The ship sank very slowly at first. No reason for panic, if things are just still. I would've known about watertight doors, and how ships haven't really sunk from iceberg incidents.
Plus, there's a wireless on board, and we're in a busy shipping lane. Plenty of time to get help. Plenty of lifeboats, too. We can offload people onto another ship and row back for more.
Hey! Look, lights right over there. I can almost make out portholes. They can get over here if things get ugly.
The list to port seems to be the big problem. They'll just use the bilge tanks, maybe. I barely perceive the downward list, since the ship is so long, and we're up so high. (I guess I'm in first or second class.)
The officers are so calm. Things are orderly. Capt. Smith seems calm. The band is playing. Damn it, let's get this pumped out and be on our way!
Some time passes, suddenly the ship feels like it's lurching down, perceptively. Wait!!! I run up to the front of the ship, and see water coming over the bow! Hell! The crew didn't give us any indications things were this bad.
I look behind me. Lifeboats are almost gone. Everyone else notices what's suddenly happening. It's 2:00 a.m. We're sinking. Suddenly we feel the list downward, the port list being gone.
Wait! Where'd that light go? Weren't they coming?
It's too late. The crowds are surrounding the last lifeboats. I panic and run aft.