishes/plates??? Another :confused:

 

And it makes total sense that the provisions brought aboard the ship came on the ship in CA or had to be driven through CA to get to the ship. Makes sense? Huh?

[Host Kewlguy]

Same thing happened to us a couple of weeks ago on Mariner. When we tried to take drinks out of the Windjammer to the pool deck on embarkation day we were stopped and told we couldn't. When we asked why we were told it was a California state law. Yet, a week later on Radiance sailing out of San Diego no state law was enforced. Seems it's only enforced on ships sailing from San Pedro.

[Ula]

We have cruised from San Pedro many times and have been able to eat on deck and take food from the buffet. Have no idea why RCI and Mariner would have trouble. A ship docked has nothing to do with the ag laws, taking food off the ship does.

A good amount of the food is brought on in San Pedro, so it has to fit the Ag laws. Who knows what RCI does anymore or why.

[TEXASMUNK]

With the way California is run these days and the way RCI is handling the recession...I would give the nod for oddity to California!

 

RCI pays their bills, California issue I.O.U's

[critterchick]

Yes after we left port we could bring food out on deck. It was some law that was California based. Perhaps someone from the state can shed more light.

 

The WIndjammer greeter staff were stopping you from bringing it on deck embarkation day.

 

Yes. California is worried about the possibility of crop damage due to foreign pests. This policy has been in effect for years. Just as the UK had to deal with Mad Cow disease several years ago. I was in Cancun during that time, and arriving UK passengers had to step into a pesticide foot bath, because Mexico didn't want any foreign pests, either! Do you remember that?

 

This is in reply to IamwhatIamnot

 

Mariner is the only ship I've sailed on out of California which has this regulation - we experienced it in February and April. No other ship we've sailed on, including Monarch, Vision, Radiance, Azamara Journey, Carnival Paradise, Star Princess or Diamond Princess has had such a rule.

 

The stated reason is to prevent a Medfly infestation. Call me cynical, but I have trouble believing that she's the one and only ship adhering to the rule. We were in an OS in September and had a room service delivery on disembarkation day (it's a full suite perk). No mention was made of not taking it out on the balcony.