OceanGate sub passengers sometimes watched 'Titanic' on the mothership before they dove

• Titan sub passengers sometimes watched "Titanic" before going on a dive to the wreck.
• Most nights before the planned dive, passengers heard from experts or learned their sub jobs.
• Passengers were encouraged to be active participants before the dive, The New York Times reported.

On the nights before their trips to the Titanic wreck, Titan submersible passengers would hear from scientists and learn more about the mothership — and sometimes they reportedly watched the "Titanic" movie.

The New York Times reported that OceanGate's paying customers spent a few nights on the mothership before dives in the submersible. Some nights, scientists and archaeologists would give talks to the passengers. 

But other nights, the passengers would gather to watch James Cameron's 1997 epic, "Titanic," the New York Times reported.

It makes sense to watch the multibillion-dollar blockbuster about the ill-fated ship before a visit to said ill-fated ship, especially considering the film features detailed footage of the wreck, as well as historically accurate interior design and decor.

Passengers aboard the Titan submersible were classified as "mission specialists" and assigned various duties on the vessel, the New York Times reported.

While these roles were meant to keep paying customers from passively participating and encourage them to be "explorers, adventurers, and citizen scientists," according to an OceanGate brochure obtained by the New York Times, a former OceanGate consultant said not referring to customers as "passengers" helped avoid severe legal repercussions if anyone died on the mission. 

The Titan submersible imploded during a June trip to the RMS Titanic. All five people on board, including OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, died in the implosion.