Clive Palmer's Titanic II

Australian billionaire mining tycoon, Clive Palmer, has started his world media-tour to promote his brainchild, Titanic II.

Clive Palmer

Titanic II, (Blue Star Line)

Titanic II will be  a modern day replica of the ill-fated RMS Titanic of 1912, and is due to be completed by 2016. The plan is to sail her from Southampton to New York recreating her April, 1912, maiden voyage. Her speed will be the same as the original, 23 knots, the crossing will take six days.

The Jinling Shipyard in Nanjing, China (of all places), has already signed an initial agreement to build the ship. She will then be sailed to the UK and prepared for her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York – a repeat of the 1912 journey which ended in disaster.

Jinling Shipyard, Nanjing, China

However Palmer missed his own media-function in Macau, on the 16th February 2013, due conflicting business interests. However Palmer will allegedly be hosting dinners over the next few months, in Southampton, Halifax, Boston and New York, to promote the project.

(Titanic II, image: Blue Star Line)

The ship will be 270 metres long and 53 metres high with nine floors and 840 cabins. It will accommodate 2,435 passengers and 900 crew members. the gross tonnage will be an estimated 56,000.

The cost estimate seem to vary between $400-$600 million. Passenger capacity will be similar to the original at 2,435 and 900 crew. Titanic II will have extra space compared to the original with dummy funnels (four are not required) and modern generators and pod-propulsion etc. In fact the funnels will have viewing galleries in them. The hull will be welded, not riveted like the original.

According to the general arrangement published on 17 July 2012, the length of the replica is the same as that of the original ship, but it will be 4.2 metres (13 ft 9 in) wider* and its draught will be smaller by 3 metres (9 ft 10 in). The lower deck cabins are said to be “typical for a modern cruise vessel” while cabins and public rooms from D deck upwards are “as in the original ship”. (*To increase stability.)

To comply with SOLAS regulations (maritime safety) the ship will be a mixture of an authentic appearance and modern safety features: such as enough lifeboats! Modern (anti-iceberg) radar will also be a feature. In fact an extra deck between the original ‘D’ and ‘C’ (called the ‘Safety Deck’) will be added to the design, to accommodate 18 modern lifeboats, safety chutes, a 400 seat theatre, casino, shops and hospital. There is also talk of re-creating the telegraph room.

There will be three classes of accommodation, like the original. The third class accommodations will be complete with shared bathrooms, dancing to Irish drums and Irish stew on the menu. Mr Palmer said plans are in the works to provide costumes from the era of Titanic for every passenger based on what class of ticket they hold.

Possible other features include “storage for cars on-deck or in garage” and “excursions ashore in replica lifeboats”.

Just for reference, below is an image of the original RMS Titanic:

I understand that the classic stern shape will be modified, because of the extra deck, but will bear ‘some’ resemblance to the original.  The ship will have pod-propulsion, so will not need a rudder, but a fake one will protrude from the water to match the original vessel.

(source: Blue star line)

Below: close up of pods, fake rudder and stern:

Titanic II, Shanghai, China

See the official ‘Blue Star Line’ here:

http://publ.com/mNahlZu#/10/

Malcolm Says: I’m still not completely convinced that it will ever happen.  It’s not as if Palmer has picked a ship-yard that is renown for building cruise ships. The Jingling Shipyard has specialised almost entirely in tankers, container vessels and bulk carriers. At 23 knots she sounds like a cruise ship and NOT a true Ocean Liner. She will not have any power in reserve if she meets an Atlantic storm. The QM2 can achieve around 30 knots.

Initially Titanic II would be popular  for the novelty factor, but what about a few years down the line?  There are only so many ship-nuts out there.  I hope the tiny 3rd class ‘steerage’ cabins don’t have two bunk beds (4 berths) and no toilet!

The ship  is also only half the size of many modern ships, so passenger capacity will be limited.   If you do that math, the passenger to space-ratio of Titanic II will be quite a lot worse than many mass-market ‘resort’ type ships (see stats. below).  Hardly luxurious!

Never the less, I would really  like to see it built.

Quantum class:
Double Occupancy: 4,100, GT 166,500
(Passenger space/ratio – 40.61)

Titanic II
Double Occupancy: 2,435, GT: 56,000 (estimated)
(Passenger space/ratio – 22.99)

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Tags: clive palmer, RMS Titanic, Titanic 2, Titanic II