Cunard Tourist Third Cabin Accommodations (1920s): Affordable Comfort for the Everyday Traveler
📌 Explore the evolution of affordable transatlantic travel in the late 1920s with Cunard's Tourist Third Cabin. This brochure details upgraded accommodations, dining, social areas, and entertainment, attracting students, professors, and budget-conscious travelers. A valuable resource for teachers, students, historians, and genealogists.
Front Cover, Cunard Tourist Third Cabin Accommodations Brochure. Undated, Circa Late 1920s. GGA Image ID # 1191268c64
The Rise of Affordable Luxury in Transatlantic Travel 🚢✨
The Cunard Tourist Third Cabin Accommodations brochure (1920s) offers a fascinating look into the changing face of ocean travel in the post-immigration boom era. Unlike previous decades when third-class passage primarily served immigrants seeking a new life in America, this new category—Tourist Third Cabin—was designed for budget-conscious travelers who still desired comfort and a refined onboard experience.
This document is a must-read for educators, students, genealogists, and maritime historians, as it provides insight into how Cunard adapted to a shifting travel market by introducing a class that combined affordability with elegance. With photographic documentation of cabins, dining areas, lounges, and promenade decks, this brochure captures a turning point in transatlantic travel, where leisure and affordability merged.
Tourist Third Cabin replaced the old Third Class on the Cunard Line Steamships, the refinished accommodations attracted students, professors, young business people, and bargain-hunters filling the cabins left mostly empty from the decline of the immigrant trade. This is a photo journal of the accommodations found in the new Tourist Third Cabin class.
What is Tourist Third Cabin? Accommodations for this class have been designed specifically to meet the needs of travelers who cannot afford higher-rated accommodation. Yet this traveler still requires comfort, good service, spaciousness, and a pleasant, friendly atmosphere.
It has its own separate accommodation, its own personnel, its own particular high standard of comfort. It does not promise the luxury of the most expensive hotels, but it does provide the best travel value for money that can be obtained.
The cost for an ocean voyage is moderate î in fact, very economical. While there is a reduction for a round-trip voyage, it is equally satisfactory for the one-way trip.
Menus are varied and extensive. Accommodation includes, apart from the spacious dining saloons, libraries, private staterooms for two or three persons, numerous bathrooms, an open-air swimming pool, open and glass-enclosed promenades and ample spaces for deck games.
There is an orchestra, and during the voyage, there are always dances, sports, concerts, and carnivals. Tourist Third Cabin is, in the opinion of many, the most fruitful accomplishment in Atlantic travel for a generation.
It is increasing the number of travelers — and it is making it possible for older travelers to have two journeys where only one could be made before.
A Cunard "A" Liner (14,000 Tons) Passing Up the St. Lawrence. A Striking Photograph Taken from the Quebec Bridge. GGA Image ID # 1192fa152f
Tourist Third Cabin Dining Room on the Aquitania. GGA Image ID # 1191347961
Tourist Third Cabin Smoking Room on the Aquitania. GGA Image ID # 11916ad833
Tourist Third Cabin Verandah Café on the Scythia. GGA Image ID # 1191b2ef24
Tourist Third Cabin Promenade Deck on the Scythia. GGA Image ID # 1191be1967
Tourist Third Cabin Lounge on the Samaria. GGA Image ID # 119256f2c1
Tourist Third Cabin Smoking Room on the Laconia. GGA Image ID # 11926d7ec0
Tourist Third Cabin Four-Berth Room on the Laconia. GGA Image ID # 1192de20dc
Tourist Third Cabin Dining Saloon on the Samaria. GGA Image ID # 119304066e
RMS Berengaria. 52,300 Tons. The Largest of All Big Cunarders. GGA Image ID # 11931dd1bc
Tourist Third Cabin Writing and Card Room on the Tuscania. GGA Image ID # 11933b8fc8
Tourist Third Cabin Lounge on the Lancastria. GGA Image ID # 11934d42b1
Tourist Third Cabin Lounge on the Caronia and Carmania. GGA Image ID # 11934fedc2
Tourist Third Cabin Smoking Room on the Antonia. GGA Image ID # 1193797cb6
Tourist Third Cabin Smoking Room on the Aurania. GGA Image ID # 119455568e
Tourist Third Cabin Lounge on the Ausonia. GGA Image ID # 11949614d7
Tourist Third Cabin Two-Berth Room on the Ascania. GGA Image ID # 1194af61a3
Tourist Third Cabin Dining Saloon on the Andania. GGA Image ID # 11951b88b0
Brochure Information
- Date Published: Undated, but believed to date from the late 1920s.
- Publisher: Cunard Steamship Company, Ltd.
- Distributor: Dilnott Stokes, Lonsdale Chambers, Tunbridge Wells.
- Number of Pages: 26 (Unpaginated)
- Number of Photographs: 18
- Dimensions: 21.7 cm x 15.5 cm
Who Should Read This & Why?
📚 Teachers & Students
✅ Explores the social and economic shifts in ocean travel post-immigration wave
✅ Illustrates how cruise lines adapted to changes in passenger demographics
✅ A great primary source for research on early 20th-century travel trends
🏡 Genealogists & Family Historians
✅ Provides context for ancestors who traveled as budget-conscious tourists rather than immigrants
✅ Helps reconstruct historical travel experiences for middle-class passengers
✅ Identifies specific ships and accommodations available during this period
⚓ Maritime Historians & Enthusiasts
✅ Chronicles the transformation of third-class travel from necessity to leisure
✅ Offers deck plans, interior images, and promotional language from the 1920s
✅ Details the rise of social areas, entertainment, and onboard services
Most Fascinating Aspects of Cunard’s Tourist Third Cabin 🚢✨
1. A New Class of Travel: Comfort Without Excess 🎟️
🔹 The Tourist Third Cabin was a radical departure from traditional third-class accommodations. Instead of dormitory-style bunks, passengers enjoyed private and semi-private rooms, well-maintained social areas, and improved dining options.
🔹 Cunard specifically targeted students, professors, young business travelers, and budget-conscious tourists—a completely new market for transatlantic voyages.
🔹 The introduction of this class reflected the economic and social changes of the late 1920s, as immigrant travel declined and leisure travel increased.
🔹 Noteworthy images:
📸 Tourist Third Cabin Dining Room on the Aquitania – Showcasing how meal service in this class rivaled that of higher classes.
📸 Tourist Third Cabin Lounge on the Samaria – Demonstrating the shift toward social engagement in ocean travel.
📸 Tourist Third Cabin Four-Berth Room on the Laconia – Highlighting better sleeping arrangements compared to earlier third-class dormitories.
💡 Why It’s Interesting: This change set the stage for the modern cruise industry, where affordable comfort became a key selling point.
2. The Social Experience: The Rise of “Casual Elegance” 🌟
🔹 Unlike the rigid class divisions of earlier transatlantic travel, Tourist Third Cabin passengers enjoyed more social freedoms, with dedicated lounges, a veranda café, and even a smoking room.
🔹 Entertainment was a major feature, with dances, concerts, sports, and even carnivals held onboard.
🔹 The brochure emphasizes that passengers would experience "a pleasant, friendly atmosphere"—a stark contrast to the rigid formality of First and Second Class.
🔹 Noteworthy images:
📸 Tourist Third Cabin Veranda Café on the Scythia – A sunlit, airy space for casual socializing.
📸 Tourist Third Cabin Writing & Card Room on the Tuscania – Showing how even budget travelers had leisure amenities.
📸 Tourist Third Cabin Lounge on the Caronia & Carmania – Demonstrating the shift toward relaxed, comfortable spaces.
💡 Why It’s Interesting: This shift mirrored broader cultural changes in the 1920s, where social barriers were softening, and travel was becoming a shared experience rather than a rigidly stratified one.
3. Dining & Onboard Amenities: A Taste of First-Class for Less 🍽️
🔹 The Tourist Third Cabin dining experience was vastly improved over traditional third-class meals. Passengers dined in spacious, well-lit saloons and enjoyed varied menus comparable to Second Class.
🔹 While luxury was not the goal, comfort and quality were—making travel enjoyable for those on a budget.
🔹 The brochure boasts of hot and cold running water, numerous bathrooms, and even a swimming pool, amenities previously reserved for First and Second Class travelers.
🔹 Noteworthy images:
📸 Tourist Third Cabin Dining Saloon on the Samaria – Featuring elegant seating arrangements and improved meal service.
📸 Tourist Third Cabin Smoking Room on the Aquitania – A comfortable space for relaxation, far removed from the spartan conditions of earlier third-class accommodations.
📸 Tourist Third Cabin Swimming Pool (not pictured but mentioned in text) – A major upgrade for economy travelers at the time.
💡 Why It’s Interesting: This foreshadowed the future of budget-friendly cruise travel, where even lower-priced tickets included comfort and entertainment.
4. The Ships & Their Role in Travel History ⚓
🔹 The brochure features iconic Cunard liners, including the Aquitania, Berengaria, Laconia, Caronia, and Carmania.
🔹 Many of these ships were originally designed for mass immigration but were rebranded and refurbished for a new generation of travelers.
🔹 The presence of newer ships like the Lancastria and Ausonia suggests that Cunard saw Tourist Third Cabin as a long-term investment in the future of transatlantic travel.
🔹 Noteworthy images:
📸 The RMS Berengaria (52,300 Tons) – The Largest of All Big Cunarders – Highlighting the grandeur of ocean liners that now catered to middle-class tourists.
📸 A Cunard "A" Liner Passing Up the St. Lawrence – Demonstrating the scenic routes available for travelers.
📸 Tourist Third Cabin Promenade Deck on the Scythia – Showing that passengers in this class were given access to fresh air and relaxation spaces.
💡 Why It’s Interesting: The brochure captures a transitional moment in maritime history, where ships adapted from immigration transport to leisure travel, paving the way for the modern cruise industry.
Key Takeaways for Research & Essay Writing
📌 For Students & Teachers:
🔹 Helps analyze the economic and cultural shifts in transatlantic travel.
🔹 Shows how changing social structures influenced travel experiences.
🔹 A great case study on how industries adapt to economic trends.
📌 For Genealogists & Family Historians:
🔹 Provides insight into how ancestors traveled if they weren’t immigrants but budget-conscious tourists.
🔹 Helps reconstruct family travel experiences during the 1920s.
🔹 Identifies key ships that may appear in passenger records.
📌 For Maritime Historians & Enthusiasts:
🔹 Chronicles the evolution of third-class accommodations.
🔹 Highlights the role of Cunard in shaping modern travel.
🔹 Features rare photos of ship interiors and social spaces.
Final Thoughts: A Pivotal Shift in Transatlantic Travel 🚢💫
The Cunard Tourist Third Cabin brochure captures the birth of affordable leisure travel—a significant moment in maritime history. By elevating third-class accommodations without raising costs excessively, Cunard democratized ocean travel, paving the way for today’s budget-friendly cruises.
🌍 Would you have chosen Tourist Third Cabin in the 1920s?
📖 Step back in time and explore a revolutionary shift in ocean travel! 🚢✨
