It’s been a little over a century since the Titanic last sailed on her fated maiden voyage. But still after all those years, the ship continues to capture our imaginations. Easily the most famous ship in history for all the wrong reasons, the Titanic, described in the press as “unsinkable” did the exact opposite when it struck an iceberg and sank one icy night, sealing the fates of 1,500 passengers onboard. Since the tragedy in 1912, the ship has inspired countless museum exhibits and retellings, including the Oscar-winning film of the same name by James Cameron.
In 2022, on the year of the Titanic’s 110th anniversary we can now count on a sequel. No, not of the movie with Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio, but the actual ship. It’s an ambitious plan, but Australian billionaire Clive Palmer hopes to capture the essence of the fated vessel without the disaster. Together with his own Blue Star Line shipping company, Palmer wants to sail seafarers in a modernized Titanic II, which despite the advancement of technology still sounds like a Darwinian test for humankind. Maybe we just aren’t meant to sail on ships christened the Titanic?
Regardless of what skeptics say, construction on the mighty ship continues at the cost of over $500 million. One unfortunate relief for the ship is that there is a lot less ice floating around in the ocean now due to climate change. But nevertheless Titanic II will have topnotch anti-iceberg technology, state of the art navigation systems, and just to be safe, more than enough lifeboats.
Even stranger than basing a new cruise liner after a failed one, is Palmer’s insistence to keep passengers separated by class like the original Titanic did back in 1912. This means cramped quarters for discounted tickets while other passengers can opt for more luxurious options. To match the aristocratic nature of the ship crew members will also be dressed in period outfits and serving amenities from the early 20th century.
The Titanic II is set for sail sometime in 2022 and will leave port in Dubai for New York City then to South Hampton, where the original ship was first launched. This means the Titanic II will be covering the same route as its predecessor, even sailing over the site of the iceberg collision, hopefully without the deathly plummet to the bottom of the Atlantic this time. Fingers crossed and here’s so smooth sailing!