How were cabins chosen for passengers?

[Aristide]

How did it work back then? When i book a cruise today, i can chose my cabin online. That obviously was not the case back then . So how did it work?

Would they chose according to the passenger? Im french and young, since i travel alone would tbey try to book my cabin close other francophone passengers?

 

[Fernando MG]

At least in first class, I supose that the passenger choose the exact cabin they want, I mean, if they preferred a simple cabin, a period style cabin (B and C decks midships) or the parlour suites, as they cost different prices. There exist publicity adverts on other White Star ships (including Olympic) which show the prices and occupancy of the cabins, deck by deck, and cabin by cabin, so I think at Titanic´s time was in a similar way. About the other classes I don´t know.

Im french and young, since i travel alone would tbey try to book my cabin close other francophone passengers?

And for this, I supose that once onboard, you could talk to the purser. I don´t think he could move you to another cabin for this reason, but at least, you won´t be alone in the dining room. As Hugh Brewster´s book Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage (I highly recommend reading it!) says, Purser McElroy used to eat in a round table for six at the first class dining room, where he invited solo travelers to make them meet.
Hope it helps!