Titanic II: Australian billionaire says he’s set to build replica of the ill-fated ship

An Australian billionaire says he plans to build a replica of the Titanic, one that would set sail with passengers and crew.

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And, hopefully, a better outcome than the last one.

Clive Palmer pitched the plan to build a replica of the ship that sank in two hours when it hit an iceberg on its maiden voyage in April 1912.

There were 2,200 people onboard. Only 700 survived the sinking.

On Wednesday, Palmer announced his plans at a news conference at the Sydney Opera House. It was the third time Palmer announced he was going to build a replica of the mammoth ship.

Palmer first launched plans for Titanic II in 2012, and again in 2018.

“It’s a lot more fun to do the Titanic than it is to sit at home and count my money,” Palmer reportedly told local media.

Palmer earns around half a billion dollars a year in mining royalties, according to CNN.

He plans to confirm a shipbuilder by the end of the year, to begin work by this time next year.

Passengers will be encouraged to dress for the 1900s, but it’s not mandatory, a spokesperson for Palmer told CNN.

Plans for the ship show it at 833 feet long and 105 feet wide. That would make it slightly wider than the Titanic which was 92 feet wide. The ship will hold 2,345 passengers. It will have 835 cabins.

If you are a third-class passenger, your food choices will be slightly limited – Irish stew and mash at long tables in a communal dining room. If you are not in for the full experience the third-class passengers had, other food items can be arranged, according to Palmer’s spokesperson.

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