The main is cleared, the table is a battlefield of crumbs and half-full glasses, and the evening has an hour left to run. The last three courses are where a formal dinner is either landed gracefully or allowed to fizzle out.
Resetting the table
Before cheese or dessert, the table is crumbed down and reset.
- Clear all main-course cutlery, plates, side plates, butter and salt and pepper.
- Crumb down with a folded napkin and a plate, or a crumbing tool, working from the guest's left, quietly, without leaning across.
- Bring down or lay the cutlery for the next course.
- Leave water and any wine still in play. Never clear a glass a guest is drinking from.
Cheese service
- Cheeses are presented on a board or trolley, offered from the guest's left, with the guest choosing.
- Order the board so guests can taste mild to strong, and describe each cheese: name, milk, region.
- Use a separate knife for blue cheese and, ideally, for soft cheese; carrying blue mould across the board ruins the others.
- Cut to respect the shape: wedges from a round so every guest gets nose and rind, slices across a log, never take the nose alone.
- Accompaniments: biscuits, bread, fruit, honey, chutney offered separately.
Dessert
- Dessert cutlery is brought down from above the cover, spoon to the right, fork to the left, or laid fresh.
- Plated desserts are temperature-critical: hot puddings and ice creams do not wait. Coordinate the run tightly with the galley.
- Dessert wine is poured before the dessert arrives so guests can taste it against the dish.
Digestifs and coffee
| Item | Service |
|---|---|
| Cognac, armagnac, whisky | Balloon or tumbler, small measure, offered from a tray or trolley |
| Grappa, eau de vie | Small chilled glass |
| Port | Traditionally passed to the left around the table |
| Coffee | Small cup, saucer, teaspoon; offered with milk, cream and sugar separately |
| Herbal tea and infusions | Always offer; many guests will decline coffee at that hour |
- Coffee is often served away from the table in a lounge, on deck or in the cinema. Move the guests before the coffee, not after.
- Ask each guest individually and remember the answer; do not ask twice.
- Offer water alongside coffee as a matter of course.
Onboard Notes
- Cheese needs to come out of the fridge well before service to eat properly, but in a warm saloon it degrades fast. Bring it up in stages rather than letting a full board sweat for an hour.
- The digestif trolley is where guests linger and talk. Stay in the room, stay quiet, keep glasses charged, and do not start cleaning around them; there is nothing worse than a crew visibly waiting for guests to go to bed.
- Decaf exists. Have it, and know which pot is which, because getting that wrong keeps a guest awake and you will hear about it.
- Log the digestifs poured. Late-night spirits are the easiest stock to lose track of and the hardest to explain at inventory.