Spring Mediterranean Cruise
The Thomas Cook Cruise Staff
Although the Caronia's Cruise Director was directly employed by Cunard, his staff would either be provided by American Express or by Thomas Cook & Sons. For the longer cruises, of a month or more, the Cruise Staff could number up to 20 people, with diverse talents.
Apart from the Cruise Director, it would probably be the Cruise Lecturer who would become the next best known person to the passengers. His duties would involve arranging lectures and films in Caronia's theatre and to give running commentaries on arrival at or departure from selected ports, or places of interest.
Among the duties of the Cruise Staff was setting and marking of various quizzes, often based upon things like passengers’ lastnames, movie stars or titles, or quite obscure cryptic puzzles. Looking at these some 50 or 60 years on, they are quite arcane in nature!
A 1963 Brochure Picture
Thomas Cook Cruise Staff
[Click on picture for larger image in new window]
Taken from the 1963 Great World Cruise brochure, the accompanying text to this picture describes it as depicting Cruise Staff from Thomas Cook & Son. In the centre is Cruise Director Vaughn T. Rickard with Social Directress Lorna Yost sat to his immediate right.
A Caveat
Of course, Cunard's publicity department may have got it all wrong, and the staff depicted may have been employed by American Express. I wonder whether or not there's someone out there who could resolve this?
If you can contribute any information, do please get in touch…
Mediterranean 
