Catering for a European Clientèle
When Caronia was on transatlantic crossings, the suggested menu panel was always translated into French. This would often cause a laugh when passengers placed their orders, because very few of the waiters, or even the Head Waiters for that matter, spoke French. The remainder of the menu would be printed in English. On cruises the entire menus were always printed in English.
As we had a few French-speaking passengers on board, even as a Commis Waiter and because I spoke French quite fluently, I'd often be called upon to take their meal order. I'd even have a good stab at trying to translate some of the other items on the menu. Normally, meal orders were taken by the Head Waiters!
Passengers were always seated at the same table. I soon began to recognise them and, more importantly, where they sat. I'd then try and navigate my antipasti or smoked-salmon trolley fairly close, so I didn't have to abandon it, or have a long walk to and fro.
Being mobile around the restaurant helped greatly in this little task and it had its compensations! At the end of the crossing I was tipped quite generously for my valiant efforts. All the tips that we made “on the doors”, went into a pot for all the Commis Waiters. One of our duties at the start of the meal was to open the restaurant doors for passengers as they came out of the elevator. However, tips for my translation efforts never reached that pot!
The menus at the bottom of this page, and on the next two pages, were those that I collected on my very first Caronia trip. I had joined her on “stand-by” 4 days before she sailed from Southampton. During that time I got acquainted with what seemed like miles and miles of corridor, as a gang of 3 of us progressed along them with lino buffing machines.
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