RMS Titanic headed for the French port of Cherbourg, a journey of . The weather was windy, very fine but cold and overcast. Because Cherbourg lacked docking facilities for a ship the size of "Titanic", tenders had to be used to transfer passengers from shore to ship. The White Star Line operated two at Cherbourg, the and the . Both had been designed specifically as tenders for the "Olympic"-class liners and were launched shortly after "Titanic". ("Nomadic" is today the only White Star Line ship still afloat.) Four hours after "Titanic" left Southampton, she arrived at Cherbourg and was met by the
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