More than 115 years after RMS Titanic’s infamous maiden voyage, a full-scale replica is now set to follow in the footsteps – or rather, the wake – of the world’s most iconic ocean liner.
Australian billionaire Clive Palmer has announced that Titanic II will officially set sail in 2027, departing from Southampton and retracing the original route via Cherbourg, France, to New York City.
The long-delayed project, first revealed in 2012, is being revived under Palmer’s Blue Star Line and promises a ship that closely replicates the original White Star Line vessel – but with crucial modern safety upgrades, including sufficient lifeboats and advanced navigation systems.
While construction has yet to begin, Palmer now claims the project is finally moving forward, with shipbuilders invited to submit formal proposals for the vessel’s construction.
According to a recent update from Blue Star Line, work is expected to begin in 2026.
An Authentic Experience – With Some Modern Additions
Although Titanic II is designed to replicate the look, feel, and layout of the original 1912 vessel, Palmer insists the experience won’t simply be a floating museum.
Instead, it will immerse guests in history while ensuring their safety and comfort meet today’s expectations.
Titanic II will feature all three original class distinctions – first, second, and third class – giving guests the opportunity to step into the shoes of passengers from all walks of life during the Titanic’s fateful voyage.
A Decade of Delays
Palmer first announced Titanic II in 2012, with the original plan aiming for a 2016 launch. However, the project stalled repeatedly, with scepticism growing that the ship might never materialise.
Despite those setbacks, the Blue Star Line website has remained live, and Palmer has repeatedly reaffirmed his commitment to bringing the replica ship to life.
If the new timeline sticks, then Titanic II will be launched from Ocean Village in Southampton, the same port the original RMS Titanic departed from on April 10, 1912, before she struck an iceberg and sank just four days later, claiming more than 1,500 lives.
This time, Palmer is hoping to avoid any such fate. The new ship will include state-of-the-art navigation, weather forecasting, and collision avoidance systems, ensuring a far safer journey than the original.
If completed as planned, Titanic II could be one of the most ambitious maritime tributes ever built – blending nostalgia, history, and cruise innovation into one dramatic sailing.
No official construction contract or shipyard has yet been confirmed, but with a proposed 2027 maiden voyage now on the calendar, fans and maritime historians will be watching closely to see whether Titanic II finally leaves dry dock.
Concerns Over Offensive Elements
There are some concerns that the project is not the tribute to the ship and passengers that Palmer claims it to be.
Palmer has suggested that each cabin will have a plaque detailing the original people who sailed in the equivalent cabin on the Titanic.
That would be a nice tribute, but when paired with the fact that period costumes will be provided to guests for dinner, it almost suggests that guests are being invited to cosplay as those who lost their lives in the original tragedy.
There’s a fine line between paying respects and cheaply taking advantage of the tragedy, something which a new West End musical is also finding out.
Titanique is a musical that combines the music of Celine Dion with a ‘romcom’ and while the show has won multiple awards, there are some that feel it’s disrespectful to those who died.
Others argue that plenty of time has passed since it’s more than a century after the disaster – but it’s still one of the most well-known tragedies in human history and so anything potentially making light of it – a musical or a new ocean liner with period costumes – risks backlash.
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I find this idea, absolutely sick and very disrespectful to those that died on the original ship. It’s bad enough to build a duplicate ship, but to rub salt into the wound, they want to put a plaque in the cabin and period costume for today’s passengers to wear on Formal nights… its disrespectful and should not be allowed. Clive Palmer is in this for the money.
SICK, SICK, SICK. Have some respect.
Clive Palmer said construction of his Titanic II would start in the first quarter of 2025. However, it didn’t. Palmer said construction would take 2.5 years, giving a launch date of 2027. However, as yet (July 2025) he has yet to find a shipyard. Unfortunately, most if Europe’s shipyards are busy for a decade! Given the fact construction has not started and may not start this year, his date of 2027 will almost certainly be delayed again!