Boarding procedures

[Robert T. Paige]

Also in real life, could Richard Sturges have purchased a First or Second Class Ticket at Cherbourg ?
Titanic was far from "sold out."

 

[Robert T. Paige]

The question about boarding time was in reference to
Southampton ?

Are boarding times the same today ? For Queen Mary 2 at New York or in England ? I have wondered if it might be possible to board on an evening before the sailing date ?

 

[Brad Rousse]

Hi all,

What was the boarding procedure for first class in Southampton? In particular:

-How would you approach the ship?
-How would the ticket be checked, and by whom?
-Would you then simply board through D-Deck at that point?

Appreciated!

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

1st class were able to board the ship via the gangway doors on D Deck or B Deck.
The Tickets would be controlled by the purser & his staff as well the chief stewards. People had to go to the purser office.

Not sure what you mean with approach the ship. If you mean how they got to the dock, some come over with the boat train, or with a car/carriage or tram & feet depending what class (or crew) and from where they came from.

 

[Brad Rousse]

I knew that about B and D Deck. Could you choose or did it depend on the ticket?

So, if I understand you correctly, you could approach the ship on foot from Central Road, you would board the ship, then go to the purser's office on C Deck? I assume stewards would be there to direct passengers?

Finally, were rooms assigned before boarding, or as the passengers boarded?

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

You would get the room when you buy the ticket.

The boarding though B or D Deck was optional, it seem it depends more how one arrived at the dock. 1st class passenger Francis Browne (who became later Father Browne) came with the boat train and used the gangway getting aboard on B Deck. Stewards would lead the passengers to where to go and bed stewards would bring them to their cabins.

 

[Brad Rousse]

You would get the room when you buy the ticket.

The boarding though B or D Deck was optional, it seem it depends more how one arrived at the dock. 1st class passenger Francis Browne (who became later Father Browne) came with the boat train and used the gangway getting aboard on B Deck. Stewards would lead the passengers to where to go and bed stewards would bring them to their cabins.

Appreciated, Ioannis.

One more thing... Queenstown... there were a few first class passengers boarding there as well. Would they all board through E Deck regardless of class and the first class passengers then shepherded up to C Deck?

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

Appreciated, Ioannis.

One more thing... Queenstown... there were a few first class passengers boarding there as well. Would they all board through E Deck regardless of class and the first class passengers then shepherded up to C Deck?

From what I have seen so far at Queenstown they used the E Deck doors.

 

[Brad Rousse]

I might have more questions for you and the others... I'm a long-time Titanic buff (see my join date) but I'd like as much of the history around the sci-fi novel I'm doing set aboard to be as right as possible... I hope my admitting for the reason for asking hasn't soured you (it did with TH&G).

 

[Ioannis Georgiou]

I hope my admitting for the reason for asking hasn't soured you

Of course not! Feel free to ask.

 

[Tobi Horgan]

Is there a list of people who had tickets but never boarded the ship

 

[Dave Gittins]

I'm afraid not. There are dozens of people who claim some relative missed the ship but they are not documented. One genuine case was Rev J S Holden, who decided not to go at the last minute. He kept a little sticker off the front of his ticket as a souvenir and it's to be seen online.