Wealthy passengers 'offer' up to $1 m for berth on Titanic II

The Titanic's replica will set sail on its maiden voyage in 2016 from Southampton to New York and some wealthy passengers have reportedly already offered up to $1 m for the chance to be on board

  The Titanic's replica will set sail on its maiden voyage in 2016 from Southampton to New York, just like the original ship whose fateful journey began on April 15, 1912.  After it struck an iceberg and sank, 1523 passengers and crew members lost their lives and the tragedy has been remembered as one of the greatest maritime disasters in history that draws enormous public attention to this day.

   Recently, a production of the replica of the famous ship has begun and it has been announced that its inaugural voyage will follow the identical route of its predecessor, the Titanic. This means that the ship will stop in Cobh, Ireland before it sails the Atlantic en route to New York.

   The Titanic II is being built according to designs of the Australian mining magnate Clive Palmer in the Jinling shipyard in China. It has been suggested that the original exterior will be recreated, but the ship will be equipped with the latest technology. In addition, the original interiors will be recreated as well, and passengers will be offered the same menu as the passengers in 1912.

   There will be space for 2400 passengers in 840 cabins. Mr. Palmer said that he has received a lot of inquiries from potential passengers, some of whom have offered up to $1 m for the chance to be on board the maiden voyage.

   Le Wenbai, the Jinling shipyard spokesman said that the Titanic II is a liner and will be equipped with advanced technologies, including the most modern systems for rescue and communication, in order to meet all the criteria of modern navigation.

   All additional details concerning the construction of the replica and its maiden voyage will likely be revealed on March 2, 2013 during a press conference at the Ritz Hotel in London.