Where do you eat lunch on port days?

[newbie280106]

If you're out and about and don't want to go back to the ship what do you normally do for lunch? Since we're tendering in three of four stops I can't see going back just to eat.

We're stopping at Georgetown, Ocho Rios, and Cozumel (plus labadee). Are there restaurants there that you'd recommend?

Has anyone ever had a boxed lunch made up on the ship to bring with?

[Boo's Mom]

It all depends on what you are doing.

 

Some excursions, will provide meals. This was the case when we were in Grand Cayman.

 

In Cozumel, we were at an all inclusive resort for the day...and the food was included.

 

Yes, when the ship is tendered...it is often a process to get back onto the ship. However, we have done it a time or two....in between two separate excursions, when we had the time.

[newbie280106]

the excursions we're looking at are half day so don't include lunch

[Sheffie]

On Cozumel we ate at Paradise Beach. I believe we had nachos. Whatever we had was good.

 

At Georgetown we ate at a restaurant right across from the pier. You go up the stairs to get to it. I don't remember its name, but the food was good there, too.

 

There have been other times when we have taken food from the ship for lunch. They won't pack you a box lunch, but you can order a peanut butter sandwich and other things from room service.

 

There have been times we have grabbed lunch on the ship when we returned from a half-day ship's excursion. Other excursions didn't drop us off at the ship, so we ate elsewhere.

 

Our first cruise I was so scared to eat on the islands! I thought for sure that I'd get Montezuma's Revenge! I missed out on some good food!

 

Be adventurous!

[Andee]

We eat a big breakfast, stop for an ice cream or other snack, but don't waste time (that's how it seems to us) with lunch when we're sightseeing.

[Keith1010]

I would just caution you about being careful when you eat lunch at all of these places. You increase your odds of food poisoning and/or other related problems. If you do, just be very careful not to drink the water, not to have beverages with ice, not to have salad (concerned about what it is washed in, etc.) and overall I would be selective where you eat.

 

For us, we primarily eat lunch on the ship even if we have to tender back and forth. Exceptions are on shore excursions that include lunch or in places where the food is something that we really want to try.

 

Keith

[kimcruiser]

We have always had lunch at PALMARAS restaurant in Cozumel. It is on the main strip and it is up and running. We have been to this port 3 times now and always go there. It is the best:)

[HappyCruiser383]

In Cozumel, we had lunch at the restraunt right there at the port. Although I can't remember the name, it didn't make us sick. I wasn't that impressed with the food. I've had more authentic Mexican food in my own kitchen.

 

In Grand Cayman, we had lunch at an open air bar right by the port and it was good. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the view even more.

 

Most of the time, we don't bother with lunch only because we keep pretty busy. We'll eat a big breakfast on the ship and take a snack with us on the islands. When you pack for the cruise, bring some zip-lock bags with you. Room service on most cruise lines have sandwiches and such that you can take on the islands with you.

[nparmelee]

One thing to be careful of is that many ports don't want you bringing food off of the ship, especially fruits (too many noo-seeums can be transported that can do damage to local crops). It's possible anything not pre-packaged could be confiscated. We usually have a really big breakfast and then look for a local snack if we don't feel like going back on the ship. We like trying the local dishes.

[Krazy Kruizers]

In Grand Cayman we have eaten at the Hard Rock and Paradise Cove.

 

So many restaurants have been wiped out in Cozumel since the hurricane went through last fall. When we were a while back, a couple of times our ship was at the Puerto Langusto pier (now gone) and we ate at TGI Friday's. We aren't into all that Mexican food.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Ocho Rio - have eaten at Jimmie Buffet's right at the Island Village next to the pier.

[Cotton]

To me, part of the great adventure of visiting different ports is trying their local cuisine. Most of the reputable restaurants will have signs posted that say their water (and ice) is purified. They do NOT want to get a reputation for making visitors sick!;) I've had meals, snacks, and beverages at every island/country I've visited, and have yet to become ill.

 

I've always enjoyed Pancho's Backyard on Cozumel. There are two locations...one in the town of San Miguel, and the other at the Puerta Maya Pier, which I understand sustained quite a bit of damage.

 

Correct about food not being allowed in ports, per their government regulations. Some folks do hide sandwiches in their tote bags, but if found, there could be a fine to pay. Hardly worth it for a sandwich. No vegetables or fruits are allowed to be taken off the ship. Any pre-packaged items like cookies, chips, and other snacks, are ok.

 

When departing a ship at a port, I've seen piles of bananas, apples, sandwiches, etc. on a table by the exit door to the ship.....If they see it, the ship's personnel will take it from you.

[Lewdog]

If you want truly local cuisine, avoid the popular spots, they are basically nothing more than Americanized Mexican food or Tex-Mex. Hit up the taqueria (taco stand) for the real thing.

[cruise.freak]

We always each lunch in the ports to experience authentic food. Prices usually are not that bad and the food is some of the best I have ever eaten.

[Lance1224]

DW and I make lunch from the breakfast buffet on the ship.

We have back packs and baggies and water bottles . If we

find a nice scenic area in port , we have a picnic lunch.

 

Lance1224:)

[Loves_Dogs]

We always request late dinner ( 8:30 ). So what we do is eat a big breakfast and skip lunch. I am leery of eating food in the ports (however dumb that may sound). We end up back on the ship around 4:00 or 5:00 and immediately order sandwiches from room service which holds us over until dinner. Of course, my son is 15 years old. This probably would not work with young kids.

[pcsanity]

For our first several cruises we always went back to the ship for lunch or had a late lunch.

 

On our last sailing on the Valor, the food onboard was rather distasteful, and we jumped at the occasion to eat off the ship at every turn we got. (as did our tablemates.) This was in Jan 05. *Maybe it was because it was a new ship...we have liked Carnivals food before.)

 

Needless to say, we realized what we were really missing by just eating on the ship, and during our upcoming Golden Princess Cruise (late Jan) we will be eating off the ship as much as possible....even if the ships food is good.

 

PC

[Katie333]

Ditto on Pancho's backyard in Cozumel, very nice nachos and great margaritas! :)

 

To be honest, we are often pretty 'cheap' about eating in port, especially when there is so much great food aboard the ship. While I'm not really leary to try local cuisine, I find it hard to justify the cost and also to find a place that is both authentic and safe to eat.

 

In addition to the cost saving measure, we find it a nice break in our day to re-board the ship, freshen up, enjoy a meal and saunter back out into port (of course much easier if it is a docked port).

[DEL67]

Like Jelja we usually skip lunch. We are usually to busy doing things and, with a big breakfast and a big dinner, we don't really need it and can get something to eat when we get back to the ship if we are hungry. Of course, that doesn't mean we do not snack on ice cream or an interesting local delicacy like gelato or Belgium waffles.

[CaribbeanBound]

We eat a big breakfast and still find out way back to the ship for lunch, usually around 1pm, then head out again. we build up quite an appetite. We usually break our day into two parts --- morning and afternoon, assuming of course that you're in port all day.

 

When we don't head back, we usually eat at a beach bar shack.

[Bonnie J.]

We have a small collapsable cooler and a water bottle. We take our lunch with us whenever we go ashore for a beach or excusion. I travel with zip lock bags for food & ice. Sometimes I call room service the morning of, on Carnival we get sandwiches they make for you at the Deli and we keep them in the fridge in our cabin or I make sandwiches. Over New Years I got 4 slices of ham in the dining room, (its sliced ham not deli sliced), rolls at the breakfast buffet and mustard at the 24 hour pizza & burger stand. In November's cruise we decided to eat with our tour. There was only one thing I didn't eat that my husband did and my husband spent the next day in bed with food poisening. So, we'll never eat ashore again - its just safer!

[pcsanity]

We have a small collapsable cooler and a water bottle. We take our lunch with us whenever we go ashore for a beach or excusion. I travel with zip lock bags for food & ice. Sometimes I call room service the morning of, on Carnival we get sandwiches they make for you at the Deli and we keep them in the fridge in our cabin or I make sandwiches. Over New Years I got 4 slices of ham in the dining room, (its sliced ham not deli sliced), rolls at the breakfast buffet and mustard at the 24 hour pizza & burger stand. In November's cruise we decided to eat with our tour. There was only one thing I didn't eat that my husband did and my husband spent the next day in bed with food poisening. So, we'll never eat ashore again - its just safer!

 

People get sick...in port, on ships, at home. Unfortunately a fact of life. Dont miss out on the great things a port has to offer. Just use some common sense on where you eat. I had a terrible illness from some smoked salmon on a CCL cruise, but still eat on the ships. :D

[caviargal]

I enjoy eating in port and have never been sick from doing so. Some ports have places I really enjoy and go back to (Goldies in Nassau comes to mind) and in others I just wander around til I see something that appeals. For me, it is a very enjoyable part of travelling. I do not limit myself to what the ship has to offer.

[madelinerose]

Sounds too much like grocery shopping to me.

 

IMHO, I would feel as though I had never felt the flavor of the islands if I never sampled their cuisine.

 

We don't worry about lunch. If we get hungry, we'll find something to eat. You're certainly not going to starve. Taking ham sandwiches, piece by piece off a cruise ship would ruin the port day for me. You can get food poisoning anywhere. Just my thoughts. ;)

 

We have a small collapsable cooler and a water bottle. We take our lunch with us whenever we go ashore for a beach or excusion. I travel with zip lock bags for food & ice. Sometimes I call room service the morning of, on Carnival we get sandwiches they make for you at the Deli and we keep them in the fridge in our cabin or I make sandwiches. Over New Years I got 4 slices of ham in the dining room, (its sliced ham not deli sliced), rolls at the breakfast buffet and mustard at the 24 hour pizza & burger stand. In November's cruise we decided to eat with our tour. There was only one thing I didn't eat that my husband did and my husband spent the next day in bed with food poisening. So, we'll never eat ashore again - its just safer!

[Texas_Diver]

We have always had lunch at PALMARAS restaurant in Cozumel. It is on the main strip and it is up and running. We have been to this port 3 times now and always go there. It is the best:)

 

We had lunch there last month while in Cozumel. It was very good! :)