Proving that there is nothing that can be considered too poor of taste if there is a buck to be made, we have learned, via Time magazine, that plans are afoot for a new passenger ship which will be dubbed Titanic II. The new ship, which is currently set to make its first voyage in 2022, will welcome 2,400 passengers and 900 crew members; that, as it so happens, is almost the exact same number of each on board the original RMS Titanic when it sunk in 1912, ending the lives of 1,500 people. The current plan is to trace the original Titanic’s planned route from England to New York across through the North Atlantic.
Truly, what could go wrong?
Don’t start saving your pennies to recreate any Jack and Rose scenes just yet, though, because this isn’t the first time plans for a Titanic II have been announced only to be canceled. The Blue Star Line made a big splashy announcement back in 2013 for a replica ship. Then in 2015, the Blue Star Line ended their work on the Titanic II for financial reasons. Originally, that ship was supposed to set sail in 2016. The Titanic II will cost upwards of $500 million to recreate, and the hope is it can launch in 2022 to mark the 110-year anniversary of the original Titanic disaster.
After the massive success of the James Cameron movie 20 years ago, there was a plan drawn up to make a Titanic-themed hotel on the Las Vegas strip, but many people found the entire idea disrespectful, and the project was canceled. But what was once considered vulgar in the ’90s is just par for the course in 2018, where anything goes as long as there is money to be made. To be fair to the Blue Star Line, it’s not that unusual to make new ships named for others that have sunk under tragic circumstances. But these are usually military ships, and the new ship is meant to honor those who gave their lives in service. To have a replica ship built of Titanic, which had an unprecedented number of civilians die, is, well…a choice.
What do you think of plans for the Titanic II? Are you down to cosplay in 1900s clothing and recreate the “King of the world!” scene on the ship, or is the whole thing in terrible taste? Be sure to let us know your thoughts down below in the comments.
Images: Paramount Pictures / 20th Century Fox
