Introducing the Titanic II
Just when everyone thought the craze surrounding the Titanic was in the past, along with Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”, the luxury liner is getting ready for an unexpected revival with a new Titanic route announced.
The famed RMS Titanic, which sank over a hundred years ago on April 1912, is getting cloned. Plans are in place for the Titanic II, a $500 million replica of the original, to set sail sometime in the year 2022.
Masterminding this polarizing project is Clive Palmer, a former Australian politician who has made millions as a businessman in the coal and ore industry. Palmer has been orchestrating the idea since 2012, but a financial disagreement with the Chinese government stunted his dream in 2015. Following the resolution of that dispute, the project once again has (sea)legs.
The Titanic II will not take the water before experiencing some backlash. Many are uncomfortable with the idea of glorifying one of the largest nautical disasters ever; some 1,517 people lost their lives when the original sank in the North Atlantic. Of course, this tourism initiative is not aimed at history buffs who are passionate about the Titanic but rather capitalizes on the 1997 James Cameron film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
Maiden Voyage
It has been reported by CruiseArabia that the Titanic II, for its maiden voyage, will cruise from Dubai to New York.
However, after this initial journey, the mega boat will follow the exact route that the original Titanic was unable to complete after its encounter with a rogue iceberg.
While addressing questions about his undertaking, Palmer in a statement said, “the ship will follow the original journey, carrying passengers from Southampton to New York, but she will also circumnavigate the globe, inspiring and enchanting people while attracting unrivaled attention, intrigue, and mystery in every port she visits”.
Specifications
Blue Star Line, the transportation company behind the Titanic II, has confirmed that the ship will be a near exact replica of the Titanic. Standing at nine decks tall, it will welcome as many as 2,435 passengers per journey in its 835 cabins.
Naturally, there have been some changes made to avoid another disaster. Rather than having a riveted hull, the new vessel will be welded. Additionally, modern instruments used for navigation will be included — key for foggy nights in iceberg-laden waters.
As for what most people want to know, the interior will aim to have the same look and feel as the original and the film. This includes the grand staircase that was popularized in the movie. However, there has been no news if the doors will be widened in case two passengers need to float aboard it.
Other Titanic Tourism
Blue Star Line and Mr. Palmer’s project is not unique, a few other companies have moved to take advantage of the ongoing fascination with the doomed cruise liner.
Currently, another replica construction is underway in China. Worth about $145 million, this particular remake is not meant for ocean travel and will instead be docked inland on a reservoir of the Qijang River.
Meanwhile, two different businesses, OceanGate and The Bluefish, are working on providing diving excursions to the shipwreck. Both aspire to have trips ready within the next couple of years, but OceanGate has confirmed that the cost per person could be well over $100,000.
Conclusion
While precautions have been taken to guarantee future passengers won’t meet the same fate as Jack and Rose (besides, humans have had the ultimate revenge on icebergs thanks to global warming) the topic of recreating the journey remains controversial. The idea seems destined for popularity, but is it in bad taste?