An Absolute Minefield

The addition of the “Crossing the Line” menu contents below exposes the “minefield” that really existed between the Galley and Restaurant leaders. The contents of this menu allowed the Head Chef a great deal of what we might call “artistic licence” in his choice of dish descriptions.

While there might have been rivalry between Galley and Restaurant, it still came down to us lowly waiters to cope with. I can imagine that on the 13th February the Restaurant Manager's evening roster had far more attention paid to it than usual.

It is here where the “professionalism” of Cunard waiters excelled! If at any point a question was raised about any item on the menu, we'd have a ready and accurate answer. I wonder if anyone could guess what “Jellied Mare Nostrum” was? The literal translation of the Latin was “our seas” but actually translated as a chilled sea-food consommé, mostly coming from eels.

What it also meant was that we could have a laugh and a joke with our “bloods”. We might have had to “consult our notes” but we could also challenge their attempts at deception, of course by asking outright: “How dare they?” and exacting suitable sympathy.

If you can contribute any information, do please get in touch…

Depart New York 4pm with 520 passengers
Start of 1960 Great World Cruise

• 1960 Great World Cruise Passenger List transcript

Curiously, this menu is dated 15th February 1960! Perhaps the Sunday was deemed to be the wrong day to hold the celebration.

Arrive Rio de Janeiro AM

Rio de Janeiro 1959

The endorsement of a meal menu cover announcing the birth of Queen Elizabeth's second son is unique, in that no similar announcement was made on the birth of her other children.

Arrive Cape Town AM

Cape Town, 1966

Africa, 1956

Africa, 1967

slide show {JS}

Rhodes Memorial, Cape Town, 1957

Cape Town environs, 1957

Sunday At Cape Town
Depart Cape Town PM

South African Tour programme for 28 February to 03 March 1960