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First Class Parlor Suite B64

Once all were aboard, the Titanic housed 1,317 passengers who were served and serviced by a crew of 500 stewards, cooks, maids, and entertainers. This loyal team of service people performed over 57 different functions in each class's dining saloon, public rooms, cabins and recreational facilities. 

The passenger facilities aboard Titanic aimed to meet the highest standards of luxury. First class sleeping quarters rivaled those of the finest hotels in Europe.  A variety of decorative styles were used to outfit the various state rooms, including Louis XVI, Renaissance, Georgian, Regency, and Adams.  The most luxurious accommodations were the promenade suites located on B deck, which had their own private walkways.  These suites also included two bedrooms, a sitting room, two wardrobe rooms, a private bath, and a room for the occupant’s personal servant.

Second Class Single Berth Stateroom

Second class cabins were equivalent to first class accommodations on most other ships.  Each room held between two and four berths and had mahogany furniture and white walls. Each second-class cabin had a wash basin and a chamber pot to be used in case of seasickness. Second class passengers used communal bathrooms. Like first class, second-class passengers had their own library and smoking rooms.  They also had promenade space located at the aft portion of the boat deck.

One amenity shared by both first and second-class was the ship’s eight-piece orchestra.  The orchestra played in the second-class lounge and dining saloon as well as in the first class reception room.  The orchestra also played during teatime, Sunday services and performed after-dinner concerts as well.

3rd class Two Berth Stateroom

Many of the third-class passengers came from homes that did not have luxuries like electricity or warm running water. This made their heated cabins with electrical lighting seem like a luxurious vacation from the tough realities of life. Public toilets were also available to third class passengers, and were kept clean and operational by Titanic crew members. The bunk beds in each cabin came with their own mattresses, blankets and pillows but passengers were asked to bring pillowcases and sheets. Many of these travelers were making a new home in America and had packed most of their belongings, so this did not prove much of an inconvenience to them. 

As one can imagine, a great deal of attention went into the amenities and activities offered to passengers.  Facilities unique to first class included a gymnasium, squash court, Turkish and electric baths, salt-water swimming pool, and a dark room for photography.  The gymnasium was equipped with what were then state-of-the-art pieces of equipment (a personal trainer was available to coach passengers through their workouts.)  Three elevator lifts were available to first class passengers to conveniently travel between decks. 

The activities for second-class passengers weren’t quite as extensive.  The Titanic provided deck games such as shuffleboard and ring toss, and board games such as chess and backgammon.  One of the nicest amenities was the second-class library, which was used not just for reading, but as a place to socialize as well. 

The “General Room” on the Titanic served as a meeting place for steerage passengers and provided a space for basic entertainment. In this large room guests played cards, had conversations, threw parties and even held dances. Unlike the upholstered furniture of the first class, benches and tables in these rooms were only made of wood because it was harder for lice and other insects to burrow in them. Men also had the option of going to a smoking room, where they could talk, relax, and order drinks at a bar. Children in steerage spent much of the day on the deck of the ship, playing and making their own fun. 

No third class passengers were allowed in the ships pool, gymnasium, or first class dining rooms.

Passengers on the Titanic also utilized several large rooms that provided dining services. For upper class passengers, several ornate rooms were available. In the Dining Salon, up to 554 passengers could enjoy their meals for lunch and dinner. The salon was decorated in white painted wood paneling and blue linoleum with a complex red and yellow pattern. The windows facing the sea, called portholes, were covered and backlit at night to set the mood and give the impression that the passengers were eating on shore. Details such as these are the aspects of traveling by Titanic that made the experience so sought after. 

The large ornate staircases in the first-class section of the Titanic.
It was considered to be among the most luxurious appointments
on the ship and was reserved for use only by first class passengers.

In addition to the Dining Salon, was the first-class Reception Room. In it was a staircase adorned with impeccable wood detailing and a stunning clock framed by two winding sets of stairs. The Reception Room was the center of social activity for the first-class guests. The room was furnished with green cushioned couches and wicker chairs along with potted plants that stood throughout the room. 

Two dining rooms, each with a long row of tables, served third class travelers three meals a day. Many luxury ship lines at the time did not provide food to passengers, so this was a great perk to potential White Star Line customers.