Can food be taken off the ship?

[janpo]

Well, I should clarify here. I know the original poster asked about Bermuda but also about taking food off the ship.

 

We have taken the food off the ship in St. Martin, St.Thomas and In Gerainger and Flaam. But have not been to Bermuda.

 

We tend to fall more on the practical side. In most cases we washed and cut the fruit. So there was nothing wrong or diseased with the fruit. We did pack everything back to the ship to dispose of all 4 times. (Pack it in/Pack it out)

 

In Cabo San Lucas we were going to take a couple apples and bananas with us. As we got off the ship we saw the bag checkers there and went up and asked if we could take the fruit and they said no food. Even packaged food. (Im guessing here but Im sure this is problematic with people feeding cereal to the fish in port there)

 

So we left the fruit on the ship. I'm not saying to arrogantly break the law, but if there's no one checking bags as we get off the ship I'm bringing snacks with me. We like to hike quite a bit and most of the ports we get in too early and stores are not yet open.

 

An example would be In Gerainger Norway there was not many shops at port and the ones that were didn't open until 9 or 10. By that time we had already hiked 12 miles up a mountain side overlooking the Fjords and were snacking on some fruit.

 

I think the impact of 15000 people a day is way more detrimental to an Islands well being than taking a piece of fruit with you that you are personally consuming. Does everyone clean their shoes before they walk off a ship? How about snorkelers? Do they wash their gear and make sure they are not carrying an invasive species into the waters with them? Do you empty all your bags and check for any bugs, fleas, wipe them down with antibacterial wipes? There are all kinds of ways for disease to pass from one place to the next.

 

Again, I'm not saying to be arrogant but a little practicality goes a long way.

 

-Sean

 

You can always try to explain why what you're doing is ok and how it doesn't hurt anyone or anything. They are all lame excuses.

 

The bottom line is the rules are set for a reason and as many excuses as you can think up, doesn't change a darn thing.

 

So..what you're doing is wrong period..

[wilmingtech]

 

Lets try this again....

 

 

The comment that 'cb at sea' 'zqvol' and 'sanger727' left are great remarks. They explain the rules, disagree with my approach and are honest with what they know and how they feel about this issue without directing negativity towards anyone.

 

I could go on here but again... as I have said just one post earlier... I'm not taking the bait. I kindly disagree.

 

Also ... It would be beneficial to these boards that if someone's already posted something you agree with you don't repost and repost and repost. The OP doesn't need to know that 100 people on cruise critic think I'm wrong.

 

The OP just wants to know if they can take food off the ship or not in Bermuda in which case I think that has mostly been covered here.

 

I'm sorry to the OP that we are getting off track here. I promise Ill not reply to any more of these repetitive responses...

 

-Sean

[DMH15]

These kinds of discussions and judging of others is always amusing on these threads.

 

 

 

I like to make the comment that I don't believe every single person that chastises another is PERFECT themselves. I'm sure you've gone over a speed limit a time or 2 in your life, whether in a foreign country to you or your own. Guess what, that is a law and a rule and it is there for a reason. By exceeding it you could seriously injure yourself or others.

 

 

 

Just saying. Don't be so judgmental all you perfect people. WE know you are NOT Perfect

 

 

You must have been hall room monitor in first grade. Just kidding.

 

It IS IMPORTANT as many inexperienced cruisers read these boards. They read someone's cavalier remarks and think to themselves that it really is not that big a deal. Well, it is a big deal. So many in today's society feel rules do not apply to them. You may not like them but they are there for a reason.

 

But ok, go ahead and JUDGE those you think are too JUDGEMENTAL and not those who break the rules and then brag about it.

 

 

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[djmess]

You must have been hall room monitor in first grade. Just kidding.

 

It IS IMPORTANT as many inexperienced cruisers read these boards. They read someone's cavalier remarks and think to themselves that it really is not that big a deal. Well, it is a big deal. So many in today's society feel rules do not apply to them. You may not like them but they are there for a reason.

 

But ok, go ahead and JUDGE those you think are too JUDGEMENTAL and not those who break the rules and then brag about it.

 

 

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Hey Donna,

Yes, after saying people shouldn't be judgmental, my statement was just that.

 

I'm just trying to point out to people that make really negative remarks lately (actually the last year or so) on these threads just need to get life or something. I don't condone the breaking of rules, just pointed out that we all have broken a rule before.

 

I was trying to say we all have done something wrong. my speed limit analogy is just an example. I know that one should never bring food off a cruise ship into a port, but we old timers on this board really need to reign in our Judgement of others. Me included. My opinion only.

 

I think we are cruising the same week on the Epic and I really hope to meet you. (product of double NCL cancels also) I've seen you post for many years now and think you will be a great person to meet. See you in February

 

Not sure how the tone of this post will come across. Hope it's not bad.

[Loonbeam]

Here's what it comes down to..

 

I have personally observed on two occasions, dogs alerting to bags on disembarkation in a port. In one instance they were told to dispose of the offending item (fruit) in a bright yellow basket. No big deal, right?

 

In the other, the person was marched into the terminal by 2 armed officers. We found out later that he was fined about $130 US and was not permitted ashore for the day.

 

One of those was Jamaica, BTW, the other Costa Rica. I didn't say which is which for a reason.

 

Moral judgements aside, the rules are in place for a reason. They may be over protective, but given the damage just one small set of rogue insect larva or seeds can do, they have to be.

 

If you must have snacks ashore, bring pre-packaged items that meet their guidelines with you when you board. Pretty much every country posts what is and is not allowed.

[Sauer-kraut]

Anyone ever hear of these exotic invasives that we are battling in Chicago?

Zebra Mollusk, Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Carp, Non-native Buckthorn, Asian Longhorn Beetle and many many more. But of course these were were no big deal when a ship discharged its ballast that contained the mollusk into Lake Michigan, or the shipping pallets that had the Longhorned Beetle larvae in the wood, so many problems occur when one mite, seed or individual pest makes its way into local ecosystem.

[Diane123boys]

Anyone ever hear of these exotic invasives that we are battling in Chicago?

Zebra Mollusk, Emerald Ash Borer, Asian Carp, Non-native Buckthorn, Asian Longhorn Beetle and many many more. But of course these were were no big deal when a ship discharged its ballast that contained the mollusk into Lake Michigan, or the shipping pallets that had the Longhorned Beetle larvae in the wood, so many problems occur when one mite, seed or individual pest makes its way into local ecosystem.

 

Thank you!! I was going to post many of the same issues you are having in Chicago! Unfortunately the beetle came to our forests in NH via camping firewood from other states and it has been decimating our forests!! The Milfoil is choking our lakes now that is carelessly brought on boat propellers with people that dont care enough to clean the bottoms of their boats.. Sorry stepig off the soap box now

[easyboy]

Can you "pack" a lunch on the ship to take on shore?

No you can not.

[DMH15]

Hey Donna,

 

Yes, after saying people shouldn't be judgmental, my statement was just that.

 

 

 

I'm just trying to point out to people that make really negative remarks lately (actually the last year or so) on these threads just need to get life or something. I don't condone the breaking of rules, just pointed out that we all have broken a rule before.

 

 

 

I was trying to say we all have done something wrong. my speed limit analogy is just an example. I know that one should never bring food off a cruise ship into a port, but we old timers on this board really need to reign in our Judgement of others. Me included. My opinion only.

 

 

 

I think we are cruising the same week on the Epic and I really hope to meet you. (product of double NCL cancels also) I've seen you post for many years now and think you will be a great person to meet. See you in February

 

 

 

Not sure how the tone of this post will come across. Hope it's not bad.

 

 

Your tone came across fine and friendly. And YES I look forward to meeting you on the Epic. It will be here before we know it.

 

I know opinions vary in this forum and my intention is to always be respectful, (I may inject some of my somewhat warped humor), even when I have a different perspective than others.

 

Thanks for a great exchange. I think we both understand there are different kinds of "negative posts". [emoji57]

 

 

 

 

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Edited September 4, 2016 by DMH15

[janpo]

We have a ton of stink bugs . In the Spring they come out of the houses that they've stayed in all Winter and in the Fall they come in the houses looking for a place to stay warm in the Winter. They sit on the screens of your house trying to get in. These are not native to the USA.

 

That nasty bug came from Asia. So, yea, things happen and that's why rules are in place.

Edited September 4, 2016 by janpo

[katiekins]

just like the everglades are chock full of snakes and critters that dont belong there. happy cruising!:(

[Medtech2]

We're sailing on the Norwegian Breakaway to Bermuda in a few weeks, and we've signed up for some shore excursions.

 

I read the reviews for one of the sailboat tours, and because you are on the water for 4+ hours, they recommended bringing snacks or something for lunch. I'm just wondering how you would go about that. Can you "pack" a lunch on the ship to take on shore? The boat trip we are taking apparently has a cash bar, but no food for sale.

 

Has anyone had experience with this?

We always bring wrapped granola bars or retail sealed bags of trailmix from home for these types of scenarios. Tuck them in your shoes in your suitcase to save space...

 

Doesn't break any rules and easy enough to do.

[BirdTravels]

We always bring wrapped granola bars or retail sealed bags of trailmix from home for these types of scenarios. Tuck them in your shoes in your suitcase to save space...

 

Doesn't break any rules and easy enough to do.

 

Definitely breaks the rules and will be confiscated by British Customs if discovered and make you subject to fines and penalties.

[CruiserRob]

Well, I should clarify here. I know the original poster asked about Bermuda but also about taking food off the ship.

 

We have taken the food off the ship in St. Martin, St.Thomas and In Gerainger and Flaam. But have not been to Bermuda.

 

We tend to fall more on the practical side. In most cases we washed and cut the fruit. So there was nothing wrong or diseased with the fruit. We did pack everything back to the ship to dispose of all 4 times. (Pack it in/Pack it out)

 

 

-Sean

 

Would you do the same if you were visiting an American Port?

 

Robert

[GUT2407]

You can go to prison in some Countries for taking forbidden goods into the Country, you can also face hefty fines, more importantly you can totally destroy the county's agricultural industry.

 

But I guess if things like that don't bother you go ahead.

[Medtech2]

Definitely breaks the rules and will be confiscated by British Customs if discovered and make you subject to fines and penalties.

Well, no. I would argue that granola is a cereal and cereals are exempted from any duties. Regardless, even if a duty is due, it would be 25% of the value of the goods.

 

Although we never even noticed any officials when we left the ship in Bermuda, if it would make everyone feel better the OP could bring small snack items listed on a form and 25% at the ready...

 

http://www.gotobermuda.com/uploadedFiles/CommonContent/CommonAssets/CUSTOMS_REGULATIONS_2010.pdf

 

https://www.gov.bm/sites/default/files/Bermuda-Customs-Declaration-Form.pdf

 

The good news is there was a wonderful shop right by the dock that sold all sorts of wonderful items we can't get in the States, including these bad boys:

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jelly_Babies

[hawkeyetlse]

http://www.gotobermuda.com/uploadedF...TIONS_2010.pdf

 

https://www.gov.bm/sites/default/fil...ation-Form.pdf

Thank you for providing links to the actual rules of the Bermuda Customs department (not "British Customs", whatever that is). But I don't think anyone in this thread is concerned about duty. They are concerned about being punished for taking food and drink off the ship in a port of call. It would be a helpful if someone could cite a single example of any cruise ship passenger actually being fined (or imprisoned :p) for taking food/drink off the ship.

 

I am not saying that if there is no punishment, you have the right to break the rules. I get the moralistic point that rules are rules. That may be a good way to raise your kids, but most adults realize at some point that life is more complex than that… What I am saying is that if the local authorities do little to enforce their own rules, that's an indication of the priority that they themselves give to these rules (in the specific situation of cruise ship passengers visiting for a few hours).

 

Again, I'm talking about ports of call during the cruise, not disembarkation. At disembarkation, people have to take all their stuff off the ship, and for their own good, they should make an effort to learn the rules regarding customs declarations, prohibited items, duty-free allowances, etc.

[boatseller]

While there are special process to accommodate the large volume of disembarking passengers and it may appear to be more lax, arriving cruise passengers are subject to the same local Immigration, Customs and Agriculture laws as any other arriving passenger.

 

For example, they don't check Passports because everyone on the ship is pre-cleared. But, there is nothing you or the cruise line can do to stop them if they decided that morning to do so.

 

So, if you can legally import the food item,by air, you can legally walk off the ship. A box of chocolate, a can of soup is almost always allowed, even into the United States. Any raw food item is practically never allowed, even between the United States and Canada.

[wilmingtech]

Well, no. I would argue that granola is a cereal and cereals are exempted from any duties. Regardless, even if a duty is due, it would be 25% of the value of the goods.

 

Although we never even noticed any officials when we left the ship in Bermuda, if it would make everyone feel better the OP could bring small snack items listed on a form and 25% at the ready...

 

http://www.gotobermuda.com/uploadedFiles/CommonContent/CommonAssets/CUSTOMS_REGULATIONS_2010.pdf

 

https://www.gov.bm/sites/default/files/Bermuda-Customs-Declaration-Form.pdf

 

I think MedTech2 is on the right track...

 

Here is the FAQ from the Bermuda Goverment Knowledgebase Website -

http://www.gov.bm.knowledgebase.co/category/customs/

 

"I am coming to Bermuda on vacation. Can I bring food items?"

 

Yes you may bring food items with you on vacation.

 

Each traveler is restricted to 50lbs. of meat without certification. Importations of meat in excess of 50lbs. must be accompanied by a 'health inspection certificate', and must be used for personal consumption only, not for sale.

 

The food items listed below may be imported into Bermuda duty free.

- Breakfast cereals

- Bulgur wheat

- Cream

- Malt

- Potato flour and flakes

- Prepared foods for infant use (including formula)

- Rice

- Sugar

- Wheat and cereal flours

 

Granted that question/answer is from 2012

 

According to the Bermuda Goverment Website that lists "Prohibited and Restricted Goods" https://www.gov.bm/prohibited-and-restricted-goods It looks like fruits and Vegetables need to be declared at customs and will most likely be confiscated.

 

So to answer Ray Bay - According to the Bermuda Goverment Website, Yes. You can bring some snacks, cereals and up to 50lbs of meat for personal consumption once you get off the ship. Its still up in the air as to whether you need to cook the 50lbs of meat before you get off the ship. :D

 

-Sean

Edited September 5, 2016 by wilmingtech

[broberts]

Thank you for providing links to the actual rules of the Bermuda Customs department (not "British Customs", whatever that is). But I don't think anyone in this thread is concerned about duty. They are concerned about being punished for taking food and drink off the ship in a port of call. It would be a helpful if someone could cite a single example of any cruise ship passenger actually being fined (or imprisoned :p) for taking food/drink off the ship.

 

I am not saying that if there is no punishment, you have the right to break the rules. I get the moralistic point that rules are rules. That may be a good way to raise your kids, but most adults realize at some point that life is more complex than that… What I am saying is that if the local authorities do little to enforce their own rules, that's an indication of the priority that they themselves give to these rules (in the specific situation of cruise ship passengers visiting for a few hours).

 

Again, I'm talking about ports of call during the cruise, not disembarkation. At disembarkation, people have to take all their stuff off the ship, and for their own good, they should make an effort to learn the rules regarding customs declarations, prohibited items, duty-free allowances, etc.

 

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory. While local rules and regulations may apply, ultimate authority rests with Britain. While the details differ, the relationship is somewhat like that of PR to the USA.

 

Suggesting that the immediate absence of enforcement indicates regulations are not deemed important is a self-serving conclusion. Only in police states are people presumed to be law-breakers thus requiring constant monitoring. I have yet to encounter a jurisdiction which holds that laws and regulations only have to be followed if there is an enforcer present.

 

One wonders how a parent feels when a child only followed rules if a parent is physically present.

[BirdTravels]

This is all interesting. The ship clearly admonishes people not to remove any food from the ship. Don't remove food from the ship.

 

The last year when we were in Bermuda on the Breakaway, customs on the dock was confiscating all foods. Boxes of cereal, cartons of milk, muffins and breads from the buffet, fruits, snacks. On the way back in, they were confiscating bags of pink sand and shells.

[hawkeyetlse]

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory. While local rules and regulations may apply, ultimate authority rests with Britain.

I am aware of that, but Bermuda makes its own rules about what travelers can bring in. As in all matters of internal security, the Governor (representing the Queen) has special responsibility over customs regulations, but it is not correct to say that people entering Bermuda are subject to "British Customs", as if there were some customs entity or some single set of customs regulations with authority across all British territories.

Only in police states are people presumed to be law-breakers thus requiring constant monitoring.

Any degree of monitoring presumes — correctly — that people are law-breakers. Port officials know that there is food and drink in passengers' backpacks. In a lot of cases, the food and drink is perfectly legal, so there is no law being broken in the first place. In the remaining cases, the threat is not great enough for them to put more resources into monitoring (and education, and punishment).

 

I never said anywhere that people have the right to break any laws, however unenforced or seemingly unimportant. But it's naive to believe that just telling them it's bad is going to prevent them from doing it.

Edited September 5, 2016 by hawkeyetlse

[easyboy]

Well, no. I would argue that granola is a cereal and cereals are exempted from any duties. Regardless, even if a duty is due, it would be 25% of the value of the goods.

 

Although we never even noticed any officials when we left the ship in Bermuda, if it would make everyone feel better the OP could bring small snack items listed on a form and 25% at the ready...

 

http://www.gotobermuda.com/uploadedFiles/CommonContent/CommonAssets/CUSTOMS_REGULATIONS_2010.pdf

 

https://www.gov.bm/sites/default/files/Bermuda-Customs-Declaration-Form.pdf

 

The good news is there was a wonderful shop right by the dock that sold all sorts of wonderful items we can't get in the States, including these bad boys:

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jelly_Babies

Thanks for the links.

[luckyinpa]

so can we bring jelly babies back on board? i love finding new candy in different places and also if there are different potato chips i like them too.

 

regarding sand and shells i'm assuming no gift shops sell these as well?

[kathybelcher2433]

While I think the original poster's question involved being on shore early before the stores and restaurant open, I hope that is the main reason for bringing food off the ship. Please, put money into the local economy. Don't do this to save a few bucks.

 

 

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