Bringing food aboard the ship (not drinks) is it allowed?

[OCD Cruiser]

While I am now intimately familiar with the RCCL policies governing purchasing of alcohol while in your port of embarkation or one of the ports of call during the cruise, can anyone tell me if I can bring food back aboard that I get in a port (i.e. a nice Brie cheese or other local food) to go with my 2 bottles of wine allottment?

 

I haven't seen any threads about this yet

 

Thanks,

[Tapi]

It's my understanding that you can bring back pre-packaged, sealed items that don't pose a risk of contamination, (i.e. Items that could carry insects or pests, posing an agricultural hazard). Fruits, vegetables and other "fresh" items would most likely fall on the banned list.

 

You will be asked upon your return to the US if you're carrying fruits, plants, meats, etc. No matter what, always declare what you're carrying! Worst thing that they'll do is that they'll make you throw it away in a receptacle. But if you don't declare it and they catch you, you can be fined heavily.

Edited November 16, 2013 by Tapi

[cb at sea]

You can bring most foods onto the ship...you simply won't be allowed to take them OFF in other ports!

[lacruiser]

I agree with Tapi's post, but we were forbidden to take on sealed, unopened packages of platanitos (fried plaintain chips) in San Juan! My Cuban DH loves these, so we picked up several bags in the local grocery where we bought our wine to take on. They were small bags, like a single serving size of potato chips.

 

Wine, no problem -- but not the platanitos! We could not believe they confiscated them! So, be aware that the port authorities, not the cruise line, is going to make the decision about what goes on and what gets confiscated.

[BDL]

On the Jewel in May we were not allowed to bring on a Subway sandwich back from a day in port. They told us they do not allow any opened food items, only sealed packages. The sandwich was a surprise for one of the bartenders at the overflow concierge lounge who mentioned in passing it was her favorite.

[hansolosmom]

You should be able to bring sealed packaged food on-board, but you can't take it off.

 

When we went to Bermuda, they warned everyone not to open the rum cakes you can buy from the dockyard. Because if you open it, you can't take it off, you have to eat it all while on the ship, or I guess you could leave it for the cabin steward :eek:

[jbond]

I agree with Tapi's post, but we were forbidden to take on sealed, unopened packages of platanitos (fried plaintain chips) in San Juan! My Cuban DH loves these, so we picked up several bags in the local grocery where we bought our wine to take on. They were small bags, like a single serving size of potato chips.

 

Wine, no problem -- but not the platanitos! We could not believe they confiscated them! So, be aware that the port authorities, not the cruise line, is going to make the decision about what goes on and what gets confiscated.

 

I often wonder in cases like that, if the items are confiscated for "local" consumption.:rolleyes:

[ace1zoe2]

While I am now intimately familiar with the RCCL policies governing purchasing of alcohol while in your port of embarkation or one of the ports of call during the cruise, can anyone tell me if I can bring food back aboard that I get in a port (i.e. a nice Brie cheese or other local food) to go with my 2 bottles of wine allottment?

 

I haven't seen any threads about this yet

 

Thanks,

 

We have witnessed a couple of times, people not being allowed to bring back on a pizza they just purchased & they were having a fit. They finally ended up standing outside the ship to eat it before boarding so that it didn't go to waste.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[vmom]

Pre packaged foods can be taken on and off ship as long as the package is not opened.

 

Any fresh type foods, such as pizza, sandwiches, pastries, etc, cannot be taken on the ship.

 

While getting back on the ship in port, often water will be served in paper cups. Even this water must be finished before boarding.

These is someone there making sure you do not bring the paper cup with water on board .

 

What ever you do, do not forget if you have any fresh produce in your bag and try to get back into the US. This week I was in Miami after disembarking and there was a security officer with a dog going around among all the passengers and bags in the airport before you finished going through customs. One woman had an apple in her bag that she had put in there sometime during the cruise and had forgotten about. The dog went right to her bag. The security officer made her take everything out until the apple was discovered. The officer then took her customs declaration form and wrote something in red on it. I don't know if the woman was fined or not.

[karena1]

I take snacks on every ship we go on - and no, they are not sealed. put pretzels in a bag, mixed nuts in a gallon sized bag, etc. Never have had an issue. Also take full bags of pretzel/FF Pringles. Never have tried to take anything other than snacks, but those have never been an issue. I like my salty things when I am on a beach. Just take a small bag out to whatever port we are at so I can eat them at the beach.

[Keith1010]

It's always a good idea to ask at the reception desk if there are any items you can't bring back.

 

Keith

[lacruiser]

karena, that's exactly why we were taking the plaintain chips! Love them on the beach with a pina colada or rum punch. jbond, we wondered the same thing -- if maybe one of the local inspectors had the munchies that day. We've carried that type of thing on before and since that incident, and I'm sure we'll give it another go when we go on AOS in 2 weeks.