Adventure Vacation to the Titanic on a Submarine

Most people consider the Titanic, the world's most famous shipwreck, as the sort of thing visited either in a museum or vicariously through documentaries and feature films. However, the growing availability of deep-water submersibles has opened the door to the Titanic becoming a tourist destination. Deep Ocean Expeditions operates an annual trip to the wreck of the Titanic, where paying guests can travel into the abyssal depths aboard the same submarines used by filmmakers like James Cameron and visit the wreck. Although expensive ($60,000 per person), the price tag for this adventure is substantially cheaper than similar extreme adventure vacations such as going into space on a Russian rocket, and puts the patron into a rarefied group of people who have been to and seen the Titanic first-hand.

The Titanic expedition lasts for two weeks. Patrons depart from New Foundland in Canada, and spend a few days in transit and participating in classes about the Titanic and the submarines (and overcoming sea sickness, hopefully). After arriving at the wreck, several days are spent sending the company's MIR submarines down to the wreck, with each patron receiving one dive on the Titanic.

Deep Ocean Expeditions uses two submarines, MIR 1 and MIR 2, both designed by the Soviet Union and built by Finland. Patrons spend 2 1/2 hours slowly descending the 12,500 feet into the inky dark of the deep ocean aboard a cold, cramped vessel with no restrooms. The MIR submersibles are not comfortable, but true adventure rarely is. After arriving on the wreck, three to four hours are spent exploring the wreck, focused mostly on the iconic bow section and the bridge. As often seen in Titanic documentaries, patrons view the lost ship through thick, dome-shape portholes. With the exploration over, the return trip to the surface requires a further 2 1/2 hours. Through the journey and on the bottom, the submarine might encounter deep sea organisms, so patrons should always keep one eye on the viewing portals even when the vessel is not off the Titanic!

The expedition spends so much time over the wreck because it carries with it only two submarines, each of which make only one dive per day. Add in some extra time to compensate for bad weather and almost a week needs to be spent at sea for every paying customer to get their chance to see the Titanic. However, an expedition with a $60,000 price tag can expect luxuries aboard ship to wait out the downtime, such as five-star cuisine and a well-stocked book and video library. Marine biologists also deliver lectures throughout the journey, so the lull before and after the trip to the Titanic can hardly be described as dull.