The General Public Rooms

Caronia's Theatre

Unlike her 3-class sisters there were few demarcation lines between the 2 classes aboard Caronia. To all intents and purposes, First Class passengers had the run of the entire ship on transatlantic crossings, with the notable exception of the Sandringham Restaurant.

Probably the biggest “unclassed” room on board was the Theatre, sandwiched between the 1st Class Smoking Room forward and the Cabin Class Lounge aft. Fitted with comfortable arm chairs, liberally spaced, the theatre seated 285 passengers, and special attention was given to acoustics.

Whilst it was fully equipped with a stage and the appropriate lighting, as seen in the picture above, it could quite quickly be converted into a cinema as seen in the picture further down this page. Whether cruising or on transatlantic crossings, all the very latest films would be shown. On transatlantics, there would be separate showings for both classes at specified times.

The Verandah Café

The major departure from transatlantic liner designs and the area that defined Caronia as a true cruise ship was the aft end of the Boat Deck, where the Verandah Café was sited.

Ideal for sunny days at sea, the Verandah Café,Cafe (seen above & left) overlooked the terraced open-air lido and Swimming Pool. With only deuce and 4-seat tables, the atmosphere was quite cosy, yet the menu options easily rivalled those of the two main restaurants!

Garden Lounges

At the aft end of the Promenade Deck were two enclosed garden lounges, one on the Starboard side for 1st Class, and another for Cabin Class on the port side. However, both passenger classes had access to these rooms, as neither was debarred from making a complete circuit of the ship along the Promenade Deck.