Life on the ocean wave presents a host of challenges, from food to surviving disaster
WHO can fathom the thoughts of those early Portuguese explorers who, just over 530 years ago, sailed from their homeland not knowing where they were heading, nor knowing when or whether they would return?
Yet hundreds of those early ships enjoyed successful – although difficult – voyages, returning to Europe, laden with the Oriental produce, and, perhaps more importantly, those mariners arrived home, bearing knowledge that they gleaned during their experiences along the sea route between Europe and the East, and that would be vital to the development of navigation and trade.
Having sufficient fresh water, fuel for the galley fire, preserving food and keeping it from vermin infestation were major challenges aboard those old sailing ships, especially as many passengers and crew would need to be fed during a voyage that could take months to complete. For consumption during the long voyages, sailing vessels carried live animals and poultry, for which food also had to be stowed,
“We had the pleasure of tasting fresh pork at dinner [tonight],” wrote a diarist during a voyage from Glasgow to South Africa aboard the sailing ship Olympia in 1862, “but the recollection of seeing its honest face on deck the day before wasn’t pleasant…”
Although larger ships carried more passengers who also had to be fed and watered, refrigeration and improved stowage and food preparation facilities helped the catering staff considerably. Yet, how so many people can be offered such a variety of food remains a mystery to most folks.
Athlone Castle’s dinner menu in the first class saloon in 1960 is revealing. Her 236 first class passengers could choose from four different hors’oeuvres, followed by salmon, plaice, an asparagus serving, York ham, or lamb cutlets. Some passengers might have enjoyed the hot buffet that featured five roast meats and vegetables; others would have preferred the table-ordered dishes ranging from steak, chicken, or sirloin.
For those still hungry, five choices of dessert awaited, and to round off the meal, Biscuites et Fromage, cheese turnovers, nuts and fruit, as well as tea or coffee were available. While not being as extensive, Tourist Class menus also offered a wide range of courses.
The more straightforward, no-choice, four-course menu I enjoyed aboard Safmarine containerships was totally adequate. Heading the menu one day was Potage Esau, named by the chef after himself. It was a tasty, healthy mixture of the previous day’s meat and veggie leftovers with beef stock for good measure. Similar preparation is done on even the most luxurious cruise ships to avoid some wastage, although huge amounts of food have to be dumped.
Consider the enormity of the latest cruise ship, the Symphony of the Seas that entered service earlier this year. To ensure that her 6680 passengers are fed, she has 22 restaurants, ranging from pizzerias to a most elegant dining saloon, serving the choicest food to diners in their finest raiment.
Imagine the line of trucks waiting to deliver the stores to those huge passenger ships. I understand that nearly 80 000 eggs are required to ensure that passengers – and indeed crewmembers - enjoy their bacon and eggs each morning during a fortnight’s cruise.
Think of all the flour needed to make cakes, pizzas, bread and rolls. How much meat, fish and vegetables are needed to feed all those people? And don’t forget the loads of alcoholic beverages and soft drinks that will be poured down 6680 throats on such a voyage!
To establish eating patterns to help with food serving, records show the demand for certain dishes, and also the time of greatest demand for food at the various restaurants and saloons.
Such surveys, however, give only an estimate as food demand during each voyage will vary, given different passenger complements, changing weather conditions, and perhaps amended itineraries.
Feeding the masses aboard a ship is a complex process that places unique demands upon catering staff, especially when preparing meals or carrying plates of food during rough weather.
Disposing of the vast amounts of waste generated by the ship and those aboard involves highly regulated procedures that include incineration of some waste, water purification on board, and that sometimes necessitates convoys of road tankers lugging the so-called grey water (from showers, hand basins and the galley) and black water (from shipboard toilets) to waste disposal facilities ashore. Disposal of other waste, especially plastics, is also strictly regulated.
But how much thought has the maritime industry given to the emergency evacuation of such huge numbers from a ship, a topic I covered in this column in February this year but that needs more airing.
Collisions, fires, groundings or freak waves do happen, severely damaging ships, or even causing their loss, Although they are designed with utmost safety in mind, large passenger ships are not immune to maritime perils.
And some believe that it is a matter of time before real fears for passengership safety are realised, especially in abandon-ship situations. Will all the elderly folks aboard these massive ships even hear the emergency signals, and will they be able to move quickly enough to the muster points?
In any case, those muster points will be crowded with all those people, each wearing a lifejacket that takes up considerable space, a recipe for panic that will be compounded if smoke is present, or if the vessel is listing.
As discussed in February, even if everyone is evacuated from the vessel, what will happen to 8000 passengers and crew once in the lifeboats and liferafts if far from the coast? If thousands of fit, young troops succumbed to the elements after wartime sinking of troopships, how will the average cruise ship passenger cope, particularly in rough seas or harsh conditions?
No one expected Titanic to hit an iceberg, neither did anyone anticipate a shipmaster taking Costa Concordia to her doom on an Italian island. And who would have predicted the dreadful, fiery collision at sea off Japan earlier this year?
Several more mega-ships are on the drawing boards.
Sadly, however, in sea-lanes crowded with ships that are navigated by officers of varying ability; some owners demand that their ships maintain schedule despite operational challenges, and sudden, violent meteorological changes occur. That serious accident might not be far away.