More than a century after the original Titanic ship infamously sank on its maiden voyage in the North Atlantic Ocean, a fully-functioning replica of the gigantic vessel will set sail in 2018.
Built at a cost of £300 million (Rs. 2,960 crore) by an Australian billionaire Clive Palmer and his company Blue Star Line, Titanic II will be 270 metres long, 53 metres high and weigh 40,000 tonnes.
Unlike the original, the new ship will be four metres wider to meet 21st century safety regulations and have enough lifeboats, along with marine evacuation systems — besides a boat deck housing replicas of the original lifeboats.
Titanic II’s maiden voyage will not be from Southampton to New York, like the original ship, but from Jiangsu in eastern China to Dubai.
It will have nine floors to accommodate 2,400 passengers and 900 crew members, besides a swimming pool, Turkish baths and gyms.
The original Titanic sank on its maiden voyage in 1912 after colliding with an iceberg in the North Atlantic — killing more than 1,500 passengers and crew.
