Observation Room

[Matthew O'Brien]

Does anyone know how the Observation Room on Lusitania and Mauretania were furnished. Were these rooms bare, basically an enclosed promenade with a great view? Were these rooms strictly limited to the use of the first class passengers?

Thanks ahead of time,

Matt

 

[Eric Sauder]

The observation rooms on Lusitania and Mauretania were basically observation corridors at the forward end of Promenade Deck with a few portholes overlooking the bow. There was no furniture and almost no decoration. The one on Lusitania was simply a white-painted corridor, and there is a photo of it in my book. And, yes, they were available only to first-class passengers.

Eric Sauder

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hi Matt,

As an add on to what Eric has just posted a March 1912 Fares Rate and Deck Plan booklet indicates a slightly different shape to the Observation Room on the Lusitania to the one in the Shipbuilder; while most of the Observation Room on the Mauretania had been turned into 2 bathrooms and 2 linen rooms, with rooms B-5 and B-6 being given portholes.

It would also seem that the Lusitania's Observation Room had far fewer portholes than is depicted in the photograph in the Shipbuilder. There only seem to be 8 in total, whereas the Mauretania had 7 in what was left of her Observation Room.

The photograph in the Shipbuilder also shows an raised area under the windows.

I hope that helps,
Lester

 

[Eric Sauder]

Hi, Lester:

"It would also seem that the Lusitania's Observation Room had far fewer portholes than is depicted in the photograph in the Shipbuilder. There only seem to be 8 in total...."

Only four of these were ever available to passengers to look out of. The other four, two on either side of the ship, allowed light into linen lockers and working spaces. (See the illustration at the bottom of this post.)

On early general arrangement plans in Shipbuilder, this is how it appeared:

And in early Engineering plans:

But this is the final, as-constructed version on Lusitania:

Eric Sauder

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hi Eric,

Thank you for that. Looking at the 3rd plan I had wondered about the outer spaces and their looking as if they were closed or partially closed off. But as they were unlabelled I mistakeningly concluded that this was a mistake.

Regards,
Lester

 

[Matthew O'Brien]

Thanks for all the responses, I really appreciate it.

~Matt

 

[Gustavo Lattarulo]

In some pictures of the Lusitania as she was when sunken, I noticed that on the forward B-Deck level, there is like an enclosed promenade with portholes and an uncovered ceiling. I was wondering if that was the observation room on Lusitania. If so, why was this changed from it's previous "closed observation corridor". If you are kind of lost, the picture will show you what part of the Lusitania i'm talking about. There I included 3 views. Also, in the deck plans, is this the observation room? I think it it, but it doesn't hurt to ask. There's a excerpt from the deck plans showing, what I think is, the observation room (excuse me for the bad quality of the 4th image...you can see the outline plus I put those black lines as arrows to the space i'm referring to as the observation room).

Thanks for your help,
Gustavo

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Observation Room?
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[Gustavo Lattarulo]

Can anyone please respond my question??

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hello Gustavo,

Yes, but as I understand it only the central section. That is the area forward of B-1 & B-2 and the main fore-aft passageways. - See the posts above your own. - Unfortunately the images posted by Eric no longer seem to be there.