A cruise ship carrying 1,309 passengers from 28 countries will set sail today, retracing the journey of The Titanic which sank in the North Atlantic Ocean 100 years ago.

The Balmoral, which will set sail from England’s South Coast at 15:00 GMT, will carry some of the relatives of those who died on The Titanic as it follows the route of the cruise liner’s maiden voyage.

The 12-night cruise will travel via Cherbourg in north-west France and Cobh in Ireland before travelling to the spot in the North Atlantic where the liner sank.

The onboard experience of the original Titanic is being recreated, from the food to a live band playing music from that era.

A memorial ceremony will take place at the time the ship hit the iceberg, with another service set to take place the moment it sank.

The Titanic hit an iceberg on 15 April 1912 and sank, killing 1,517 people, while 700 passengers survived.