Rice cooker - is it prohibited in cruise?

[mncbabu_yahoo]

We will be doing one week land tour after Alaska cruise. Our sapphire princess starts from Vancouver Port and reach whittier alaska. We are planning to take a small electric rice cooker for this trip to use during land tour. Will cruise line allow small electric rice cooker?

Thanks 

[scooter6139]

No.  

 

• Items brought on board the vessel and not supplied by the Company containing any kind of heating element, such as but not limited to: immersion heaters, heating blankets, flat irons, water heaters, coffee machines with heating / hot plates, etc.

 

https://www.princess.com/en-us/faq/pre-cruise

[Iamcruzin]

1 hour ago, mncbabu_yahoo said:

We will be doing one week land tour after Alaska cruise. Our sapphire princess starts from Vancouver Port and reach whittier alaska. We are planning to take a small electric rice cooker for this trip to use during land tour. Will cruise line allow small electric rice cooker?

Thanks 

No. Tuperware makes a microwave rice cooker. Many hotels have microwaves.

Edited May 4 by Iamcruzin

[mncbabu_yahoo]

Thank you all. We can now save some space in our baggage. We may buy one in Anchorage. What about dry food items ( like rice)?

[Essiesmom]

If it is in a sealed package, okay.  You could bring the rice cooker and while they will confiscate it on boarding, you would get it back at the end of the cruise and use it for your land portion.  Unless you like a specific kind of rice, you could also buy that in Anchorage.  EM

[skynight]

You can bring rice. 

Edited May 4 by skynight

[avonlady6390]

Why? On vacation I'm sure you can get cooked rice in restaurants.

[doghog]

8 hours ago, mncbabu_yahoo said:

Thank you all. We can now save some space in our baggage. We may buy one in Anchorage. What about dry food items ( like rice)?

No matter where you try to bring it on the ship it will be confiscated. You'll get it back at the end of your cruise when you disembark.  

[jean-lynd]

10 hours ago, mncbabu_yahoo said:

We will be doing one week land tour after Alaska cruise. Our sapphire princess starts from Vancouver Port and reach whittier alaska. We are planning to take a small electric rice cooker for this trip to use during land tour. Will cruise line allow small electric rice cooker?

Thanks 

They will hold it for you while you are on the cruise and return it when you get off so I guess you could still take it to use on your land portion.

[memoak]

It will be confiscated at whatever port you bring it on board and you will have to claim it at disembarkation. There is no reason to buy on while on the cruise 

[Arizona Wildcat]

Also remember while you can take food like rice on board.  It is illegal to take any food off the ship except factory packaged candy etc.

[memoak]

50 minutes ago, Arizona Wildcat said:

Also remember while you can take food like rice on board.  It is illegal to take any food off the ship except factory packaged candy etc.

Any food you take on board must be prepackaged and not been opened 

[cr8tiv1]

10 minutes ago, memoak said:

Any food you take on board must be prepackaged and not been opened 

You may take food that is not pre-packaged.  It will depend on which ports you embark/disembark.  I have taken opened foods on and off in San Pedro, Hawaii state ports, Saint John, Japan, and a sundry of other ports.  

[Arizona Wildcat]

17 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

You may take food that is not pre-packaged.  It will depend on which ports you embark/disembark.  I have taken opened foods on and off in San Pedro, Hawaii state ports, Saint John, Japan, and a sundry of other ports.  

So have I and most everyone else here.  It is however against the rules and often the law to remove food from a cruise ship to land.

Heck, it is against the law to take fruits, vegetables and firewood into California or Canada from the US or other states.

The lack of strict enforcement doesn't change the rule/law.  Sort of the same with taking CBD oil with THC onto a cruise ship.   Hmmmm.

[KarlK]

Taking food OFF and ON board:

 

I have only been on 4 cruises (5th coming March 2025, last was in 2012) but two examples of food travels: At the Belize port we took a tour to the Belikin Brewery. It was a great tour, drank tons of free beer in the tap room. I looked over at my 12-year old daughter who was given a soft drink, just as she pulled from her pocket, unbeknownst to us a napkin holding 10 strips of ships bacon. The second food smuggle was in Grand Cayman when we were running late for the ship while dining, we took the order to go, getting bag on board with two huge bags of dripping stewed cowsfoot, oxtail and curried goat. Needless to say, dinner was nice and we ate in our room that night. 

[Yehootu]

Bringing food ON board isn't a problem. I've gotten roast duck at 3 stops and take a cup up to the noodle bar and they make me Duck Noodle Soup.

[Outerdog]

Just now, Yehootu said:

Bringing food ON board isn't a problem. I've gotten roast duck at 3 stops and take a cup up to the noodle bar and they make me Duck Noodle Soup.

 

That seems like a problem. Bringing outside food into the ship's food preparation areas seems like a Bad Idea™. No way that's allowed.

 

[cr8tiv1]

A couple of times, I have asked security on the ship AND on my way through the terminal about returning with food.  

 

Saint John and Halifax:  I asked port security if I could bring back my lobster roll.  They looked at me strangely and told me it would be fine.

 

In Japan, I asked if I could bring back dried abalone to the ship and back into the US.  They told me I would be able to.  Just to be sure, I used a translating app to ask the Japanese official.  Unfortunately, I could not find any abalone.

 

It is written in NCL policy that you are not allowed to bring back food (just found this out recently).

 

I do it all the time from island to island (on a cruise ship).  That may be a little different since we remained in the same state.  Coco Puffs, mochi, lilikoi pie, cookies, etc.

 

Meats, dairy, raw fruits/vegetables, raw eggs, and plants with soil are restricted items when leaving the ship and entering a foreign country.  It has more to do with agricultural restrictions.  

 

I am not an expert, but do check websites or ask official personnel when traveling.  I don't see rice as being an issue.  And that is easy to purchase as a sealed product.  I suggest that you freeze the bag of rice to kill any insects that were in the bag.

[JF - retired RRT]

16 hours ago, mncbabu_yahoo said:

Thank you all. We can now save some space in our baggage. We may buy one in Anchorage. What about dry food items ( like rice)?

You can bring food ON, but you can't take it OFF (unless in original sealed package)...but why? The ship has food.

[mgtravelsalot]

Okay I think thats a first.  Seriously  you can get rice both on board or any restaurant you go to

[Yehootu]

10 hours ago, Outerdog said:

 

That seems like a problem. Bringing outside food into the ship's food preparation areas seems like a Bad Idea™. No way that's allowed.

 

My duck noodle soup tonite was ono. It's just putting a cup of my duck into a bowl of soup. Nothing different from someone bringing something from the buffet to have put into their soup which I've seen. I've brought cans of spam ( gotta love spam, eggs and rice) and have asked the buffet line to cook half for me and they get the rest. They've been more than happy to do it. I always give them an extra can for later. 

Edited May 5 by Yehootu

[Essiesmom]

I’m thinking that the OP is of an ethnic/cultural background where rice is a staple of their diet.  They plan to stay and tour in Alaska,   I imagine independently, not on a group tour.  And may plan to prepare some of their own meals.  Sometimes after a trip, you just want some comfort food…or hope to save money.  EM

[warthog2608]

On the Disembarkation Information sheet that is handed out the last day it says,

"The US Agricultural Department reminds you that heavy fines can be imposed for bringing any fruit, vegetables, flowers, plants, meat or dairy products into our ports of call."

 

This doesn't say anything about baked goods, cookies, or any canned goods. My DW has been known to accidentally forget a muffin or two...

[mncbabu_yahoo]

6 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

I’m thinking that the OP is of an ethnic/cultural background where rice is a staple of their diet.  They plan to stay and tour in Alaska,   I imagine independently, not on a group tour.  And may plan to prepare some of their own meals.  Sometimes after a trip, you just want some comfort food…or hope to save money.  EM

Lot of interesting and funny discussions. The intention is to have light dinner in the hotel room in few days during one week land tour, if there is a long wait in restaurants and or tiered of lot of driving. It also maximize the tour time and save few bucks. After one week cruise buffet/meal, we need simple food for few days:)..

[Arizona Wildcat]

17 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

You can bring food ON, but you can't take it OFF (unless in original sealed package)...but why? The ship has food.

Agree that cr8tv missed the point.  No port cares if you take food on board.  No risk to them for that.  The ship doesn't care as they are isolated.

The ports do care about a passenger bringing something that could disrupt their agriculture.  Could be anything from pollen in honey to insects hiding in flowers or grain.