Titanic cruises to mark 100th anniversary of disaster at sea

Fans of luxury cruising may not be the first people you’d think would want to tempt fate, but that hasn’t kept them from signing onto cruises that aim to re-create the 1912 voyage of the Titanic -- minus the tragic ending, of course.

At least two ships next year will embark on itineraries to mark the 100th anniversary of the renowned ship’s maiden voyage in April 1912, when it struck an iceberg and sank into the depths of theAtlantic Ocean, killing more than 1,000 people. Britain-based Miles Morgan Travel recently announced its second cruise re-creating the historic voyage.

Plans to feature the same Titanic menu as on the the 1912 cruise, plus passengers dressing in period costume, both thrilled and repelled enthusiasts last year, and the allotted 1,309 tickets quickly sold out for the first 12-night “Titanic Memorial” cruise on the Balmoral next year. That cruise will depart April 8 from Southampton, England, stop at Cobh, Ireland, and then make for the site where the ship sank beneath the waves. The next stop will be Halifax, Canada, where many Titanic victims were buried, before the ship arrives in New York.

High demand led to the recent announcement of another memorial cruise, this one lasting eight nights, on the Azamara Journey. It will depart New York on April 10, sail to the site of the Titanic sinking and then return by way of Halifax.

Memorials are planned along the way on both vessels, and amenities and services are as you would expect on cruises that are re-creating what was, in its day, the very height of luxury.

Sailing into the past isn’t cheap. There’s a wait list for the Balmoral, with prices starting close to $6,000 per person. The Azamara Journey has already sold out its cheapest interior staterooms; the remaining ones, as listed on the website, start at $4,850 per person.

Contact: Miles Morgan Travel.