Taking food / beverages off ship in port

[Bubbs33]

Good day, 

Loved my first cruise with Princess to Alaska so much, I booked a 2nd cruise with Princess - Mediterranean and Aegean cruise.  When leaving the ship in Alaska, we could not take our coffees or other foods unless it was water or prepackaged foods, off the ship. As our Mediterranean cruise is in the EU, are the rules the same?  If so and as this is port intensive, I may cancel my coffee package. TIA.

Edited October 29, 2019 by Bubbs33

[skynight]

6 minutes ago, Bubbs33 said:

Good day, 

Loved my first cruise with Princess to Alaska so much, I booked a 2nd cruise with Princess - Mediterranean and Aegean cruise.  When leaving the ship in Alaska, we could not take our coffees or other foods unless it was water or prepackaged foods, off the ship. As our Mediterranean cruise is in the EU, are the rules the same?  If so and as this is port intensive, I may cancel my coffee package. TIA.

It is basically similar at all ports I have visited. No fruit, veggies or unprepared food. Pre-packaged food is generally ok. Laws and enforcement vary.

[Mike45LC]

I know that many people bring ashore fruit from the ship, to snack on.  Some people bring fruit ashore to distribute to local indigenous people.  Both are illegal, but I have not seen any effort to find and prosecute offenders.  

 

If I am traveling where I will not eat the food, I will grab a couple of individual serving cereals to snack on.  Normally it is legal to bring pre-packaged food ashore.

 

[riffatsea]

There are good reasons not to bring fruit ashore! I know folks bring water but would not think to bring coffee with me on shore. There is plenty of food and drink to be found at all ports.

[MissP22]

We just finished a Caribbean trip & the only place that discouraged food being taken ashore was in St Thomas and even at that they was no check. 

[Gwendy]

Fruit etc May have been sourced from another country and if you take it ashore you risk introducing biological problems.  That’s why countries particularly island countries have such strict quarantine procedures.  

On a RCL cruise despite notices in newsletters, announcements, notices at gangway there were TWO full size rubbish bins of confiscated fruit in a port in Taiwan.

[caribill]

11 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

.  If I am traveling where I will not eat the food, I will grab a couple of individual serving cereals to snack on.

 

That option may disappear in the future as Princess has said they will eliminate that packaging in order to "help save the environment."

[skynight]

17 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

I know that many people bring ashore fruit from the ship, to snack on.  Some people bring fruit ashore to distribute to local indigenous people.  Both are illegal, but I have not seen any effort to find and prosecute offenders.  

 

If I am traveling where I will not eat the food, I will grab a couple of individual serving cereals to snack on.  Normally it is legal to bring pre-packaged food ashore.

 

On our last Princess cruise August 2019 I did not see any pre-packaged cereal. All cereal in the buffet area was in bulk dispensers where you turn a knob to fill your bowl. I would consider cereal as processed food probably not restricted most places. Cereal in a baggie probably would not be a problem.

[MissP22]

13 minutes ago, skynight said:

On our last Princess cruise August 2019 I did not see any pre-packaged cereal. All cereal in the buffet area was in bulk dispensers where you turn a knob to fill your bowl. I would consider cereal as processed food probably not restricted most places. Cereal in a baggie probably would not be a problem.

Last week on the Crown they still had the cereal in boxes but it might change very soon.

Bring zip lock bags just in case. 

 

They just changed to putting regular sugar in dispensers on all the tables. The artificial sweeteners were still in individual packets. 

[cruzsnooze]

1 hour ago, MissP22 said:

 

 

They just changed to putting regular sugar in dispensers on all the tables. The artificial sweeteners were still in individual packets. 

They also did awat with toothpicks and mints, Princess is making their experience on board  cheaper and cheaper in the name of ecology!

Edited October 30, 2019 by cruzsnooze

[MissP22]

21 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

They also did awat with toothpicks and mints, Princess is making their experience on board  cheaper and cheaper in the name of ecology!

I don't understand the toothpicks. They were wood so how much harm would it do to the environment if a few got tossed overboard. They used to have decent mints but changed to the horrible ones a few years back they most people didn't want anyway. I guess even they cost to much. 

[JF - retired RRT]

20 hours ago, Mike45LC said:

I know that many people bring ashore fruit from the ship, to snack on.  Some people bring fruit ashore to distribute to local indigenous people.  Both are illegal, but I have not seen any effort to find and prosecute offenders.  

 

If I am traveling where I will not eat the food, I will grab a couple of individual serving cereals to snack on.  Normally it is legal to bring pre-packaged food ashore.

 

We've sailed to Ensenada numerous times, there's almost always a dog handler as you enter the "gift shop". He sniffs every bag. The handler stands next to a trash can. Pretty sure it will be full by the time 2K or 3K people get off the ship.

[MissP22]

They had dog sniffers in Cozumel on our last cruise there & I tested them with a wrapped up piece of old apple core in a napkin.

They missed it. 

[c-boy]

... 

[Itchy&Scratchy]

32 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

We've sailed to Ensenada numerous times, there's almost always a dog handler as you enter the "gift shop". He sniffs every bag. The handler stands next to a trash can. Pretty sure it will be full by the time 2K or 3K people get off the ship.

same in Cozumel - sniffer dogs sniff everyone, and fruit is confiscated. There were large bins with confiscated fruits and veggies...

But not in Costa Maya.

[waiting2retire]

This is the reason I don't get the coffee package on port intensive itineraries.  I usually only want coffee in the mornings, but I am not an early riser, so have no time to drink it if I am getting off the ship early.  Maybe it would be different on a cold weather cruise where it would be tempting to have a decaf on return to the ship (can't have caffeine late in the day).

 

 

 

[nukesubsailor]

5 hours ago, MissP22 said:

They had dog sniffers in Cozumel on our last cruise there & I tested them with a wrapped up piece of old apple core in a napkin.

They missed it. 

What other regulation violations to you commit to test the enforcement efficiency?

[Bubbs33]

19 minutes ago, waiting2retire said:

This is the reason I don't get the coffee package on port intensive itineraries.  I usually only want coffee in the mornings, but I am not an early riser, so have no time to drink it if I am getting off the ship early.  Maybe it would be different on a cold weather cruise where it would be tempting to have a decaf on return to the ship (can't have caffeine late in the day).

 

 

 

Thanks for your reply. Makes sense to me. I too only drink decaf in PM.

Edited October 30, 2019 by Bubbs33

[MissP22]

3 hours ago, nukesubsailor said:

What other regulation violations to you commit to test the enforcement efficiency?

A few here & there. 

[mamkmm2]

They can be strict, depends on the Captain and crew as well as the port.  Heck, in Canada they weren’t even confiscating liquor that came back on board after a port.  There was an assumption that any wine was for shipboard consumption is my understanding.

[pms4104]

10 minutes ago, mamkmm2 said:

They can be strict, depends on the Captain and crew as well as the port.  Heck, in Canada they weren’t even confiscating liquor that came back on board after a port.  There was an assumption that any wine was for shipboard consumption is my understanding.

Liquor coming onboard is a totally different matter.

 

The captain and crew have nothing to do with taking foodstuffs off the ship ... except to advise pax of local restrictions.  These are laws enacted and enforced by the host port to preserve and protect their agriculture and ecosystem.

Edited October 31, 2019 by pms4104

[mamkmm2]

2 minutes ago, pms4104 said:

Liquor coming onboard is a totally diffetent matter.

 

The captain and crew have nothing to do with taking foodstuffs off the ship ... except to advise pax of local restrictions.  These are laws enacted and enforced by the host port to preserve and protect their agriculture and ecosystem.

 

I am aware.  My point was that sometimes you have a lax captain and/or crew and sometimes you don’t.  And sometimes the port itself - and the port authority personnel that serve there - is what dictates just how strict they apply the rules.

[caribill]

19 hours ago, skynight said:

On our last Princess cruise August 2019 I did not see any pre-packaged cereal. All cereal in the buffet area was in bulk dispensers where you turn a knob to fill your bowl. I would consider cereal as processed food probably not restricted most places. Cereal in a baggie probably would not be a problem.

 

Did they have the same variety of cereals as when they had the individual packages?

[OzKiwiJJ]

19 hours ago, MissP22 said:

They had dog sniffers in Cozumel on our last cruise there & I tested them with a wrapped up piece of old apple core in a napkin.

They missed it. 

Don't try that In New Zealand if you ever go there. You'll get hit with an instant NZ$400 fine.

[MissP22]

1 hour ago, OzKiwiJJ said:

Don't try that In New Zealand if you ever go there. You'll get hit with an instant NZ$400 fine.

Noted.