MS Titanic 2 cruise ship is among world's most-anticipated newbuild vessels on order, fascinating and inspiring millions worldwide. The Titanic replica is a stunning shipbuilding project to revive the ocean liner RMS Titanic. The idea for the new ship belongs to one of Australia's richest people - the mining magnate Clive Palmer.

On April 30, 2012, on a special press conference, Clive Palmer astonished and shocked the world announcing his intention to build a full-scale replica of RMS Titanic. The new 56,000-GT ton ship will have 10 decks, 840 passenger staterooms and max capacity 2435 passengers plus 900 staff and crew.

The maiden voyage of Titanic II is planned to leave not from Southampton to New York (like the original liner), but from Jiangsu China (north of Shanghai) to Dubai UAE. The new ship is intended to have modern passenger evacuation systems, digital navigation, latest radar systems and satellite controls, Heli Deck, top-deck gardens. Some relatives of passengers who died on RMS Titanic condemned the project to build a replica ship as insensitive. Blue Star Line was flooded with inquiries from potential customers, some offering up to GBP 640,000 to book Titanic 2's inaugural cruise. The replica ship is expected to enter service in 2022.

Titanic 2 ship construction and technical details

The new Titanic 2 ship was expected to be launched in 2018 - 106 years after the original ship sank in the North Atlantic Ocean. The original plans of Blue Star Line were to launch the replica ship in April 2012, in order to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the sinking.

The project was first pushed back to 2016, then to 2018. In September 2018, Clive Palmer confirmed in London England that construction works have recommended and that the new liner will be nearly identical to RMS Titanic.

The new ship will be 883 ft (270 m) long, just 2 inches longer than the original and 12 ft (3,7 m) wider in order to increase stability. The shipbuilder is CSC Jinling in Nanjing (the capital city of Jiangsu province, central-eastern China). The company is state-owned and has a shipyard with two drydocks.

Ship's external look is an exact copy of the namesake, but as a 21-st century cruise vessel, it will be fitted with top-notch marine systems and equipment to ensure the industry's highest safety standards. The original steam plant (based on coal-fired boilers and steam engines) is replaced by a diesel powerplant and diesel-electric propulsion. Next video animation shows RMS Titanic's powerplant and how it works.

The new Titanic ship is powered by four Wartsila diesel engines - two model 12V46F (12-cylinder, combined output 28,8 MW) plus two model 8L46F (8-cylinder gen sets, combined output 19,2 MW), to total power output 48 MW. Ship's propulsion includes 3x azimuth thrusters (360-degree rotating propellers) with combined output 30 MW.

The cruise ship has a 2-sectioned Navigation Bridge - forward (designed as an original replica) and aft (high technology wheelhouse). Marconi Room (communication facility on RMS Titanic) will be replicated, but not functional.

A new extra "Safety Deck" between original decks D and C is projected for 18 lifeboats and the safety chutes. It was not decided whether there will be garage or cars on-deck storage on board. New Titanic 2 ship will have all the safety certificates, including of course SOLAS. The building cost of the new liner was estimated to be around GBP 400 million.

Despite the planned maiden voyage in 2016, then in 2018, ship's construction didn't start. Blue Star Line's website was closed in 2018 and Clive Palmer abandoned its trademark. In 2017, Palmer was reported to be in ill health, suffering from memory lapses.

Staterooms

Just as the original liner, Titanic 2 is planned to have 3 passenger classes, with the options guests to sleep 6 nights in a same-class cabin or 2 nights in each class. Surprisingly, the 3rd class is attracting attention globally, being one of the most searched. Bathrooms are designed to be common (shared). There was an idea the ship to provide costumes (typical for each class cabins) complementary to all passengers.

Staterooms as amenities and decorations are planned to be very similar to those of RMS Titanic. The custom-made premium furniture will be made of high-quality woods (mahogany, walnut, sycamore, satinwood). First-Class cabins feature oak panelling. Second-Class cabins are with 2 beds (sofabed and fold-away). All staterooms have a wardrobe, dresser, seating area, steward call buttons.

New lower deck cabins are designed with modern amenities, but all other staterooms and all public premises (deck D and above) are precise recreations of the original ship.

Shipboard facilities

The new "Safety Deck" houses ship's Casino, Retail Shops, Hospital (Infirmary) and the 400-seat Theater (main show lounge). The company V-Ships Leisure is contracted to provide all onboard entertainment. Other planned facilities include 3 dining rooms (including First-Class Dining Saloon colored in white), a la carte restaurant, Cafe Parisien (patisserie), promenade deck (outdoor walking area encircling the ship), glass-dome covered Sun Deck (sunbathing area with 2 swimming pools, jacuzzis, changing cubicles, showers), Spa complex, Turkish bath, gymnasium, squash court, smoking lounge (blue and red coloured), several bars.

RMS Titanic's lounges and public spaces will be recreated with regard to the smallest details, including timber cladding walls, custom-made furniture, original artworks, light fittings, crystal chandeliers.

Shipboard dining

Onboard dining menus were developed by 68 chefs. Clive Palmer hosted gala events in NYC, London and Macau, offering VIP guests the 11-course dinner to be available at the new Titanic.

The list of those meals included: