Australian billionaire Clive Palmer has been the driving force behind the construction of Titanic II, a re-creation of the tragic ship that perished in 1912 with over 2,200 people on board, for more than ten years.
About 700 people made it out alive, making it the most disastrous journey in history. This event also gave rise to an idea for a billionaire who loved to cruise and had plenty of money to burn.
Palmer initiated the Titanic II project in 2012 and then again in 2018.
He’s done it once more after six years, relaunching the project on Wednesday in front of the city’s renowned waterfront during a press meeting at Sydney Opera House.
The issue remains, though: why?
“It’s a lot more fun to do the Titanic than it is to sit at home and count my money,” Palmer reportedly told local media with the blunt honesty of man who earns almost half a billion dollars in mining royalties every year.
For Palmer the question is not how to earn money, but where to spend it.
The general consensus at the time, more than ten years ago, was that he was wealthy and eccentric enough to build a more buoyant version of the Titanic – Titanic II.
However, the pandemic’s headwinds forced the multimillion-dollar effort to halt as ports closed and travelers reevaluated their willingness to take the chance of being isolated at sea.
Palmer, the chairman of the Blue Star Line, the organization that was responsible for the Titanic project, had other concerns.
He has filed several lawsuits against the federal and state governments in recent years.
He challenged the state government of Western Australia for its choice to close its borders during the outbreak. He lost another case in the High Court when he sued the same state government for billions of dollars, claiming that they had denied him payments related to an iron mining mine.
He’s now taking that to an international tribunal, seeking almost $200 billion in damages from the federal government.
Then there’s his bids for political office, as the founder of the United Australia Party, registered in 2018, whose policies included an Australian Bill of Rights and bans on Covid lockdowns and vaccine mandates.
He famously spent millions of dollars on advertising for very little electoral return, and the party was deregistered in 2022.
Now the pandemic has passed, and cruise ships are once again at sea, Palmer said the time is right to revive his Titanic dream.
“We are very pleased to announce that after unforeseen global delays, we have reengaged with partners to bring the dream of Titanic ll to life. Let the journey begin,’’ Palmer said in a press release.
The plans have been verified to verify they conform with current requirements and are strikingly similar to prior iterations.
In order to start construction in the first quarter of 2025, a ship builder will be confirmed by the end of the year, and tenders are currently being sought.
Palmer currently anticipates that the successful bidders will be European in origin. He told reporters that he didn’t think Chinese standards could handle the situation.
At the relaunch, his team distributed an eight-minute video that’s been around for several years, showing the layout of the ship and how each room will look, complete with actors dressed in period costume.
Passengers will be encouraged to dress for the 1900s, but it’s not mandatory, a spokesperson said.
The ship itself will be 269 meters (833 feet) long and 32.2 meters (105 feet) wide – slightly wider than the original. Capacity will be 2,345 passengers spread across nine decks with 835 cabins. Almost half of those will be reserved for first class passengers.
Third class passengers will be treated to stew and mash at long tables in a communal dining room – as they were on the original boat – though a spokesperson said other meals will also be available for those who want a less authentic experience.
Historians and scholars are still enthralled with the tale of the Titanic even after more than a century has passed.
Amateur explorers drawn to the site have been captivated by the tragedy, which served as the inspiration for James Cameron’s Oscar-winning 1997 picture “Titanic,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
One such operation ended tragically in June of last year when the Titan submersible suffered a catastrophic implosion while en way to the wreckage, killing all five occupants.
Palmer aspires to both world peace and the Titanic-like experience, minus the terrible conclusion.
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