In the chilly, early morning hours of April 15, 1912, in the North Atlantic Ocean, the British luxury liner RMS Titanic, billed as an unsinkable modern shipping marvel, struck an iceberg on her way from Southampton, England, to New York and sank.
In one of the deadliest commercial shipping accidents in modern history, more than 1,500 of an estimated 2,200 passengers and crew died in the frigid waters when the famed vessel went down.
Now a replica of the legendary ocean liner, called Titanic II, is preparing to retrace the ill-fated voyage by 2022.
After a delay of several years over a $500 million financial dispute, construction on the replica has resumed, according to USA Today.
The Titanic II will be almost identical to its namesake with the same cabin layout and public areas, including the swimming pool and the Titanic’s famous Turkish baths, except the replica will be 13 feet wider with modern safety and navigation technology.
It will have a welded, not riveted hull, along with modern evacuation plans, controls, navigation and radar, James McDonald, marketing director of the Blue Star Line, told the Belfast Telegraph. It will also carry a similar number of passengers about 2,400 and a 900-member crew.
The new ship is under construction in China, instead of Belfast, Northern Ireland, where the original Titanic was built and launched. And when it begins its maiden voyage, it will sail from China to Dubai, then on to England where it will then retrace the Titanic’s original route from there.
"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 unrivaled attention, intrigue and mystery in every port she visits, Blue Line chairman Clive Palmer told MSN.
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