Evening star., 1926-05-27
ocean LINER TRIP
|SL0NC ADVENTURE
Rules for ''Tenderfoot" on
Sea include Details of
Ships Schedule.

Increased facilities for crossing the
Alta ntic at reasonable cost. prosperity
at home and cheap money abroad are
combining to send probably a larger
number of American tourists to Eu
rope this Spring and Summer than
ever invaded the Old World in a like
period. Many of these travellers. IA
mil.ar enough with their Pullmans
and river steamers, will find condl-
tiohs on an ocean liner disconcerting-
" strange. bulletin from the
National Geographic Society intro
duces the ocean tenderfoot' TO this
new environment In which he viii
be confined from to 10 days.
Getting off is an exciting matter.
says the bulletin. and the temptation
is to spend the last hour or so near
the gangpla nks. chatting with your
own friends and watching the milling
throng of travellers and well-wishers
in holiday spirit. II YOU are wise,
however, YOU will invest. say, 20 min
utes OF this time for YOUR own future
comfort Take a turn around the
promenade deck and select the neigh
borhood in which you would like to
have your deck chair. You will hnd
distinguishing numbers, not on the
chairs, hut where YOU would least
expect them--on the ceiling above.
Selecting a Steamer Chair.
"You probably will want your chair
on the starboard tor right side going
to Europe and port tor lefu side re-
turning for those are the sunny
sides. Having decided OH the loca'
ton you desire and noticed the neigh
boring numbers. look up the deck
steward and try TO persuade him to
allot you chair somewhere In the
neighborhood. This functionary has
an office on the larger liners. usually
little room opening on to the prom
enade deck to the rear tor aft as
they say on shipboard). There will
be q fee, of course. for the chair and
a steamer rug. If YOU are travelling
with friends you will wish to make
this a joint arrangement so as NOT
to be separated.
Watch the bulletin boards. These
are the town-criers and newspa pers on
shipboard. There are little daily
papers, too, on the larger liners.
Usually there will be bulletin board
in the main companionway at the
promenade deck level. another outside
the dining salon. and a third. perhaps.
in the smoking room. All affairs of
general interest that are to take
place on the ship will be announced
there and a brief digest of the world
news from the radio room will appear
each afternoon.
Pilot Takes Mail Back.
BE sure to ask for your mail at
the ships post Office as soon after you
90 aboard as 1t is open. There are
certain to be steamer letters for you.
and some Of these you may wish to
answer by note to be taken back by
the pilot an hour or so after you sail.
The ships staff is tremendously busy
at sailing time and for many hours
thereafter. and il you wait for your
mail or a notice to be sent to your
stateroom YOU may be out day be-
fore you get 1t.
Another thing to ask for early
usually at the pursers oft1ce--is
passenger list, printed ashore from the
stateroom reservation lists. A copy
will be delivered to you in due time
but you can have 1t hours ahead by
merely asking. From it you can find
whether you have acquaintances
aboard, and, II so, look them up.
Choosing Table Seat.
Your seat in the dining salon is
usually arranged for, unless other
wise announced, at the first meal
after sailing. Go early to this meal
before too many others have had
first choice. On the big boats you can
find an arrangement to suit almost
any sized party. If you are travelling
I,o
a seat at table for two-quite alone
IL the ship is not crowded. If you
prefer company, tell the steward so
frankly and he will place you at a
BILE with others.
Cheerful bugle blast order your life
on many Of the big liners. but you must
learn what they mean or they will
lead you hopelessly astray. The
blast in the reasonably early morn
ing, say at 8 O'Clock ships time
means either Of two things. If you
are an early riser and are taking
a. pre- breakfast walk on deck. it In
a signal that your food is ready. If
you are a late sleeper land an ocean
voyage is the chance of lifetime
for. laZiness' it means that YOU can
take 40 more winks and still be in
time for a late breakfast; or with
feeling of magnificent luxury YOU can
drowsily decide to let breakfast go
hang. while you turn over to sleep
as many more hours as YOU like
Make the most of your week. There
are no commuters specials to catch,
no offices to be reached at 3, no
time clocks, literal or metaphorical,
to be punched. The boat plows
serenely on whether you sleep or
wake.
1890. pay no attention to it. 1t Is
not for you and your fellow passeng-
ers, but for the ships crew. 1t sig.
nifies that the captain is making an
unexpected inspection of some part
of his domain.
Hot Broth Unheralded.
Having made the acquaintance of
the breakfast bugle. the ocean ten
derfoot' might well think the 1890
bugle call connected in some way with
the hot broth that appears about this
time for those in deck .chairs. But
this comes quite unheralded--a mere
detail in carrying out the ships man.
agements evident intention to keep
the passengers continually busy with
food. The food schedule on big
liner runs something like this: Break
fast. to 10; hot broth, 1890 or II;
luncheon, 1 to 2:30; after.luncheon
coffee, to 8; afternoon tea and cakes,
to S; dinner, 1880 to 9; after-dinner
coffee, $50 to $50; sandwiches in the
smoking room, 10 to II.
THE second bugle for passengers
blows at l o'clock, and means lunch.
con is then ready. At Z pm. the
bugle sounds again. But do not rush
to the dining salon. 1t is simply a
signal that it is time to dress for din
ner. At 1880 the bugler quite out
does himself in the cheeriness of his
call to the chief prandial occasion Of
the day.
The only other msNr signal of the