Re-do buttons do exist

This was published in The South Asian Times on October 24th.

'A day in the life of' is a common theme for school essays and it can be experienced to an extent when one begins shadowing professionals as a part of the intern program. But actually getting a chance to live it is a rare opportunity. Or so I thought until I came across the news piece that you can experience the Titanic journey for yourself.

The British-based Miles Morgan Travel is now taking reservations for a 2012 cruise that will mark the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s ill-fated voyage of April 1912. It will carry 1,309 passengers; the same number that sailed on that unfortunate voyage on the same route as the Titanic, leaving Southmapton in early April 2012 before docking at the Irish port of Cobh (formerly Queenstown), where the Titanic made its final call on April 11, 1912.

It is not surprising to learn that that passengers will dine on the same menu as 100 years ago and the journey will follow the exact same travel itinerary. The food will match the sumptuous menus on the original voyage; the entertainment will include music and dancing in the style featured in those glorious times and there will be a chance to hear first hand from historians who have studied the Titanic story.

The "voyage of a lifetime" as they call it is a 12 night cruise aboard a ship called the Balmoral that the Miles Morgan Company has chartered. Here is the ironic part. Despite being built in 1988, the Balmoral is unable to sail as fast as the Titanic! So it will have to leave Southampton earlier than the Titanic did so that it can reach the spot where she sank on the anniversary. Tell me you see something very wrong with this picture just like I do. From there the ship will sail across the Atlantic, arriving at the Titanic disaster site on April 14-15 exactly 100 years after the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank. A memorial service will pay tribute to the passengers and crew who perished on that fateful night. The voyage will then continue to all the intermediate destinations on the route before sailing on to New York, the Titanic's ultimate planned destination.

Would you take this journey if you had a chance? It's only approximately 3000 quid so pretty affordable for die hard cruise and history lovers. It does definitely do its share in commemorating the gorgeous ship but is it in bad taste? I bet the fascination with Titanic is strong as ever but couldn’t there have been a more creative way to pay tribute to it? For once, I’m undecided. You be the judge.

Oh wait, isn’t the Apocalpyse supposed to be in 2012 as well?