Blue Star Line Chairman, Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, claimed that work has restarted on the construction of ‘Titanic ll’.
The vessel is expected to be put into service on the Southampton/New York service in 2022. She will replicate the 1912-built ‘Titanic’ in length (269 m) but will be a few meters wider to provide additional stability.
In 2015, construction work was suspended due to Palmers’ company, Mineralogy, being in dispute with Chinese state-owned Citic Limited over the non-payment of hundreds of millions of dollars. However, late in 2017 the Western Australian Supreme Court ordered that Citic to pay the money.
“Blue Star Line will create an authentic Titanic experience, providing passengers with a ship that has the same interiors and cabin layout as the original vessel, while integrating modern safety procedures, navigation methods and 21st century technology to produce the highest level of luxurious comfort,’’ Palmer said.
“The ship will follow the original journey, carrying passengers from Southampton to New York, but she will also circumnavigate the globe, inspiring and enchanting people while attracting unrivalled attention, intrigue and mystery in every port she visits,” Palmer claimed.
Palmer later announced that the company’s headquarters will be in Paris, France. This was due to the UK’s decision to leave the European Union and the likelihood that there would be no agreement between the UK and the EU forthcoming.
“It is of little use having a European headquarters outside Europe,’’ Palmer said. “The decision will mean we won’t open our European office until March, 2019, with Paris being ideally placed to suit the company’s needs.”
He also said that Blue Star Lines staff will relocate to Paris in early March, 2019 where recruitment will take place for additional employees.
Discussions were underway between the project’s World Director and suppliers and consultants worldwide to get ‘Titanic II’ underway as soon as possible, he said.
