The TITANIC II Project is Underway!

Yes, Titanic II project is underway, and I’m not talking about a sequel to the movie. It is about a project similar to the infamous one undertaken over a hundred years back and it's exciting.

Titanic II is a proposed ocean liner, to be built as a modern-day replica of the Olympic-class Titanic. The project was announced by Australian billionaire Clive Palmer in April 2012, and the intended launch date was originally set for 2016. But on September 1, 2015, a spokesman for Palmer said the project had merely been delayed, and that the new ship would be launched in 2018 - two years later than initially planned.

The concept of a replica of the Titanic has been explored several times, especially following the resurgence of interest following the release of the film Titanic in 1997. The most widely publicized project was that of South African businessman Sarel Gous, but after repeatedly failing to secure investment, the project was abandoned.

The design for the Titanic II was unveiled at worldwide launch events in Macau (China), New York (United States), Halifax (Canada), London & Southampton (United Kingdom) in 2013.

The ship was designed to be as similar in internal and external appearance to the Titanic as possible. However, modern safety regulations and economic considerations dictated several major changes to the design.

The ship will now be four meters wider and the hull will be welded, not riveted. The new Titanic will also have modern evacuation procedures, satellite controls, digital navigation and radar systems and all those things you'd expect on a 21st century ship. Titanic II will offer first, second and third-class tickets, will have nine floors and 840 cabins capable of accommodating 2,400 passengers and 900 crew members, along with Turkish baths, a swimming pool and gymnasiums. 

The new ship’s maiden voyage will not follow the original Titanic’s planned route from Southampton to New York, but rather will travel from Jiangsu, China, to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.