Two tiny details: currency, and snacks? (Western Caribbean/Treasure)

[TillyMarigold]

Hi everyone! Getting excited for our August cruise--booked our port adventures last night. I have two questions that I've been surprised I haven't seen answered anywhere.

1. On the Treasure, is there anywhere to get snacks for the kids? Like chips or fruit? I know there's Jumbeaux's Sweets, and my younger one will probably like the room service cheese plate, but I'm talking about simpler things. I know that Hei-Hei's Cafe and Jade Cricket Café don't have snacks the way the atrium cafés on the Fantasy do. (BTW, my older one hates ice cream.) Both my kids are big snackers and we go through a lot of apples, grapes, yogurt, string cheese, and various forms of potato/corn chips.

2. At the ports, is it better to have money in local currency for tips and for buying food or souvenirs? Is it better to get local currency before we go or from an ATM there? If we go on a Disney port adventure vs. booking one privately, does that change the answer? Does it vary by country? We are stopping at Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica, and Castaway Cay.

 

[jwalk03]

I have never exchanged for local currency for cruise port stops. I typically prefer to pay with credit card without foreign transaction fees whenever possible. I have never been to a Caribbean port where they would not accept USD (but don't count on a favorable exchange rate). With a credit card the bank is setting the exchange rate rather than every random merchant

 

[enzy65]

Snacks are hard to find, we went to MM and grabbed some nonperishables to have. The fridge isn’t very cold and I never found chips. I would plan on bringing some items with you. I brought snack crackers, nuts, etc. The cheese plate is always a good option. Popcorn is available at the theatre. I also brought some ziploc baggies for our finds.
We used US dollars at the western ports, no issue.

 

[sponica]

Last cruise, I just brought on board a ton of snack sized goldfish bags. You could load up on apples and fruit at the buffet and bring it to the room.

 

[Skippyboo]

Fruit is up on the pool deck where they have the soft serve. You can buy or bring a Disney popcorn bucket and pay a couple bucks each refill. They have bags of potato chips on castaway but that’s your last day.

Plenty of French fries, chicken nuggets, bbq, pizza, build your own Mexican bowl/taco on the pool deck

You can also do continental breakfast order via room service and order fruit, bagels, croissants. I think cereal.

 

[RedHead0186]

I have never exchanged for local currency for cruise port stops. I typically prefer to pay with credit card without foreign transaction fees whenever possible. I have never been to a Caribbean port where they would not accept USD (but don't count on a favorable exchange rate). With a credit card the bank is setting the exchange rate rather than every random merchant

That last sentence is true for credit cards if you pay in local currency (as opposed to USD). If you pay via credit card in local currency, then your bank (credit card issuer) will determine the exchange rate. If you pay via credit card in USD, then the merchant determines the exchange rate (usually less favorable).

You should always say to pay in local currency when paying via cc.

 

[Girl of the South]

Better to use a credit card than an ATM card. You are protected more on misuse of a credit card. With an ATM card breach they could clean out your account. Much harder to resolve when it's a foreign charge.

You can't bring any fresh food or fruit onto a ship. Must be packaged food, UNOPENED. No baked goods that you have made yourself. You can bring Pepperidge Farm packaged cookies, goldfish, potato chips, nuts, those peanut butter & cheese cracker packs that you put in your kid's lunch box, fruit roll ups, pretzels, string cheese can last a little while not being refrigerated, you can put some ice from the pool deck in zip lock bags to make your 'cooler' a little colder. I have found it to be pretty good. That spreadable Laughing Cow cheese doesn't need to be kept cold. Crackers are good if you are likely to get a little seasick.

You could put a bunch of snacks in an Amazon box and then in a soft sided piece of luggage (so the chips don't get crushed) and bring it on the plane (not sure where you are cruising from). Then use the soft bag to bring home souvenirs? There is a LOT of food . . but agreed, I missed crunchy things!

 

[DCL58]

Just sailed the treasure and really missed the snacks available at cove cafe on the fantasy. We ended up going to periscope pub and ordering pretzels for snacks.

 

[TillyMarigold]

Better to use a credit card than an ATM card. You are protected more on misuse of a credit card. With an ATM card breach they could clean out your account. Much harder to resolve when it's a foreign charge.

You can't bring any fresh food or fruit onto a ship. Must be packaged food, UNOPENED. No baked goods that you have made yourself. You can bring Pepperidge Farm packaged cookies, goldfish, potato chips, nuts, those peanut butter & cheese cracker packs that you put in your kid's lunch box, fruit roll ups, pretzels, string cheese can last a little while not being refrigerated, you can put some ice from the pool deck in zip lock bags to make your 'cooler' a little colder. I have found it to be pretty good. That spreadable Laughing Cow cheese doesn't need to be kept cold. Crackers are good if you are likely to get a little seasick.

You could put a bunch of snacks in an Amazon box and then in a soft sided piece of luggage (so the chips don't get crushed) and bring it on the plane (not sure where you are cruising from). Then use the soft bag to bring home souvenirs? There is a LOT of food . . but agreed, I missed crunchy things!

I believe you are not allowed to bring aboard any perishable food like cheese, either.

 

[RedHead0186]

I believe you are not allowed to bring aboard any perishable food like cheese, either.

Correct. From DCL's prohibited items list (this is what you are welcome to bring):

• Nonperishable snack foods in original factory-sealed packaging. All items must either be consumed prior to returning to your home port or remain unopened

So, any food brought onboard must not be perishable and must be factory sealed. You also can't take unsealed items off the ship at the end of your cruise.

 

[Kennywood]

It's been a while, but I believe the ships carry Smucker's Uncrustable sandwiches:



They're frozen, but if you order them from room service the night before an excursion, they should be thawed out for the next day. As they're sealed, you can take them off the ship. I've heard of quite a few families that do that.

 

[RedHead0186]

It's been a while, but I believe the ships carry Smucker's Uncrustable sandwiches:

View attachment 972847

They're frozen, but if you order them from room service the night before an excursion, they should be thawed out for the next day. As they're sealed, you can take them off the ship. I've heard of quite a few families that do that.

Yep! You can order them from room service!

 

[Pinkjgray]

I brought my own snacks onboard—nuts, chips, gum, gummy bears, and candy—and packed several reusable ziplock bags. If I had lunch at the Cabana, I’d take extra fruit, deli meats, and cheese to store in the bags for late-afternoon or late-night snacking. On days I didn’t visit the Cabana, I’d order room service and request similar items, minus the deli meats.

Very important: Remember to pack snacks for your excursions. I did a 6 hour excursion and we did not stop for lunch. Thank God, I packed a couple of snacks. Needless to say, when I got back to the ship, I ordered almost everything from the room service menu!

Nearly every port accepts credit cards, so there’s no real need to carry cash. And just like others have mentioned, make sure to choose the local currency when making purchases!

 

[Pinkjgray]

It's been a while, but I believe the ships carry Smucker's Uncrustable sandwiches:

View attachment 972847

They're frozen, but if you order them from room service the night before an excursion, they should be thawed out for the next day. As they're sealed, you can take them off the ship. I've heard of quite a few families that do that.

Oh em gee! I must’ve missed these items on the room service menu. I’ll remember for next time.