(Image Source: BBC )
BY KYLIE MCGIVERN
Amid the weekend hype surrounding James Cameron’s 3D release of Titanic, some enthusiasts took their interest a step further -- reliving the fateful ship’s journey on a 12-day cruise.
The cruiseline booked 1,309 passengers, not including crew, from 28 different countries - the same passenger number as the original ship. Numerous Titanic passenger descendants will be on board as well, as the cruise traces Titanic’s original itinerary -- which some critics question.
CNN'S Gena Somra: “Sheila Byron says she knows some people worry the trip marking the tragic anniversary in which more than 1,500 people lost their lives is paramount to tempting fate.”
Byron: “When you can you’re going on a cruise, the first thing people say is, ‘Where?’ And then I go, ‘Oh dear.’”
The BBC's Jon Kay: “There will be people watching this ship leaving Southampton today who this this is disrespectful, that it’s a bit ghoulish, a bit odd. What do you say to them?”
Passenger: “I’m trying to sort of emulate what they wanted to do.”
Miles Morgan, the founder of the company that organized the trip, Titanic Memorial Cruises, defends the cruises’ objective. Here's the Telegraph.
“It’s about the sensitivity and the way the issues is treated. And right from the beginning, it’s the Titanic memorial cruise, it’s not a celebration cruise - it’s a memorial cruise. And I think it’s about the spirit, and the way we treat the subject.”
The two cruise ships, departing from Southampton, England, and New York; will stop for a memorial service April 15th, at the exact location where the Titanic sunk.
“The inspiration began about five years ago when a gentleman walked in off the street to one of his (Miles Morgan’s) 12 travel agencies in England and suggested the idea... As of January, when about one-third of the spots on the Azamara Journey were still available, interior staterooms were selling for $4,900. The top cabin, the Club World Owners Suite, cost nearly $15,000.”
So for those of us not at sea, a simple movie ticket might be the cheaper option to commemorate the Titanic’s 100-year anniversary.
