The Deck Buffet Luncheon
On most fine days, whilst Caronia was at sea on cruises, passengers would be offered a deck buffet luncheon served from 12.30pm to 2pm on the Promenade Deck just forward of the starboard side garden lounge. After her 1965 refit, if the weather permitted, it was occasionally set up on the new lido deck.
One thing about Caronia as a crew member, you always did two things, a great deal of walking and plenty of stair-climbing. Turn-to for deck buffet duty was dead on mid-day and you would report usually to the 2nd Steward at the aft end of the galley.
From there you'd be detailed with what to fetch; there would be foods ready prepared at the fruit locker, the cold pantry and the press. Access to the Promenade Deck could be made by a lift and service stairway that came out just forward of the passenger stairway up from the Promenade Deck to the Boat Deck.
Inboard of where we set up there was a store and small pantry where the trestle tables, laundry, cups, saucers and plates were all lockered. The pantry had washing-up facilities, a water boiler and a couple of Cona Coffee makers.
Speaking of the cold pantry, it was home to a couple of these fearsome machines used for slicing cold meats. They were accompanied by equally fearful warning signs that forbade their use by untrained hands!
Beneath the stairway outside, a display refrigerator was anchored to the deck when not in use and although only stocked for each meal, it was permanently kept cool. Once assembled the whole deck buffet display stretched for the best part of 30 feet along the deck. For the next thirty minutes you'd be very busy setting up a veritable feast.
There was rarely a meal organised where passengers did not comment on how wonderful the spread of food was. Just because it was a deck buffet, don't for moment think that it served a variety of boring sandwiches! However, if a there was a desire for a sandwich, it was made to order, there and then.
[Photo: © Peter Stevens World Cruise 1966]
At the start, each passenger was greeted by a senior steward who would hand them their tray with its paper doily, along with their “tongs” wrapped in a linen napkin. For eating, the standard Cunard silver was used. At the far end a steward would be ready to collect an assembled tray and carry it to their passenger's chosen spot on deck.
Very few copies of the deck buffet menu were printed for each day. The menu itself would feature a range of fruit juices, anti-pasto items, wonderful cold delicacies like salmon or prawns, and a wide choice of cold meats.
Hot food choices were offered from an electric grill. Hand-made hamburgers or grilled sausages and onions were regular choices. Baked potatoes, often with a choice between an ordinary spud and sweet potatoes, were kept hot in a portable oven similar to that used for keeping buns warm at breakfast time.
Baked ham, or roast sirloin of beef would be carved from the bone, as was the roast turkey breast. The usual accompaniment of salads and sauces was there. At the other end of the display was a range of desserts along with jugs of fruit juices, iced-tea or coffee.
No alcohol was served, but if a passenger wanted a beer or glass of wine, then a steward would bring it down from the Verandah Café bar. Once service began, you were either behind the counter serving, wearing the dreaded white gloves, or you were out front.
Although the buffet was nominally open until 2pm, by 1.30pm we could usually start winding down and begin the monster clear-up. By this time a Kitchen Porter was in attendance in the deck pantry washing and stowing the plastic plates.
Usually by 2.15pm there would be no sign at all that a deck buffet had even been staged. Us stewards will have scrambled down to our mess-room to have our own lunch. By the way, the grapenut custard pudding was an absolute favourite!
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