Third Class Dining

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Third class menu. Courtesy of paulfrasercollectibles.com

Third Class Food

Okay. I know you are looking at the third class menu and thinking, "Hey, this is a major drop from what the second class passengers got, right?". Well it may be, but this was considered gourmet for most of the third class passengers, also known as steerage. More than 3/4 of the third class passengers were immigrants coming to America. They barely had enough money to afford anything on this menu at home. In fact, most ocean liners required its third class passengers to bring their own food for the whole trip or pay for their food on the ship. The Titanic's food came with the purchase of the ticket and third class definately took advantage of this; anyone would. Most of the food served to the third class passengers was normal, easy foods such as soups, vegetables, bread, and simple drinks like tea and coffee. Also, notice how lunch was called dinner and dinner was called supper. Some people still use these words. Also, notice how much food was served at dinner, or lunch, and how little food was served at supper, or dinner. If you also compare menus, you will notice that some foods that are served as lunch and dinner to the first and second class passengers was served as breakfast to the third class passengers. This shows that some of the breakfast given to the third class members may have been first and second classes left overs or extras.
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Third class dining room. Courtesy of intominto.com

Third Class Dining Room

    As you can see, the third class dining room was a little small for how many third class passengers there were (there were more third class passengers than first and second class passengers put together). But, most third class passengers claimed that it was simple but comfortable. The third class dining room did not have a band playing while they ate, or in their lounge so, instead they brought their own instruments and played music for eachother. As you can see, the third class passengers were very positive, happy people looking forward to a new life in America.