Today will see Fred Olsen Cruise Line’s MS Balmoral embark on The Titanic Memorial Cruise. She will sail from Southampton later today and retrace the steps of the ill-fated ocean liner.

The cruise really will be something rather special Not only will Balmoral sail the same route as the ill-fated ocean liner but the atmosphere onboard will also be one more realistic to 1912 than the current day.  The Balmoral was chartered by Miles Morgan Travel for this special event. Miles Morgan, Managing Director of Miles Morgan Travel commented “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.”

Whilst onboard guests can expect live music from the 1912 era, a five-piece Grupetto from Belgium has been hired for the cruise and all food will reflect that from the menu of the White Star Line ship. The menu has been put together by Balmoral executive chef, Dirk Helsig. A formal dinner on the evening of April 13^th will be made up entirely of dishes that were served onboard Titanic.

Balmoral should reach the wreck site on April 14^th where at roughly 23:40GMT there will be a memorial service, this to mark the time the Titanic struck the iceberg followed by another service at 2:20GMT, the time on April 15^th when she sank.

People from all over the world have made bookings on this iconic cruise; they include Philip Littlejohn, the grandson of Titanic survivor Alexander James Littlejohn. He commented “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.”

Balmoral is due to sail from Southampton at 15:00GMT. She will head towards Cherbourg in North-West France, Cobh on Ireland’s south coast and then out into open waters before reaching the spot where Titanic sank.

Author: Danielle