Culture & History

What First Class Was Like in The Titanic

The Titanic is considered one of the grandest ships ever built by man. It was enormous and with a beautiful interior décor. The ship had three classes with distinct features. Even though the first class was the best of all, the others too had a touch of class and were considered superior than other ship’s specifications.

According to history books, the ship’s third class easily outdid competitor’s best offers. For a local man, this was a luxurious way to cross the Atlantic Ocean. If that was the case, it meant Titanic’s second and first classes were in a league of their own.

Comfort and elegance were Titanic’s competitive advantage. The first-class area oozed class. Here’s what it was like to be in The Titanic’s first class.

Public Rooms

This was a section meant for some of the world’s wealthiest people. Verandah cafes and palm courts existed in the first-class public area. Also available were a smoking area, writing room, a lounge, and restaurant. Besides, the cabin had a salon and reception.

However, the parlor suite wasn’t enough for some families. That is why they would hire adjacent cabins and connect them to have enough space.

These public rooms allowed the rich to socialize. The lounge was a common place for meet ups, but the children preferred playing at the verandah café. The interior design of this lounge was out of this world. The palace of Versailles was the model behind this lounge design.

Reading and writing area

This area was designed for first class women. Colored white, the well-furnished room had special windows that allowed the occupants to have a glimpse of the outside. Other than the view, there existed a large fire that warmed the place. This brought comfort even when the weather was cold.

Smoking area

While women spent most of the time in the reading area, most of their male counterparts were in the smoking room. The walls of this room were made of mahogany. The designer emulated the Georgian style in carving these mahogany panels.

Other than the beautiful designs, paintings also existed. A perfect example is the Norman Wilkinson painting. The paintings decorated the rooms in a way like no other. Every detail in the room was expensive and added glamour to the ship’s first-class section.

The bar had all the expensive liquor you could think about. It was well stocked and the wealthy frequented the area mostly after eating their last meal of the day. It was a perfect way to finish your day.

Glass paintings

Not even the windows were spared from classy finishing. They were filled with paintings of the world’s most amazing ports. The beautiful water paintings not only captured the ports but also other classy ships. The glass paintings offered a great alternative for those that didn’t fancy smoking and reading. They would walk around staring at these paintings and that would make their day. It was an amazing feeling.

The dining room

The Titanic dining room went down in history as the largest ever. The first-class dining room accommodated more than 500 people all at once. The room was as wide as the ship with a 114 ft length. Themed white, the dining room provided a place where the rich could eat and connect.

The foods served were delicious and of palace standards. The menu consisted of lobster, Egyptian quails, peaches, caviar, and grapes. The fruits were fresh and the food prepared by the best for the wealthiest.

One popular restaurant in the ship was the A la Carte Restaurant. This was a reserve of the first class only. A selected few musicians performed here good music as the passengers had their meals.

The dining room design was a product of deep research. Most of the designs were inspired by British architecture. The seats and tables were comfortable and made of oak. Every room in this VVIP section was furnished with a touch of comfort and elegance.

As the wealthy enjoyed their meals, an orchestra played in the background. The soothing music brought about serenity and made them feel relaxed.

Gymnasium

The Titanic also had a gymnasium for those interested in working out. Inside the gym were bikes, electric camels and horses, and a punching bag among others. Everything you needed to work out was here.

The gym had a swimming pool and a barber as well as baths. First class children could access the gym between 1 and 3 pm. This was after the rich women would go there between 9 am and 12 noon. The wealthy men had the last dance between 2 and 6 pm.

Bathrooms were also assigned to passengers based on gender and time. Men used the same bathrooms while ladies had theirs separate. Both genders were allowed to use the bathrooms during their time in the gym.

Private rooms

Privacy was also taken care of. The ship has about 39 private suites that were only accessed by the occupants. This ensured everyone had their personal space.

Inside the suite, the occupants had two bedrooms and two wardrobe rooms. Besides, they enjoyed having a private bathroom. The suites were the most expensive in the ship.

But there were cheaper alternatives with matching quality. Apart from the 39 premium rooms, the ship had about 350 standard rooms. Each of the 350 rooms had a single bed.

Most people used the rooms when it was time to rest. During the day, they would spend the better part of it in the public areas. Some planned about their next day’s activities while others met and spoke about personal matters.

Both the private and public rooms were exquisite. They offered the rich a perfect place to unite while locking out the less rich for the lower classes.

Besides, most of these rooms were in the upper floors of the ship. They were reserved the best places and these rooms were made the most beautiful. Not only were they pretty, a touch of class was added unto them with expensive fittings.

The Titanic will never be forgotten. The first-class area was about royalty. Everything was exquisite.

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