Purser or Supercargo

In answer to Johns #7 statement that P&O never had a catering deptartment, I disagree, you must be refering to the liners as you mention Writers, chief stewards and Pursers,
I hate to disagree but having spent 4 years with that company i can garauntee they had seperate departments for these areas.
to start off with the chef would be in charge of all the catering, from ordering to cooking and serving in the galley, this was basicaly the same rank as the chief steward, (but not quite). the chief steward was in charge of "all" passenger functions related to crew, service, catering and cleanliness of the ship and it`s laundry. he was almost a god on board.
the pursers department were an independant area that delt with passenger requirements, money changing, shore excursions, baggage problems, landing requirements both for ship and for passengers, they also had the safes (no not that kind!!!) but the kind where passengers kept their valubles, the writers would record all the functions that went on and also were in contact with the printers that printed the daily log, menus and newspapers. another function of their`s was crew records and the paying of SUB`s to all crew menbers when and if required.
all would report to the staff captain (if on board ) or to the Captain of the ship.
I found this system on the 2 P&O boats i was on, also New Zealand Shipping co.
I don`t think any ship could have survived without a catering dept.
My time goes back to the 1950-60`s. maybe it has all changed since then.
keith moody
R635978

Hi Shipmates, the only super cargo were passengers? Pursers were top chief stewards on Liners/ passenger ships? The Chief steward was very important on all ships he had the key to the bond, and the top man in catering he done the deals ashore for the food? The only one I still know ashore my shipmate john was allways a few sheets to the wind at sea, I dont think he remember anyone at sea I sail with him for two trips of 6 and 4 months ,he had a powerful likeing for any type of drink in a glass , but he is sober/ and doing very well today !!! thanks to a good captain who help him dry out in hospital. {Well done mate} he may read this???

All the shipping companies that ran regular passenger services had a catering deaprtment as descibed. Catering on liners was the main part of the crew, with deck and engine in very small numbers by comparison. Cheif stewards were there to ensure there was something left of the budget at the end of the voyage, the more left the greater his bonus.

In my experience the Catering department was as fundamentally important as Engineers and Deck departments. It is also worthwhile mentioning that in the majority of cases it is the one department that hasn't been eroded by modern technology. I appreciate that there are some ships that do have automated catering but I believe that they are few and far between..

Hi Keith
In my post#7 I did not mean that there was literally no Catering Depoartment in P&O Passenger Division,of course there was. How could a passenger liner function without one. What I said was that it had been designated Pursers Department = this was in 1964/65.
Regards
John

If it was moved to the control of Pursers department then maybe it was just a P&O thing. But times change, now the cheif stewrad on cruiae ships is the hotel manager, the purser is passenger services.

We had Cargo Pursers on many cargo vessels in the 60's, where we also had a Chief Steward. The Cargo Purser apart form cargo and cargo plans was also in charge of cash advances, crew lists, port facilities etc.
Again going back to the 60's on passenger ships especially Shaw Savill, Elder's etc we had a Pursers Department and a Chief Steward.
Supercargo was not a passenger, passengers (wives etc) were 'supernumeraries signed on the articles for one shilling (old money) per month.

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Originally Posted by happy daze john in oz

If it was moved to the control of Pursers department then maybe it was just a P&O thing. But times change, now the cheif stewrad on cruiae ships is the hotel manager, the purser is passenger services.

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You are quite right John, it was a P & O thing but for the life of me I can not understand why. I never encountered it in other companies I sailed in.
Regards
John C.

Had a purser on the Runcimans ship called Hazelmoor who topped himself thirty six hours out of London en route home however that's another story. Mentioned it on a thread a while ago & some old timer was adamant that pursers were only on passengers liners. I did not bother to correct him so glad to see this thread & realise I am not suffering long term memory loss as to titles-positions held (:

Le if you are referring to my post re. Hazelmoor in the 60"s there was no such rating in Runcimans as Purser it was Chief Steward. I am quite aware of the present day term purser which has been there as long as I have been in shipping, they may be called that nowadays but the time you mention unless he was a cargo purser or supercargo you are referring to, in which case he would not have been a Runciman employee at the time you mention. He may have called himself purser but I am sure you will find he was signed on as Ch. Stwd. Cheers John Sabourn