Were they Servant's Rooms

[Lester Mitcham]

Looking at a March 1912 Cunard Line Fare Rates booklet; which also has deck plans of the Lusitania and the Mauretania; can anyone confirm or correct my suspicion that rooms B-61, B-62 and B-79, B-80, B-81, B-82 which all appear to be 2-berth rooms and B-83 and B-84 which are also shown as 2-berth on the Lusitania [but as is the case with single berth-rooms on both ships] as having a berth on the Mauretania; were intended for use as Servant's Rooms. Rooms B-61 and B-62 are directly inboard from the Regal Suites. The 6 after rooms are jammed between the 3rd Boiler Casing and the Dome of the Dining Saloon and look to be extremely small. The reason I ask is because none of the 8 rooms are listed for either ship in the Fare Rates booklet.

Lester

 

[Eric Sauder]

Lester:

Although I have no hard evidence that the rooms were used as servant's quarters, it's the only explanation that makes sense to me. B-79, B-80, B-81, B-82, B-83, and B-84 are so small that it's hard to believe they were not designed with being servant's quarters in mind. B-83 was a total of 39 square feet, and B-81 was a mere 36 square feet.

I believe that B-45 and B-46 were also used as servant's quarters at least in 1914. My earlier deck plans and rate notes are not at hand at the moment; so I can't comment on earlier years, but in 1914, they were not being sold as passenger cabins.

It also seems likely to me that, if first class were booked to capacity (which apparently was often the case), the cabins would be sold if they were not occupied by servants.

Eric Sauder

 

[Lester Mitcham]

Hi Eric,

My very appreciative thanks for that. What tiny rooms.

Regards,
Lester

 

[Brandon Whited]

What would these rooms have looked like? I imagine them as being "plain-looking", with no real luxuries. But, seeing as how I know virtually nothing about the design of the Lusitania, I could be way off. I was just curious.


Cheers,

-B.W.