I used to clean port holes when we docked either in Sounthampton or New York. Bedroom stewards got paid £1. per cabin for this service. My trick was to clean them in New York with Brasso, then give them a coat of Vaseline so that when we got to Southampton, I only had to remove the Vaseline. Carrying passengers' cases on board and to their cabins was another way of making tips.

My job on sailing days (both in Southampton and New York) was to be available at the Purser's office to show passengers to their cabins and deliver mail and telegrams to their cabins. I also assisted the bedroom stewards setting up the staterooms with drinks, capers et cetera. Some passengers brought friends on board prior to sailing. Once we cast off and the passengers went outside on deck to wave farewell to those on shore, I had just enough time to clean up their cabins before they returned. When this was finished, I would be free until dinner.

The Head Waiter of the First Class restaurant enumerated my duties. First, I would open the restaurant doors on the starboard side for entering passengers. I would then retrieve the smoked salmon trolley from the galley and wait with the trolley in the restaurant until one of the stewards indicated an order. I would carve the salmon for the passengers at their tables. (There were two waiters in the restaurant with smoked salmon; I always worked the starboard side.) Then, I assisted the stewards serving the rest of the meal. After the last passenger had left the restaurant, we usually sat down to eat our meal, sometimes in the Private Dining Room (PDR). Finally, I helped clean up and set the tables for breakfast. We then returned to our cabins, got changed and came back to wash the restaurant floor.

In the evening, we would end up in the Pig & Whistle for a chat with other crew members.

A waiter's day started at 6:00 a.m. when called by the "gloryhole steward". Once washed and ready, we made our way to the restaurant to serve breakfast. I would begin on the starboard restaurant doors, assist stewards at the tables, have breakfast, and finally, clean up and lay the tables for lunch. The floor cleaning always came last.

At this point, we'd be done and could return to our cabin, change into casual clothes and finish miscellaneous tasks. The leisure time passed all too quickly and before you knew it, it was time to report to the restaurant for lunch and other meals. The long list of responsibilities soon became routine: I was initially on the doors then helped stewards serve lunch followed by my own summary meal. Lastly, I cleaned up and set the tables for dinner. Depending on the time of the year and weather, we often went up on deck during the afternoon. Otherwise, the crew chose this time to get their heads down for a while.