# Can I take food into Aruba from USA?



## dmharris (Jul 18, 2006)

We're fanatics about our bread, after all it is the staff of life.  So I'd like to take a loaf of our yummy bread with us for breakfast.  Will that be ok?

Thanks,


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## silverfox82 (Jul 18, 2006)

Yes, a lot of timesharers pack a cooler using frozen foods as the "ice" although I'm not sure why, the supermarkets there are as good as any in the states.


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## dmharris (Jul 18, 2006)

Thanks very much!


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## chrisnwillie (Jul 18, 2006)

The only thing you can't take is fresh fruits and veggies. I bring tons of stuff with me in a collapseable cooler. I am in the minority when it comes to this. I prefer my own brands although they do have nice grocery stores there.


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## hajjah (Jul 20, 2006)

chrisnwillie:
I'm with you on this one.  We always take the foods we like on our trips. Some of my food is pre-cooked and frozen so that I only have to put it in the microwave for the first day or so of the vacation.  Since we are in Aruba for two weeks, we like to eat in/out depending upon what we have a taste for during the first week.  We use those collaspeable coolers as well.
And now, the count down to our trip.


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## chrisnwillie (Jul 21, 2006)

Then the 2 of us are in the minority!  We go for 3 weeks and we also eat in/out as well. We also bring a combo of cooked/frozen/ready to serve food. The last thing I want to do when I get there is grocery shop.


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## dmharris (Jul 21, 2006)

What about availability and price of decent wines?


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## lvhmbh (Jul 21, 2006)

The price and ease of wine is up and down.  We actually purchased a couple of terribly reasonably priced bottles of terrific California wines and took them to the Rio Steak House with a corkage fee charged.  As to the bread.  My heavens!!!!!  You can buy some of the very best bread I have EVER tasted at one of the grocery stores (where is my DH when I need him for the name) at, I believe, one of the smaller grocery stores near Ling and Hong (terrible with the names although my car goes there easily.  Our deal (we're there for 3 weeks) is that DH does the grocery shopping as I do it here in the states.  Anyway, they have wonderful homemade raisin bread and other specialty breads.  DH says it is Super or something.  I would NEVER take bread.  JMHO, Linda


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## dmharris (Jul 21, 2006)

Do they have really chunky whole wheat breads?  Not that "tan" pablum bread that major bread manufacturers call whole wheat.


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## silverfox82 (Jul 22, 2006)

The big supermarkets, which for some reason, are all bunched together between Orangestad and the low rise area have a very good selection of wines at reasonable prices. I suggest you try the south american ones, some are quite good and a better value than the california selections in my opinion. I'm not a fan of low end French or Italian wines and avoid them but the Argentinian whites were great at around $5.00 US.


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## pal (Jul 25, 2006)

I always pack the "rolling refrig." and we have our own food in it.  Now I get lots of flack about this, but this is just the way I do it and love it.  There are many times when we have arrived and all grocery stores are closed and we are exhausted...when I have my own stuff (factory sealed foods like vaccume packed baby back ribs, sliced salame, hot links, and my own wonderful spaghetti sauce) I can get into the t/s and then make something to eat.  Yes, part of it is expense too.  Food is very very expensive in Grand Cayman -- and we are able to do very nice dinners cuz we have breakfast and sandwiches in the condo.  Well anyway, I bring my own stuff. I have a rolling kitchen and a rolling refig. And if you eat with us, you carry something.  I even have a 4 bottle wine tote cuz their wines are lousy.:whoopie:


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## hajjah (Jul 25, 2006)

I'm with you on this, but what is a "rolling kitchen and a rolling refrig?"  Is that anything like the collaspeable coolers?


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## pal (Jul 31, 2006)

Rolling Refig = soft sided cooler on wheeles from Costco...food frozen hard as a rock and slowly thaws...its usually still frozen when we get to the condo.

Rolling kitchen = smallest size (not the carry on size but one bigger) of my cooking utensils:  bbq stuff; seasonings, my WMart griddle, dry mix of pancake (just add water), dry spaghetti, dry dip mixes for when we have cocktail hr at sunset....sponge, sos, rubber gloves and some dawn dishwashing liquid...maybe a pkg of dry detergent tablets and a dryer sheet cut in half...coffee and filters....squeeze mayo & mustard . . . everything under 50 lbs...

Been doing it for years and love it.  And all our friends see how we do it and they do it like that too now.


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## Zac495 (Jul 31, 2006)

We found good wine - but not great wine. Bring your own if you want really good wine!  Many of the restaurants have great wine. You might seriously consider going out at least once!


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## hajjah (Aug 1, 2006)

Pal, you truly know how to do things right!  I think we'll use some of your suggestions.  They make a good deal of sense to us.
Thanks.


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## chrisnwillie (Aug 1, 2006)

pal said:
			
		

> Rolling Refig = soft sided cooler on wheeles from Costco...food frozen hard as a rock and slowly thaws...its usually still frozen when we get to the condo.
> 
> Rolling kitchen = smallest size (not the carry on size but one bigger) of my cooking utensils:  bbq stuff; seasonings, my WMart griddle, dry mix of pancake (just add water), dry spaghetti, dry dip mixes for when we have cocktail hr at sunset....sponge, sos, rubber gloves and some dawn dishwashing liquid...maybe a pkg of dry detergent tablets and a dryer sheet cut in half...coffee and filters....squeeze mayo & mustard . . . everything under 50 lbs...
> 
> Been doing it for years and love it.  And all our friends see how we do it and they do it like that too now.



I do very similiar things that you do, and it works well for me.


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## pal (Aug 1, 2006)

Don't get me wrong, we love to eat out and do.  But breakfast burritos (oh we bring tortillas too) in the a.m. before a snorkle trip; sandwich w/chips and dip after we have been on the beach all day swimming and hungry; etc.  WE have around 10 of us who go...and getting everyone together for a meal other than dinner is hard.  

I also love the BBQ outside, glass of wine with hubby and watch the sunset.  Just a wonderful way.  Yes it takes planning, but welllllllllllllll worth it.:whoopie:


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## funtime (Aug 1, 2006)

So is this rolling kitchen or other rolling apparatus a carry on item or do you store it in baggage?


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## karenvit (Aug 8, 2006)

*Food into Aruba*

This is my first time in Aruba and I read Frommers which said you could not bring meat into Aruba--is there any restriction that you know of--also is rum expensive there--I am hearing all sorts of stories of how expensive Aruba is--any suggestions for inexpensive places to eat?  My husband just retired so we have to watch our pennies--thanks.

Karen


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## KLanton (Aug 10, 2006)

*Food*

No fruits or vegetables.  Someone who was there from NJ when were there had there broccoli taken out of their cooler and the salad stuff too but they left the rest of it in there.

Also, you can't take fruits or veggies from Aruba to US, we personally witnessed the woman in front of us having her apple she wanted to eat on the plane confiscated.


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## Steve A (Aug 14, 2006)

We had our apple taken too.


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## chrisnwillie (Aug 15, 2006)

KLanton said:
			
		

> No fruits or vegetables.  Someone who was there from NJ when were there had there broccoli taken out of their cooler and the salad stuff too but they left the rest of it in there.
> 
> Also, you can't take fruits or veggies from Aruba to US, we personally witnessed the woman in front of us having her apple she wanted to eat on the plane confiscated.



That goes for meat as well from Aruba to USA. I had a slice of pizza with sausage on it confiscated leaving Aruba. If it were plain pizza, I would have been fine, but because it had meat on it, it was taken away.


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