Transatlantic Crossings - The Cattle-Run

This term only ever applied to transatlantic crossings when there was more than one sitting in both the Balmoral and the Sandringham Restaurants. As a one-class cruise ship the two restaurants together had seating capacity for about 580 people. This figure could be juggled with to a certain extent, although at most tables the chairs needed a secure fixing point to the deck.

So, if the cabin class passenger count was 280 or less for a Western Ocean crossing, they were quids-in! It meant that they got first-class silver service in a one sitting restaurant with a menu that was very close to the standard of first-class, other than the serving of such as turtle soup, caviar, quails eggs etc. This alone would make the Caronia a very popular ship.

If there were two sittings in either the Sandringham or Balmoral Restaurants, then all the waiters and commis waiters certainly earned their keep. There was no extra money for doing a two-sitting crossing, at least, not from Cunard! With mostly American passengers, the question with money probably was: How are you going to spend it all? Tipping on the Caronia was prodigious and it's a subject I've tackled on another page.

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