Inside the $600 million Titanic replica
Clive Palmer’s $600-million-dollar replica of the Titanic is set to sail the high seas in less than two years. The carbon-copy of the world’s most famous “unsinkable” ship is well under construction with a maiden voyage planned for 2018.
Its well know predecessor struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912, killing 1503 people. The new ship will be about four metre wider to meet current regulations and, more importantly, it will carry enough lifeboats for every passenger on board. Its hull will also be welded, not riveted, just in case it comes across a rogue iceberg, the Belfast Telegraph reports.
The new nine-deck ship will be 270m long, 53m high and have a maximum speed of 24 knots. She will accommodate 2400 passengers – 177 more than the RMS Titanic.
Businessmen and politician Clive Palmer is at the helm of the ambitious project, and it seems to already be paying off. The mining tycoon’s company, Blue Star, has reportedly been flooded with requests for tickets — with some offering up to about $1,200,000 for a spot on the first trip.
The new Titanic’s maiden voyage will not be from Southampton to New York, but rather Jiangsu, China, to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Scroll through the gallery above to see all the pictures of the new ship and even some comparisons with the original.
Would you be game enough to cruise on the new Titanic? Let us know in the comments below.
Related links:
Historic rusting ocean liner could be restored to luxury
High Seas & High Teas – the ultimate cruise companion
Rare menus from the Titanic released