Titanic anniversary: Retracing the route taken by ill-fated ship

The MS Balmoral left Southampton yesterday for New York via Ireland and France, rather morbidly pursuing the ship’s original path which ended in disaster on 15 April, 1912, when 1,517 died after the Titanic hit an iceberg.

The passengers – known as “Titanoraks” – have paid thousands of pounds to be on the 12-night cruise, which aims to reproduce much of the atmosphere of the Titanic’s maiden, and final, voyage.

Friends, relatives, authors and historians, many in Edwardian period dress as first-class passengers or crew, jumped at the chance of the crossing on the specially chartered ship. In all, 1,309 travellers, the same number as were on board the ill-fated ship excluding crew, will enjoy food from the same White Star Line menu as their unlucky predecessors, and be entertained by a five-piece bandfrom Belgium, in memory of the musicians who played as the ship went down.

The passengers, who include 50 related to those lost at sea, hope to hold a special remembrance service on board at the precise time the Titanic hit the iceberg – 11:40pm on 14 April – and began to sink. Another will be held at 2:20am the following morning, when the Titanic officially sank.

Passengers paid between £2,799 and £5,595 to be onboard. The manager of the company that organised the event yesterday insisted the voyage was a “sympathetic memorial”.

Miles Morgan, managing director of Miles Morgan Travel, said: “This cruise has been five years in the making and every step of the way we have sought to make it authentic to the era and a sympathetic memorial to the passengers and crew who lost their lives.”

The passengers come from 28 countries including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, South America and the United States – testament to the worldwide appeal of the story, which was given a major boost by the 1997 film starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio.

A line-up of ten specialist lecturers – some of the world’s leading experts on the sinking – will be on board, including Philip Littlejohn, grandson of Titanic survivor Alexander James Littlejohn, and the only Titanic relative to have made the dive to the wreck site.

Mr Littlejohn, from Kent, said: “I’m sure my grandfather, a 1st Class steward on RMS Titanic, would be proud to know his story will be shared with the passengers on this historic cruise.

“It will be an emotional moment when we are over the wreck site, where I dived in 2001 and where my grandfather left Titanic rowing Lifeboat 13.”

Passenger Graham Free, 37, a telecoms manager from Bolton, was dressed as an Edwardian gentleman.

He said: “We are not here to mock. We are here to enjoy and remember those who were unfortunately lost.

“I think it’s going to be emotional when we get above the wreck site and have the service.”

Retired policeman Peter Hill, 61, from the Isle of Man, was going with his wife Lynda, also 61, and he said he had a personal link to the ship.

“My grandfather was a Lloyd’s underwriter of the ship and lost a lot of money when she sank,” Mr Hill said. “He was a very wealthy man and had to sell one of two farms to pay for the losses.

“I’m a big fan of the story and I have 38 books about it. It’s always been part of my family history.

“I think the cruise has been tastefully done. It’s not a cheap cruise by any means.”

A formal dinner on Friday will have a menu made up entirely of dishes which were served on the Titanic and guests will enjoy a daily Titanic- inspired dish.

The menu on board has been created by executive chef on the MS Balmoral, Dirk Helsig, who has researched the menus that were served on board.

Another cruise from New York is due to meet up with the British ship over the wreck site.

The Balmoral will sail on to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where many of the victims are buried before arriving at New York.