Part 6 ~ The Visit: An Empty Vessel
“Let’s have a drink”, said Sarah.
We had arrived at the gorgeous Chart Room bar. A barman was at work polishing glasses, but immediately took our order with a big smile and produced it in a trice.
“What do you think of the ship?” asked Sarah.
“Amazing”, I replied. “I’ll never learn my way around.”
“You will.” she said. I couldn’t tell her that maybe Dominique and I didn’t want to. We both worried that we’d hate the 16 day cruise to come. The ship’s tour had given me a feeling that it was just an enlarged ferry on which we’d be for ever seasick. Up to now I hadn’t seen any passengers and this made it worse. An empty ship is very dull indeed. I assumed the ship was empty and awaiting its new passengers. Queried about this, Sarah replied “well there are several hundred new passengers waiting to board in the lounge, but there are about 100 transits on board on their way to New York (from the Med). Apart from refit, the ship never shuts down and there are always passengers and working crew on board.”
It was about 1.15pm. Sarah picked up a house phone and dialled four numbers. After a brief exchange she said “In fact they’re just serving all the on-board passengers lunch in the Caronia. It’s well underway so Chef is on his way here to see you now.“
A moment of anticipation tingled down my spine. I had done my homework. Exec Chef Karl Wrinkler had been on the ship since 1971 and has risen to the top. He was now Cunard’s senior Exec Chef. If ever there’s a department which makes or breaks a venue, it’s cooking. Wrinkler oversees a staff of nearly 200 (20% of the crew total). Catch him in his uniform rather than chef’s whites and he has an impressive three-ring hotel rank, placing him one rank below Hotel Manager, and allocates an annual food-and-beverage budget of more than $18 million.
The average QE 2 cruise serves 9,000 meals a day to more than 2,700 guests and crew and is the world's only food service establishment that serves daily regimens of Russian caviar, New Zealand lamb, Kansas beef and Maine lobster. And here is the man who is responsible for the cuisine of the most famous, most elite ship in the world coming to greet me as his ‘Guest Chef’.
And there he was, shaking my hand.
Smiling, friendly, helpful, well frankly wonderful. “I’m Austrian”, he announced and my wife’s English. We’ve lived near Southampton for years. I know nothing about curries. We’ve got over one hundred cooks on the ship, including forty Indians, but none of them specialise in curries. I’ve read your books. The passengers will love what you do.”
What a welcome! No ego, no resentment, no problems. That’s Karl. We spent half an hour going over the details of our work to come on board. “I can’t take you to the galleys right now ... we’ve got a Southampton public health inspector looking into every drain, cupboard, shelf and space there, and you’re not properly dressed. As soon as your cruise in October sails, put on your whites, ring this number (the chef’s office) and they’ll send someone to bring you there. Just one thing, I’ll be on leave then, but the No 2 Exec Chef will be expecting you. If you want lunch in the Caronia today I’ll fix it; you’ve still got time.
Who could say no? Remember, I never say no, and on this occasion, me and Dominique certainly didn’t and even ‘allo Sarah’ admitted lunch on board was a rare privilege for her. We enjoyed a perfectly served, superb three course complimentary luncheon, enhanced with a good bottle of wine, courtesy chef’s office. I later learned that the Caronia had the most comfortable seating of all the restaurants.
We said good bye to Sarah back in the lounge.
We weighed up the pros and cos:
Cons: No pay and an big extras bar bill. Big ship. Would we find it boring? Was she just a big ferry? Was it Butlins at sea? Was she just an empty vessel? What if we were wretchedly seasick? How embarrassing that would be? She certainly wasn’t the brash new boy (or is that girl) on the block, she was if anything ‘shabby chic’ ...
Pros: ... but that gave her style and that suited us just fine. We love dressing up. Rue the day the necktie and DJ go the way of white tie and tails. What fun, lot's of pretty new frocks to buy (said Dominique - maybe that should go in the cons section(!). Besides, what an experience to sail on her; no other ship has, and maybe never will have the kudos of the QE2. And even more remarkable to work on her. Besides, we’d not been to the Caribbean.
If there had ever been any doubt about our decision, above all, it was the attitude of all the crew we’d met which impressed us most. We knew we could do the job Cunard asked of us, but not if the crew were against us. Everyone one had a welcoming can-do-smile, and seemed only too willing to help us. Would this be the case on the cruise? As for seasickness, we’d just have to cope whatever the weather? Would we?
We'd find out soon enough ...
