Titanic: A stunning experience

By Ho Khin Wai, Year 1, Diploma in Banking and Financial Services

Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition “docked” in Singapore for the first time on October 29, 2011. The exhibition boasts of real artifacts recovered from the bottom of the sea that once belonged to the majestic ship, RMS Titanic. It also takes you through the whole journey from the first day to the final tragic moment.

 If the only thing you know about Titanic was Jack and Rose’s classic moment on the ship, this exhibition will open your eyes, hearts and minds. You will be able to relive the past, and feel what the passengers felt on the ship when it hit the iceberg.

Being ever so fascinated by Titanic’s history, I HAD to visit the exhibition while it was still in Singapore. I did not have much expectations at first, thinking it would be a quick walkthrough the artifacts, but it ended up being more than that.

 The exhibits were arranged in chronological order. It starts with the construction of the RMS Titanic (RMS stands for Royal Mail Ship by the way), to exploring the interior, to the iceberg, and finally to the sinking of the ship and the memorials of those lost in the tragedy. Actual artifacts recovered from the Titanic made the experience very realistic and interesting.

I also love how they recreate the rooms used by the passengers, and of course, the Grand Staircase! Being the epitome of the ship where first-class passengers mingled, the opulence of the area is astounding; I felt just as if I was one of the first-class passengers myself! There is also a photographer ready to help take a shot for you on the staircase, if you wish.

The Grand Staircase

Furthermore, you can see how people slept in the first-class and third-class cabins. Personal belongings from actual passengers that once boarded this ill-fated ship were on display too. I was taken aback knowing these actual items were once on the ship and are still so well preserved. Wow!

What gave me the goosebumps was the Titanic balcony, which was specially recreated to give you the impression of being on the deck of the ship looking out into the cold, starry night.

There was even a wall of ice for you to experience what freezing temperatures were like when Titanic hit the iceberg. To me, it felt as though you were just touching an ice cube.

Overall, I felt that the whole Titanic experience was enthralling. Every part of the exhibition had so many artifacts on display that it was pretty overwhelming. They even lined up some of the plates the same way it was found at the bottom of the ocean. There were also videos on the sinking of the ship and the recovery process of the artifacts.

I also liked the novelty of getting a Boarding Pass with the name of a Titanic passenger (similar to a real boarding pass) when you enter the exhibition. At the end of the exhibition, you can check to see if your passenger survived. The person on my card died, but his wife and daughter survived.

The whole tour took about one and a half hours to complete, it was definitely worth the $20 ticket price. I would strongly advise everyone – Titanic fan or not – to relive the experience of one of the world’s most tragic maritime disasters in human history.

Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition is located at the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands. It runs till 29 April 2012. More details can be found at www.titanic.sg.

Ho Khinwai is an NYP Year 1 Banking and Financial Services student from School of Business Management (SBM). He started writing for NYP Portal this year out of interest and was soon "addicted" to it. He has also written book reviews for Straits Times YA Classified. Besides writing, he loves singing and has performed for various events in NYP under NYP Soundcard.