Titanic II Voyage Revived, Luxury Liner Plans To Depart In Only A Few Years
It’s been almost 112 years since the sinking of the RMS Titanic, but the public’s fascination has not waned one bit. Case in point: Australian mining tycoon Clive Palmer who announced he has revived plans to build a replica of the Titanic. The billionaire says Titanic II will be “far, far superior than the original.”
The Plans
Palmer held a press conference at the Sydney Opera House this week, where he unveiled the current designs for Titanic II. Although “far superior than the original,” CNN reports there will be similarities. Third class passengers will be served stew and mash at long tables in a communal dining room, just like they were on the original boat.
We can picture Leonardo DiCaprio slurping his stew right now. A spokesperson for the project says other meals will be available for those who want a less authentic and mashy experience.
Cosplaying Encouraged
Titanic II passengers should pack their pocket watches and corsets since they’re encouraged to dress for the 1900s, although it’s not mandatory.
The ship itself will be 833 feet long and 32.2 meters wide. That’s a little wider than the original. The capacity will be 2,345 passengers–the same as the original.
For reference, of the estimated 2,224 passengers and crew on the RMS Titanic, about 1,500 perished.
A Massive Vessel
The Titanic II will be nine decks with 835 cabins. Almost half of those will be reserved for first class passengers, cue Kate Winslet. According to the Belfast Telegraph, Palmer says his company Blue Star Line will construct the ship. The billionaire doesn’t have a shipyard secured to finish construction, but is confident he will by early 2025, which is when he plans to begin building.
The ship’s maiden voyage is scheduled for June 2027. It’ll go from Southampton to New York, just like the ill-fated 1912 voyage of the original.
There Are Plenty Of Potential Vic–Passengers
Palmer says a “couple of million people” have already registered interest in coming aboard the Titanic II, so maybe he will make his money back eventually. The mining tycoon says creating the replica will cost up to $1 billion. According to CNN, Palmer brings in almost half a billion dollars in mining royalties each year.
Plenty Of Delays
This new unveiling comes almost 10 years to the day when Palmer first announced plans to build a Titanic replica, with a launch goal of the year 2016. These plans were delayed with reports in 2015 saying construction had not started. Another launch was then reported, but Palmer blamed the COVID pandemic for that not happening.
He’s also pushed back at accusations that Titanic II is a hoax or a publicity stunt saying he has “enough money to build the Titanic 10 times over.”
The Original
The RMS Titanic was a British passenger and mail carrying ocean liner that sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on April 15, 1912 after hitting an iceberg. About 1,500 people died in the disaster, making it the world’s most disastrous voyage. Despite a capacity for 48 lifeboats, the ship was only equipped with 20 of them.
Fascination with the ship continues to this day. There are several Titanic exhibitions in the US and the 1997 film Titanic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, proved even further people’s obsession with the vessel. In 1998, it became the first movie ever to surpass a worldwide box office gross of $1 billion. Time will tell how much money Titanic II will bring in from passengers, or if the project will get delayed once again.
Source: Belfast Telegraph
