video transcript

ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION The Titanic anniversary cruise departed the port of Halifax, Nova Scotia on Thursday (April 12) evening and started its journey to the site where the legendary ship sank 100 years ago. Passengers aboard the Azamara Journey looked out at the Atlantic Ocean as the ship's captain Jason Ikiadis steered the ship out of the port. The ship is carrying 440 passengers on-board. Many are history buffs like Byron and Judy Matson. The couple said being on their way to a place they have long been fascinated with is "a mixed bag." "It's what they call a mixed bag you know. It's nostalgic and going for the memorial is going to be quite interesting, we'll have to see what the take is on that. But it is a memorial not a celebration," Byron Matson said. Asked about the journey, Judy Matson said sailing on Friday the 13th is a little eerie, but she doesn't believe "anything will happen" to those aboard the ship. "But it certainly does bring back the thoughts of what happened then and I think the actual memorial that we're going to be doing is going to be pretty tough on a lot of us because we have a drawing to it but we don't know why." Many passengers stayed indoors as the ship set sail, but some like Harlon Persinger came out to snap a last photo of the ship departing. "Well, it's just like I kind of have a feeling like those people had 100 years ago you know we're going to a new adventure and that's what they were looking for, going to a new life. When the immigrants got on the Titanic that's what it was all about for them," Persinger said. When the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, ships were sent from Halifax to pick up the bodies of the dead. The story of the Titanic still resonates in Halifax, which has many visible reminders of what was the worst peacetime maritime disaster ever: 150 graves, more than 20 sites linked to the recovery effort, and dozens of artifacts. The passengers on the Azamara Journey will attend a memorial service at the spot in the Atlantic Ocean where the Titanic sank.