Titanic Mania
April 15th marks the 100th anniversary of the ill-fated sailing and sinking of the “unsinkable” Titanic, which rammed into an iceberg nearly a century ago.
Here are some interesting facts surrounding that horrific tragedy that you might have forgotten.
- Of the 1517 people who perished in the sinking of the Titanic, only 306 bodies were recovered.
- The largest percentage of survivors came from first class passengers.
- Even though directions had been given for women and children to board the lifeboats first, a number of men were reported as survivors while a surprisingly large number of women and children perished in the disaster.
- Most of the women and children lost in the sinking came from second and third class.
Again, this was a tragedy of epic scale.
A Truly Tasteless Travel Tour
So imagine my surprise when the Miles Morgan Travel agency announced its Titanic Memorial Cruise. This is not a post-April Fool’s joke.
Apparently, the cost of a single ticket on the 8-day cruise ranges in price from $999-$2,999 with the excursion leaving New York City for Halifax, Nova Scotia [see map below].
Then the ship travels to the site in the Atlantic where the unthinkable sinking occurred, and then they turn the ship around and head back to NYC – thankfully skipping the distance the original Titanic cruised….to the bottom of the Atlantic ocean.
Route of the “Titanic Memorial Cruise” – image via www.titanicanniversarycruise.com
Now I may be a bit overly sensitive, but this memorial cruise idea seems a tad bit ill-conceived. As such, I’m curious as to what other possible ideas didn’t make the cut.
What’s Worse Than a Titanic Memorial Cruise???
So here are five other little travel excursions that they might have thought up but nixed because they were tackier and more exploitative than a Titanic Memorial Cruise.
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre Chicago River Boat Tour- nothing says “I Love You” like a smoking Tommy gun from Prohibition Chicago over a berry salad with champagne as you’re “taken down” the Windy City waterway.
Kent State University Shooting and Campus Tour – all the exuberance and turbulence of the 60′s recaptured for high school seniors considering this bucolic Ohio campus, with each paid trip students get a free commemorative flack jacket.
Branch Davidian Bed & Breakfast Siege - the former compound of cult leader David Koresh in Waco, TX was renovated into a quaint B&B where actors dressed like ATF and FBI agents use jelly-filled squirt guns to coat the freshly-made biscuits each morning.
The Philadelphia Police Block Party and MOVE Organization Barbecue – this festive annual event (and savory barbecue) commemorates the 11 people who died, along with the 60 houses destroyed when police firebombed a MOVE house.
Hindenberg Disaster Hot Air Balloon Rides - the carnival like atmosphere of the original dirigible is recreated along with face-painting, fried dough and fire resistant balloon animals. The first 100 registrants get their very own “OH, THE HUMANITY” tee shirts!
Question: Are there any other events or travel packages that might be tackier than a Titanic Memorial Cruise?
Titanic – image via Wikipedia Commons
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