Days 7/8 - April 16/17th - Final Days At Sea

"One spectacular image after another from Ken Marschall's presentation drew us deep into TITANIC both on the bottom of the Atlantic, as well as from the studio sets built in Rosarito Beach, Mexico."

Photo: Chronicle / Michael Maloney

Monday and Tuesday went by all too quickly as we made our way back to New York. The continued warm sunshine brought many outside to enjoy the delightful weather.  Guests were swimming in the exterior pool, sunbathing, soaking in the Jacuzzis.


It was these last couple of days when we were entranced by more of Bill Miller's wonderful presentations, this time on the history of Cruise Ships, and the long awaited talks by Ken Marschall. Although he claimed he was not a public speaker, this immensely talented artist managed brilliantly to share his journeys down to TITANIC, including a mesmerizing photo tour inside the great liner.  He further earned the rapt attention of everyone in the room as he also took us on an intimate walk through the incredibly detailed sets created for James Cameron’s film TITANIC. 

Ken shared his own love of all things TITANIC, admitting he was himself a “rivet counter” - the nickname reserved for fans so enthusiastic that they literally know every nth detail of the doomed liner down the the very rivets.  And thank God he was, as it was his extreme interest that pushed him forward to collect a massive wealth of materials and network with other TITANIC experts, such as Walter Lord, famed author of the main book that infected so many of us A NIGHT TO REMEMBER. It was this infatuation that encouraged his amazing career.


It was Ken’s interest in re-creating TITANIC in a painting that first called upon his artistic skills once a previous attempt at a balsa wood model of TITANIC turned out too inaccurate to satisfy this rivet counter. Ken talked about how he was eventually contacted by film studios as the “kid” who had encyclopedic knowledge of TITANIC, launching a new path of consulting, then matte painting, then beautiful illustrated “coffee table” books.  


Ken shared how it was his book with Don Lynch TITANIC AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY which was used by James Cameron, in essence, to pitch his blockbuster film TITANIC to the studios. Cameron’s goal was to literally recreate dozens of Ken’s paintings in the film.  We were shown projected comparisons of illustrations vs film stills that were remarkable.  

Ken confessed that he had actually heard about Cameron’s plans to make a film of the White Star Liner and placed a call to the production company. According to Ken, when he introduced himself and mentioned his book, the reply was that Cameron was about to contact him! Fate had already been sealed and from that point on Ken Marschall became a primary consultant and participant in the overall design and accuracy of the sets and models built. Ken had previously worked with Cameron briefly as a matte artist on TERMINATOR and both shared an exacting style and attention to extreme detail. 


One spectacular image after another from Ken Marschall's presentation drew us deep into TITANIC both on the bottom of the Atlantic, as well as from the studio sets built in Rosarito Beach, Mexico.

Photo: Walt Disney Productions - Ghosts of the Abyss

Several fascinating facts surfaced about TITANIC and the explorations.  One little tidbit answered a question I had for years about the little tethered ROV’s that explored deep into the bowels of TITANIC, beaming back high definition video. I wondered how the custom bots named JAKE and ELWOOD managed to follow their path back out of the ship so that the optical cables did not get tangled.  To my surprise, Ken explained how each ROV had a 2000 foot spool of optical fibers that wound out then literally dissolved in water over time. The vehicles could wind their way up, down and in between, like threading a needle or going through a maze. They would then come out the other side of TITANIC. When done,  the bot would be retrieved, the optical fiber cut, and the now “used” cable would simply disintegrate.  


Images in staterooms showed these strange angled ‘gravestone” looking items that jutted out at oblique angles. These turned out to be the mirrors that fell from disintegrated wardrobes.  Glasses and pitchers were still sitting on surfaces, virtually untouched. How could they not be lifted up and tossed about as TITANIC flooded and sank? It appears that these items must have been filled with water before the ship went down. Maps and passenger lists can identify who was in a specific cabin and Ken pointed out the very name of a woman who must have grabbed a quick drink of water before heading out of her cabin, leaving her glass in the very same spot to be discovered nearly 100 years later. 

Other photos showed an almost pristine Turkish Bath deep within TITANIC. Illustrations showed the layout of the room which chillingly put each of us right there in a now familiar place. A box with multiple drawers used by passengers to store their personal effects lay on it’s side. The fact that rusticles faced sideways, versus down, illustrates that this box used to be vertically mounted on a wall and must have only just fallen recently. TITANIC is slowly rotting and falling apart. Another image shows a fruit bowl trapped between the slanted railings of a 3rd class stairwell, no doubt a random item swirling around in the currents as TITANIC sank. More descriptions included differences between the Cameron stage sets and the real ship. 


This was all endlessly fascinating and still surreal as it was all so intimately connected to where we had been, the history of this liner, and the magnitude of such a terrible tragedy. 

On a brighter note, it was confirmed to me by Cruise Director Tony Markey that I would have a morning slot to read excerpts from my new play 41N 50W based on the 1912 TITANIC Senate Hearings. This adaptation is based on, and uses the real words of, key individuals immediately following the sinking. Rather than present the typical well known tale of what happened on TITANIC, 41N 50W tells the story from the unique perspective of those trying to find out the truth of what had happened that night, cutting through endless mis-information, confusion, and often sheer incompetence. Designed specifically to be read by actors on stage with scripts, this play is simple to present and relies on projected visual images of actual individuals and places to set the scenes. 


I had Bill Miller and the Cruise Director’s wife Christine Markey as two of my five characters.  I took on the role of Senator William Alden Smith and two other gents, Wayne Smith and James Holzhner, graciously volunteered for the reading. Thank you to everyone for such an excellent job!  


 I was more than thrilled that the audience was most appreciative of the work and wanted to hear more.  Several approached asking where this play was going to be presented and a few others offered cards saying that they had friends associated with various theaters that may be interested.  I am not necessarily counting on these leads turning into staged productions, but the very fact that there were these inquiries was extremely encouraging.

A huge crowd was gathered by the pool deck so that an entire group photo could be taken. Period costumes were encouraged and there was a joyous energy as new found friends all shared with each other, exchanging information for future contacts. 


That last night there was almost a frenzied feeling as folks tried to get last minute signatures in these beautiful hard cover illustrated books that were available for purchase to commemorate this voyage.  Others had collectible diaries used for signatures. 


A typical sadness sets in as any cruise, vacation, or special event draws to a close. It all seems to go by so quickly.  For some unknown reason here was this group of people drawn to TITANIC, to be on the very spot exactly 100 years later. Most of us along had  some deep need to participate directly, to re-create, internalize or understand as closely as possible the experience of those whose lives changed or ended that frigid morning of April 15, 1912 in the darkness. Perhaps there are no logical explanations. Maybe, as one guest implied, it goes far deeper into a spiritual or paranormal connection. 

Author with Guest Lori McLorn

No matter what the reason, I think it would be fair to say that every single one of us who experienced this amazing opportunity to be on this 100th Anniversary Memorial voyage to TITANIC have been changed. In some way there is a difference inside for the rest of our lives. For me, this unforgettable voyage is something that I will carry with me until my last breath.


Next update will wrap up the voyage with some more photos, then off in New York for a special opening night of a dear friend’s Off-Broadway debut of her one woman show. Then, it's homeward bound.  

Day 5 -Part I April 14th 2012 - TITANIC 100th Anniversary Today

"I felt chills and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I was overcome with overwhelming emotion. This splendid sound felt as if it was coming from heaven itself, channeled through these young musicians."

I started the day by heading back to my favorite corner in the Azamara Journey Library to catch up on two days of backlogged blogs. I had received several messages from friends and new blog readers asking for updates.  I want to say thank you for all the really lovely comments I have been receiving both directly and via Bill Miller. 

There is a German production company on board that is filming musicians who will play the rest of the never finished set by Titanic’s original strings who went down with the ship. As I started write, the 7 piece string orchestra with piano began a rehearsal, playing an impromptu Pachelbel Cannon in D. This joyous rendition with overlapping strings, live, flooded the room and filled me with the most glorious warmth. I closed my eyes. I suddenly felt surrounded by dozens of beings of light in the room, gathering, leaning into each other and commenting, laughing, appreciating this most remarkable concert.  

I felt chills and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I was overcome with overwhelming emotion. This splendid sound felt as if it was coming from heaven itself, channeled through these young musicians. It was as if many souls connected with this tragedy joined in, participating in this milestone remembrance. It was then that I felt the sorrow of over 1,500 souls that perished and the deepest acknowledgment of where we are heading and why we are here. 


As if Pachelbel’s Cannon was not enough, the orchestra then played “Nearer My God To Thee” - vibrant, drawing, passionate, longing, the sounds echoing and magnified throughout the room. Until this moment, I had thought my devastation would come tonight as we are over the site,  and it indeed would flow through me again, but this private preview became simply heartbreaking. I had to record this near out of body experience as I wiped tears from my face.

With the script of my new play 41N 50 W at the
actual coordinates of TITANIC's last reported position.

Most of the day was spent writing, except for a quick snack. The shipped seemed unusually quiet. Bill Miller and I assumed that most people were probably taking naps, trying to get some rest before having to be up late for a 2:20am Memorial Service at the very time the TITANIC went down. There was a very sedate mood in anticipation of what was to come.

Throughout I have tried to imagine a timeline of what would people be doing at this very date and hour a hundred years ago. Although we were approaching TITANIC’s locations (last reported position and site of the wreck) from the west, it’s impossible not to look out at the sea and think of folks relaxing, walking about the ship, preparing for dinner, oblivious to the fact that for so many these simple moments would be their last on earth. Absolutely routine activities only made more poignant by historic hindsight and the similarities to our own actions in 2012.



Close to 6pm we approached the first significant location of 41.46N 50.14W, which is TITANIC’S last reported position.  The Captain announced that Azamara Journey would shortly reset our clocks to the best accepted ship's time as it was on the TITANIC in 1912. Back then time varied greatly between ships based on longitude and latitude. This would make our relative time 33 minutes later than New York (EDT). So at 6:33pm we would retard our watches back to 6:00pm. This would synchronize us with BALMORAL, the other ship that would be joining us.  

Therefore, it will be 11:07pm EDT when it is 11:40pm here, the very hour TITANIC struck the iceberg 100 years ago. It will be 1:47am EDT when it is 2:20am, the very hour and minute recorded as when TITANIC slipped beneath the waves and the hour when all watches stopped. There was no daylight savings time in 1912, so technically speaking New York time would have been 1 hour 33 minutes behind TITANIC on April 14th.  When reading various accounts of the disaster what does stand out is the differing times between New York, Cape Race, and the various vessels as there did not appear to be any universal standard. Part II - the Rendezvous at TITANIC coordinates and the 100th Anniversary Memorial to follow shortly.

Unsinkable "Molly" Brown - Profile

"Margaret Brown helped create the the Colorado chapter of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. It is written that Margaret Brown had a great passion for politics and ran for the Senate many years before women actually had the right to vote."

Born in 1867, Margaret Brown was destined to leave her mark in history, thrust into the record books because of her bravery and outspoken style.   On the night of April 14th 1912, while many perished in the freezing waters of the north Atlantic when TITANIC split in two and plummeted over 12,000 feet to the bottom, many became heroes, including Brown.

Robert Hichens

Prior to leaving TITANIC, it is written that Brown was instrumental in helping others into lifeboats.  Once set adrift in Lifeboat #6 and hearing Captain Smith’s calls for lifeboats to return to TITANIC to save more souls, Brown became a champion; demanding that the boat she was in be turned around. Quartermaster Robert Hichens, fearful of the lifeboat being turned over by frantic passengers thrashing in the icy water challenged Brown’s efforts. There are opposing accounts of whether or not Brown was successful in going back and rescuing anyone else. Needless to say, Mrs. Brown demonstrated great leadership, taking the oars and encouraging other to row.

TITANIC Lifeboat #6

JJ Brown

Separated only a few years prior from her husband James Joseph “JJ” Brown, Margaret was living off a cash settlement and monthly allowance, ample to maintain a comfortable lifestyle that included world travel.   However, her life started with more humble beginnings in Missouri as  the daughter of Irish Immigrants. JJ Brown, an engineer, was not wealthy when the two met and fell in love, but would make his fortune in Mining.  The couple had two children, Franklin and Kathy.  


Always a social activist, showing great leadership, Margaret Brown helped create the the Colorado chapter of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. Margaret Brown had a great passion for politics and ran for the Senate many years before women actually had the right to vote.

Photo: Historum.com Halomanuk

While on a trip to Europe and North Africa, where Mrs. Brown had just spent a great deal of time with her daughter, along with John Jacob Astor and his entourage, word came through that Brown’s young grandchild was ill back in the United States. TITANIC was the earliest ship back home.  Rather than leave from Southampton, Margaret Brown was one of many who took the SS Nomadic (now being restored in France) which tendered passengers from Cherbourg to TITANIC.

Broadway Production Playbill

Apparently, Mrs. Margaret Brown was always known to her closest friends as “Maggie”. The names “Molly” and “Unsinkable” were the creation of writers after her death in 1932.  Bearing little resemblance to the real Margaret Brown, Richard Morris, also of “Thoroughly Modern Millie” fame, penned the Broadway musical “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” starring Tammy Grimes. A subsequent Hollywood film of the same title would star Debbie Reynolds.   Many others would portray “Molly Brown” over the years in various incarnations, including Kathy Bates in the immensely popular James Cameron film TITANIC.   Needless to say, although Margaret Brown was truly recognized for her lifetime achievements as a philanthropist and leader, it is still, perhaps, her heroism at 41 West and 50 North that eventually brought her greatest fame.

Photo: James Cameron's TITANIC