For fans and history buffs who have always wondered what it would be like to relive the glitz and glamour of sailing on the original Titanic—minus the horrifically tragic ending—they could soon get their chance.
The company Blue Star Line recently announced that it has recommenced construction of the Titanic II, a replica of the original RMS Titanic. The company reportedly plans to put the vessel, which will have the same interiors and cabin layouts as the first Titanic, into service in 2022, starting with a maiden voyage that will follow that fateful Southampton–New York route across the Atlantic.
The ambitious project was first announced by Blue Star’s chairman, Australian businessman Clive Palmer, in 2012, but work on the vessel was suspended due to a massive royalty dispute. Now that the dispute has been resolved, construction has resumed, according to Blue Star Line.
While the interiors, including the restaurants and common areas, are being modeled after the original Titanic, the newer incarnation will incorporate modern navigation technology and will be a few meters wider to provide more stability.
In addition to following the originally intended journey of the Titanic from the English port of Southampton to New York, the Titanic II will ultimately circumnavigate the globe, according to its builders.
The scheduled 2022 launch of the Titanic II will mark 110 years since the original Titanic set sail across the Atlantic Ocean. When the Titanic sank on April 15, 1912, after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic, the cruise ship had been carrying an estimated 2,224 passengers and crew on board, and more than 1,500 people died, making it one of the deadliest commercial maritime accidents in history.
The Oscar Award–winning 1997 James Cameron film Titanic, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, brought the tragic journey back to life through the fictional romance between Jack Dawson (played by DiCaprio) and Rose DeWitt Bukate (played by Winslet). Their love story took place to the backdrop of vibrant scenes that illustrated what life was like on the extravagant cruise ship, from its lavish interiors to the class struggles that famously played out between the passengers of different social and economic status.
As with its predecessor, the 2,435-passenger Titanic II will have three tiers of cabins: 383 first-class cabins, 201 second-class cabins, and 251 third-class cabins, according to a promotional video released by Blue Star Line (the video also showcases some three-dimensional depictions of the vessel’s interior spaces, for those who would like to get a better sense of what is planned).
There is still no information on how and when to book a sailing on the Titanic II, so those intent on nabbing a cabin (and doing their best “I’m the king of the world!” pose off the bow—because we know you will) should monitor the Blue Star Line site.