No, we don’t mean a remake of the Titanic movie. Tycoon and politician Clive Palmer is actually building a replica of the “unsinkable” ship. Just like the original, Titanic II will have first, second and third class cabins and dining rooms, a cigar launch, Marconi room and that very same grand staircase.
There won’t be any TV sets either by the look of it, but we wonder if they’d actually do without WiFi. It’s an essential life necessity.
The project is helmed by Palmer’s Brisbane-based cruise line Blue Star Line. 840 cabins will be build to accommodate 2,435 passengers and 900 crew. Actual figures have not been released by the cruise line but construction is said to cost somewhere between USD500 million to USD600 million.
The ship will sail in 2018 and you can either buy a ticket as soon as they go up, or hope you win one in a game of poker. According to some reports, Palmer was also toying around with the idea of supplying period costumes for passengers. Or you could pull a Rose.
For operations, steam engines will be replaced by a modern diesel-electric propulsion system, and accompanied by stabilisers and high-tech navigational equipment. Naturally, it will won’t be exactly like the Titanic. The ship will meet modern safety requirements and that means enough life jackets for everyone on board.
All aboard!
Photo credit: Main.