the long interval between breakfast and late evening dinner. lunch was not usually eaten in her circle in those days and if you are planning on having afternoon tea on a modern cruise ship, it is wise to skip lunch. it is a lot of food.
shortly after everyone was seated, waiters appeared asking what type of tea each guest preferred. they had wooden boxes containing a variety of different tea bags to choose from.
while this was going on the food started arriving. waiters circled the tables with trays of sandwiches and pastries. there was also a large cart maneuvering between the tables, which seemed to act as the mother ship. 