The Controversial Race To Build New Titanics, If They'll Ever Be Finished

Stories behind not one, but two full-size Titanic replicas

More than a century after Titanic set sail on her ill-fated maiden voyage, two extraordinary projects are vying to recreate the iconic doomed ship: Australian billionaire Clive Palmer's Titanic II, and the Unsinkable Titanic, set to be the star attraction at the Romandisea resort in Sichuan, China. However, both projects have been plagued by problems and false starts.

Now, after years of silence, Palmer has doubled down on his promise to build the ship and has revealed when he expects it to take to the seas. Read on as we explore whether these troubled vessels will REALLY set sail or whether they're destined to disappear without trace...

All dollar values in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Titanic II

In April 2012, Australian mining billionaire Clive Palmer – who has a current net worth of $4.2 billion – announced his plan to build Titanic II, a pretty much to-scale seaworthy reproduction of the ill-fated Edwardian ship. At the time, the shop was expected to cost $500 million.

Historically accurate copy

Titanic II was billed as a historically accurate copy of the original ocean liner. Palmer and his shipping company, Blue Star Line, hired a team of historians, including Titanic expert Steve Hall, to help recreate the design of the nine-decked ship and its 840 rooms.

Palmer appointed Finnish naval architecture firm Deltamarin to design the structure and German company Hamburg Ship Model Basin to oversee the liner's seaworthiness and safety standards. 

A grand unveiling

The design was unveiled in February 2013 at several glitzy press events worldwide, including a gala bash aboard the USS Intrepid in New York City and a lavish dinner at London's Natural History Museum.

Impressive dimensions

At a press conference in the Sydney Opera House this week, more than 10 years since the ship was originally proposed, Palmer promised the new liner would be "far, far superior than the original." The modern reproduction will be 13 feet wider and three inches longer than the original Titanic and, with a gross tonnage of 56,000 tonnes, it will be a good 10,000 tonnes heavier than the first ship.

Titanic II is expected to comfortably accommodate 2,435 first, second, and third-class passengers and 473 crew.

Modern technology

If it's ever completed, Titanic II will look uncannily like the original from the outside, but inside it will be distinctly 21st century. The new ship will boast state-of-the-art satellite controls, digital navigation, cutting-edge radar systems, and modern evacuation procedures.

Speed upgrade

Likewise, Titanic II will be as speedy as any modern cruise liner. The original Titanic's coal-fired boilers and old-fashioned steam engines will be replaced by a diesel-electric propulsion system in the modern replica.

All-important lifeboats

Thankfully, the reproduction Titanic will have plenty of those all-important lifeboats. The original liner had just 1,187 lifeboat spaces, but more than double this number of people were on board. Titanic II will provide more than enough for all passengers and crew members.

Edwardian grandeur with a modern twist

The six-star ocean liner will combine Edwardian grandeur with 21st-century mod cons – cabins and suites will feature all the latest tech and amenities, from Wi-Fi access to luxe en suite bathrooms, and the ship will boast a nightclub and helipad.

Original features replicated

The famous grand staircase will be replicated in meticulous detail, not to mention the original Titanic's Café Parisien and Verandah Café and its elegant dining saloons.

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Retro gymnasium

The ship will also feature a fancy Edwardian gymnasium with retro equipment, a copy of the Titanic's swimming pool, and a replica of the original liner's ornate Turkish baths, which will operate as the new ship's wellness spa.

A different route

Instead of staying true to the original transatlantic Southampton to New York City route, Titanic II’s maiden voyage will set sail from Jiangsu, China, for a leisurely cruise to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Criticism of the project

The project hasn't been without its detractors. Relatives of people who perished in the disaster have criticized Titanic II as insensitive and an insult to the memory of the victims.

Meanwhile, Cunard Line, the shipping firm that merged with the company that built the original Titanic, is steadfastly against full-size replicas, which it has described as inappropriate and disrespectful.

Doubts and delays

And the ambitious project has become mired in further controversy. Titanic II was initially poised to launch in 2016 but, following a dispute between Palmer's mining company and the Chinese firm Citic, funds were drained from the project, and the completion date was subsequently put back to 2018.

However, in 2017, the Supreme Court of Western Australia ruled that Citic had to pay Palmer's mining company AU$150 million ($113m) in unpaid royalties. As a result, the Titanic II project came back to life. In late 2018 Blue Star Line announced construction on the ship had started again, revealing a new completion date of 2022. But 2022 came and went...

Construction confusion

Doubts have been cast over whether the ship's construction ever even started, let alone restarted after Palmer's legal issues were resolved. China's CSC Jingling Shipyard in Jiangsu was thought to be responsible for building the ship, as reported during an interview segment with Palmer on 60 Minutes Australia in 2013. 

But in 2018, a Blue Star Liner spokesperson reportedly stated the ship was "most likely" to be built in the Northern Hemisphere, suggesting work on the ship had not even begun...

Another failed project?

In February 2020, the company indicated via its Facebook page that announcements on the project's status would come later that year, but no further information was released and our requests for an update received no replies. 

As Clive Palmer has presided over a series of grandiose failed projects, including a replica Zeppelin and a Jurassic Park-themed resort, many wonder if Titanic II will ever set sail. But at a March 2024 press conference in the Sydney Opera House, Palmer – who will turn 70 this month – doubled down on his plans. He said the COVID-19 pandemic caused the delays and that people should believe Titanic II will really happen because he's "got more money now."

Up to $1 billion (£782m) price tag

Palmer said: “So I could do the Titanic. I’m gonna do it. It’s a lot more fun to do the Titanic than it is to sit at home and count my money."

“All you need to be happy, I’ve found in my life, is to have someone that loves you, somewhere to sleep at night and enough for a good meal," he added. “Beyond that, the rest is an illusion – it’s like playing golf.”

According to Palmer, tenders for the ship's construction will go out in June this year, with the aim of having contracts signed by December. He believes construction, which is now estimated to cost between $500 million and $1 billion, will start early next year and is confident he'll have found a shipyard by then. The maiden voyage is now due to go ahead in 2027 – more than a decade after its original date.

But it's not the only Titanic project in the pipeline. Read on for the story of the Unsinkable Titanic.

Unsinkable Titanic

Originally billed to launch in October 2017, the Unsinkable Titanic was going to be the star attraction at the Romandisea theme park in Sichuan, China.

A fanfare announcement

The project was announced in 2014 to much fanfare at a press conference in Hong Kong, which featured famous Chinese celebrities. Bernard Hill, the actor who played Captain Edward Smith in the 1997 Titanic movie, was even roped in to take part in the event.

Permanently docked

Unlike Titanic II, this full-size replica won't go anywhere. A hotel and entertainment complex rather than a cruise ship, the luxury liner will be docked permanently in a reservoir within the river Qi.

Estimated cost

A far less complex build than Titanic II, the static Unsinkable Titanic is also a much cheaper project. The whole venture is estimated to cost in the region of $125 million, considerably less than Titanic II's price tag.

Award-winning design

Seven Star Energy Investment Group, the company behind the project, enlisted the help of Emmy award-winning production designer Curtis Schnell to nail the design and capture the period feel of the original liner.

Construction begins

Unlike Titanic II, construction has definitely started. In fact, the beginning of what was meant to be an 11-month-long construction project was marked with a keel-laying ceremony and spectacular fireworks display in November 2016. The copycat liner is being built by the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group at its shipyard in Wuhan.

Accurate reproduction

While not a 100% exact replica, Schnell and his team aim to get as close to the original as possible. “We are not building every room in the ship, by any means,” he's said, “but the shell of the ship and the exteriors will be quite accurate.”

That grand staircase

The most recognizable features of the original ship will be faithfully reproduced, including the grand staircase and dining saloons. There will also be a ballroom, a proposed venue for Edwardian-themed dance events.

A nod to the movie

The replica ship is being built very much with the 1997 Hollywood movie in mind – the film was a massive success in China and remains extremely popular in the country. Needless to say, the interior will include the fictional boudoir in which Jack sketches Rose.

Room rates

A third-class ticket on the original Titanic would have set you back as little as $15 in 1912. A stay on the Unsinkable Titanic won't be quite so cheap – the rate for a third-class room will supposedly start at a pricey 3,000 yuan ($417) a night.

Premium packages

Wealthier guests can opt for a premium ticket, which includes a fabulous first-class suite with antique-style furniture and all mod cons. These high-end packages could cost as much as 10,000 yuan ($1.4k) per night.

Titanic's original menu

A hub of entertainment, the Unsinkable Titanic will feature Vegas-style amusements, cocktail parties in the replica Titanic swimming pool area, and restaurants that will recreate actual dishes served on the doomed liner's maiden voyage.

A sinister simulation

Controversially, the Unsinkable Titanic will feature a sophisticated iceberg simulation, which will recreate conditions on the ship at the moment the original Titanic was struck in the Atlantic Ocean. The simulation will use light and sound to enhance the creepy experience.

An uncertain future

But the build missed its 2017 completion date, and in February 2019 it was reported that construction was still underway. The latest update came in April 2021 when the project's Facebook account shared photos and videos of the construction site. But while the project's social media accounts have shown that the ship is being built, the project is far from finished and no revised date has been given for its completion, just lots of rumors. 

Construction timelines aren't the only issue. As with Titanic II, the Unsinkable Titanic has attracted a number of critics who feel the project is tasteless and trivializes the tragedy by exploiting it as an entertainment experience. According to Curtis Schnell, however, the project is being developed in “a very respectful way”. UK newspapers reported in August 2021 that the ship had been abandoned. We've approached Romandisea for an update several times but no one has responded.

Half-scale Titanic copies

Don't have the patience to hold out for a full-size replica? You can pay a visit to one of America's half-scale Titanic copies. The Titanic Museum in Branson, Missouri and its sister establishment in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee have impressive half-scale reproductions of the iconic liner.

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