Promenade Deck for Servants

[Adam Lang]

Hi. First I'd like to say I'm new here and I'm looking forward to asking and answering more questions.

In some threads, it said that 1st class passengers' private servants and maids had their own promenade deck. Does anyone know where it might be? I thought it might be aft on B or C Deck, near the poop deck. Thanks!

-Adam

 

[Daniel Klistorner]

Adam,

For the servants who travelled first class with their employers, they had their own dining saloon which was aft on C deck, right near the aft staircase. As for the promenade, there was no special areas for servants. They promenaded (if that's a real word) in the same areas as the rest of the 1st class passengers.

Daniel.

 

[George Pastarmatzis]

Hi! Was a servant -either male or female- supposed to serve his employer at all times or could he pass time on his own and make use of all the first class services on board (gymnasium, pool, squash court etc.)?

 

[Bob Godfrey]

George, servants who were 'not wanted on voyage' and were traveling in 2nd Class obviously had all of their time free and would have no contact at all with their employer during the voyage. The personal servants traveling in 1st Class were working, but would expect a little time to themselves just as they would in their normal employment on land. That generally wouldn't amount to any more than one afternoon a week, but I imagine that at sea they would have had less work to do and more time to themselves.

In 1st Class, maids and valets would generally be traveling at the cheaper servants' rate, so they would not have access to the dining room or any of the other public services provided for the holders of full price tickets. In theory they possibly could have used facilities like the Turkish Bath or even the restaurant for which separate charges were made, but it's highly unlikely that any would have had money to spare for such luxuries, even if they had the time. And they certainly would have been discouraged from giving the impression at any time that they might be 'real' 1st Class passengers, though I'm sure there were a few who could (and sometimes did!) pull that off.
.