South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
All aboard Titanic 2? Replica set to sail in 2022
It looks like it’s full steam ahead for a replica of the famed Titanic ocean liner.
Called Titanic II, the ship will embark on its maiden voyage in 2022 from Dubai and then follow the same route the original was supposed to in 1912 from Southampton England to New York, according to USA Today.
The 21st century vessel will be designed with the same dimensions as the original luxury liner with a similar capacity of 2,435 passengers.
Australian businessman and politician Clive Palmer is developing the Titanic replica under his Blue Star Line company. In September, he announced that work on the ship had resumed after a financial conflict with the Chinese government had delayed plans about three years ago, according to cruisearabiaonlne.com The idea for the reported $500,000 million project has been in the works since 2012.
Although the ship will look like the original, it will be equipped with all the modern and technical accoutrements of today’s cruise ships. Palmer’s company released a video of what the new ship’s amenities which include first, second and third class cabins and 18 motor-driven lifeboats. The video has more than 3 million views.
“Blue Star Line will create an authentic Titanic experience, providing passengers with a ship that has the same interiors and cabin layout as the original vessel, while integrating modern safety procedures, navigation methods and
21st century technology to produce the highest level of luxurious comfort,” said Palmer, according to cruisearabiaonline.com, a cruise blog.
The original Titanic sank after it collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic April 1912. More than
1,500 from passengers and crew members people were killed. The luxury liner Titanic leaves Southampton, England, on her maiden voyage April 10, 1912. A replica of the ship is in the works for 2022, according to media reports.