Titanic II: a 'far superior' replica, 'without the tragic ending'

Australian billionaire Clive Palmer has reaffirmed his intention to build a "superior" version of the famous ocean liner the Titanic, more than a decade after first announcing his plans. 

The mining magnate – "with an interest in cruising and cash to burn", said CNN – hosted a press conference at the Sydney Opera House last week to talk about his plan to build a to-scale reconstruction of the original ship, dubbed Titanic II.

Palmer said his company, Blue Star Line, would be organising the project, though he confirmed he "does not yet have a shipyard secured to complete the construction", said the Belfast Telegraph.

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The key question that remains over Titanic II, said CNN, is "why?"

'Other issues on his agenda'

The original Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York in April 1912, killing an estimated 1,500 passengers and crew. And the tragedy was the subject of James Cameron's 1997 movie, which won 11 Oscars, including for best picture.

Palmer said that a "couple of million people" have "already registered interest in being on the 2500-person vessel" when Titanic II replicates the original journey, according to the Belfast Telegraph.

But the project has struggled to get going on two occasions – when it was initially announced in 2012 and when it was reignited in 2018. Palmer had originally attempted to build the vessel in China, with a departure date in 2016, but it was scrapped after a "payment dispute" between companies "starved it of funds", said The Guardian.

He "blamed the Covid pandemic for the delays" to his second attempt to build Titanic II, originally due to set sail in 2022. Palmer's new plan (proposed for completion in 2027), is "very similar to previous iterations", said CNN, and he now "expects the winning bidders" to build the ship "to be based in Europe", because Chinese standards are not "up to the task". The estimated cost of Titanic II is between $500 million and $1 billion, he said.

Billionaire Palmer has always had "other issues on his agenda" though, said CNN. He's launched "multiple court cases against state and federal governments" in Australia in recent years, while he has also spent millions in "bids for political office".

'Superior than the original'

When asked by a reporter in 2012 if Titanic II was a "hoax or a publicity stunt", Palmer dismissed the question and said he had "enough money to build the Titanic 10 times over". However, he now says his new plans will be "far, far superior than the original”.

The vessel will attempt to replicate the interior of the first Titanic, with capacity for "2,345 passengers spread across nine decks with 835 cabins", said CNN. Period dress for passengers will be "encouraged" but not mandatory, while third-class passengers will be "treated to stew and mash at long tables in a communal dining room", though alternative meals are available for those after a "less authentic experience".

Palmer said that he "wants to replicate the Titanic – without the tragic ending" and that Titanic II can "provide peace. It can be a ship of peace between all countries of the world", he said. "Titanic II will be the ship where those dreams come true."