Maintaining The Service Standard
Whether or not there were two sittings for meals, the rule was that the passengers would get exactly the same high standard of service. The only difference that they would notice, when there was to be two sittings, would be either their arrival time for meals, or the duration thereof.
Choice of 1st or 2nd sitting was determined on a first-come, first-served basis by the passengers making arrangements with the Restaurant Manager as soon as possible after boarding. Certainly on Caronia's cruises, seating preferences could be stated well in advance. The choice of your sitting would apply for all meals, for the duration of the crossing or cruise.
I've mentioned elsewhere that some of the stateroom stewards could almost behave like tin gods. Well, Restaurant Managers were also very powerful people, who maintained a standard of discipline that made you very wary of straying from the straight and narrow! These men, with support from the Head Chefs, had over many years created the Cunard traditions of fine food, with service to match.
I can well remember the words of the Restaurant Manager of the Balmoral Restaurant on the Caronia in August 1965, when I first qualified as a full rating. My mate and I were placed on a station at the top of the restaurant right by the entrance doors, and the RM's desk. We were quietly but firmly informed - “You'll be working here where I can keep an eye on you, I'm not going to have standards drop in my restaurant!”
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