100 Irish on board for the Titanic’s memorial cruise - SEE VIDEO

More than 100 Irish have signed up to the cruise which will commemorate the Titanic. The cruise will follow the exact fateful route that the Belfast-built, Titanic took 100 years ago.

Many of those who will travel on the cruise are descendants of those who died in the icy waters at 23:40 on 14 April 1912. Among them will be Philip Littlejohn, who will give a speech on board the ship. He is the grandson of a survivor Alexander James Littlejohn and also the only survivor's relative would have ever made the dive down to the wreck site.

He said "It will be an emotional moment when we are over the wreck site, where my grandfather left Titanic rowing Lifeboat 13."

Experts will also deliver lectures on board the ship. Irish journalist, formally with the Herald, Senan Molony will give a talk. He has written books on the great tragedy.

Managing Director of the Titanic Memorial Cruise, Miles Morgan said "It has really captured the imagination of people all over the world. We've had requests from musicians who want to audition to be part of the famous string quartet." A string quartet played "Nearer My God To Thee" as the RMS Titanic sank into the icy waters.

The Balmoral cruise ship, which will take the journey, is operated by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines. Its parent company is Harland and Wolf, the same company that built the Titanic in Belfast.

The cruise ship will stop at the location where the Titanic went down. A commemorative ceremony will take place at the site where 1,517 people drowned as the ship went sunk five days after leaving Cobh harbor in County Cork. The ship had been bound for New York.

The cruise ship which will take the journey will play host to people from 24 countries across the globe. After the commemorative services on board, the ship will continue on to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where passengers will be able to visit the graves of several of the people who lost their lives on that fateful night.