‘Titanic’ Will Set Sail Once Again In 2022
An exact replica of the infamous passenger ship Titanic named the Titanic II will set sail on its first voyage in 2022, and it will bear both some eerie similarities and striking differences than the ill-fated first ship.
It will welcome 2,400 passengers and 900 crew members, USA Today reported, almost the exact same number of each on board the boat that sunk in 1912.
For those who are skittish about history repeating itself, this passage will include the appropriate number of lifeboats, life-jackets, and many modern safety features.
The Titanic II’s first voyage is set to begin in Dubai and will follow a route that is expected to last two weeks to Southhampton, England, reported USA Today. The luxurious liner will then trace the original Titanic’s planned route from England to New York across the North Atlantic, where the original ship sunk in 1912.
The original liner’s maiden voyage was cut short after hitting an iceberg. The accident and lack of safety features on the original vessel caused the loss of over 1,500 lives, more than two-thirds of those on board.
After its initial first journey, the ship will plan to offer worldwide cruises to its passengers.
The 1912 voyage, which was immortalized in the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, was tragically cut short when the steamship hit an iceberg.
The Titanic II is casting off from Dubai to New York. Would you get aboard? pic.twitter.com/sXN5gpAumN
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) October 19, 2018
The ship will cost $500 million to recreate, according to Bloomberg. The replica is being built in China rather than the original shipyard in Belfast, Northern Ireland, according to USA Today.
For those that are not superstitious, Titanic II will be a luxurious ship but will include 21st-century technology, such as the most up-to-date navigation and safety systems.
“The ship will follow the original journey, carrying passengers from Southampton to New York, but she will also circumnavigate the globe, inspiring and enchanting people while attracting unrivaled attention, intrigue, and mystery in every port she visits,” Blue Star Line’s chairman Clive Palmer said, according to MSN.
A replica of the Titanic is set to sail the same path as the original in 2022. Would you board the Titanic II?
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) October 22, 2018
Although Titanic had advanced safety features such as watertight compartments and remotely activated watertight doors, it only carried enough lifeboats for 1,178 people—about half the number on board and one-third of her total capacity—due to outdated maritime safety regulations.
Some of the more notable famous people on the ship during its fateful journey were John Jacob Astor IV, Margaret Brown (The Unsinkable Molly Brown), Benjamin Guggenheim, and Isidor and Ida Straus.
No word was available if passengers would be able to stand on the mast for a romantic photo op a la Jack and Rose in the beloved film.
