My First Trip
MY FIRST (AND MEMORABLE!) TRIP
1974 SS Canberra
Diary Entry –Well this was it. I had gone and joined the Merchant Navy. All week I was at home waiting to hear when I might be called. I had been told to have my bag packed as it was quite common to get a call quite late.
I was feeling great. I was being paid to sit in the pub everyday and bragging to my friends. I got home Friday night from the pub late to be received from a panicked mother telling me that during the day they had received a telegram. Telegrams. I had never received one before. I opened it quickly with my heart fluttering and read the contents out. Please Report- SS Canberra Southampton 103 Berth 11.00am 18th April. I spent the next hour in a panic, as it was now late Friday. My next thought was how to get to Southampton, and then get the P&O brochure out to check where I was going. The family gathered around checking out the ports. Lisbon, Madeira, Canary Islands- where was that? I had a sleepless night and got up early for my journey,catching a train to London from the Midlands and onto Southampton. The train was busy and I sat next to some guys going to join a Union Castle ship. At this stage I felt like a seafarer. I got out at Southampton station with my bags and saw some guys waiting for a taxi. I gathered the courage to ask if I could join them as I overheard the ship Canberra, and the docks. On talking to one of the guys I found he was a first tripper from Essex, and also a waiter, so I felt a little more relaxed. I was trying to look relaxed but I was nervous as all hell. The taxi parked near the quay and I just sat in amazement staring at a long quayside full of large cruise ships (I could not let it be known I had never seen one up close before). I remember looking up at the Canberra from the quayside thinking how high the ship was. It was flying different flags from the bridge area and looking very important. I made my last phone call to home prior to boarding the steep gangway with a big sign, CREW ONLY. I dragged my suitcase to the top of the gangway to be greeted by an officer all in white, directing me to the ballroom to sign on. I was now very nervous and joined a queue, with my discharge book and joining papers. My friend I had just met stuck close as I think he was nervous to. I signed on ships articles as they told me and then directed me to follow some other crew to get my cabin allocation and my uniform at somewhere called the 'slops'. The smell of the ship hit me when I went through the door marked CREW ONLY, a diesel smell mixed with food odours. We got our uniforms and our allocated cabin. When shown the cabin I thought to myself where was the porthole, and how small it was! I had never been away from home before and not used to staying in a shoebox. In the cabin was a wardrobe, a set of draws, two bunks and a sink. I was told I had to report to the Pacific Restaurant, dressed. I remember putting this white starched jacket on that was so uncomfortable with a high collar. At this stage I was not shown where the restaurant was so I kept asking where the restaurant was. It took me a good 20 minutes to find, down these narrow passageways. We went through the galley, which was huge, full of chefs and lots of Indians (I did not realise that they employed Indians). One of the guys said to me they are from Goa. In the restaurant there was a sea of white jackets lined up waiting for the Head Waiter. The restaurant was huge and all you could see were tables set with white linen. Tables for miles. The Head Waiter came and introduced him self and continued to let us know what the lunch menu was. He then called our names out and gave us a station each. I was given two tables of four, situated miles away from the galley, which had a large revolving door. I later found out all first-trippers got the tables which where so far away. Going through my mind was I hope I can remember how to do silver service. We where now half an hour to our passengers coming in. It was funny it was a sink-or-swim situation as nobody wanted to help you with anything. I set my tables and thought I will go and get a drink of water from the galley, as it was so hot. I then came back into the restaurant to be horrified to find all my knives and forks had gone. I went to the headwaiter who said "Son, you have to look after them." The waiter on the next station had stolen them for his tables. I survived lunch service but could not believe that I had to hang onto everything. Or that the normal procedure was to pay the men on the dishwasher to ensure you got your cutlery back. My passengers where nice, and all Blackpool landladies who had been cruising before. The ship pitched and rolled as we left Southampton and it took a while to get used to the motion. Each time I had to go into the revolving door I had to juggle my plates and say a little prayer. On a number of occasions there was a crash, as someone did not judge it right. The galley was busy and all you could here was the shouts of chefs hurling abuse at the waiters. It was funny I was used to that, as nothing had changed in hospitality. After service I was told to get something to eat in the crew mess so I teamed up with my friend who had much the same experience with his passengers. We went down these narrow passageways and ended up right at the front of the ship. We opened these doors and found ourselves on the crew deck, which looked right at the pointed end. On opening the door we nearly got blown away, the ship was pitching. There was action with deckhands painting the deck and scraping rust off railings. Well we had survived the day so far, but I was so tired. I could not believe how my feet where hurting. I had bought new shoes, which was a big mistake as I had blisters on both feet. I was told by the Head Waiter to report back for afternoon tea, so my break was very short. I survived for the duration of the cruise doing breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. I had in the process learnt these entire funny words. Bloods –passengers; Go-Go –Indian waiter, Winger-waiter, Dropsy-tips, and much more. I had now become a merchant seaman and continued on for another nearly five years sailing on Oriana, Arcadia, Sun Princess, and Island Princess and of course my first ship Canberra. One never forgets that first experience of being a first- tripper, and hope that it brought back memories to many other waiters on all ships. Bob Johnston
ARCADIA-Cinema Attendant
After all those years ago after leaving Canberra as a first tripper I found myself back in the Midlands awaiting instructions for a new ship. I had experienced the job as waiter and found it hard work but I loved the travel. My next adventure, if you could call it that, was to join the Arcadia, I received a telegram telling me to report on a Sunday in May 1974 to P&0 Head Office where I would meet the crew to board a coach to take us to Gatwick Airport then to Vancouver. I boarded the train from Coventry early Sunday morning in May, weather was mild and I was excited about where I was going. I had spent the night before checking out the itinerary that I was given from P&0. This was a serious trip of 7 months, visiting places such as Alaska, Hawaii and Australia. I had only dreamt about these places, let alone knowing where in the world they were situated. I got off the train in London with all my baggage and then onto the Tube to P&0 head office where I found at least 100 crew waiting with their baggage. I felt a little nervous but soon got talking and made friends fairly quickly. Some of the crew had worked on Arcadia for years and for others it was their first ship. We drove by coach to Gatwick where we boarded a Dan Airways flight to Vancouver. The flight was an experience as I remember the beer was free. We landed in Vancouver very late that night and we got split into two hotels. I waited in line to get my room number with another guy only to be told we did not have a room and we were not on the list. This was the start of something, panic set in. After a few minutes the hotel manager said the only room we have is the bridal suite. I spent my first night in the bridal suite, which I think I should keep to myself (over the years I received many a joke) I wonder why!!! The next morning we were taken by coach to the quayside, it was a beautiful harbour with seaplanes landing in the distance. The cars were huge, as I had seen in the movies. It was a busy place and I loved the strange accent. Our coach parked on the quayside alongside Arcadia, which was old, compared to the Canberra and you could see rust marks. At the front of the ship deckhands were painting. There was a gangway-marked crew and we got our seaman cards out and checked on board and were directed to the ballroom. I waited in line with all my papers, discharge book, union card, and red ID book. An officer in uniform asked me my name, greeted me and then went on to tell me there had been a mistake and I was not listed as a waiter, in fact I was not listed at all. I then felt myself panic saying I must be there as I had a letter verifying everything. It took a few minutes of checking and the line was getting longer and everyone had his or her eyes on me. The officer said well we have two choices we fly you home on the next available flight or I have a job called Cinema Attendant. I had no idea what this was so I asked him politely what this job entailed. I was told that you show people to their seats! In the end I took the job, as I was not about to fly home. Once I had done this and I had signed ships articles I was shown my cabin. I nearly died when I saw that it was right at the front of the ship and there were 8 people in the cabin. I thought I would be sharing in a two-berth cabin (I had been spoiled by Canberra). The guys in the cabin were great and most were Public Room Stewards which I had no idea what that meant. They all worked topside in the bars I later found out. I quickly got changed into a red jacket and my bow tie and was shown to the cinema. The ship was smaller than Canberra and had a real ship smell if anyone can explain that smell. I met the projectionist who was nice guy who I got along well with. For the next 7 months I was an expert on Alaska and the movie The Sting. As part of my job I spent many hours on the gangway as when in port I got the job of helping passengers on and off the gangway. As we cruised Alaska we anchored off the ports and had to send passengers ashore in lifeboats so I stood in the freezing cold on the pontoons as well. Many a time a new deckhand would drive the lifeboat and I feared for my life many a time as a novice deckhand or deck officer that could not judge the right angle to come alongside rammed us. I had 7 months of fun and landed in Sydney in the October and had many a tale to tell to my family and friends (some I could not tell!!). I signed off in Sydney and flew home to England awaiting the next adventure as a seaman. I had now grown up and classed myself as a real seaman.
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