Saving in food costs on port days

[Blucruise25]

Any tips for frugality on port days in regards to food? Any way for onboard items to be sack-packed and taken ashore? Other recommendations?

[CaptData]

They must be sealed items IE box of cereal. No fruit (apples, oranges, banana or pears etc). Protein bars, cereal bars, etc could be acceptable in most ports but not all. No sandwiches can be taken off ship either (not sealed).

 

It is the same for bringing back onto the ship no fruit (unless they are sealed and have approval IE can of Pineapples may be allowed but not just a pineapple being carried on for example). No open container of liquid IE that last cup of coffee dump before boarding (but bring that bag of sealed Blue Mountain Coffee from Jamaica.).

[rbuenger]

Most, if not all, countries do not allow food to be removed from the ship. Eat a hearty breakfast, bring some snack bars with you on the cruise and eat when you get back on the ship in the afternoon....

[cruisestitch]

Almost every port you visit no matter where you are around the world has restrictions against taking food ashore, especially fruit, meat, cheese and vegetables. In some places there are stiff fines. In a few there are even sniffing dogs like drug dogs in airports. This is due to the possibility of agricultural contamination.

 

Those who must take food ashore for medical reasons, only take pre-packaged, sealed snacks, like granola bars, peanut butter crackers, pretzels. Bring them from home as they will not be available on the ship. Pre-packaged baby food also can be taken for children.

 

So, to be frugal, follow their lead, bringing from home some sealed, pre-packaged snacks. Or, have a big breakfast and skip lunch.

[Lois R]

Any tips for frugality on port days in regards to food? Any way for onboard items to be sack-packed and taken ashore? Other recommendations?

 

What is your itinerary? Are you going out on your own? Or on a tour?

What ports? An example might be....if you are going on your own?

If you are close enough you could go back to the ship for lunch

and then go back out again. Of course, if you are on an all day tour

that might not work.

 

I usually just budget in "extras" for instances like this....a credit

card and some cash always go with me in port.

[dmwnc1959]

1) Eat a nice large breakfast

2) Leave the ship as soon as it docks and tour the town/island

3) Take some Fiber 1 bars (the Chocolate and Oatmeal are superb) or some other breakfast/granola bars

4) Go back to the ship for an early lunch around 11:30am

5) After a nice big/quick lunch leave the ship again for afternoon sightseeing

6) Be back to the ship before the designated time (allow for traffic congestion)

7) Have a late afternoon snack in the Lido as the ship leaves port

[Lois R]

1) Eat a nice large breakfast

2) Leave the ship as soon as it docks and tour the town/island

3) Take some Fiber 1 bars (the Chocolate and Oatmeal are superb) or some other breakfast/granola bars

4) Go back to the ship for an early lunch around 11:30am

5) After a nice big/quick lunch leave the ship again for afternoon sightseeing

6) Be back to the ship before the designated time (allow for traffic congestion)

7) Have a late afternoon snack in the Lido as the ship leaves port

 

Hi stranger:) hope you are doing well.

 

Your suggestions are good if the poster is close enough to go

back to the ship. If they are on an all day tour? That probably

won't work;)

[travelberlin]

Most of the ports of call have also fantastic small snacks. They also have sealed snacks, there is no need to bring them from your home. One common practice in Europe is for example to have set menues at lunch time. They do not cost much and give you the opportunity to sample the food of the countries which you visit.

You can also buy fruit like bananas or oranges, which you can peel. if you consume in the countries you visit, it does not have to be expensive, it will tell you a lot about local customs since food is an important part of the culture and You will contribute to the economy of those friendly people, which will be happy to be your hosts for one day.

[dmwnc1959]

Hi stranger:) hope you are doing well.

 

Your suggestions are good if the poster is close enough to go

back to the ship. If they are on an all day tour? That probably

won't work;)

 

Doing well, as I hope you are. :D Have B2B cruises in December on Allure OTS and Ruby Princess but still hang out here with all the cool kids. ;)

 

The OP may want to still spend a few bucks on the local 'goodies'. I did that in Nassau even though I was close enough to 'throw a rock at the ship' (not that I would), and ate some delicious Conch Fritters and enjoyed a beer.

 

Local foods in sealed packages can be cheap and a delightful surprising treat. Otherwise pack a box of cereal bars. I did that one my B2B on Celebrity Millennium and they were quite handy.

[yippiolguis]

So is not okay fo fill a tupperware with some snacks for the car ride in long excursions?? :(

 

I'm not sure about, in Caribbean ports we usually take of the ship a couple of bananas without any problem, what we knew is we cannot take them back to the ship, one time we didn't realised we havent ate them and they took them away when they saw it in the x-ray at the comming back

[dmwnc1959]

...we usually take of the ship a couple of bananas without any problem, what we knew is we cannot take them back to the ship, one time we didn't realised we havent ate them and they took them away when they saw it in the x-ray at the comming back

 

There are most likely local agriculture laws that forbid the introduction of fruits and vegetables from the ship into the island/country you are visiting. These may also carry stiff fines and penalties. Best to stick with pre-sealed (by the manufacturer) snacks like Lance crackers, snack bars or breakfast cereal bars, etc.

[cruisestitch]

"So is not okay fo fill a tupperware with some snacks for the car ride in long excursions?? "

 

correct

 

"I'm not sure about, in Caribbean ports we usually take of the ship a couple of bananas without any problem,"

 

You were probably in violation of local agricultural laws. You don't know whether some microbe or nearly-invisible insect was being carried along with those fruits. That's what they forbid them being brought ashore.

[Lois R]

So is not okay fo fill a tupperware with some snacks for the car ride in long excursions?? :(

 

I'm not sure about, in Caribbean ports we usually take of the ship a couple of bananas without any problem, what we knew is we cannot take them back to the ship, one time we didn't realised we havent ate them and they took them away when they saw it in the x-ray at the comming back

 

Pre-packaged stuff would be better. You bring tupperware with you?

[cirman52]

We know that many people, at the breakfast buffet, make a cheese & meat sandwich on a hard roll, wrap it in a napkin & take off the ship with them. I am not saying you should / or that we have, do / done this, just stating a fact & let the reader take what they want from it. You would be surprised how much of this actually happens.

[cruisestitch]

You are witnessing people breaking the law and putting the local agriculture in jeopardy. Draw your own conclusions......

[curtdesilets]

I've seen several people loading up their backpacks with buffet food before an excursion. It must be the same protocol as arriving in a foreign airport or a US airport when you go through the agricultural check. No food other than packaged should probably leave the ship, I would imagine

 

I bet many many people violate the host country laws. The cruise industry does not do a good job of informing people on this situation.

 

No wonder we get things like the MEDFLY! :mad:

 

- - - - - -

 

But whatever you do, when in Turkey, bring back as much TURKISH DELIGHT as you can. It is nearly impossible to find in the US, but is an AWESOME thing indeed! :D

[cruisestitch]

Nearly every day it is listed in the Daily Program -- do not take food ashore. People don't read it, or choose to ignore it.

 

Anyone who has to deal with any invasive species (nearby the culprit is zebra mussels, brought to our lakes by people who ignore the warnings, don't clean their boats and their bait wells, because it's too much bother to follow the law, and move the critters from one watershed to another) knows that the problem is serious.

[curtdesilets]

Nearly every day it is listed in the Daily Program -- do not take food ashore. People don't read it, or choose to ignore it.

 

Anyone who has to deal with any invasive species (nearby the culprit is zebra mussels, brought to our lakes by people who ignore the warnings, don't clean their boats and their bait wells, because it's too much bother to follow the law, and move the critters from one watershed to another) knows that the problem is serious.

 

I think you're right. But it still doesn't seem to be emphasized. Perhaps we needed some people delayed, fined etc at the port and a stern warning from the captain of consequences, before the policy really becomes adhered to.

[goose30]

That's the attitude. Spend several thousand dollars on a cruise and then worry about spending a few more to eat on the excursions. Maybe it would be best to skip the excursions ( and save that cost as well), stay on the ship and eat their food.

 

Sorry just my 2 cents.

[yippiolguis]

I think most of the times people does it without knowing it is not allowed, like me, and enforces the situation that they don't have any x-ray or similar controls when you get off the ship, for sure de company knows people do this, but people don't wanr to harm the visiting country, just take some snacks with them, so, inn my opinion is the companys responsibility to ckeck that, like they do when you dissembarck back in the USA.

[yippiolguis]

That's the attitude. Spend several thousand dollars on a cruise and then worry about spending a few more to eat on the excursions. Maybe it would be best to skip the excursions ( and save that cost as well), stay on the ship and eat their food.

 

Sorry just my 2 cents.

 

I don't think is about that, for example I was thinking about the tupperware thing because we are going to some long excursions in Israel, we will get of the ship really early and be in the tour car a few hours before arriving to the destination, so I may have breakfast at 7 and in the car, 3 hours after would like to have a small snak to recharge my energy. also (in some countries) if you want to have a little thing to eat(not a meal) you only have the options os street food sellers, with fruit or small treats, that is usually ok for the local people but may cause you a serious gastroenteritis.

[cruisestitch]

Several different issues here --

 

The OP asked for frugal choices -- clearly is concerned about costs

 

Some cruisers have long days on excursions -- costs not the issue but availability of suitable snacks might be

 

Some cruisers have medical reasons for needing snacks -- timing is the issue

 

All are solved by bringing your own, pre-packaged sealed foods rather than taking food off the ship and possibility getting in trouble, incurring a fine, or jeopardizing local agriculture.

[travelberlin]

Sometimes people have to be controlled in order not to do something which can be cause damage. Many of us do not need controls. they repeat so oft on board the ship, that is is very unlikely that people would no know.

I hope, the OP has it clear by now with so many contributions that it is not OK to take food out the ship. There are other options to save money.

[yippiolguis]

Is not so easy when your language is not english, like myself. We get the daily pla in spanish, but...what spanish! is harder to descifrate it than egyptian letters!(don't know why, there is allways spanish/latin crew members who could help with it), and in such bad translations you kind of miss some specific and sometimes important details.

 

for example, on our last cruise I don't know what happened with the cruise compass translation, but we didn't know that one specific night was formal until we got out to our room and see everybody in their fancy dresses...

 

But maybe is not the subject...everybody should follow the rules, but, if they already have the infraestructure in the ship they should use it.

[boogs]

I think most of the times people does it without knowing it is not allowed, like me, and enforces the situation that they don't have any x-ray or similar controls when you get off the ship, for sure de company knows people do this, but people don't wanr to harm the visiting country, just take some snacks with them, so, inn my opinion is the companys responsibility to ckeck that, like they do when you dissembarck back in the USA.

 

And I suspect that most people know but don't care. My foolish brother in law, who is wealthy enough that he lives in a $2 million dollar home and can easily afford to cruise on Azamara, makes sandwiches for he and his wife to take ashore for lunch in every port. He can afford to eat in the better restaurants, but is too cheap to buy his own lunch when it comes down to the details. It's not about not knowing, but about placing himself first.