[Les McIntyre]

According to the book Splendid Sisters, landfall dinners on the Northern Star were held two nights before reaching port on the longer runs.

I have a menu that says "Landfall Dinner - Capetown - Tuesday 8th November 1966".

- Would this be the date when the dinner was held? (two nights before reaching port)

- Or would this be the date of the expected landfall? (and the dinner held two nights before this date)

Thanks for any replies.

[Chris Isaac]

Better make it two nights before just in case the second mate is wrong.

[Les McIntyre]

Chris, do you think the menu date refers to the dinner or the landfall?

[eddyw]

Date of 'landfall' dinner, I would think. General practice on liners was to provide printed, dated menus for each day of voyage (catering planned accordingly). Two nights before docking makes practical sense to allow for relaxed socialising . On night before arrival passengers would be packing etc ready to disembark.

[Les McIntyre]

Thanks for that, makes perfect sense. Les.

[alaric]

Shaw Savill's 76 day Round the World voyage included four long 9-10 day sectors.
East bound Las Palmas - Cape Town, Durban - Fremantle, Tahiti - Panama and Trinidad - Southamton.
It was planned to arrive at the landfall port early in the morning 6 -7am so it did make a lot of sense to have the dinner a day early.