Editor’s Note: A new episode of the CNN Original Series “How It Really Happened” spotlights newly uncovered secrets of the Titanic revealed by the latest scientific advances. It premieres Sunday, April 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.
For more than a decade, Australian billionaire Clive Palmer has been the driving force behind plans to build Titanic II — a replica of the ill-fated ship that sank in 1912 with more than 2,200 people on board.
Only about 700 survived, making it the world’s most disastrous voyage.
More than a century after the Titanic went down, the world remains drawn to its story.
The tragedy inspired James Cameron’s Oscar-winning 1997 blockbuster “Titanic,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, and has fascinated amateur explorers for decades.
One such mission ended in tragedy last June, when all five passengers aboard the Titan submersible were killed when the vessel suffered a catastrophic implosion en route to the wreckage.
Six years later, he relaunched the project during a recent press briefing at Sydney Opera House, against the backdrop of the city’s famed harbor.
The question is: Why?
“It’s a lot more fun to do the Titanic than it is to sit at home and count my money,” Palmer reportedly told local media.
Palmer, who made his fortune from mining, remains undaunted by Titanic’s calamitous streak. He first launched plans for Titanic II in 2012, and again in 2018, but plans were sidelined during the Covid epidemic.
When he first floated his dream of building a more buoyant version of the Titanic more than a decade ago, the popular view was that he was rich and eccentric enough to do it.
But headwinds of the pandemic hit, and the multimillion-dollar project was put on hold as ports closed and passengers reassessed their risk appetite for being quarantined at sea.
Now that the pandemic has passed, and cruise ships are once again at sea, Palmer, who is chairman of the Blue Star Line company behind the project, said the time is right to revive his Titanic dream.
“We are very pleased to announce that after unforeseen global delays, we have reengaged with partners to bring the dream of Titanic ll to life. Let the journey begin,’’ Palmer said in a press release.
Blue Star is soliciting proposals and plans to confirm a ship builder by the end of the year, to begin work in the first quarter of 2025.
Right now, Palmer expects the winning bidders to be based in Europe. He doesn’t believe Chinese standards are up to the task, he told reporters.
At the relaunch, his team redistributed an eight-minute video, showing the layout of the ship and how each room will look, complete with actors dressed in period costume.
Passengers will be encouraged to dress for the 1900s, but it’s not mandatory, a spokesperson said.
The ship itself will be 269 meters (833 feet) long and 32.2 meters (105 feet) wide — slightly wider than the original. Capacity will be 2,345 passengers spread across nine decks with 835 cabins. Almost half of those will be reserved for first class passengers.
Third class passengers will be treated to stew and mash at long tables in a communal dining room – as they were on the original boat – though a spokesperson said other meals will also be available for those who want a less authentic experience.
Palmer wants to replicate the Titanic – without the tragic ending. And he believes that tapping the world’s fascination for the luxury vessel will somehow bring people closer together.
“We all know how to make war. We get armies and we fund wars. People know about that. But it is a lot harder to make peace. To make peace you have got to stick with it every day. You progress inch by inch,” he said in the press release.
“Titanic ll is something that can provide peace. It can be a ship of peace between all countries of the world.
“Millions have dreamt of sailing on her, seeing her in port and experiencing her unique majesty. Titanic ll will be the ship where those dreams come true,’’ Palmer said.