The Australian billionaire Clive Palmer and his company Blue Star Line have relaunched the plan to build the Titanic II, a replica of the ship that sank in 1912.
The billionaire and former member of the Australian parliament made the announcement on Thursday, March 13, at a press conference in Sydney.
According to the Guardian, Palmer revealed plans to secure a shipyard and start building the vessel “far, far superior than the original” early next year.
Palmer has already started and stopped the Titanic II project twice before (in 2012 and again in 2018) and blamed the pandemic for the delays. However, this time, he assured the public that he had “enough money to build the Titanic 10 times over”.
“So I could do the Titanic. I’m gonna do it,” said Palmer. “It’s a lot more fun to do the Titanic than it is to sit at home and count my money.
“All you need to be happy, I’ve found in my life, is to have someone that loves you, somewhere to sleep at night and enough for a good meal.
“Beyond that, the rest is an illusion – it’s like playing golf.”
Palmer said tenders for the construction of the vessel would go out in June, with contracts signed by December. According to the billionaire’s estimate, the project would cost between $500 million and $1 billion.
He also revealed that the Finnish-based ship design and marine engineering company Deltamarin supported the project.
Journalists at the press conference were shown a five-minute video of what all nine decks of the Titanic II would look like, complete with a ballroom, swimming pool and Turkish baths.
The Titanic II will be 269 meters (833 feet) long and 32.2 meters (105 feet) wide with a capacity for 2,345 passengers in 835 cabins. Nearly half of the cabins will be reserved for first-class passengers.
Third-class passengers will dine on stew and mashed potatoes at communal tables in a dining room reminiscent of the original ship. However, a spokesperson noted that alternative meal options will also be available for passengers seeking a less traditional experience.
