3 years ago this week I put up several posts about my crossing the Atlantic on the SS United States

[A HERETIC I AM]

which happened 49 years ago this week.

Some of you may remember this series, which feature photographs of the menus from the First Class Dining Room aboard ship. I thought some of you might like to peruse those threads again.

Follows are the links to the 6 threads I put up, one for each anniversary day of the voyage, from Bremerhaven, Germany to New York. Next September will be the 50th anniversary of this voyage.

It's been a long while since I have put up a thread in this group, and I trust you will forgive my absence. I am still driving trucks but now have a very unpredictable schedule, so to put together another photo thread like the ones I did back in 2012 and 2013 takes planning that I am not often able to make.

(If you're new to this group and have no idea who the hell I am, just go to the "DU Recipe Collection" thread pinned at the top. There are a couple of my old threads in there.)

Anyway, here's the threads, posted between September 14 through the 19th, 2013.
Day 1;
http://www.democraticunderground.com/115731194

Day 2;
http://www.democraticunderground.com/115731242

Day 3;
http://www.democraticunderground.com/115731312

Day 4;
http://www.democraticunderground.com/115731392

Day 5;
http://www.democraticunderground.com/115731432

Last and final, day 6;
http://www.democraticunderground.com/115731480

[irisblue]

1. wow! thanks for this I love old menus.

And now I'm hungry. Were there late night munchies for kids?

[A HERETIC I AM]

2. Not that I recall.

This was a Transatlantic crossing, so they stuck to the traditional dining schedule. Nothing like a cruise ship! This was the only time in my life I had ever been on a large ship and can not compare it to a modern cruise experience. I do remember they had a guy walk around the first class areas with a sort of 5 note xylophone, bonging off a tone announcing lunch and dinner!

This was a North Atlantic Passenger Liner, so there wasn't a pool on deck or one even open to the sky, so the food was limited to the seatings at the various meals. Of course, I was 8 years old at the time, so for all I know, you could have sat at a bar all day and munched to your hearts content!

[msanthrope]

3. If you dine at the Philly Ikea, your view is of the SS United States. nt

[A HERETIC I AM]

12. The last time I saw her was probably 15 years ago, perhaps more as I crossed the Walt Whitman bridge

I've looked at Google Earth shots of her many times and yes, the Ikea is right there, isn't it?

I sure as hell hope the conservation effort is successful. It's been said that if she was a building, she would be on the National Register of Historic Places or if she was real estate, she would be a National Park or monument.

It would be a national tragedy if this fine ship went to the breakers yard.

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

4. So good to see you here!

I miss your posts. They were fun, inspiring, and helpful. Do you ever travel 75? We may be moving back to Kentucky

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. Hey!

What...? Texas didn't agree with you? LOL

I do indeed go up that way on occasion, unfortunately this gig allows for almost ZERO messing about time.

Hope you're well and happy!

[dem in texas]

6. Thank you so much for this posting

I love old recipes and reading the menus is such a pleasure. What an adventure this must have been for you as an 8 year old.

[A HERETIC I AM]

9. I'm glad you liked it!

And it was most certainly an adventure. We left Athens by car and took the ferry from Igoumenitsa (if I remember correctly!) to Brindisi, Italy, then drove up to Venice and spent a day. From there over the Alps into a bit of Switzerland, Austria and then into Germany all the way up to Bremen and Bremerhaven. I remember being able to see the funnels of the United States from what seemed like miles away; it was likely from only a few blocks, but they were massive!

As I said in a post above, this was the only large ship I have ever been on. I lived in Miami, Fl through the late 70's until the late 80's (often called the Cruise Capital of the world) but never took even so much as a short hop to the Bahamas.

Although transatlantic passenger service still exists, this voyage was in the waning days of the great passenger liner era, with the SS France and other great ships being the SS United States contemporaries, as well as competitors.

[NJCher]

7. funny you should mention this

I was just telling a friend about these menus the other day. Who would guess it has been three years!


Cher

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. Time certainly does fly!

I'm trying to wrap my mind around the fact that it will be 50 years next September!

And 2 years this August since my mother has passed.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. Thank you for posting this.

I find the food choices to be fascinating, and to me, mostly undesirable. How our taste in food changes, even in such a relatively short time, is nothing short of astonishing.

[A HERETIC I AM]

11. I think you might find many of the items that have unusual names are still familiar.

The influence of French cooking is obvious, and while many of the items may have fallen off the radar of the American palate, there was plenty on each menu you could find in any decent restaurant today.

I'm happy you enjoyed it.