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Titanic centenary memorial voyages to set sail in less than one month

Titanic centenary memorial voyages to set sail in less than one month

With the 100th anniversary of the Titanic tragedy a month away, the ill-fated ship is still grabbing headlines from the U.S. to the U.K. and around the world. Ceremonies, remembrances, memorial coins and pendants are in the works and various special events are planned. For perhaps the most educational and enlightening experience to commemorate the Titanic’s maiden voyage, an eight-night, round-trip sailing from New York City on April 10, 2012 is offering scholars and enthusiasts an immersive learning experience 100 years later.

Adventurers still have the opportunity to visit the Titanic site aboard the cruise ship Azamara Journey. After a stop in Halifax to visit the cemetery where many Titanic victims have been laid to rest, the 694-passenger ship will arrive at the site at 2:20 a.m. on April 15 for a memorial service. Staterooms are still available, according to the vessel’s charter and organizer Miles Morgan of Miles Morgan Travel in the U.K., starting at $999 per guest, double occupancy.

A second voyage aboard the cruise ship Balmoral, also chartered by Miles Morgan, will meet Azamara Journey at the site of Titanic’s sinking and also pay their respects. Morgan said the Balmoral voyage went on sale five years ago in the U.K. and enthusiasm has been building since that time, while the memorial voyage aboard Azamara Journey went on sale only last year.

The Azamara Journey memorial voyage will feature two 90-minute lectures each day by noted Titanic experts and two formal, dress-up evenings—- one featuring an original Titanic dinner menu and the opportunity for guests to dress in period costumes. Lecturers include Swiss Titanic Society President Brigette Soar, Cunard Steamship Society Chairman John Langley, world’s foremost Titanic Artist Ken Marschall, the first master of the world’s current largest cruise ship Captain William S. Wright, celebrated author, historian and lecturer William H Miller, Jr., and Swiss Titanic Society Co-Founder and author Günter Bäbler.