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Do you bring any of your own food/drink/spices to enhance your dining while onboard?


Epicureangirl
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Thanks for your post! I have never tried agave syrup (though I have had things that have it in it). I used to have Sweet 'n' Low for my coffee habit but then consciously took that out of my diet, and have my coffee black now. However, that is really, really hard when you are used to sweetness in your coffee -- maybe agave syrup would have been the ticket! I tried to transition to Stevia, and just couldn't do it!

 

I also had a hard time transitioning to stevia, until I tried Trader Joe's stevia packets. Half a packet sweetens my coffee or tea just fine.

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I've put stevia in my coffee for over a decade and often carry it with me. I like the Sweet Leaf brand tablets, Stevita Supreme packets, or vanilla flavored liquid stevia (Vitacost has the best vanilla flavored one, tastes like real vanilla). For those considering it, Truvia and PureVia from the grocery store are the worst tasting stevias.

 

The real maple syrup is a great idea too. I hate the taste of the fake stuff on the ship. If I can find tiny bottles of it I might do that.

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Great thread! Not just on cruises...I carry small (enough for 1-2 servings) individual packages of red chili flakes wherever I go :). Can’t eat pizza or pasta without chili flakes! Some restaurants don’t have them, or just have the chili oil, while others take so long to get them to the table that I’m done half my meal before they get them to me. Whenever I go to a takeout restaurant that has the little sealed packages (sort of look like condoms ;p), I beg for some extra to replenish my stock. Haven’t seen them sold anywhere. Have tried creating my own by putting some in very small ziplocks, but would invariably find flakes spread all over the inside of my purse. Was in Italy over spring break and became the chili connection for all my traveling companions!

 

And Canadians will understand...I sometimes bring Tim’s brand of Earl Grey tea bags :)

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Have tried creating my own by putting some in very small ziplocks, but would invariably find flakes spread all over the inside of my purse. :)

 

My friend carries chilli around in this style of screw top pill boxes.:D

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My friend carries chilli around in this style of screw top pill boxes.:D

 

Too funny. Will have to keep that in mind if I ever lose my restaurant suppliers. As a fellow chili connoisseur, I appreciate his/her efforts! Am going to Seattle next month and I know there’s a panini/pasta place in the terminal that has the little packets laying out with the condiments. ;p Good thing I love their paninis!

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Wow, they allow butter?!? At home, I eat the grass-fed ones too (Kerrigold). Would love to bring it on board with me but did not imagine it is allowed.

 

This year when cruising with Cunard, I took my own almond milk and coconut oil as well as coffee and teabags, luckily had port stops in US so could stock up. I also take the squirty water enhancers and no sugar jelly’s plus the essential nut butters and 85% chocolate. I have the fridge cleared out when we get on board to store it all.

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For those bringing butter how do you transport it? I would love to bring it for my bulletproof coffee and mix it up in my frother but the butter sticks seem like they would be such a mess. I considered just getting the coffee package on Royal so I wouldn't have to need with it but not sure they'd have sugar free options or heavy cream. I suppose I could use ghee instead of butter and it comes in a jar.

 

Would my electric frother get me in trouble?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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For those bringing butter how do you transport it? I would love to bring it for my bulletproof coffee and mix it up in my frother but the butter sticks seem like they would be such a mess. I considered just getting the coffee package on Royal so I wouldn't have to need with it but not sure they'd have sugar free options or heavy cream. I suppose I could use ghee instead of butter and it comes in a jar.

 

Would my electric frother get me in trouble?

Butter freezes very well, and takes quite a while to defrost (tip - when baking and measuring weights, or only needing a small amount of butter, just grate a frozen stick - the tiny pieces defrost fast, and should also melt in your coffee easily. For folks who don't use butter often enough that a stick or block goes bad on the counter, or like me who shop in Costco and have to buy an entire dairy herd's production at a time, freezing keeps it buttery-fresh for at least a year).

 

Since that frother is also a heater, I'm guessing that any cruiseline that does not let folks bring their own kettle of electric coffeepot onboard would also reject it. Just buy one of the dirt-cheap battery-powered spinning 'wand' frothers - mine was $1 in Radio Shack about a decade ago and still works! Amazon lists a ton of them, but even the cheapest battery ones seem to run well over $5 these days, e.g. this one for $7 just so you know the style I mean.

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Awesome I'll try that! Ikea has those for $3! I'll definitely pick one up before my trip!

Hot damn! I don't know what my psychological block is but I just can't seem to lock in Ikea as a cheap source for good stuff no matter how many pots & glasses & doodads I buy there!

 

I'll totes grab a frother for our Portland Pad next time I'm having a cheapie brekkie there - cheers! ;-)

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We take a lot of our own favs on board. Starting with black pepper, medium grind, so as to not make our waiters grind and grind. Red pepper always, both in small baggies we bring to dining room, always gets a comment from waitstaff, so you like spicey? Helps them know we appreciate spice and flavor. I enjoy peanut butter and toast for breakfast, so always carry with us. Sambal, salad dressings, low salt, chili sauce, sugar free cookies, strong cheese. Always buy goodies in port that we enjoy local flavor. Strong cheeses. Last cruise bbq sauce. Love having our choices and enjoying what is offered in ports and on board. Makes a huge difference.

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Real maple syrup, Grade B aka Dark Color, Robust Taste in the new labeling system. We eat low-carb generally but I usually indulge in one French toast or pancake meal per cruise, and the only way I even bother eating those items is with a boatload of Grade B! BTW, I have never had any trouble bringing on or taking off a bottle that has already been opened. 

 

Last time we cruised I happened to pick up can of peanuts for a plane snack and didn't end up eating them, so I brought them along, which proved to be a very good call. Nuts are oddly hard to find on the ship, and they are one of our favorite low-carb items for a light snack with an afternoon beverage. We'll repeat that for future cruises, but beyond that, we are pretty happy with what we can find on board. We sail Celebrity and they have done a pretty good job expanding their condiment offerings!

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