Titanic II: Fully Functional Replica Of Titanic To Set Sail In 2018


Titanic II, a fully functional replica of the legendary ship, the Titanic, is scheduled to set sail in 2018.

Like the original ship, the Titanic II will offer first, second and third class accommodations and will feature nine floors and 840 cabins to accommodate 2,400 passengers (177 more than the RMS Titanic) and 900 crew members. In addition, a swimming pool, Turkish baths, and Edwardian gyms will also be available for passengers to enjoy. The grand staircase, smoking room, Café Parisien, and Marconi Room will be replicated to appear just as they did over 100 years ago. There has even been talk of offering costumes from the time period to the passengers so they can really get the original Titanic experience.


The idea for the Titanic II came from the ambitious Australian businessman and politician, Clive Palmer, who owns Blue Star Line. Palmer originally announced his plans to create the replica in April 2012 to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the sinking. At the time, Palmer was planning on launching the ship in 2016, but Palmer explained that the launch date had to be delayed while Chinese shipyard CSC Jinling constructed the replica.

Although Palmer’s ship will look virtually identical to the original, the Titanic II will be approximately four meters wider to meet the current safety regulations, and the hull will be welded, not riveted, according to the Belfast Telegraph. Additionally, the new ship will have enough lifeboats for everyone on board. When completed, the Titanic II will be 270 meters long, 53 meters high, and weigh 40,000 tons.

“The new Titanic will of course have modern evacuation procedures, satellite controls, digital navigation and radar systems and all those things you’d expect on a 21st century ship,” James McDonald, the global marketing director of Blue Star Line, said in a statement.

The Titanic was referred to as the “unsinkable ship,” and it struck an iceberg and sank during its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York on April 15, 1912. The tragic ship wreck killed over 1,500 passengers. Rather than traveling the same course as its predecessor, the Titanic II will be making its maiden voyage from Jiangsu, China, to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

“We are not looking for investment from Dubai, as it is a project we are funding ourselves, but we have been in contact with a number of companies based in the Emirates who are looking at utilizing opportunities that arises with the project,” McDonald explained.

“It is people looking to use the opportunity of the trademark and licensing potential of the project… We own the Titanic II name and trademark and people are lining up to be part of it,” he continued.

Some relatives of passengers who died on the original Titanic had criticized Palmer for recreating the ship. However, Palmer said the overall response has been welcoming. Blue Star Line is already getting requests from potential passengers, who have offered to pay upwards of $900,000 to be on the maiden voyage.

What do you think about the Titanic II? Do you think the ship should be replicated? Would you want to be a passenger? Leave your comments below.

[Photo by Central Press/ Stringer/ Getty Images]

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