Controversial plans have been in place since early 2012 to create a replica of the ill-fated Titanic cruise liner. The proposed launch date of the Titanic II is in 2016 – 104 years after the original voyage. The Titanic II will also set sail from Southampton to New York in the same year, completing the voyage that the tragic ship was unable to do.
It is rumoured that after the Titanic II sails from Southampton to New York, she will then sail to Dubai and becoming a floating hotel and museum for people to enjoy.
It has been said that tickets to sail on the Titanic II will be astronomically expensive once they go on sale. Figures of more than $1 million have been quoted by some sources. This obviously very much limits the number of people who will be able to sail on the Titanic II, even if they wanted to.
Understandably, there has been a lot of criticism surrounding the proposed plans. Many people have criticised the Titanic II as being insensitive to the memory of the people who died after the liner struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage.
There is also a school of thought that feels that it would be tempting fate to sail the same journey on a replica ship, although obviously the Titanic II will be far better equipped with safety features to ensure nothing like that would occur.
Titanic II will be designed as similarly in appearance both inside and out as the original Titanic ship. Although, of course there will be some changes to the design to incorporate todays safety regulations.
This will include a welded hull as opposed to a riveted hull, stabilisers, an extra safety deck housing modern lifeboats, a higher bridge and the ship will overall be taller and heavier than the original. The now redundant large funnels on the original Titanic will be included on the Titanic II and will be viewing decks for passengers to enjoy.
With regards to interiors and furnishings, everything will be as it was on the original Titanic. There will be no TVs, internet or phones and third class passengers will be segregated from first class guests, as was the case on the original Titanic. Passengers will also be provided with 20th century costumes to wear in order to look the part and will be able to work out in an Edwardian gym!
So, would you want to sail on the Titanic II? Would you feel comfortable sailing on a replica of a ship that ended life in such a tragic manner? On one hand I think it would be a wonderful experience to see what life would have been like on this beautiful ship during the golden age of cruising but I also feel it could perhaps be a little insensitive to the families of people who lost their lives on the original Titanic.
Thanks Emma
3 Responses
I have followed this project from the very begining. Personally I think it is not only insensitive but downright degrading to the memory of those lost to make a pleasure cruise out of tragedy.
Let’s face it, if Titanic hadn’t been lost there would not be this level of interest. If it was to recreate the great age of the ocean liners why not build a ‘replica’ of Aquitania (after all, she was the ‘ship beautiful’ the archetype of that age)?
I also find the name Titanic II offensive. This is not a second Titanic. It is at best a modern ship trying to look like the RMS Titanic above the waterline, which is anacronistic, surely to even the most dewy-eyed romantics (if they know anything about real ships and shipbuilding).
What Palmer is offering is a Titanic experience, essentially a floating theme park. I think it’s disgusting and have made this clear at every given opportunity, but if people’s consciences are OK with it, well, that’s their choice.
Palmer has put so much emphasis on Cameron’s movie in his PR that this is really a tribute to Titanic-the-movie not Titanic-the-ship and there are plenty movie experience theme parls around.
This one just happens to be a little more controversial than most.
Of course I would sail on the Titanic 2, I would think that with new technology and a change in building techniques would be far superior, than the old method of rivets and plating. and with navigation beyond sat navigation we are all in safe hands.
I would love to be sailing on the titanic and explore the seas. Safe hands is the word.
There is no point in this, you could rebuild many other ships.
As Amy has said where is the respect for those that have died.
What if some one wanted to rebuild the costa Concordia or make a movie.
That would be seen as bad taste, it’s the same thing,just because its over 100 years ago does not make it right.
There are a lot of what used to be called liners not cruise ships (block of flats)
I go on cruises and have worked on them years ago the old Oronsay Arcadia and went on board the old Oriana.
These were nice ships reconstruct one of those but of course they never sank with loss of life, we are a sad race at times.