Passenger List FAQs: Understanding Classifications (1880–1960)

First Class Suite Sitting Room. The Steamship Leviathan, 1923. | GGA Image ID # 23265a3075

Passenger lists were more than simple rosters—they reflected social class divisions, immigration patterns, and marketing strategies. This FAQ explains how steamship lines classified passengers between 1880 and 1960, why First and Second Class travelers dominated souvenir lists, and what this means for genealogists, historians, and students today.

Passenger Lists: Common Classifications of Passengers

Passenger lists were more than travel records—they reflected class divisions, immigration patterns, and marketing strategies in ocean travel. Understanding how and why steamship lines printed them helps genealogists, historians, and students interpret these sources within their proper context.

Passenger lists were often organized by class, reflecting the ship’s layout, social divisions, and ticketing systems. Understanding these classifications is essential for genealogists and historians, since the same vessel could carry multiple social groups, each listed separately.

This FAQ examines how steamship companies organized and printed passenger lists between 1880 and 1960, the reasons certain classes were emphasized, and the implications for genealogists and historians today.

Key Classifications ⚓

Saloon Passengers: The earliest “first-class” designation, used widely in the 19th century. Saloon passengers dined together in the ship’s saloon, which was the grandest space onboard.

First Cabin / First Class: Replaced the term “Saloon” in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Represented the wealthiest and most prestigious travelers.

One Class / Cabin Class: Introduced in the interwar years, when demand shifted, ships would sometimes operate as “all Cabin Class,” eliminating other divisions.

Second Cabin / Second Class: A middle category, popular with professionals, academics, and middle-class families.

Tourist Third Cabin: Created in the 1920s, this was a hybrid between second and third class, offering an affordable option for students, emigrants, and travelers of modest means.

Tourist Class – Streamlined designation used on many liners post-1930s; similar to Tourist Third Cabin.

Third Class: Reserved for working-class emigrants and budget-conscious travelers.

Steerage / Between Decks (Tween Decks): The lowest-priced accommodation in the 19th and early 20th centuries, often overcrowded. This is the class most associated with immigrant voyages.

Sea Post Clerks (Postal Staff): Postal employees assigned to handle shipboard mail. They sometimes appeared on lists, though they lived in crew quarters.

Stowaways – Occasionally noted, though not a formal passenger category.

Evolution of Passenger Classes ⚓

Saloon (19th century): The earliest designation for what became First Class, named for the ship’s grand dining saloon.

First Class (early 20th century): Replaced “Saloon,” catering to the wealthy elite, business magnates, politicians, and celebrities.

Second Cabin / Second Class: Popular among professionals, academics, clergy, and middle-class families.

Third Class: Common among emigrants, working-class travelers, and those seeking affordable passage.

Steerage: Carried emigrants in the lowest-priced accommodations between decks. It was often overcrowded and phased out by the 1920s, after new U.S. immigration laws (1921 & 1924) reduced demand.

Tourist Third Cabin (1920s): A hybrid class created by shipping companies to attract students, budget-conscious travelers, and tourists during the interwar years.

Tourist Class (1930s–1950s): A streamlined continuation of Tourist Third Cabin.

One-Class Ships (post-WWII): Some ships were reconfigured to carry a single “Cabin Class” passenger list, reflecting the declining class distinctions.

Cargo/Passenger Ships – Smaller vessels that primarily transported freight but carried a limited number of “One Class” passengers, usually in Cabin accommodations.

Marketing Value of Passenger Lists 📰

Steamship lines produced passenger lists primarily for First- and Second-Class travelers, who were considered their most valuable customers.

Souvenir & Prestige: These lists were meant to be kept as mementos of the voyage, often handsomely printed and illustrated. Passengers might save, display, or share them—making them excellent marketing tools.

Repeat Business: The lines hoped these wealthier passengers would sail again. Hence, the lists acted as subtle advertising, reinforcing brand loyalty.

Press Coverage: Shipping companies ensured that copies were sent to the press, particularly in New York, where reporters published “Who’s Who” articles about elite travelers.

By contrast:

Third Class & Steerage: These lists were rarely printed because the majority of steerage passengers were emigrants expected to travel one-way only. Eastbound voyages in steerage were often half-empty, as far fewer migrants returned home compared to those leaving Europe for the first time.

Exceptions: Some individuals—seasonal workers, students, or families who had already emigrated—did make return journeys in steerage, but they were the minority.

This explains why genealogists often find their wealthier ancestors in souvenir lists but must rely on official immigration manifests (like Ellis Island or Castle Garden records) for working-class relatives.

Why It Matters 📚

For Genealogists: Recognizing class distinctions can help explain why some ancestors appear in souvenir lists and others do not. It also offers insights into family migration patterns and socioeconomic background.

For Historians: Passenger classifications highlight broader themes in global history, such as immigration policy shifts (like the 1924 U.S. Immigration Act) and the decline of mass steerage transport.

For Teachers & Students: Passenger lists serve as primary sources that illustrate the social stratification of ocean travel and its transformation from migration to tourism.

For Maritime Enthusiasts: Understanding classifications provides context for the evolution of ocean liner design and marketing strategies before the age of cruise ships.

Related Links 🔗

To deepen understanding of why some lists exist and others don’t:

Steerage and Immigrant Travel Conditions
– Overview of steerage class, its hardships, and historical context.

Abuses Among Immigrant Passengers in Steerage (1910)
– Contemporary report on steerage conditions.

Changes to Steerage Conditions on Steamships (1912)
– How conditions improved before WWI ended mass steerage.

Crossing the Atlantic in Steerage (1884)
– A firsthand account of emigrant travel.

Dinner in the Steerage of a Transatlantic Steamship (1890)
– Rare glimpse into meals and daily life in steerage.

Ellis Island Passenger Lists & Immigration Records
– Essential complement for genealogists researching family names not preserved in souvenir lists.