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Mon 30 Apr, 2012 06:18 pm
would you be interested in setting sail on a ship called TITANIC II ?
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30 April 2012
Clive Palmer told a news conference Titanic II would be ready to set sail in 2016
Clive Palmer, one of Australia's richest men, has commissioned a Chinese state-owned company to build a 21st Century version of the Titanic.
The mining billionaire told Australian media that construction would start at the end of next year.
The plan, he added, was for the vessel to be as similar as possible to the original Titanic in design and specifications, but with modern technology.
Mr Palmer told Australian media that he had signed a memorandum of understanding with CSC Jinling Shipyard to construct the ship.
"It will be every bit as luxurious as the original Titanic but of course it will have state-of-the-art 21st Century technology and the latest navigation and safety systems," he said in a statement.
The announcement comes just weeks after the centenary of the sinking of the ill-fated Titanic.
The vessel, the largest luxury ship in its time, struck an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. It went down on 15 April 1912, leaving more than 1,500 people dead.
"Of course it will sink if you put a hole in it,'' Mr Palmer said in response to questions from reporters on whether the Titanic replica would sink.
A number of events were held to mark the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's sinking
The new vessel is scheduled to sail from London to New York in late 2016, if all goes as planned.
"It is going to be designed so it won't sink,'' he added. ''But, of course, if you are superstitious like you are, you never know what could happen.''
The cost of the construction is not known, a spokesman for Mr Palmer told Australian media.
The mining magnate from Queensland, who has strong business relations with China, has expanded into tourism. He owns a luxury resort on the Sunshine Coast and has plans to build a fleet of luxury liners.
His plan to build the Titanic replica was announced on the same day that he revealed plans, in a separate news conference, to contest the next federal election in Queensland.
He told reporters that he has expressed interest in standing for Queensland's Liberal National Party (LNP), part of the conservative opposition at federal level, in the Brisbane seat of Lilley - currently held by Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan.
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( i wouldn't be too keen to sail on the Titanic II .
sure sounds like a gimmick to me . )
@hamburgboy,
I heard that on the CBC this morning and thought ... no blinking way!
@ehBeth,
I have a feeling that after 2016 Australia will have one billionaire less, this dude having flushed his wealth down the proverbial drain. How many people are going to want to sail on a ship with a name which has become synonimous for maritime disasters?
@hamburgboy,
Yeah, well maybe. If it were made in China, I guess it would be alright. That's where I get all my cat food, infant formula, and sheet rock.
i'd love to sail on Titanic II, but the journey clashes with my voyage on The Hindenburg II, we're departing from beautiful Lakehurst, New Jersey
You couldn't pay me enough to get on that tug.
@Ceili,
but dearie, its practically unsinkeable
Likely it will be the most carefully run vessel in history, at least in the beginning. I would sail on it if the opportunity came about.
just listened to the CBC NEWS .
the Titanic II will follow the exactly same route as the ( original ) Titanic .
as an added extra , chinese warships will be accompanying the Titanic II to demonstrate the new naval power of china .
the reporter added that he had no doubt that the US would be pleased to watch the military display by the chinese navy in the atlantic .
Quoting a well known ex president: Bring it on.
@edgarblythe,
I heard that the NEW CHINESE NAVY ships all have glass bottoms.
SO they can get clear views of the OLD CHINESE NAVY
I can see them chugging in to New York now.
@Lustig Andrei,
Lustig Andrei wrote:
I have a feeling that after 2016 Australia will have one billionaire less, this dude having flushed his wealth down the proverbial drain. How many people are going to want to sail on a ship with a name which has become synonimous for maritime disasters?
He's kind of mega weird. (Or had you guessed?
)However, he DOES appear able to hold onto his wealth despite that, so I'm guessing he won't be broke anytime soon.
@djjd62,
djjd62 wrote:
i'd love to sail on Titanic II, but the journey clashes with my voyage on The Hindenburg II, we're departing from beautiful Lakehurst, New Jersey
Oh the choices! Oh the humanity!
How I envy you!
@farmerman,
farmerman wrote:
but dearie, its practically unsinkeable
Yep. It'll only sink if it gets a hole in it. How could that possibly happen in this day and age?
Hell, we are melting all the ice anyway. That'll show those smegging icebergs!
@dlowan,
Bottom line, Deb : would
you be eager -- or even willing -- to book passage on a ship named
HMS Titanic on its maiden voyage?
@hamburgboy,
hamburgboy wrote:
just listened to the CBC NEWS .
the Titanic II will follow the exactly same route as the ( original ) Titanic .
as an added extra , chinese warships will be accompanying the Titanic II to demonstrate the new naval power of china .
the reporter added that he had no doubt that the US would be pleased to watch the military display by the chinese navy in the atlantic .
There's speculation here that Palmer is a "sleeper" operative of the Left.
His mission appears to have been to roll along being bizarre until Federal Labor is in diabolical deep doodie and about to get slaughtered by the right in the next election and then swing into action to discredit his erstwhile conservative cronies.
It's a majestically fine effort, but not enough to save the party, I believe.
@Lustig Andrei,
Lustig Andrei wrote:
Bottom line, Deb : would you be eager -- or even willing -- to book passage on a ship named HMS Titanic on its maiden voyage?
I'd not be prepared to support Palmer in any way that I could avoid.
Also I couldn't afford it.
So the answer is no.
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