Can you have lunch packed?

[cathylee]

I've only done one cruise years ago on Premier, now defunct. When you go on an excursion, can you have a lunch packed to go? I'm doing the Mexician Riviera cruise and scared to death of Montezuma's revenge.

[richtersl]

I've not seen that option recently.:(

 

It doesn't take much to make me get something like Montezuma's Revenge and I've done OK on ship's excursions in Mexico. They will not steer passengers toward a tour that includes a meal in a place where you can wind up with Montezuma's because they'd never hear the end of it. ;)

 

If your tour takes you to a MAJOR resort you should be fine. For example, some years ago we did the Passion Island excursion in Cozumel where we ate salad and had iced drinks and no one got sick. In Roatan we went to Fantasy Island Resort and had iced drinks and did not get sick.

 

But there are some things you can do which can't hurt and they'll make you feel more secure:

• Bring along straws. You can use them to drink out of canned and bottled beverages. Why? Because you don't know if they've been sitting in a cooler of ice made from non-potable water.
  
• Stay away from fresh fruits, veggies, and iced drinks unless you're told it's OK to consume them.
  
• No matter how hot it feels outside never buy a popsicle. :D

You're going to a lovely corner of the world and I hope you enjoy your trip!

[lambs2]

I've only done one cruise years ago on Premier, now defunct. When you go on an excursion, can you have a lunch packed to go? I'm doing the Mexician Riviera cruise and scared to death of Montezuma's revenge.

 

 

It has been over 30 years ago :eek: , but in the 1970's I went on a cruise to Mexico with my parents and got Montezuma's Revenge :eek: after lunch on a ship excursion. I was the only one in our family to get it because I sampled a little bit of cabbage used as a garnish around the chicken on my plate. (I really knew better even back then, but I tried it anyway because it LOOKED good and I was young and silly!) Later that night I was sicker than I have ever been before or since! I had to go see the ship's doctor to get suppositories help control the vomiting and diarrhea :eek: . And I was in my very early 20's then!

 

I don't think they will let you take any food off the ships in foreign ports. When we were in Bermuda last year I had to leave a coke behind before going off the ship in port! Of course, that is not true (or at least I din't find it so) in domestic ports. Last week we went on NCL's Pride of America cruising the Hawaiian Islands and I could take a small collapsible cooler with my refreezable ice pack off the ship with some sandwiches I had ordered from room service the night before. I brought my own baggies from home, some packaged granola bars and some bottle water. That way we could have a picnic lunch while driving around the islands in our rental car. But of course Hawaii is in the USA.

[dymondgrl]

I have always ordered sandwiches in the morning from room service and tell them you want them wrapped. On NCL they will do it and also give you chips and cookies. I also get bottled water from the bar to go. Just bring a small collapsable cooler with you to take them in. :)

[johnql]

Depending on the port, it may be against local law to take food off the ship. Check your Freestyle Daily for prohibition announcements and please respect the laws that are in place to protect the ecology of the countries involved. Inadvertently bringing in a pest of some sort can be disastrous to the agriculture and ecology.

 

P.S. Pre-packaged, sealed items are generally fine.

[Poconolady]

I believe that passengers are prohibited from taking non pre-packaged food off of a ship. If they catch you they will confiscate it, they don't want to be sued in case the food spoils and you get sick. Like a previous posted said, eat a big breakfast on ship and then just don't eat until you return to ship if you are worried about Montezumas revenge and other food sanitation issues. Take it from one who has suffered (while on two different land trips in Mexico) its no fun, and you can be miserable for days even after you return home. Play it safe-don't eat or drink anything while you are off the ship.if you have the least little doubt, don't indulge.

[herewego]

We usually call room service for sandwiches and cookies and then just put them in our backpacks. So far no problems.

 

When we had to leave really early for a shore trip, we ate A LOT and then went back to the ship afterwards for lunch. Then back out again for shopping.

 

Seemd like the best idea as I hate to pay for food away from the ship when food I've already paid for is sitting on the ship waiting for me LOL

 

Samantha

[KCat]

A tip I learned from my brother...every day of your trip take two Pepto-Bismol in the morning and two in the evening. I've tried it on several over-seas trips & have not gotten sick even when eating at local restaurants. And of course...always order any meat done, not medium-rare :eek: .

[Cruisin' Patty]

As stated above, oder your sandwiches from room service wrapped, (but, I always bring a few ziplocs from home) and cookies, chips automacally come with. Put in your bag or backpack, also the small boxed cereal from the morning buffet and an apple...we always tossed what we didn't eat, so as not to have to carry it all day. We've done this several times on NCL and RCCL. I would rather be prepared than not.

[beachchick]

The following is not directed at any particular person; it's a general rant.

 

Please, please, please do not take fresh food off the ship if the local authority forbids it. I don't care what reason/rationale you choose, it's flat wrong and against the law for a reason. This includes sandwiches (meats, cheeses, lettuce, etc.)--all of these can pose a potential risk. Is it likely to cause a problem? Probably not. But why care so little for the ecosystem and economy (crop destruction can ruin a local economy) of a country or place that is hosting you as a guest? The piece of fruit that's casually tossed into a garbage can may not cause a problem, but then again it might. There's nothing casual about it.

 

It is incomprehensible to me that people would continue to smuggle (and it is smuggling when it's against the law) fresh food off the ship. There are a few exceptions to these rules/laws. If you want to take fresh food off the ship, make absolutely certain that you are in a port that allows it. I do think it's lovely and a time-saver when we are in a port that allows it. Don't get me wrong. It's when it's not allowed, when signs and ship's info specifically say NO, and when pax figure "Oh, I'll smuggle it off anyway because those laws/rules are stupid" that it is a problem.

 

As someone who has lived through (and is living through a different) the kind of problems that such smuggling can bring, I am extremely sensitive to the issue. You have no idea what it's like until you've had to schedule your life around malathion drops or until you've had to worry that a pest that was "accidently" (smuggled vegetation) introduced into an adjacent county will get into your county and destroy the most valuable crop (or any similar situation in other counties/states/islands/countries).

 

Again, please don't try to do it, and don't bother to rationalize it. There's no excuse for it.

 

End of rant.

 

beachchick

[Cruisin' Patty]

I would hope that the ship has no "pesky pets" aboard to smuggle in food from the galley area!

[brunolvr]

The Freestyle Daily does mention on the days we are in Juneau and Skagway, "Fruits & Vegetables are not allowed to be taken ashore".

[lomillerin]

Does anyone know what the law/policy is with Hawaii? We would like to take a few apples, bananas on shore, but only if it is allowed.

[beachchick]

I would hope that the ship has no "pesky pets" aboard to smuggle in food from the galley area!

 

???

 

beachchick

[Cruisin' Patty]

quote "You have no idea what it's like until you've had to schedule your life around malathion drops or until you've had to worry that a pest that was "accidently" (smuggled vegetation) introduced into an adjacent county will get into your county and destroy the crop."

[beachchick]

Okay, but I still don't get the quote "pesky pets" and smuggling food into the galley. (May I assume you meant to type "pest" and not "pets"?) Is it a joke? Sorry, but there's just nothing funny about it. "Pesky" doesn't even begin to cover what these pests can do and be.

 

The fact of the matter is that you have no idea whether the fruit or other fresh food that is in the galley harbors various insects or pathogens. In this case, it's not a matter of anyone "smuggling" forbidden items into the ship's storage. Obviously, the ship's personnel order their stores legally and bring them onto the ships in accordance with the laws. (Kind of like how mainlanders are allowed to bring pineapple home from Hawaii, but only after it's been inspected and approved.) The problem is that fresh food obtained in port A (perfectly legally) may contain insects or other pathogens that do not exist in port B. If pax then smuggle off the food from port A into port B, they can very well introduce those insects or pathogens into port B and the surrounding communities. Sometimes that doesn't cause harm; often it causes extensive ecological and economical harm.

 

Anyway, I guess people either understand that or not.

 

beachchick

[johnql]

Part of the problem is that some people don't realize that the pests are not always visible to the naked eye. So, it's easy to assume that food can be safely taken ashore when it really isn't.