Luxury tour operator Luxury and More Travel is offering a rare opportunity to view the Titanic by submersible, diving down to the 12,500-foot depth.
You don’t need any particular skills to join the expeditions, which will take place in the weather window of April-September 2012.
There are no general restrictions on who can travel, but the final decisions are made by the expedition organisers. All those wishing to travel would have to be medically and physically able to do so.
The cost for dive participants on the expedition is $59,900 dollars per person, and for non-dive personnel $10,000 per person with shared cabin occupancy.
Here’s the way the journey will unfold:
Day 1: Arrive St. John’s, Newfoundland: Expedition participants arrive independently into St. John’s, Newfoundland throughout the day. Transfers are independent to the hotel overlooking St. John’s harbour (15 minutes from the airport; there is a shuttle or taxi) The airport shuttle ride takes approximately 15 minutes to the hotel, please take a taxi or shuttle from the airport. At 7 pm., there is an opportunity to meet other dive participants and expedition leader for an orientation and casual briefing over a meal at the hotel restaurant. Alternatively you may wish to choose a local restaurant for dinner on your own.
Day 2: St. John’s/At Sea: Enjoy most of today in the quaint town of St Johns, Newfoundland. Mid-afternoon board the support ship and set sail on the exciting journey towards the Titanic wreck site, lying in international waters 380 miles to the southeast of Newfoundland. You meet at 3 pm at the hotel lobby for transfer to the support ship. The support ship departs at 5 p from the port of St. Johns.
Day 3: At Sea, en route Titanic site: While at sea, you will have time to explore the support ship, and meet the explorers, scientists, submersible pilots and other staff.
Lectures and briefings by on-board experts will help prepare for the 12,500-foot dive (approximately 3,750 meters) to the most famous shipwreck in the world. You will board the submersibles for an orientation session to become familiar with the surroundings. Meals prepared by first-class Western chefs are enjoyed in the Captain’s mess hall. On deck there are good opportunities to observe many species of seabirds, and possibly dolphins and whales.
Days 4-10: Arrival at Titanic site/Dives to the RMS Titanic Sea conditions permitting, the group arrives at the Titanic site in the morning of day 4, and the dives will commence. Your dive to the Titanic will be made aboard either the MIR I or MIR II submersibles, each holding two participants and a pilot. These vessels are capable of reaching ocean depths of 20,000 feet (6,090m). The dives are subject to weather conditions, with time allotted for a rest period, and the captain will schedule the dives.
Prior to the actual dives, participants will attend a final briefing with the pilots. Launching of MIR I and II will be staggered, but it is expected that they will both be at the wreck site together.
Dives can take place both in daytime and night time depending on prevailing conditions. Group members will be able to observe and photograph the operation from a good vantage point and will be updated regularly on the progress and route of the submersibles, and they will get a chance to visit the Navigation Room to hear the communication with the submersibles.
Dives involving expedition participants are interspersed with dives for the on-board scientists at the discretion of the Expedition Leader. There are ongoing post- dive celebrations, and time for informal socializing. Enjoy lectures and discussions with deep ocean explorers and scientists, and take advantage of the ship’s library and video facilities.
Day 11: Departing Titanic site, en route St Johns, Newfoundland Our final day at the Titanic wreck site. The support ship will depart the wreck site bound for St Johns, Newfoundland later today
Day 12: En route St Johns, Newfoundland: As the support ship sails back in the direction of St. John’s, enjoy informal discussions and recaps with expedition leaders, tour the laboratories to watch scientists at work, and reflect on your incredible diving achievement. Weather permitting a farewell barbecue with your fellow divers, the MIR submersible team and the crew of the support ship will be held on the outside deck.
Day 13: Arrival St Johns, Newfoundland and Disembarkation A morning arrival to St Johns Newfoundland. After breakfast on board, disembark in St. Johns. (B) 08:00 Disembarkation of the support ship and independent arrangements begin.
Weather delays during dive days could possibly extend the expedition, therefore it is strongly suggested that you do not schedule any important appointments until after day 14. Alternatively if the expedition encounters good weather the support ship may return to St Johns slightly earlier than scheduled. In this instance passengers may remain aboard the vessel in the port of St Johns until disembarkation on the morning of their agreed departure.
Bookings and deposits will be accepted in April this year. The diving order is determined by the order in which participants pay up in full for their dive.
The deposit schedule is $10,000 as an initial deposit; $20,000 due by September 30, and $29,900 due 150 days prior to the expedition.
If a participant cancels after the initial deposit and before September 30th 2011, a non-refundable booking fee of $2500 will be retained.
If a participant cancels after September 30th and before 150 days prior to their expedition, 50% of the monies shall be refunded.
If a participant cancels within 150 days of the expedition, no refunds are due.
All potential participants are strongly recommended to have trip cancellation insurance in place.
On the night of April 14, 1912, a clear moonless night in the north Atlantic, the world’s most famous and largest passenger liner, labeled “unsinkable” by its owners, the White Star Line, struck an iceberg at 11:40 pm. At 2:17 am Titanic’s huge stern heaved up into the air, where she broke apart, and began her plunge to the ocean floor some two-and-a-half miles below. On that ride of death to her final resting place, she took with her 1,558 passengers and crew still clinging to her decks. The lifeboats had departed with only 650 persons aboard, and with only 55 people surviving the icy waters of the north Atlantic, the number saved from over 2,200 souls on board was only 705 persons.
Luxury and More Travel is also giving participants a special item of Titanic tableware china, exclusively reproduced by the original manufacturers of Titanic’s original china for her “A la Carte Dining Room,” as a memento of their journey.
For more information contact +44(0) 7971 224 671, e: david@luxuryandmoretravel.com, visit the website, www.luxuryandmoretravel.com/ or www.facebook.com/pages/Nottingham/Luxury-and-more-Travel/138841356144169.
