Princess of Vancouver Lunch Menu

Built in 1955, the Princess of Vancouver carried people, automobiles, trucks, and railcars to and from Vancouver Island. At various times in her history, she connected Comox with Powell River, Nanaimo with Vancouver, and Victoria with Seattle.

Click image to download a 1.0-MB PDF of this menu.

The ship could carry 28 40-foot railcars and up to 120 automobiles. The passenger decks had bright, cheery interiors, though I suspect that the photos shown by this link were taken after a 1973 refit as they have a distinctive 1970s feel.

Click image to download a 87-KB PDF of this postcard.

This postcard, which is postmarked 1959, uses the same photo as the menu. The caption on the back says that the ship at that time was on the Vancouver-Nanaimo route. But the handwritten note says, “This is the ship we went to Victoria on,” suggesting it also served the Seattle-Victoria route in that year.

The menu itself is marked for a different ship, the Princess Marguerite, which would be the second incarnation of that vessel serving on the Seattle-Victoria route. It offers eight entrées, all of which are priced between $2.75 and $3.25 (about $18 to $21 in today’s money). The entrées range from fillet of sole amandine (the least expensive) to shrimp salad (the most expensive) and all come with the usual juice, soup, vegetables, dessert, and beverage.


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