Recreational activities on board

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Deborah Russes

Member
Was there really a pee-wee golf course on the Titanic? Who would have access to that? All the classes or was it a perk for 1st only?

On a further note...what recreational things were accessible to which classes? I know each class that their own room for dancing...at least I suspect they did.
 
Deborah, I'm afraid you have been reading dodgy sources. Titanic was sometimes said to have all sorts of things, including a golf course and a herd of cows. Reality was a bit tamer. First class had the squash court, the swimming bath, the Gymnasium and the Turkish bath. First and second classes had libraries and both had the band to listen to. Third class had public rooms where they could sit around. There were bars in all classes. There were also pianos in all classes. Third class passengers especially played deck games that they improvised themselves.

Any dancing would have been improvised, as there was no dance floor in any class. We know of third class dancing but I know of no account of dancing elsewhere. Compared with modern ships, Titanic was pretty quiet, which some might think was no bad thing.
 
Thanks Dave. I couldn't really imagine a miniature gold course on board without balls bouncing off of walls or into the ocean. But I really thought that all classes had a place where there could be dancing if they chose. I guess I got the idea when I toured the Queen Mary.
 
Hi All!

I would imagine that the ladies of First Class could retire to the Reading & Writing Room for chat and the such while their husbands headed into the Lounge and Smoking Room.

Best Regards,

Brian
 
Limited dancing was possible in both the First and Second Class lounges during the evening concerts, if one desired. The usual custom, however, was generally to sit and listen to the music.

A musical selection card was available on these ships (I have a copy) from which the passengers could make requests, including everything from waltzes to ragtime.

Some misconceptions exist about the ship's orchestra. In the First Class lounge was the ship's primary orchestra, led by Wallace Hartley. The other area, however, was served by a smaller trio or quartet more of a Baroque nature.

Afternoon tea time (British Ship---Of Course!) was a favorite diversion predominately of the Ladies.

The Smoking rooms attracted the men. (The Barber Shop and lounges were stocked with 8,000 fine cigars.)

Sadly, it is our modern culture that finds the need for constantly being entertained. The luxury of having nothing to do at every moment was part of the benefit of sailing. Hence, the opportunity to recline in a deck chair on the promenade with a lap blanket and a good book, while waiting for the next steward to come along with a tray of cups filled with tea, coffee, or hot broth.

Dave Tuttle
 
Something we all forget is the main reason the Reading and Writing Room was named that - they wrote letter - LOTS of letters. The idea of writing a letter on board always confused me, as you could mail them via the mail room, but the letters didn't go out until you docked. However, those ladies were formidable correspondents, so I guess you would write them just so you didn't find yourself doing catch-up in port.
 
While postcards and letters were common in the era, the wireless was the new rage and everyone who was anyone wanted to send messages to thier on shore counterparts.

The Reading & Writing Room was not a popular as was hoped on both Olympic and Titanic, Thomas Andrews flirted with the idea of converting half of the room into a First Class suite when the ship returned from New York to increase traffic to and from the area, much like he did with the last minute addition of A-36 and A-37, the Aft Grand Staircase cabins.

Best Regards,

Brian
 
what could do a passenger of third class. Only walking on the deck?. Why there aren't library, gym, band of music, barbery, a post with pencils for writing, little shower....... a voyage on the boat White Star line was only to sleep, eat and speak with others passengers in 7 days...
 
Sandro, they had such a place, with lots of facilities. It was called first class, and cost a lot more than third class. You got what you paid for. Third class made their own fun, which was sometimes very lively and noisy. On Olympic, the postal staff formally complained about the noise from third class, which disturbed their sleep.

Third class on Titanic was pretty good by the standards of the day. On some ships, third class lived in big open dormitories, segregated by sex. This was still going on at least as late as 1948, on the route to Australia. Their voyage lasted five or six weeks. By comparison, Titanic's third class had a good time, right up till 11-40 on 14 April.
 
I would point out that showers/baths even in First Class weren't all that common save for some of the largest express liners, and a bather was expected to use salt water for part of the experience. The reason for this was because the evaporators of the day could barely provide enough fresh water for the propulsion plant, much less the hotel requirements.

Things have changed quite a bit since then.
 
Was there really that much First could do Third couldn't, with the exception of changing clothes, listening to the band, and borrowing books? It strikes me the main leisure activities of the day - social discourse, writing letters, walking the decks, a good meal, and making music - were available both places.
 
Here's what my old Grandma (18 years old in 1912) would have had to say if she had been a 3rd Class passenger on Titanic:

I always worked for my living, and I can tell you the idea I had of luxury in those days. Not having to work. Not even having to sweep the floor or make the beds. Eating good food regular, and having it delivered right to the table. Lots of time to talk to friends and to make new ones. And a piano! I could play well, and that wasn't very unusual back then - we didn't have radios or gramophones, so we made our own music and enjoyed doing it. Plenty of beer for those who wanted it, and a party every night. I can't imagine how we could have had a better time. A gymnasium? That's a laugh - our muscles deserved a rest rather than a workout. A library would have been nice for some, but you don't really want your nose in a book when you're on holiday. And that's what it was, really. You might not think it today, but back then we were having the time of our lives.
.
 
As a library worker, lot of books pass through my hands that I wish I had the time to read. It would be such a rest after processing, retrieving and shelving the silly things for other people.
Guess how I spend my evenings and summer holidays.
And I still haven't read a tenth of the books on my list.
I would love to curl up out on the poop [3rd's promenade area would be the poop, wouldn't it?]reading a book, if I had a book to read and the price of a deck chair.
Of course, knowing about what happened to Titanic, it would probably be a lifesaving manual.
 

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