Remember When they Sounded a Chime Before Meals?

Reading some these threads about meals, MDR, Windjammer and specialty dining reminded me of when they used to have meal announcements preceeded by a series of chimes. After a while you would have a pavlovian response whenever you heard the chimes!!!

Now of course with so many dining options its no longer done. But for you newer cruisers, it was like calling in the cows to eat!!!

I certainly do! It was on Holland America the last time I heard the chimes. A young man would walk around the ship with the chimes and everyone headed for the dining room. It's a custom of a day now long gone I believe.

every ship did it 20 years ago

Yes and I swear I remember a ship hostess too, before they all became assistant CD or activities staff. They were arm candy for officers. Am I remembering right?

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Yes! Thanks for that lovely memory.

M

Reading some these threads about meals, MDR, Windjammer and specialty dining reminded me of when they used to have meal announcements preceeded by a series of chimes. After a while you would have a pavlovian response whenever you heard the chimes!!!

 

Now of course with so many dining options its no longer done. But for you newer cruisers, it was like calling in the cows to eat!!!

You mean like this (listen closely and you'll hear a whistle):

:D:D

And the Maitre'D would make an announcement over the PA and would sometimes sing.

I remember when ALL the officers ate in the MDR, they would be seated a guest tables, it was wonderful. I had the pleasure of dinning every night the Chief Engineer on a Princess cruise "back in the day". Also traveling as a single women seemed "elegant" the officers all made a big fuss and I always had a dance partner :p

Omg just experienced this for the first time at a very upscale wedding at the university club in nyc. After ceremony and hors d'oeuvres, man came around playing chimes (like a large xylo phone) to call everyone to dinner. Amazing!

(Maybe they did this on our very first cruises in the 90s, but I don't recall...)

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Yes, we remember the chime on HAL.

The good old days of smoke everywhere.

Sorry about the chimes. Thankful for change in smoke policies.

Eve

How is it possible that a thread about dinner chimes brings up comments about smoking?

M

I remember the hostesses, especially Lilliana on Home Lines "Oceanic" she would remember us by name when we boarded and would always greet us with "Welcome back onboard". She was always there greeting passengers at embarkation. She conveyed the manner and grace of European royalty and always dressed to the nines, day or evening.

Ahhh - that was my favorite sound and I even remember the announcement too:

"Good evening ladies & gentlemen; late seating dinner is now being served in the Crown Dining Room. I wish you all Buon Appetito!"

I certainly do! It was on Holland America the last time I heard the chimes. A young man would walk around the ship with the chimes and everyone headed for the dining room. It's a custom of a day now long gone I believe.

The custom was alive and well on the Holland America ms Amsterdam this past winter. The steward with the chimes would not only indicate the time for dinner in the Main Dining Room but would also give a gentle reminder when the time came to leave after the early seating so the tables could be set up for the late seating.

It's a nice custom.

Scott & Karen

Yes and I swear I remember a ship hostess too, before they all became assistant CD or activities staff. They were arm candy for officers. Am I remembering right?

 

Sent from my cm_tenderloin using Tapatalk

Omg just experienced this for the first time at a very upscale wedding at the university club in nyc. After ceremony and hors d'oeuvres, man came around playing chimes (like a large xylo phone) to call everyone to dinner. Amazing!

 

(Maybe they did this on our very first cruises in the 90s, but I don't recall...)

 

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The doorman on HAL ships still sounds chimes most nights calling everyone to dinner. We are always on upper level of the dining room and usually have our pre-dinner drinks in Ocean Bar or MIX (once in a while) ..... Oh wait, I forgot about the nice Pinnacle Bars. :)

We love when he goes around that deck sounding the chimes and if we are not already on our way to MDR, we get on our way. :)

Yes, I remember on our first Italian Cruise Lines, especially at lunch, a staff member used to go around with a xylophone singing "Mezzogiorno" "Noon Time."

Yes, I do remember it.

Keith

HAL still has what many of us refer to as the Yum Yum man who does goes around on some ships and "chimes" the call for dinner.

At the end of dinner, he passes out goodies like ginger and mints and I have forgotten what else.

This is an older picture:

HAL still has what many of us refer to as the Yum Yum man who does goes around on some ships and "chimes" the call for dinner.

At the end of dinner, he passes out goodies like ginger and mints and I have forgotten what else.

This is an older picture:

I've got a picture from last Oct:

It's been just under a year since our last HAL cruise - and they had the chimes then. So it's not that much of a challenge to remember. I hope to hear them again this fall on the Prinsendam.

every ship did it 20 years ago

Yes, they all did. A nice memory. :)

LuLu

On the Italian Line in the 1970s, they used to play the chimes on the public address system before making the announcement for lunch or dinner.

How funny you mentioned this,we were talking about the cattle call,not too long ago.

On both Sitmar and Princess it was done over the loud speaker: the chimes and then "ladies and gentlemen - dinner in now being served in the >>> restaurant. Buon Appetito!

After coming home from one cruise we were on the flight and someone called the flight attendant. Half the plane yelled out Buon Appetito and we all started laughing. The non cruise people thought they were on a plane of crazy people.

Hadn't thought about the chimes in years (many).

Traveled as a dependent with my AF family from Seattle to Yokohama in 1952 on the Simon B. Buckner (a military transport ship). I was only 11 years old but remember the meal chimes during that 2 week trip so well and how much fun it all was. Also remember my first horrible experience with sea-sickness on that first "cruise." Never been sick again in over 40 cruises since even tho we've been on some rough ones.

Thanks for the memories......:)