Australian billionaire to build Titanic II

Telegraph ^ | 4-30-12

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

A maverick Australian mining billionaire, Clive Palmer, plans to build the Titanic II and sail it from England to New York by the end of 2016.

The replica of the ill-fated ship will be built at a Chinese shipyard and will sail on its maiden voyage accompanied by the Chinese navy. It will be powered by diesel rather than coal but will otherwise follow design plans approved by a historical research team and, like its predecessor, will have 840 rooms and nine decks.

Asked whether the new ship could sink, Mr Palmer, Australia's fifth-richest person, said: "Of course it will sink if you put a hole in it."

He added: "It will be designed as a modern ship with all the technology to ensure that doesn't happen. But, of course, if you are superstitious like you are, you never know what could happen.''

Mr Palmer said the boat will have the same dimensions as the Titanic and will replicate its design as closely as possible but will have "state of the art engineering". The only differences will be below the water line, he said, and will include a bulbous bow for greater fuel efficiency and diesel generation, plus an enlarged rudder and bow thrusters for improved manoeuvrability.

"Titanic II will be the ultimate in comfort and luxury with on-board gymnasiums and swimming pools, libraries, high class restaurants and luxury cabins," he said.

Mr Palmer, whose wealth is estimated at more than £3 billion, is well known in Australia for his outlandish whims and gestures and controversial views...

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Clive Palmer

VIdeo at link

[freedomlover]

Sounds like this guy wants to be a millionaire.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

A Chinese-built Titanic?

Impossible for this to turn out badly.

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

yeah, lol

[Secret Agent Man]

Titanic II: How To Piss Away A Fortune

Seriously, where’s the demand? Build a ship for non-existant demand. It will still not be the original. REPLICA. NOT THE REAL THING.

If they want to make money just make the bow and put it over water so the idiots who want to do the “KING OF THE WORLD” thing can get their picture taken. Replicate one of the dining rooms on land and make money that way.

[Secret Agent Man]

Wait till he’s told “oh you wanted WORKING electronics in the ship instead of counterfeit processors and chips?”

[newzjunkey]

Replicate one of the dining rooms on land and make money that way.

Kind of already done by Titanic museum attractions in Pigeon Forge, TN, and Branson, MO.

[Lady Lucky]

The only differences will be below the water line, he said, and will include a bulbous bow for greater fuel efficiency and diesel generation, plus an enlarged rudder and bow thrusters for improved manoeuvrability.

Would it be cheeky to suggest extra lifeboats?

[Cowman]

Asked whether the new ship could sink, Mr Palmer, Australia's fifth-richest person, said: "Of course it will sink if you put a hole in it."

At least he's not saying God himself couldn't sink it.

[cableguymn]

The Chinese are completely capable of building electronics that work if your willing to pay for it.

you want cut rate, you get cut rate quality.

however, if he goes cut rate I completely expect the critical systems to fail when the watchman yells “ICE BERG!!!!!”

[Secret Agent Man]

Yeah but he could do that somewhere in Australia and probably make an workable attraction out of it.

[Jack Hydrazine]

There’s already been a Titanic II and it did sink!

Titanic II sinks on maiden voyage
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8559138/Titanic-II-sinks-on-maiden-voyage.html

“It’s all a bit embarrassing and I got pretty fed up with people asking me if I had hit an iceberg.”
One eye-witness said: “It wasn’t a very big boat - I think an ice-cube could have sunk it!”

As for the new Titanic II I bet the former captain of the Costa Concordia, Francesco Schettino, will be hired to pilot her.

Lastest update on the Costa Concordia:

Costa Concordia Update: U.S. Salvage Company Wins Bid
27APR2012
http://cruisefever.net/0428-costa-concordia-to-be-floated-to-a-port-in-italy/

Costa Concordia to Be Removed In One Piece
24APR2012
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/24/costa-concordia-to-be-removed-in-one-piece/

[newzjunkey]

I don't get the anger. It's his money. His vision.

Are you opposed to Revolutionary or Civil War reenactments? It's NOT THE REAL THING then either.

[ExCTCitizen]

The replica of the ill-fated ship will be built at a Chinese shipyard and will sail on its maiden voyage accompanied by the Chinese navy

Chinese Built cruise Ship? Sorry you won't catch me DEAD on it!! If they don't care about lead in furniture... do you think they'll care about SAFTY in a ship???

[Secret Agent Man]

It’s not anger, it’s being critical of a bad idea.

Don’t be a liberal and automatically think everything is “anger”. That’s just stupid.

Now I am not angry at you, just so you know in case you are unable to tell.

[TigersEye]

So the Chinese Navy is going to cut loose part of its fleet from the Pacific to sail into the Atlantic, sail into a British port, sail across the North Atlantic and into a port in New York? That should be interesting.

[freepertoo]

I think it’s a cool idea.

[TigersEye]

Bringing the Chinese Navy into NYC?

[TalBlack]

“Chinese Built cruise Ship?”

This is a factoid that the billionaire may want to pay more attention to: Titanic wasn’t a cruise ship, she was transportation. All the lux was packed into the topend of the ship. No one is going to want to book a replica of Titanics 2nd and steerage classes (the money makers even back in the day).

[TigersEye]

Maybe he’ll make the lower levels a petroleum hold.