Leonardo DiCaprio might have won his Oscar but he didn’t have a first class ticket on Titanic however for those who did, what did the majestic cruise ship offer the upper crust of society?
Lookout Frederick Fleet in the crow’s nest alerted the bridge to the iceberg ahead. An order was given to go “Full speed astern”, what followed wrote the Titanic into the history books.
The RMS Titanic was the world’s largest passenger ship when it entered service, measuring 269 metres (882 feet) in length, and the largest man-made moving object on Earth. It burned 600 tonnes of coal a day – hand shovelled into its furnaces by a crew of 176 men. Make no mistake, the Titanic was the penultimate in travel.
To touch on its decadence, the interior was inspired by the Ritz Hotel in London, and some of the richest people in the world travelled on its maiden voyage.
Politicians, businessmen, bankers, professional athletes, industrialists and high-ranking military personnel are all present in the Titanic’s first class cabins, and they travelled with an entourage like maids, cooks and chauffers. What does an average of 870 pounds for a first class ticket ($70,000 in today’s money) really buy you?
First Class Dining
People dressed for dinner of course, this was after all the Edwardian Age. Don’t worry about missing dinner as an on deck bugler would signal when dinner hour had arrived.
It was fine dining all the way. You will need an appetite as the meals consisted of 10 – 14 courses.
On the night of the disaster (April 14, 1912):
- hors d’oeuvres
- a selection of soups
- poached salmon
- filet mignon with vegetables
- choice of lamb, duck or beef with more vegetables
- a punch to clean the palate
- a roast squab
- a pate
- deserts such as pudding, fruit, ice cream
- fresh fruit and cheeses
Smoking Room
After dinner, the men would retire to the first class Smoking Room. The walls were panelled in mahogany carved in the Georgian style and were inlaid with mother of pearl. There was a well-stocked bar for those that wanted an after dinner drink, because the wine served throughout the dinner may not have been enough. The room was surrounded by painted glass windows depicting different ports around the world and other White Star Line ships.
Reading & Writing Room
This was apparently the women’s version of a smoking room, apparently they also enjoyed a good book club. It was painted in white with elegant furnishings.
There was a huge bow window that let the ladies look out onto the Promenade Deck. There was also a large fire that brought warmth to the room.
Gymnasium
This was brand spanking new and had never before been seen on a ship. It complemented a Turkish bath, swimming pool and the squash court nicely.
It’s probably to offset the effects of that gigantic dinner.
Men, women and children were of course allowed to use the gym in separate times, as well as the pool and Turkish baths. I guess family time wasn’t really a big thing back in those days.
Accommodation
There were 39 private suites in first class. They included bedrooms with private toilet facilities. All of these suites had up to five different rooms which included two bedrooms, two wardrobe rooms (there was no such thing as packing lightly back then) and a bathroom.
If you wanted to go a little bit more extravagant, you could opt for one of the exclusive staterooms which were decorated in different periodic styles including Louis XVI, Louis XV, Georgian and Queen Anne.
First class accommodation also held 350 cheaper standard cabins with single beds.
BONUS: 10 Fascinating Titanic Facts
The Grand Staircase on board descended down seven of the ship’s 10 decks and featured oak panelling, bronze cherubs and paintings.
Only 16 wooden lifeboats and four collapsible boats were carried, enough to accommodate 1,178 people, only one-third of Titanic’s total capacity, but more than legally required.
100,000 people turned up to see the ship’s launch on May 31, 1911
First-class passengers were given a music book containing 352 songs. Musicians on board were required to know them all, in case requests were made.
Two of the nine dogs on board were rescued – a Pomeranian and a Pekinese.
The iceberg was spotted at 11.40pm on April 14, 1912, by lookout Frederick Fleet, who proclaimed: “Iceberg! Right ahead!” Fleet survived the disaster and was a lookout on the RMS Oceanic during the Twenties, before serving in the Second World War. Pranksters placed a pair of binoculars on his grave in 2012 with a note “sorry they’re 100 years too late”.
Just 37 seconds elapsed between the sighting of the iceberg and the collision.
Musicians played for two hours and five minutes as the ship sank.
John Jacob Astor IV was the richest passenger on board, with a net worth of around $85m (approximately $2bn today), and went down with the ship. One legend claims that after the ship hit the iceberg he quipped to a waiter: “I asked for ice, but this is ridiculous”.
Charles Joughin, the ship’s baker, reportedly tread water for two hours before being rescued with little ill-effects. He claimed he had not felt the cold due to the amount of whiskey he had drunk.
