Clive Palmer has an unsinkable dream: to have a replica of the Titanic set sail sometime in 2018. The Australian businessman first began planning the project in 2012, but the original launch was delayed. Now, 106 years after the untimely end of the ship’s namesake, the Titanic II is planned to embark on its maiden voyage from Jiangsu in Eastern China to Dubai.
“The new Titanic will of course have modern evacuation procedures, satellite controls, digital navigation and radar systems and all those things you’d expect on a 21st century ship,” assures James McDonald, the marketing director of Blue Star Line. For example, the new ship will have a 2,700 lifeboat capacity for its 2,435 member crew, as opposed to the original’s lifeboat capacity of 1,178 for its 2,223 passengers.
Grand staircase
Historically, the grand staircase was reserved for first-class passengers
Café Parisien
Built to look like a sidewalk cafe in France, the Café Parisien was also reserved for first class passengers
The Smoking Room, resembling a London gentlemen’s club, was a place for men to relax
The pool
On the original ship, the pool was filled with salt water after the ship had set sail
Marconi room, where “state of the art” technology allowed passengers to send messages
First class stateroom
The first class dining saloon
The first class dining room spanned the entire width of the ship
Second class cabins
Turkish bath, similar to a sauna
The bridge
Third class dining saloon, where passengers ate communally