The tourist class bar; an excerpt from the film
Fiesta Cruise to the Caribbean from the collections
of the National Film Archive —Audiovisual Institute of Poland
The third class bar; a photo from the private
collections of the Wójcikiewicz family
The third class bar; from the private
collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
The souvenir shop; from the private
collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
The pastry shop; an excerpt from the film
Fiesta Cruise to the Caribbean from the collections
of the National Film Archive — Audiovisual Institute of Poland
The Steward’s Office; an excerpt from the film
Fiesta Cruise to the Caribbean from the collections
of the National Film Archive —Audiovisual Institute of Poland
The Steward’s Office; from the collections
of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk
The Hair Salon; from the private
collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
Tourist class chapel in Grand Salon; an excerpt
from the film Okręt Piłsudski from the National Film
Archive — Audiovisual Institute of Poland
The injured Jadwiga Jędrzejowska, the Wimbeldon
finalist, onboard of MS Piłsudski, to the left
Tadeusz Jarosz, a professional boxer;
from the collection of the National Digital Archive
The writer Magdalena Samozwaniec, from the collection
of the National Digital Archive of Poland
General Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer; an image
from the National Digital Archive of Poland
Stanisław Starzyński, the Mayor of Warsaw; from
the collection of the National Digital Archive of Poland
- The bars
- The shops
- The Steward’s Office
- Hair salons
- Chapels
- To meet a Celebrity
Three bars were open to travelers on MS Piłsudski: one located in the tourist class smoking room, the other one in the third class smoking room, and the third one—on the veranda of the Promenade Deck.
Passengers entertaining in the third class bar
Passengers in the third class bar.
There was a souvenir shop on MS Piłsudski.
An American tourist at the pastry shop.
At the Steward’s Office passengers were able to take care of all of their current issues and cash their travelers checks.
Passengers of the Polish ocean liner were automatically given a 33% discount on railroad fares to all major stations in Poland, Austria, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Lithuania, and Hungary, when continuing their journey in Europe. The MS Piłsudski passengers were able to check train schedules and purchase the discounted train tickets at the Steward’s Office.
Before a ball, a concert, or a reception, ladies traveling on MS Piłsudski could use one of the two hair salons.
There was not enough space on the ship to house a separate chapel, but that did not mean that travelers were left without spiritual nourishment. Before noon on Sundays, the Grand Salon and the third class dining hall could be transformed into chapels by moving one of the walls behind which altars were stored.
It was easy to spot the rich and famous on the Floating City: politicians, musicians, movie stars, and sports champions were frequent passengers on MS Piłsudski. Air travel was in its infancy in the 1930s, so even the richest traveled by sea.
Among the guests on the maiden voyage of MS Piłsudski was Magdalena Samozwaniec, a satirical writer, the First Dame of the Polish satire.
General Gustaw Orlicz-Dreszer, Inspector of Poland’s Air Defense, a socialite and President of the Board of Maritime and Colonial League, tasked with the development of both the merchant fleet and the navy. A loyal soldier of Józef Piłsudski. General Orlicz-Dreszer fought in the Polish Legions, in the war with the Bolsheviks, and stayed at Piłsudski’s side during the May coup.
Stanisław Starzyński, the Mayor of Warsaw, also traveled on MS Piłsudski.
Bars, shops,
celebrities
Bars, shops, hair salons, spas, a swimming pool, a gymnasium, a library, even a chapel—all that was at the travelers’ disposal on MS Piłsudski to cater for their needs and to make their time while ocean-crossing care-free and enjoyable. The ship was, virtually, a floating city!
100-150 zł
Medium earnings
of the Poles ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
1420 zł
The price of
traveling in
the de luxe suite
728-948 zł
The price of
traveling in
the tourist class cabin
570 zł
The price of
traveling in
the third class cabin
A tourist class bathroom; an excerpt from the film
Fiesta Cruise to the Caribbean from the collections
of the National Film Archive —Audiovisual Institute of Poland
The special tourist class cabin; from the private
collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
A special tourist class cabin; from
the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk
The special tourist class cabin; from
the private collection of Janusz Ćwikliński
The de luxe cabin; the photo from the collections
of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk
The de luxe cabin; from the private
collection of Janusz Ćwikliński
The third class cabin; from the collections
of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk
The third class cabin; from the private
collection of Dariusz Leśniewski
- Tourist class
- The de luxe suite
- The third class
- Ticket prices
The tourist class offered one or two-person cabins with private bathrooms, two-person cabins with private showers and two-person cabins with showers shared by two cabins. Their standard was higher than those in the third class. The special tourist cabins had daylight access and bathrooms with tubs and ceramic sinks.
The room walls were covered with exotic veneer. There was a comfortable sofa by the window with a desk near it and a spacious wardrobe.
The passengers could use a telephone to call the Steward’s Office, the hair Salon or another passenger’s cabin. There were oil paintings and prints on the walls depicting landscapes and daily life scenes from Polish cities and villages.
The innovative division between the tourist and the third class turned out to be so attractive price-wise that it caused an immediate response from the Atlantic Confederation of major shipowners who demanded that GAL raise their ticket prices in both classes. As the result of negotiations ticket prices were raised by 17% only in the tourist class.
At the end of the passenger cabins section of the Promenade Deck was the de luxe suite, the largest and most expensive lodging on the ship. It consisted of a parlor, an adjacent bathroom, and a bedroom, twice the average size on the ship.
Passengers of the de luxe suite had a separate door onto the private part of the promenade assigned to the suite for extra privacy of special guests, statesmen, representatives of other nations.
The third class cabins were furnished with two or four bunk beds. In addition, the white painted interiors were modestly furnished with folding tables and chairs. Each cabin was equipped with a sink with warm and cold water and a spacious wardrobe.
All beds were two-tier bunk beds with a ladder. The walls were adorned with framed photographs of Polish country life, architecture, and landscape.>
A comparison of ticket prices to the medium earnings shows that only the elect few could afford the luxury of ocean travel.
Two classes
of passengers
The services and entertainment onboard were divided according to passenger class. The MS Piłsudski did not have the first class as there was not enough exorbitantly rich among the Polish travelers, main customers of GAL. The passengers had a choice between the tourist and the third class. The higher on the ship the cabin was located, the higher was its standard.
The special tourist class cabin; an excerpt from the film
Fiesta Cruise to the Caribbean from the collections of
the National Film Archive —Audiovisual Institute of Poland
The tourist class dining room, Monfalcone, 1935;
from the collections of the Archive of the Polish Academy
of Sciences, the Lech Niemojewski collection
The third class dining room; the photo from
the private collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
The Grand Parlor; a photo from the private
collection of Dariusz Leśniewski
The third class parlor; from the private
collection of Janusz Ćwikliński
An elevator man with passengers; from the private
collections of Jerzy Drzemczewski.
- Luxury and elegance
- The tourist class dining room
- The third class dining room
- The Grand Parlor
- The third class parlor
- The elevator
All the ship’s interiors were elegant and comfortable, but devoid of lavishness. The owner’s idea was to distinguish the ship from hundreds of other North Atlantic liners with modern equipment and decor.
This was the largest room onboard taking up 300 sq. meters of space (3229 sq. feet) with the interior supported by six pillars. The dining room was designed to accommodate 180 guests at tables for two and four. The walls were embellished with various materials: fabrics, mirrors, lemon wood, whose color supposedly enhanced appetite.
It was slightly smaller than the tourist class dining room and could accommodate 240 persons at a time. The interior was a bit more modest, but attractive. The walls were covered in ivory colored linoleum framed in dark veneer. They were embellished with a series of linocuts depicting Polish cities. Furniture was based on the popular design of flexible chairs by Stanisław Sienicki.
The finest interior on the ship, it was designed to serve various functions with equal comfort and convenience. It was a favorite room for gatherings and relaxation but on certain days and specific hours it could serve as a chapel, a concert hall, a dancing floor, even a movie theater. Its original floor plan included corner chambers for private gatherings, with distinctive wall colorings.
The walls of this much more modest room were painted in gray color with the corners covered with varnished veneer. The neutral tint of the ceiling was in perfect harmony with the blue pillars with their color reflected on the floor. It was furnished with simple and comfortable chairs and sofas upholstered in plaid fabric in two color sets: blue and green. The only wall embellishment was provided by a series of paintings by Zygmunt Lipski depicting, in a whimsical way, a map of the world.
An operator run elevator moved passengers to different decks.
160 meters of
comfort
The entire length of the MS Piłsudski was designed for her guests’ comfort: 7 decks available to passengers; 186 tourist class cabins, 123 third class cabins; 12 daytime rooms, including two dining rooms.
A show onboard the ship; an excerpt from the film
Fiesta Cruise to the Caribbean from the collections
of the National Film Archive —Audiovisual Institute of Poland
A fashion show in the Grand Parlor
in the port of Philadelphia; from the private
collection of Grzegorz Rogowski
A reception in the tourist class dining room;
from the Wójcikiewicz family private collection
The Grand Parlor; a photo from
the Wójcikiewicz family private collection
The MS Piłsudski Orchestra; from
the Dariusz Leśniewski private collection
A passenger at the piano; from
the Wójcikiewicz family private collection
- Artistic programming
- The MS Piłsudski Orchestra
- Passengers to passengers
Passengers enjoyed daily dances, shows, or concerts.
Promotional fashion shows were also held on the ship.
The passengers eagerly socialized during receptions and dances.
The Grand Parlor, also known as the Dancing Hall, by night transformed into a dance floor and passengers danced to the tunes played by the MS Piłsudski Orchestra..
The onboard band was frequently entertaining the MS Piłsudski passengers. The MS Piłsudski Orchestra was a cover name for various, seasonally contracted bands, like the Franciszek Witkowski Band.
There were many talented artists and musicians among MS Piłsudski’s passengers. The idea of sharing their talents by performing for fellow passengers on a lengthy trip across the ocean took root and became very popular among travelers on the Polish transatlantic liners.
Balls and concerts
The Polish government and the ship owner wanted Piłsudski to be “an envoy of Polish culture.” The works of art that adorned MS Piłsudski were supplemented by Polish music and dance concerts by the top notch Polish orchestras and ensembles. Many ship parties were accompanied by music performed by the MS Piłsudski Orchestra.
Entertaining onboard; an excerpt from the film Fiesta
Cruise to the Caribbean from the collections of the National
Film Archive —Audiovisual Institute of Poland
A game of table tennis; from the private
collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
A game of throw-catch; from the private
collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
The recreation zone on the Sun Deck; from
the private collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
Resting on deck chairs on the Lifeboat Deck; from
the private collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
The veranda on the Lifeboat Deck; from the collections
of the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk
The veranda on the Promenade Deck; an excerpt
from the film Fiesta Cruise to the Caribbean
from the collections of the National Film
Archive —Audiovisual Institute of Poland
The tourist class playroom; from
the collections of the National
Maritime Museum in Gdańsk
The MS Piłsudski swimming pool; from
the private collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
The MS Piłsudski gym; from the private
collection of Jerzy Drzemczewski
- Deck games
- Resting
- Children’s playrooms
- Sporting activities
During their ocean passage, passengers could enjoy themselves by playing agility games and participating in various sporting contests.
Table tennis competitions were frequently held on the Sun Deck at the ship’s stern.
On a beautiful day passengers played throw-catch games on the Sun Deck.
Shuffleboard games were extremely popular on MS Piłsudski.
There was plenty of room on the Sun Deck for active recreation and rest time.
The verandas were also perfect for relaxation. On the Lifeboat Deck, the veranda provided a spectacular ocean view thanks to its three glass walls. Its sides housed conservatories with exotic plants, hence its alternate name: the winter garden. The veranda was furnished with comfortable wicker chairs and a chaise longue with a tapestry above it, designed by Zofia Stryjeńska.
The horseshoe shaped veranda on the Promenade Deck served mostly as a cafe and a concert hall, where passengers enjoyed listening to good music.
There were two children’s playrooms on MS Piłsudski: children of the tourist class passengers played in the room on the Promenade Deck while the third class passengers’ children had their playroom on Deck A. Also in these rooms little passengers were surrounded by art: drawings by Antoni Wajwód, Edward Manteuffel, and Jadwiga Hładkówna.
A swimming pool located on Deck D, the lowest level, was at the MS Piłsudski Passengers disposal.
Adjacent to the pool was a well equipped gym.
Sports and recreation
The ship provided ample room for sports and recreation. Two thousand square meters (over 20 thousand sq. feet) of the deck area was open to walks, outdoor sporting games, lounging. In this respect, MS Piłsudski looked favorably against other ocean liners.
Minister Jan Pietrzycki posing by the life ring
on the Sun Deck; an excerpt from the movie
Okręt Piłsudski (The Ship Piłsudski) from the collections
of the National Film Archive—Audiovisual Institute of Poland
A souvenir photo taken on the Sun Deck;
from the Wójcikiewicz family private collection
A souvenir photo with a lizard taken
on the Sun Deck; from the Wójcikiewicz
family private collection
A souvenir photo taken on
the Sun Deck; from the Wójcikiewicz
family private collection
- A souvenir photo
A full-time photographer had his shop on Deck A at the concourse. For several seasons this job was held by Mieczysław Wójcikiewicz, the author of many photographs used in this platform.
The passengers and the crew memorialized their presence on the ship with a photo against the huge life ring with the ship’s name on it.
Female passengers took pleasure in being photographed with ships commanding staff.
The passengers’ stunning ingenuity: a souvenir photo with a lizard.
During one of the exotic crossings, passengers were eager to take a souvenir photo with a caiman purchased by one of the travelers.
The ocean crossing souvenir
The onboard photographer offered his services to the Piłsudski passengers. Among the most popular backdrop objects in the souvenir photos was the life ring with the inscription: Piłsudski —Gdynia. Many took pictures with a caiman or a lizard.