James Borg was only three when his mother told him the story of the Titanic, the world’s largest ocean liner that sank into the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after hitting an iceberg.

Little did she know then that the story would turn her son into a Titanic aficionado and that 32 years later he would be the only Maltese on board a memorial cruise to mark the 100th anniversary of the fateful voyage of RMS Titanic.

Mr Borg, 35, from Victoria, will be embarking on the SS Balmoral from Southampton, UK, tomorrow – Easter Sunday. The ship will follow the exact same route as the Titanic and will arrive at the same location where it hit the iceberg on the night of April 14 and sank in the early hours of the next day.

He booked this “once in a lifetime” cruise three years ago, paying a fare of €6,000 for a cabin, which happens to be on the starboard side, the same side as the iceberg hit.

The Titanic setting sail from Southampton on April 10, 1912.

“This is a teenage dream come true,” he admits.

On board, historians will be giving lectures about the ship, which by many is considered to be the last yardstick of the Victorian-Edwardian era. Chefs will be providing dishes from the period and patrons are encouraged to attend formal dinners in period costume.

On April 15, a remembrance ceremony and service will be held on the site – which is also a graveyard – where the ship sank a century ago.

When asked if he was a fan before the James Cameron movie came out, Mr Borg half jokes that such a question offends him: “I’ve been an enthusiast all my life.”

As a little kid, he recalls Raise The Titanic being filmed at the Rinella tanks. Then, in 1985, when he was almost nine, the actual wreck of the Titanic was discovered by Robert Ballard.

“That clinched it: I watched any documentary that came out and such was my enthusiasm that, as a teenager I promised myself that on the 100th anniversary of the tragedy I would embark on a voyage following Titanic’s trail from Southampton to New York,” he says.

For him, the best Titanic film is the 1958 one, A Night to Remember, based on the 1953 book with the same title by Walter Lord.

Although he lauds the 1997 James Cameron version for the exact reproduction of décor and costumes, for its special effects and images of the real relic at the bottom of the sea, he was disappointed by the script.

“Watch the departure, some interior and the sinking and you’ve seen it all. The rest of the story could have been filmed on the Love Boat, for all I know. He sacrificed the real story for a fictitious love story,” he says.

For Mr Borg, the tragedy of the Titanic – which was the most technologically advanced vessels of its time – was the 9/11 of the 20th century.

“In both cases, it was inconceivable that such a symbol of progress could be destroyed. And, as happened after September 11, many insurance companies struggled to survive because of large claims by several multi-millionaires on board,” he says. “It was also a strong lesson for society. No matter what your social class is or money you have, your life has the same value as others.”

He believes the tragedy still haunts us because people from all over the world were affected. Even the recent Concordia tragedy has not dampened Mr Borg’s enthusiasm for the trip.

The historic trip is a teenage dream come true for James Borg.

“It’s ironic that, in 2012, 100 years later, with all the technological advances, cruise ships still sink. But, of course, the two stories can’t be compared. For one thing, the captain of the Titanic died on the bridge.”

Memorial cruise on the SS Balmoral

• The voyage is run by Fred Olsen Cruises, whose parent company Harland and Wolf had built the Titanic.

• The SS Balmoral will carry 1,309 passengers, the same number of passengers as the Titanic.

• It will follow exactly the same route as Titanic, leaving Southampton, in the UK, then docking at the Irish port of Cobh, where the Titanic had made its final call on April 11, 1912.

• The ship will arrive at the same location where it hit the iceberg on April 14 and a special memorial ceremony will be held at 11.40 p.m.

• Another memorial service will be held on April 15, at 2.20 a.m., the exact time the great ocean liner foundered 100 years ago taking down with it 1,500 lives.