There were plenty of people – including me – ready to declare Australian billionaire Clive Palmer crazy when he revealed plans to build Titanic 2. His latest announcement seems designed to convince us he is completely bonkers.
Pensioners, for example, will be barred from the casino, and less well-off passengers will be “screened” to make sure they can afford to lose money at the gambling tables.
The ship, which a Chinese yard has contracted to build, will be an exact replica of the 1912 original but about four feet wider in the beam and with an extra deck inserted to carry more passengers and also lifeboats and safety equipment, including escape chutes.
The deck plans and restaurant menus will be exactly the same as those of 100 years ago, although modern passengers will be given the benefit of air conditioning and lifts.
Like the original, it will operate a three-class system for passengers, though Palmer has suggested that on a six-night Transatlantic crossing it could be possible to spend two nights in each cabin grade. There’s no suggestion yet that the last night will be spent in the lifeboats, but give him time . . .
Passengers in third class will use shared bathrooms, and can expect to sit down at a long dining room table for a meal of Irish stew and then dance an Irish jig at night, according to Palmer, speaking at a press conference in Brisbane.
The eccentric and ebullient billionaire, who has made his fortune from mining, said he had a social responsibility to ensure passengers wanting to visit the casino could afford to do so. “We’ll be in international waters, so we can probably stop pensioners from coming without breaching any legislation,” he said.
“There will be some sort of screening to make sure the people who do go there are people who can afford to go there. I think third class we’d have to have questions about, wouldn’t we?
“If you can afford a first-class ticket at the prices that I’ll be charging, you can probably afford to go to the casino. We’ll only locate the casino in first class probably, so we should be able to segregate.”
Mr Palmer said the first-class fare for Titanic’s ill-fated maiden voyage would have been equivalent to $80,000 (£57,000) at today’s prices. “I’m sure we can do better than that, but go Third Class – that’s where I’ll be, that’s where the fun will be.”
Asked about the cost of the project, which is scheduled to be built in time for a launch in 2016, Palmer said: “The sky’s the limit. All the money I’ve got is the budget. That should be enough.”
He claims 30,000 people have registered an interest in obtaining tickets for the maiden voyage. It will be interesting to see how many want to share a bathroom and eat Irish stew every night.
All I can say is I’ve heard it all now.
wow…GO TITANIC!!!
don’t slag it off coz u ul like the box ships how about u write about how people are not a fan f the box ships
This is the best idea ever!! But I’d love to go on it!! Never be able to afford it though so I guess I’ll just wave it off hahaa