01.45am, 15th April 2012
We adjourned, in silence, to the open decks aft of the Balmoral. Trevor and I found ourselves on Deck 7 near the pool, and we could see the White Star Line pennant flapping gently in the breeze. We positioned ourselves on the starboard side at the ship’s railings so we could look directly into the sea. Two and a half miles below us lay the wreck of the Titanic. The night was cold and dark and, like that endless night 100 years ago, the sky was dotted with a million stars. We could hear the Atlantic ocean washing against the sides of the Balmoral, the only other sound apart from muted voices as we gathered to remember the events from a century ago.
02.10am, 15th April 2012
I looked at my watch; this time 100 years ago the lights had gone out for the final time on the Titanic; her end, and that of 1503 passengers and crew, was very near.
02.15am, 15th April 2012
At the stern of the ship three deck-hands stood, each holding a commemorative wreath. The voice of Rev. Huw Mosford came over the PA system as he blessed the wreaths and they were cast into the ocean. We saw one of them bobbing on the waves as it floated past us. Gentle organ music played in the background.
02.20am, 15th April 2012
Oh dear Lord, what a moment. The Balmoral gave a single long blast of her foghorn in salute; at this very moment, 100 years ago, the Titanic disappeared beneath the waves right in this very spot. All that was left were a few lifeboats, some of them only half full, along with the flotsam and jetsam of the ship and the mortal remains of people who had frozen to death in the black water. She had gone.
One hundred years later, here we were on the Balmoral, remembering and commemorating those lost souls and the 705 survivors whose lives would be forever changed. What a moment to be here, listening to the sounds of the sea, looking at the brilliant stars above us, thinking and imagining. The organ struck up and we all sang the hymn “Eternal Father, Strong to Save” which is the hymn of the Royal Navy and includes the words “Oh hear us when we cry to thee for those in peril on the sea”. My throat was so tight I could barely get the words out.
02.30am, 15th April 2012
The band started to play and Anthony Stuart Lloyd, the Welsh singer we had seen earlier in the voyage, concluded this incredible evening by singing “Nearer, My God, To Thee”. There wasn’t a dry eye on the ship; it really was such a poignant and emotional moment. All I can say is that the whole of this night has been so unforgettable; the whole Memorial Service, music, laying of the wreaths and even the flying of the White Star pennant was just so fitting and so dignified; they really did the victims and their descendants proud.
At around 3.00am we returned to the warmth of our cabin, where we went to bed, physically and emotionally drained. One thing is for certain, we will never again experience another cruise like this one.