Plans Unveiled For Full Scale Replica of the Titanic 292
Hugh Pickens writes "USA Today reports that Australian billionaire Clive Palmer has unveiled plans for construction of Titanic II, a cruise ship designed as a 'full-scale re-creation' of the Titanic, adding that the ship will be built in China and begin carrying passengers in 2016. The Titanic II will be built 883 feet long – 3 inches longer than the original Titanic – and weigh 55,800 gross tons, according to Palmer, who stopped short of calling the vessel unsinkable. It will carry a maximum of 2,435 passengers and 900 crew members, and include a gymnasium, Turkish baths, a squash court, a swimming pool, a theater and a casino. Like the original ship, there will no TVs aboard and probably no Internet service, Palmer says. Passengers will be able to dress in 1912-style clothing, giving them an opportunity to step back in time, or pretend they are Leo DiCaprio or Kate Winslet, who starred in James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster movie. But industry insiders are skeptical about the commercial viability of the ship. 'Titanic II is a curiosity and may have a draw as a floating hotel, but the idea of spending close to a week at sea on a vessel built around such a thin premise is seen as a stretch, at least by many within the industry,' says Michael Driscoll, editor of industry newsletter Cruise Week. Driscoll adds that he is skeptical about the future of Titanic II in the aftermath of the Carnival Triumph fire and last year's shipwreck of the Costa Concordia off the coast of Tuscany. Paul Kurzman, whose great-grandparents, Isidor and Ida Straus, died on the Titanic, says he has 'no problem' with the construction of Titanic II. 'I don't think they would have had any problem whatsoever, as long as the Titanic II steers clear of icebergs.'"
Looney (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Looney (Score:5, Informative)
And nobody tell the guys that the titanic had -from memory- at least one sistership who went on with her own commercial career without anykind of troubles...
Re:Please tell me it wont be an accurate replica.. (Score:2, Informative)
Well, they could at least give the crew binoculars:)
The lack of binoculars and that affecting the lookouts ability to see the iceberg is a bullshit myth. Even with today's binoculars it's easier to see things in the dark with just bare eyes simply because when you're staring at almost complete darkness with binoculars you have no references you can see when you look around so it's pure luck if you spot something. However, with bare eyes you can easily spot even a tiny difference from the complete darkness ahead (when your eyes have adjusted, which takes 15-20 minutes). Then you use night vision binoculars to figure out what exactly it is that you see. Back then optics were complete shit compared with today's motion stabilized binoculars and nobody back then had even envisioned night vision binoculars.
Because bare eyes are still the best way to notice things in the widest possible field of vision in the dark, ships' lightning is designed very carefully so that none of the lanterns or cabin lights or any other lights are reflected to the bridge windows. If you look closely, you can see that this is the case even with extremely well lit cruise ships at night.
(Yes, I am cruise ship bridge crew.)
Re:I think (Score:5, Informative)
Of course he's well known in Australia for stupid announcements that have little to do with reality. It was just over a year ago that he called a press conference to announce that Australia's environmental groups were funded by the CIA.