Food to take on an excursion

[sjde]

We'll be with kids on Freedom and are wondering if room service would provide peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for us to bring when we take a taxi to the beach? Or would we have to sneak items from the buffet?

[spookwife]

no and oh hell NO.

 

only factory sealed items are allowed off the ship in ANY port.

[Daghis]

I've not had that much experience with room service to know whether PB&J sandwiches are available upon request (I don't remember them being on the regular room service menu), but I wanted to comment that it's usually against the rules of the local countries to bring food with you off the ship.

[sparky-elpaso]

The answer to both questions is no.

 

Because of agricultural laws in virtually all ports (including ones in the US) no fresh foods can be taken off the ship. I highlighted the word laws because some folks will use the word "rules" which is incorrect. In some cases there could be substantial fines if you're caught with foods that aren't allowed. You may encounter cute little dogs (usually beagles) on your way off the ship who will sniff your bags.

 

If your kids need a snack take things like the wrapped peanut butter / cracker sandwiches, etc. with you. Bring them from home because they may not be available on the ship (and will be expensive if available).

[luvscruising2007]

When this subject has been addressed in other posts, people suggest bringing the small boxes of cereal from the buffet. They are sealed and

are allowable off the ship. We always have peanut butter crackers. You can also bring pre-packaged cookies, candy and nuts. Nothing that is fresh, no fruit or veggies, and no un-sealed sandwiches.

[saurian]

Please, please, please do not bring food that is not pre- packaged and sealed off the ship. especially not fruit, or fruit based products (like jelly). This is how non-native animals, fungus, viruses, and bacteria can be introduced to a delicate island ecosystem. It can result in complete loss of crops, extinction of native species, and destruction of economies. Yes, it happens. A single innocent piece of fruit introduced a fruit fly species to california that has done billions in agricultural damage.

 

I also understand the need to have safe, easily available finger food at all times for little ones. Please bring with you from home favorite granola bars, pop-tarts, sealed snack size cereals/chips, etc. that you can bring with you.

 

likewise, when you return to home, you will not be allowed to bring any fruit or food off the ship, so save some of your home brought sealed goodies for disembarking and the drive/airport. Customs actively searches for these things, and often employs dogs to sniff baggage and purses/diaper bags for them.

 

Even on oasis and allure they are very careful with the living plants and the mini-ecosystems of central park. they must constantly check for stowaways of the animal/fungal/bacterial/viral kinds. It's a very big deal.

[cruisegirl1]

I understand that some ports have restrictions and unsealed food cannot be taken off the ship. You’ll want to check before you take it off. With that in mind, peanut butter comes in small sealed containers and there will be sealed crackers available.

 

I do not know the room service menu, the hours that particular foods are available, or the hours of your excursion. If want to take food off the ship, and it is permitted, the easiest thing to do is to pack a few zip lock bags and then go to the Windjammer, Promenade café, Park cafe etc. and pick up want you want. You may be able to make a sandwich that will pack better than ordering from room service like dryer ingredients (no tomatoes) , or hold better ( no mayo) . If making PB&J put the PB on both sides of the bread and the J in the middle and the bread will not get soggy.

 

Depending on your destination, there will likely be a variety of standard and local food available during the beach excursion.

 

Lastly, there is no reason to have to “Sneak” food out of the Windjammer or any venue. Many folks take food out of dining venues for a variety of reasons.

 

 

 

Enjoy

M

Edited December 9, 2013 by cruisegirl1

[cmason]

My kids would take a box of cereal from the WindJammer just in case. But usually, no one is hungry on a cruise, as you eat so much at every meal.

[Trekker954]

While the cruise lines do say no food may be brought off the ship and while others pointed out to you they would like you to oblige and obey them. The tone of their posts are a bit over the top.

 

Agriculture departments are primarily concerned with meats, fruits, vegetables, plants, soil, and products made from animal or plant materials that may carry animal and plant pests and diseases. P & J sandwiches wouldn't pose a threat to the countries environment.

[saurian]

:rolleyes: because it is completely inconceivable that a fruit fly in the galley could land on the jelly, lay eggs, and get delivered in a sandwich that goes uneaten and thrown in the trash at the beach.

 

or someone can choose to get a turkey sandwich instead of pbj, because if one sandwich is ok, so are all others

 

those international food laws are so unnecessary and too strict :rolleyes:

[NorbertsNiece]

Here's a copy of the room service menu from Adventure last month

 

 

And a copy of a compass with the food restrictions

 

[voyager89]

It was funny my bag was never searched for food. I guess I wrote this on a similar post too a few months ago. It was my first cruise ever (Oasis) and the first port ever (Nassau) and I put an apple in my bag. I had no idea it was forbidden. I went back to the ship and by then I totally forgot about the apple and I ate it later at my stateroom :eek:

 

I wont do it again, but what is weird to me is that nobody ever checked I had any food on me

[saurian]

It was funny my bag was never searched for food. I guess I wrote this on a similar post too a few months ago. It was my first cruise ever (Oasis) and the first port ever (Nassau) and I put an apple in my bag. I had no idea it was forbidden. I went back to the ship and by then I totally forgot about the apple and I ate it later at my stateroom :eek:

 

I wont do it again, but what is weird to me is that nobody ever checked I had any food on me

 

 

They usually only check bags when entering a US port (or a country with enough funding to search for such things, like England, Germany, Australia, etc.) That is why the cruises repeatedly try to tell people not to take food off the ship, and why (amongst other reasons) so many cities do not always take kindly to being a cruise port, recent examples include Savannah GA, and Venice Italy. It is up to the city/country to screen for contraband food, and many just don't have the resources.

[BillOh]

The answer to both questions is no.

 

Because of agricultural laws in virtually all ports (including ones in the US) no fresh foods can be taken off the ship. I highlighted the word laws because some folks will use the word "rules" which is incorrect. In some cases there could be substantial fines if you're caught with foods that aren't allowed. You may encounter cute little dogs (usually beagles) on your way off the ship who will sniff your bags.

 

If your kids need a snack take things like the wrapped peanut butter / cracker sandwiches, etc. with you. Bring them from home because they may not be available on the ship (and will be expensive if available).

 

My wife will frequently take the packaged cereal boxes from the WJ as a easy to eat snack at the beach.

[OCruisers]

The simple answer is NO ... it's not allowed.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Thetrail]

We'll be with kids on Freedom and are wondering if room service would provide peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for us to bring when we take a taxi to the beach? Or would we have to sneak items from the buffet?

Amazing, no they won't by the way, maybe you could walk and save the fare to actually buy a meal....:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Langley Cruisers]

no and oh hell NO....

 

Nice example to set... Amazing, no they won't by the way, maybe you could walk and save the fare to actually buy a meal....:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

Wow, why such rude replies? Good grief. *sigh* Someone asks what we assume is an honest, sincere question because they don't know, and it certainly doesn't warrant such rude replies. Other in this thread have been polite and told OP the reasons why this is not permitted, and others gave alternatives.

 

Life is too short to be so nasty, it just is.

.

[sparky-elpaso]

My wife will frequently take the packaged cereal boxes from the WJ as a easy to eat snack at the beach.

 

Right - and since they're prepackaged it's allowed. And a great idea, especially for the OP since it's for their kids.

[matj2000]

You don't want to spoil "pristine" Mexico with your peanut butter...

[OCruisers]

Wow, why such rude replies? Good grief. *sigh* Someone asks what we assume is an honest, sincere question because they don't know, and it certainly doesn't warrant such rude replies. Other in this thread have been polite and told OP the reasons why this is not permitted, and others gave alternatives.

 

Life is too short to be so nasty, it just is.

.

 

Agree .... All the OP wanted was a simple answer.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[spookwife]

I understand that some ALL ports have restrictions and unsealed food cannot be taken off the ship. You’ll want to check before you take it off. With that in mind, peanut butter comes in small sealed containers and there will be sealed crackers available.

 

I do not know the room service menu, the hours that particular foods are available, or the hours of your excursion. If want to take food off the ship, and it is permitted, It will NOT be permitted to take anything that is not factory sealed off no matter what port the easiest thing to do is to pack a few zip lock bags and then go to the Windjammer, Promenade café, Park cafe etc. and pick up want you want. You may be able to make a sandwich that will pack better than ordering from room service like dryer ingredients (no tomatoes) , or hold better ( no mayo) . If making PB&J put the PB on both sides of the bread and the J in the middle and the bread will not get soggy.

 

Depending on your destination, there will likely be a variety of standard and local food available during the beach excursion.

 

Lastly, there is no reason to have to “Sneak” food out of the Windjammer or any venue. Many folks take food out of dining venues for a variety of reasons.

 

 

 

Enjoy

M

 

 

very bad advice to suggest making up something from the buffet or elsewhere. it will be confiscated and you could face heavy fines

[iheartbda]

Amazing, no they won't by the way, maybe you could walk and save the fare to actually buy a meal....:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

As others have said, why so rude, especially with the three sarcastic icons? That particular smilie seems to be your favorite. Also, let's suppose the taxi ride is several miles to the beach, would you be willing to walk that?

Edited December 10, 2013 by iheartbda

[sjde]

Thank you, Karen, Lulu and others.

 

This is our first cruise with young children-our grandchildren actually.

 

I can honestly say in the 10 or so cruises I've taken so far, not ONCE have I ever seen beagles or other dogs.

[sjde]

And I'm guessing it's a 20-30 minute ride to the beach. Hardly walkable.

[negc]

Thank you, Karen, Lulu and others.

 

This is our first cruise with young children-our grandchildren actually.

 

I can honestly say in the 10 or so cruises I've taken so far, not ONCE have I ever seen beagles or other dogs.

 

And we can honestly report that on a significant number of our cruises we have seen local authorities search bags and confiscate and discard food items that passengers were trying to bring off the ship. Just because everyone isn't searched, every time, doesn't give us license to disregard the local laws that prohibit such actions. The language in the daily Cruise Compass is quite clear and unambiguous and ought to be observed by all.