The year 2012 marks the centenary of one of the most momentous events in cruising history; the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic. To mark the occasion Fred Olsen Cruise Lines will be operating a mini cruise aboard Balmoral, calling at each of the historic ports on the liner’s short-lived maiden voyage.

The ill-fated RMS Titanic, then the world’s largest passenger steamship, was the pride of the White Star Line fleet, and departed with great fanfare and excitement from Southampton on 10th April 1912. The Olympic-class liner was carrying over 2,000 passengers en route to New York City when she struck an iceberg, and sank in the early hours of 15th April 1912. The tragedy resulted in the deaths of some 1,500 people, making it one of the most serious peacetime disasters in maritime history.

The five-night mini cruise, departs from Southampton on 3rd April 2012, and visits Liverpool the port of departure for so many thousands of migrants and luxury travellers to the New World. Then onto Belfast the city in which RMS Titanic was built, before returning to Southampton. In Belfast, there will be an opportunity to see the site of the Harland and Wolff shipyard, where RMS Titanic was built between 1909 and 1912.

Guests can also see the new state-of-the-art, six-storey visitors’ centre, ‘Titanic Belfast’, at the shipyard, which is opening its doors for the first time in April 2012 to mark the centenary of the maiden voyage of RMS Titanic.

The mini cruise which has a lead price of AUD $899 is being sold in Australia by Cruise Abroad, they can be contacted on 02 9900 7200.