Animals aboard the RMS Titanic "Titanic"s first port of call after Southampton. The animals travelled on their own tickets and even the canary that left at Cherbourg had to be paid for, to the tune of 25 US cents. Like any other ship of the time, "Titanic" had a substantial population of rats. One was seen running across the Third Class Dining Room on the evening of the sinking, to the shock and amazement of the diners. Some of the women who saw it burst into tears, while men tried unsuccessfully to capture the rat. Few of "Titanic"s animals survived the ship's sinking. Three of
Herbert Haddock then travelled to Belfast to oversee the crew that was assembling there for the ship's delivery trip to Southampton. He was relieved by Edward J. Smith at Belfast on 31 March and then returned to Southampton to take command of Smith's previous ship, RMS "Olympic". On 3 April he began "Olympic"s tenth Southampton-New York-Southampton roundtrip, arriving in New York on 10 April, the day "Titanic" left Southampton. "Olympic" was given the radio call sign "MKC". At the time of "Titanic"s sinking Haddock was sailing "Olympic" easterly from New York to Southampton, approximately west by south of "Titanic"s location. Haddock was