Eating Local Food in Port

[LSSloves]

I have seen a lot of posts about this. Am I the only one who doesn't eat at hole in the wall 'ethnic' or 'authentic' places? I eat on the ship. Is the local cuisine worth the potential food poisoning and diarrhea??? I do not think it is safe!

[GTO-Girl]

I have seen a lot of posts about this. Am I the only one who doesn't eat at hole in the wall 'ethnic' or 'authentic' places? I eat on the ship. Is the local cuisine worth the potential food poisoning and diarrhea??? I do not think it is safe!

 

LOL.......I know many people do, but after my husband wound on dialysis due to food poisoning (here at home not on a cruise) we are almost paranoid about where we eat. Luckily after 3 months on dialysis he did regain his kidney function.......thank goodness.

 

We did venture out in November because we had bought an all inclusive in Coz that included food and drinks. I guess we figured that the alcohol would kill anything that would hurt us........LOL

[Ocean View]

I have seen a lot of posts about this. Am I the only one who doesn't eat at hole in the wall 'ethnic' or 'authentic' places? I eat on the ship. Is the local cuisine worth the potential food poisoning and diarrhea??? I do not think it is safe!

 

 

No your not the only one!! I eat nothing at all in any port. It isn't worth the risk. I bring snack from the ship w us and bottled water. The only time we are ashore was in grand cayman many years ago it was at 7 mile beach resort. Also the frog? Onion? In Bermuda. We do have a bite for lunch in labadee as it is ship food. I honestly have a moment or 2 I stop to think about the ocean water there ever since their horrible storm all that run off has to go somewhere??? Crazy I know we go but I'm a bit paranoid. I understand local business thrive on us tourists so I try to buy or spend on other things on their islands. Packages or bottled products but that's about it for me.

 

 

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[donnad08]

I feel the same way. But mostly because I know I can eat on the ship for free lol. I did get chicken wings and nachos at Señor Frogs. They were nothing to write home about.

 

 

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[kruzerci]

We've eaten at big name places like Senor Frogs or Margaritaville, but other than that, we don't eat anything in port that isn't packaged and even wash our hands frequently.

 

We may be missing out, but we play it safe. Theres nothing worse than being sick on vacation.

[tidygirl]

I have seen a lot of posts about this. Am I the only one who doesn't eat at hole in the wall 'ethnic' or 'authentic' places? I eat on the ship. Is the local cuisine worth the potential food poisoning and diarrhea??? I do not think it is safe!

No you are not the only one! I work in the restaurant industry and know about all the food safety and when I see some of these restaurants it would scare me to death! Are they keeping the food cold enough, washing hands frequently, cooking the food to safe temps? I'd rather not take the chance. Yes I know you can get sick on the ship too, but feel a little safer there!

[bighairtexan]

I guess I feel as if I'm bulletproof. I've eaten from many a street taco cart in Mexico. And I love the hole in the wall places. I try to eat at places that I can't eat at in the US. I've gotten terrible food poisoning in the US, and so far so good at the taco carts in Puerto Vallarta and empanadas from the beach vendor in Roatan.

 

PS: I did get noro on a cruise. And I hadn't eaten at any hole in the wall places. I kind of feel if my time is up…. it's up.

[OCruisers]

I have seen a lot of posts about this. Am I the only one who doesn't eat at hole in the wall 'ethnic' or 'authentic' places? I eat on the ship. Is the local cuisine worth the potential food poisoning and diarrhea??? I do not think it is safe!

 

Which ports?

LuLu

~~~

[sjb317]

We always try different restaurants/bars while in port, for us, that is part of seeing & experiencing new places. 30+ cruises and the only time I have ever gotten sick was with what I believe was salmonella from eating mayo on the cruise ship (Celebrity).

 

Sherri:)

[markeb]

I've eaten pretty much everywhere pretty much around the world except Africa and South America. The only time I've really had an issue was in a 4-5 star hotel in Midtown Manhattan!

 

Yes, we do due diligence. In places of "uncertain hygiene", I skip ice in my drinks. Coke or beer in a bottle works. Hot food that I know is hot. I'm not inclined to true "hole in the wall" places in somewhere like Mexico, but I find most of the Caribbean to be very much US/EU food safety standards, and the places that aren't are the same places I'd avoid in the States.

 

As always, YMMV, and my $0.02 worth...

[skyking]

In Cozumel I'm the gringo eating the tacos out of the back of the blue pickup truck down the street from the port. It's the first place I go and have never had a problem. Love emmmm

[rubrrick]

No your not the only one!! I eat nothing at all in any port. It isn't worth the risk. I bring snack from the ship w us and bottled water. The only time we are ashore was in grand cayman many years ago it was at 7 mile beach resort. Also the frog? Onion? In Bermuda. We do have a bite for lunch in labadee as it is ship food. I honestly have a moment or 2 I stop to think about the ocean water there ever since their horrible storm all that run off has to go somewhere??? Crazy I know we go but I'm a bit paranoid. I understand local business thrive on us tourists so I try to buy or spend on other things on their islands. Packages or bottled products but that's about it for me.

 

 

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Be careful bringing food off of the ship in Mexico. In Cabo, the Mexican authorities do a bag search, and any food from the ship is disposed of, by them.

 

The daily Compass will have notes about certain areas, where you are asked not to bring food ashore.

 

For what it's worth, is the only reason I'm bringing this up.;)

 

Rick

[sauvichick]

I usually try to stick to bigger restaurants, but nothing well-known with various locations all over the Caribbean. We like bar/grilles, but did try a really local place in Roatan. We told the driver to take us where he eats lunch-this "hole in the wall" with great pork, rice & beans. In Mexico I'm still leery because I did get ill at a big resort. We are debating whether to do a food tour in Jamaica and where to eat in Playa Del Carmen.

[matj2000]

We eat at port many times, you need to have a little adventure and try new things.

Who wants to sit around and eat chicken fingers, fries, burgers all the time?

 

Most Local cuisine is great but not the American tourist traps(Senor, Margville, Carlos, ect).

Like someone else said, most Caribbean places have some sort of standards.

We have never gotten sick.....

[cruzsnooze]

I won't eat anything at all in Mexico and only will drink bottles water or Diet Coke. Other ports I eat all I want like San Francisco wharf For the clam chowder in a sour dough bowl. It depends on the country and port.

[rubrrick]

We eat at port many times, you need to have a little adventure and try new things.

 

Who wants to sit around and eat chicken fingers, fries, burgers all the time?

 

Most Local cuisine is great but not the American tourist traps(Senor, Margville, Carlos, ect).

 

Like someone else said, most Caribbean places have some sort of standards.

 

We have never gotten sick.....

 

Matj2000, right on!!

 

I have been sick in Jamaca, where I foolishly watched a bartender, at a roadside jerk chicken restaurant, take an ice pick to a large block of ice, for a rum and coke that I ordered. Duhhhhh.......not sanitized water! I paid for it back on the ship.

 

And I have had Montazuma's revenge in Mexico, but we have a timeshare condo in Cancun, and I have been going down there since the middle '80s.

 

Experiencing this, I know what and where I want to eat, almost anywhere we travel. I try my best to check out and understand what countries have what standards, and act accordingly.

 

I'm glad that you are willing, as we are, to experience what the local flavor has to offer.;)

 

Rick

[matj2000]

Matj2000, right on!!

 

I have been sick in Jamaca, where I foolishly watched a bartender, at a roadside jerk chicken restaurant, take an ice pick to a large block of ice, for a rum and coke that I ordered. Duhhhhh.......not sanitized water! I paid for back on the ship.

Rick

 

You always have to be careful of the ice....

[Desertbelle]

We always try to eat at a local place when in port. We love trying new and native cuisine. No problems so far....knock on wood.

[wassup4565]

Here is the advice I got from an experienced Canadian diplomat. He said.

 

Of course you want to and should try different foods and cuisine when you travel. It`s an important way for you to learn about countries and people that are new to you. At the same time be aware that even today, there are some parasites you can pick up through food that cannot be cured or eradicated, and that will kill you.

 

So, definitely, he said, you should travel in new countries and eat the food, but always with a tour provider or driver who is reputable. You should tell that person what your standards are and ask him or her to ensure your food is safe, and to take you only to places that meet your standards.

 

Seems like good advice to me, especially if you are traveling off the beaten track in Africa or the Indian sub-continent. I worry far less in the Caribbean, which aspires to North American standards. And where any business located near the pier will not be in business for long if it makes people sick.

 

For the record, the only serious gastro-intestinal disease anyone in our family has ever had was giardia lamblia, which our daughter picked up, probably, at her day care centre.

Edited April 4, 2014 by wassup4565

[OSUZorba]

I usually eat a big breakfast and take water from the ship. I have bought some water on shore before, but I don't think I've ever eaten on shore. My wife is a little paranoid (only when cruising) and I am cheap, I figured I paid for the food on the boat, no need to buy two lunches ;).

[royalcruz]

We've eaten on many of the Caribbean islands. Get sick once. Overdid the tequila! :D

[ehfl]

If you're not enjoying the local cuisine, you're not taking full advantage of your vacation.

[matj2000]

If you're not enjoying the local cuisine, you're not taking full advantage of your vacation.

 

Exactly.

Back in 05 we were in Barbados and tried some sort of "flying fish" dish which was incredible.

It was a local thing I have never heard before and never seen since.

14 years later when anyone mentions Barbados, that Flying fish is what I think of first....

[alfaeric]

In Cozumel I'm the gringo eating the tacos out of the back of the blue pickup truck down the street from the port. It's the first place I go and have never had a problem. Love emmmm

 

FWIW, there's a mercado (local market) a few blocks off of the main road- almost behind the plaza area. You'd like it.

[NorbertsNiece]

I cannot imagine being in Italy and not trying the local pasta, in Spain a paella, in France some escargots and so on..... similarly in the Caribbean I've eaten everywhere... I've the Baltics coming up and am really looking forward to local delicacies.... and next year Singapore and India; it's all part of travelling the world and stepping out of mine for a brief moment. I've eaten in the mainland USA too!! I take a cruise to visit places I wouldn't afford to visit for an extended land trip... of course I would eat on that sort of a vacation....

 

We've had gastric problems on a land vacation in Egypt.... water originated probably (I think we ate a salad).... otherwise many years of travelling no issues whatsoever....