Have you ever wondered what it was like to travel on the most famous steamship in history?
I’m talking about the Titanic, of course.
By the way, the other day I saw a documentary of how the steel in that ship was put together.
It was riveting.
Oh you heard that one already?
Too bad.
Well, we all know that it came to a sad end.
But the good news is that soon you’ll be able to take a trip on the greatest liner
of all time, without risking your life.
For over a century, the history of the Titanic has fascinated people all over the planet.
Lucky for us, businessman Clive Palmer, one of the richest men in Australia, is a fan
himself.
In 2012, he announced his project to build a replica of the legendary ship.
That was exactly 100 years after the real Titanic went down in the North Atlantic.
Palmer wanted to recreate the whole experience so much that he named his cruise company Blue
Star Line.
It’s a nod to The White Star Line, which owned the original Titanic.
And if you still doubt the seriousness of his intentions, let me tell you that this
man forked over $500 million to make his dream come true.
And 7 years later, the construction’s finally coming to an end.
Hopefully, all that money and time were well spent.
Designers and historians made sure that the interiors were as close to the original liner
as possible.
After all, we’re lucky to have loads of photos of the first Titanic, so it won’t
be too hard to compare.
As you may know, the world’s wealthiest people hurried to book a ticket to travel
on Titanic.
Dozens of businessmen and aristocrats were among the first-class passengers there, and
they required special treatment.
Well, they sure got it since the ship was known not only for its enormous size, but
also for its luxurious amenities.
Just imagine: A library, a gymnasium, and even Turkish baths were on board this glorious
ship over 100 years ago!
For $1, you could visit cold or hot chambers and steam rooms; all while the ship was gliding
accross the ocean.
There was also a swimming pool filled with heated saltwater.
It was pretty small, but hey, it was only the second ship to have a pool at the time,
so it must have been impressive enough anyway.
The first was set up a year earlier on RMS Olympic, Titanic’s sister ship.
All of these rooms will be replicated in Titanic II.
Like its predecessor, it'll feature a squash court and a gym, and be furnished with the
newest fitness equipment, at least by the century-old standards.
Back in 1912, it had rowing machines, exercise bikes, and electric horses.
The passengers could train on their own, or with the help of an instructor, so not much
has changed since then.
Apart from the clothes of course.
Have you ever worked out in a long dress or a suit?
I doubt it.
Animals enjoyed being well taken care of aboard too, especially 12 pooches who had their own
kennel.
Their owners actually planned to put on a dog show during the trip, but unfortunately,
the iceberg got in the way.
One of the most lavish spaces of theTitanic was the lounge.
The walls in there were trimmed with mother of pearl and mahogany wood.
Visitors could also warm up near the marble fireplace, which was the only functioning
fireplace in the whole ship.
There was one small catch though.
The room was for men only.
Maybe, in this case, there’s nothing wrong with upgrading some old rules, right?
Remember that beautiful wooden staircase where Rose met Jack in the finale of James Cameron’s
film?
(sniff, it was sad.)
It matched the famous Grand Stairway that connected the decks in the original ship.
Titanic II will have the same set of stairs, topped by a glass dome brightening up the
steps with natural light in the daytime.
I guess now we know what will be the most instagrammed place of the new vessel.
And let’s not forget the extravagant dining room of the first class.
It was 92 feet wide and 114 feet long.
With so much space it could accommodate more than 500 people at once!
It literally was the largest room on Titanic, and one of the finest too.
It was painted white, and the portholes were hidden behind lead glass windows, which created
the illusion of an elegant onshore restaurant.
This décor, combined with delicious food, can definitely turn a simple dinner into the
evening of a lifetime.
That’s all well and good, but after a couple of meals, one can get tired of dining in the
same room, no matter how fancy.
For this occasion, Titanic had a Cafe Parisien that resembled a French sidewalk café, and
a Verandah Cafe with a great view of the Atlantic.
Who knows, maybe this time they'll attract younger passengers just like back then.
The private room layout on Titanic II will be authentic too.
The ship will serve 3 categories of passengers, so there will be 3 types of cabins accordingly.
The first-class will enjoy more spacious suites with large canopy beds, tables and even their
own fireplaces for decoration.
The second-class ones will be less luxurious but quite cozy.
They’ll have bunk beds or sofas embedded right in the walls.
And the third-class cabins will also be just like a century ago.
They were the smallest and the most humble ones, and often had 4 cots in a room; but
that was still more than decent for that time.
Except for maybe one thing: people who bought third-class tickets had only 2 bathtubs for
all 700 of them.
The creators of Titanic II considered leaving it how it was to make the modern third-class
trip an adventure.
But you know, let’s just hope they’ll change their minds about that.
There would be quite a line up.
After all, they had no problem with adjusting the ship to the present-day safety requirements.
The original liner had over 3,300 people aboard and only 20 lifeboats capable of rescuing
three times less than that.
Titanic II will accommodate around 2,400 passengers and 900 crew members as well, but the number
of rafts and life jackets will be increased significantly.
In case of an emergency, every person on the ship can be saved.
That’s not the only thing that changed for good.
The new Titanic will have a stronger, welded hull, rather than a riveted one.
Apparently, this part of the boat was damaged when it crashed into the iceberg, allowing
water to gush in.
It'll also switch to the more efficient diesel engine.
Back in the day, the ship was powered by steam, which was produced in huge boilers.
Titanic II will have an extra deck, raising the total number to 10 rather than 9, as it
was in 1912.
The new platform will be used for keeping the right amount of lifeboats.
There'll be more staircases added so that the passengers and the crew can reach the
other floors faster if something happens.
And of course, the ship will feature the latest radar and satellite systems to make it seaworthy
in a truly modern sense.
Try to imagine people wearing shorts and mini skirts in the old-fashioned rooms of Titanic.
Seems weird, huh?
To allow the passengers to experience the bygone era to the max, the crew will give
out big dresses and tuxedos.
They even thought about having no internet or TV onboard.
Tickets aren’t on sale yet, so I can’t give you an approximate price of the trip
right now.
But even without Wi-fi or private baths, the journey on Titanic II will definitely cost
more than your ordinary cruise.
Its maiden voyage is scheduled for 2022.
The ship will travel from Dubai to the English city of Southampton, and then to New York,
following the route of its legendary ancestor.
If all goes as planned, later it will host cruises around the world.
And what historical period would you like to travel to?
Let me know down in the comments!
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