The Garden Lounges
At the aft end of the Promenade Deck, flanking each side of Caronia's theatre, there were two garden lounges. When the “Green Goddess” was on transatlantic service, the port side garden lounge was intended for Cabin Class use, the other for First Class.
They were almost mirror images of each other, the only difference being an extra table on the port side. The other visible difference was that tablecloths were used on the starboard side, with the deck buffet laid out just forward of the room on cruise days at sea.
The port side Garden Lounge during cruises was frequently used as a meeting room, for port formalities or for currency exchange. The cruise office was sited directly below, just 2 decks down.
Aboard Caronia on transatlantic crossings the demarcation lines between the two classes was not very strictly enforced. Unlike other Cunard ships, notices saying “For First Class Use Only” were rarely, if ever, used.
[Image: Courtesy of Brenton Jenkins]
Distinctive Furniture
Many commentators of the time likened the design of Caronia to a floating country club, copying style elements found in many English stately homes. Caronia's Garden Lounges were no exception, being similarly designed to an orangery ashore; the rattan chairs and a long wall of windows being clear examples.
The only missing pieces being fruit trees, although the starboard side Garden Lounge was always profusely decorated with flowers and greenery. Even though there was at least one garden lounge steward, looking after the many plants distributed about the ship was done by a “gardener”, although that wasn't his full-time job.
Many of the part-time job requirements on board Caronia were carried out by waiters as extra duties. They were colloquially known as “jacket jobs”. I'll deal more with this topic on another page.
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