Poignant cruise for Titanic centenary

A special ceremony will take place on board the cruise ship Balmoral 100 years on from the exact time Titanic hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic, off the coast of Newfoundland, four days into the crossing on the night of April 15 1912.

It is thought 1,517 of about 2,223 people on board were killed when the ship took on water through its damaged hull, then split apart and sank.

The Balmoral will retrace on the route taken by the flagship liner on her maiden voyage, leaving from Southampton on April 8 2012 and sailing to New York, intending to stop over the point on the sea bed where Titanic rests on April 15.

Among those on board will be author Arthur Cropley, the great-nephew of Charles Herbert Lightoller, the second officer on the Titanic who survived the sinking.

Among those whose relatives died on the Titanic and who will be sailing on the Balmoral is Jane Allen from Devon.

She said: "We booked as we wish to commemorate our relative, Thomas Pears, who died on the Titanic. His story has been a big part of our lives. His widow Edith survived in Lifeboat 8."

Mr Cropley will be among those giving lectures on board as will Philip Littlejohn, grandson of survivor Alexander James

Littlejohn.

Mr Littlejohn, who has made a dive to the wreck site , said: "I'm sure my grandfather, a first class steward on Titanic, would be proud to know his story will be shared with the passengers on the Balmoral. It will be an emotional moment when we are over the wreck site, where I dived in 2001."

The event has attracted bookings from around the world, and those on board will have

food based on the dishes served in April 1912 and music and entertainment will reflect the era.