The Titanic Cruise: How Is This NOT a Horrible Idea?

on September 22, 2010 at 5:25 PM

The 100th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is coming up on April 15, 2012. How do you plan on marking the tragic anniversary? If you said taking a cruise in the frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean -- you might want to check the weather, and your taste levels.

But if partying on an ocean liner decked out like the Titanic along with 1,308 other passengers (the exact number on the original) and traveling the same fateful route as the doomed ship excites you -- welcome aboard. And don't forget to thank God for global warming.

Called "disaster tourism" by critics, the Titanic Memorial Cruise is almost sold out, with 30 passages sold to relatives of those who died. No word if these same people are interested in a zeppelin ride on May 6, 2037.

Here's an idea: Why not offer up a prayer for the victims and their families, then sit down with one of the following films on the topic instead of getting your jollies where people froze to death and/or drowned.

The Titanic blockbuster that shot Leonardo DiCaprio to superstardom and gave us a hot car-sex-on-a-ship scene is the film that brings the romance of the tragedy front and center. Love it or hate it, James Cameron's Titanic had the most intense special effects of the disaster that actually made viewers seasick.

If Rose and Jack don't float your boat, A Night to Remember is considered one of the best Titanic movies of all time, and picked up a Golden Globe. Based on the book of the same title, it's considered to be as accurate a portrayal as is possible when re-creating the ship's journey.

Cavalcade is a romance with a Titanic twist. Based on a Noel Coward play, you might have swept right by this option without realizing its connection to the disaster. Cavalcade won three Oscars in 1933, which is 8 less than James Cameron's -- but not too shabby for the time.

To get the straight story without any additional romance, check out History's Titanic series. From the deconstruction of the ship to the personal stories, go straight to the source.

Would you go on a Titanic cruise?

Image via Dave Parker/Flickr

About the author April Peveteaux

writes about anything that gets stuck in her craw. A mom of two in Los Angeles, she can't believe she practically lives in the country now after attempting to raise kids in Brooklyn.

Filed Under: death, in the news

Comments (3)

billsfan1104

on Sep 22, 2010 at 8:42 PM

I would do it. When you see the titanic exhibit, you get a boarding pass, and the name of a person on the Titanic. At the end, you look up if you died or not. And that is not creepy??

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nellbug

on Sep 23, 2010 at 1:47 AM

I have always been interested in the Titanic. It is almost as if I have some kind of connection with it. My birthday is April 15th at 2:04am. I don't know if that has anything to do with it but... I have seen most of the movies, read tons of books and witness accounts, seen the documentaries. I have not yet had the opportunity to see the "traveling" museum but would love to. That being said I don't know if I would go on the cruise. I think if it was done in a tasteful way that remembered the lives of those that were lost than yes I would go. If it is just to glorify a horrible tragedy than no I wouldn't.

Nonmember comment from Katie

on Jan 13, 2012 at 12:41 PM

I would take the cruise in a heartbeat. I read about it a few months ago and was disappointed to see that only the very expensive suites were left to book.