The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-30
HIGH LIVING AT SEA.
Four or Five Meals a Day Served on
the Transatlantic Liners.
From the New York Nail and Express.

From the New York Nail and Express
Yachting may be pursued chiefly for
pleasure, but incidentally it is for sharp
ening the appetite. The capacity of the
average ocean travellers stomach is
| prOverbial, and, unless seasickness inter
venes, he becomes a gormandizer from
| the time he leaves shore until he lands on
| 1t again. So thoroughly appreciated is
this that the stewards department is
! made a very important office, and nothing
| contributes so much to the pleasure of
| the voyage as a complete and varied
! larder of the most tempting nature.
! Social life on yachts centers around the
table in the richly upholstered cabin,
whore the entertainment can be as ex-
| pensive as the owner desires. Indeed,
| the cost of yachting is often in direct
| proportion to the amount of money de-
voted to eating and drinking No less
! important is the dining room on board the
tirS5-class ocean steamers, and the four or
| five meals day that are served are indi-
cative of the passengers marvellous anti
cipated appetites The dining service is
elaborate and costly, equaling in quantity
and variety that of the finest hotels of
the world. For a six or eight-day voyage
the floating palaces are provisioned
sufficiently to support a good-sized
city for several days. Everything
is of the finest quality, served
in the most approved style and attractive
form, making the pleasures of dining on
shipboard alluring enough to elicit praise
from the hypercritical epicure, Although
the service varies slightly on the differ
ent lines, one steamer will typify all of
| the others. The dishes and the art of
cookery are similar to that found at lead
ing hotels. The German liners give din
ing services that are not eXcelled by any,
hut &c eli % o.
and her people in the various odd COM
pounds and mixtures that daily appear on
the table. The English steamers are like
wise distinctively English or American,
and the tables are loaded with all the
deliCacies so much appreciated by the
traveller.
Most of the large steamers furnish four
or five meals a day, and each one is clab-
CRATE. To attend these tables about 100
cooks and stewards are employed, thirty
or forty saloon walters and a dozen or
more carvors, dish washers and steward
esscs. The force of men required for the
kitchen and the dining room on a large
ocean steamer is thus much larger than
the crews of many ocean ships. Break
fast IS generally served at s o'clock,
luncheon at 2;30 o'clock, dinner at 5
| O'Clock and cold meats and salads again
at O'Clock p. m. On some of the steam
ers coffee and rolls are served at 6 O'Clock
in the morning TO accommodate early
| risers. Between these meals anything
| can be ordered by applying to the steward
or by tipping the walters. Drinking is no
! less important than eating and the bar is
so well patronized in the summer time
that an enormous stock must be carried.
Buying provisions for one of the
large steamers is work that
requires experience, for it is more
important than buying for
large hotel The supply must be
large enough to last for the entire voyage.
and often for emergencies when storm
keeps the steamer out from. port several
days later than usual. The quantity of
provisions also varies with the number of
passengers engaging herths, but, as the
lists are generally made up weeks before
the steamer sails, this Is not disturbing
element in the steward S calculations
The expense of one trip across the At
lantlc assumes greater proportions every
year for the steamship owners, and this
increase is largely due to the better din
ing service which they endcavor TO give
to their patrons. The amount of food
consumed and damage done to dishes and
furniture would seem greater than the
actual price paid for a first-class ticket
Nevertheless, despite the great cost and
expense, the steamship companies appcar
10 thrive and grow rich from their trans
atlantic travellers.