First-class passengers were treated to an extraordinary dining experience at every meal, feasting on such delicacies as pâté de foie gras, peaches in chartreuse jelly and Waldorf pudding. Their dinners consisted of up to 13 courses—each with a different accompanying wine—and could last four or five hours.
Curried chicken, baked fish, spring lamb, mutton, and roast turkey were common menu items, as was pudding for dessert. The night the Titanic sank, the doomed second class passengers had plum pudding, also known as Christmas pudding.
On the day that Titanic sank, third-class passengers enjoyed oatmeal porridge and milk, vegetable stew, fried tripe and onions, bread and butter, marmalade, Swedish bread, tea, and coffee for breakfast.
Last Dinner Served on Titanic: Course 4
Trio of: Filet mignons lili — seared filet, sliced truffles on bed of crispy potatoes, cognac, Madeira, red wine sauce. Sauté of chicken lyonnaise — onion, tomato sauce on bed of crispy potatoes. Vegetable marrow farci — zucchini stuffed with fresh herbs and vegetables.
Among the 11 courses were consommé, cream of barley soup, a fish course, two meat courses, foie gras, three desserts, and a cheeseboard. The only difference last night was that some courses, such as the salad, were served in a different order.
Titanic's second-class dining room, located on D Deck, could accommodate 394 second class passengers in a single seating. It was a large, elegant room, with mahogany furniture upholstered in crimson. A piano provided entertainment for the diners.
Third class
The general room was where most passengers gathered, talked and socialised. There was a piano for passengers to make their own music in the evenings. There was also a male-only smoke room which was panelled and furnished in oak with teak furniture.
Most of the time, it was $5 per British pound, so third-class tickets would cost $35 in 1912, with first-class accommodations coming in at $4,000. Even when you account for inflation, the cost is staggering. It would cost $133,132 to travel in a first-class suite on the Titanic.
Of the ship's crew members, approximately 700 died. Another high fatality rate was among third class passengers. Of approximately 710 passengers in third class, around 174 people survived, according to Britannica.
Food eaten by first-class passengers on the Titanic
Even though breakfast, lunch, and dinner were included in the price of a first-class ticket, meals taken at these restaurants were not included in the price and had to be paid for out of pocket.
Third class on board Titanic was noticeably more comfortable than what was offered on many of her competitors, though third-class passengers were granted the smallest proportion of space on board and very few facilities.
Food was surprisingly good quality for third-class passengers. The White Star Line (who owned the Titanic) offered freshly baked bread and fruit daily and meals were better than those most passengers could afford at home. For example the Goodwin family, pictured here, would have eaten well.
The ship was stocked with a large selection of spirits, including whiskey, gin, brandy, rum, cognac, bourbon, and liqueurs like Chartreuse and Curaçao. Beer was also available, with a selection of British and American brews on offer. Of course, the Titanic would have also been well-stocked with fine champagne.
Gentlemen wore white tie, consisting of a tailcoat, white pique waistcoat, and bow tie.
John Jacob Astor was the wealthiest passenger aboard Titanic. He was the head of the Astor family, with a personal fortune of approximately $150,000,000. Born on 13 July 1864 to William Astor, he was educated at St. Paul's School, Concord and later went to Harvard.
The family fortune came from her father, a wealthy textile-mill owner. Cardeza had no trouble affording what is believed to have been the most expensive ticket on the ship: $2,560 in 1912 dollars, or more than $61,000 today. She boarded the ship in Cherbourg with her 36-year-old son, Thomas, her maid, and his valet.
The ship carried at least twelve dogs, only three of which survived. First-class passengers often traveled with their pets. The Titanic was equipped with a first-rate kennel and the dogs were well-cared for, including daily exercise on deck.
Approximately 1,317 passengers died when the Titanic sank. 709 of them were third-class passengers. Three-quarters of them perished.
2nd Class played deck games like shuffle board and quoits. They also played board games like chess and backgammon. The 2nd class smoking room they drink or/and played cards, and 2nd class library were they could read and drink tea.
A third-class ticket on the Titanic cost £7 ($35 at the time), the equivalent of around £852 in today's money ($1,071). That price did include food as well as the accommodation cost. Titanic's third class was considered to be as good as second class on similar ships of the time.
Around 109 children were onboard when the titanic sank. And about half of the number, around 59 to 60 children, died. Only one child travelling in first class died. The others were children of third-class passengers.
Passengers could play Shuffleboard, Cricket, Deck Quoits, Bull Board and Tennis, with nets being rigged up for the latter two to prevent the ball from going overboard. Indoor games included Chess, Draughts, Dominos and card games of all kinds. No games of chance were permitted in public rooms on Sundays.
Compounding the disaster, Titanic's crew was poorly trained on using the davits (lifeboat launching equipment). As a result, lifeboat launches were slow, improperly executed, and poorly supervised. These factors contributed to the lifeboats leaving with only half their capacity.