Belfast, Northern Ireland -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/31/2012 -- MSG Marketing is based in Belfast, and recently there is a lot of buzz around the city regarding the Titanic memorial cruise that is set to take place in the next few months. The managing director of MSG Marketing says, ‘it is important that this event takes place as it affected so many at the time. It was a devastating and unbelievable reality when the news spread that the ship had sunk. So many people lost their lives and they should be remembered for what they had to endure while on the ship.’
A century after the Titanic set sail on its fateful cruise across the Atlantic, an historic recreation of the journey has almost sold out – 19 months before it hauls anchor. The Balmoral sets sail from Southampton, England, on April 8, 2012. Aboard will be 1,309 paying passengers – exactly the same number as boarded the original cruise. Many will be watching the ship set sail and documenting the trip. Aboard the ship there are many history buffs, passengers looking for a unique holiday experience, academics as well as relatives of those that died on board as a way to gain some closure and say goodbye. MSG Marketing’s managing director will be following the cruise closely as he has always been intrigued to find out more about historical events like the Titanic. ‘Wanting to make world history turned fatal for many on board that day and I truly hope that 200 years from now this day will be remembered.’
It will follow the Titanic's exact route, passing by Cherbourg on the French coast and stopping at the Irish port of Cobh before steaming across the Atlantic. On April 14 – the day the original ship struck an iceberg 100 years earlier – passengers will take part in a special memorial ceremony.
The Balmoral will continue its journey to Halifax, Nova Scotia – the burial place for many who lost their lives – before docking in New York City on April 19.
"For me, it's about being able to stand above the wreck exactly 100 years after my great grandfather died, and to be able to throw a flower down for him," said Sharon Willing, from Arizona.
Her relative, Herbert Fuller Chaffee, went down with the Titanic. His wife, Carrie Toogood Chaffee, escaped in a lifeboat. "I have grown up with this knowledge that my great grandfather died in that ship. This trip will bring closure to many people and it's going to be very, very poignant," said Sharon.
The Balmoral's cruise-goers come from 24 countries including the USA and Canada, Europe, Australia and South America. During the 12-day trip, cruise-goers will eat dishes that would have been served in 1912. Music and entertainment will reflect the era, and passengers are planning to dress in period costume. World-renowned experts will give lectures, telling the story of the Titanic throughout the cruise. Capturing the essence of that time period is crucial to the voyage so to really understand what it was like for those passengers.
MSG Marketing is based in Belfast and will be part of the action when the ship docs in the Irish port of Cobh.
http://titanicmemorialcruise.co.uk/