Titanic II Cruise Set For 2016 Launch (No, Really)

by  Maryrose Mullen | Feb 26, 2013
Titanic
Titanic / Wikimedia Commons

A few years ago, a fake trailer for a sequel to James Cameron’s mega-movie Titanic made the internet rounds, and it was a pretty big hit. The video is fun and silly – the "movie" is about Jack Dawson surviving in a block of ice at the bottom of the ocean, and having to adjust to modern day. The main joke is the trailer itself. How wacky would it be to have a Titanic II? That’s just too crazy for the real world, right? Right?

Not quite. Australian billionaire Clive Palmer has unveiled construction plans for the Titanic II, a "full-scale re-creation" of the White Star Liner that tragically sank in April 1912, killing more than 1,500 passengers. Palmer said as Titanic was the ship of dreams, Titanic II will be, "the ship where dreams come true."

The new vessel will clock in at 883 feet long – three inches longer than the original – and will carry a maximum of 2,435 passengers and 900 crew members. The ship will be constructed in China and slated for transatlantic voyages in 2016.

The Titanic was the largest and most luxurious ship of its time, and Titanic II hopes to live up to the original. The replica will be decked out with a gymnasium, Turkish baths, a squash court, a theater, and a casino. Also like the original, Titanic II will not have any televisions, and will presumably not have internet service. (Though, to be fair, the Titanic didn't have those things because they didn't exist yet.)

Naming a cruise after one of the greatest disasters of recent memory seems to be tempting fate (especially considering some of the high-seas misfortune we've seen lately). But the Titanic remains a fascinating subject of study to this day, and the model may hold the interest of some better than photographs and documentaries can. Plus, what better way to meet your own wrong-side-of-the-tracks artist who promises he’ll never let you go?

Do you think constructing Titanic II is a good idea, or does it diminish the memory of those lost on the Titanic? Sound off in the comments!

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