by John Atchison

Created on: March 02, 2013   Last Updated: March 04, 2013

For most travelers, the onset of spring means summer and the vacation season are just around the corner. However, there is a group that sets out for adventure no matter what time of year it is. These folks are the people who go the cruise liner route. Forgetting about some recent incidents, traveling on a luxury liner has been a pretty safe experience. However, there is one disaster on the high seas that will never be forgotten: the ill-fated voyage of the Titanic.

The Titanic, which set sail with more than 2,200 passengers, sank after hitting an iceberg. Only approximately 700 people survived on lifeboats. The ship, which was considered unsinkable, did not survive its maiden voyage.

While it has been memorialized on the big screen and in numerous books throughout the years, one might wonder: Does the world genuinely want to see a Titanic II be constructed? At least one gentleman, billionaire Clive Palmer, thinks the time has come to recreate the old ship, 21st-century style.

The Australian businessman is full steam ahead with this venture as he revealed when he showed off the blueprints for Titanic II at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York. Though this newest version will have many modern amenities that the original ship did not have (like air conditioning), the builders will be recreating many of the features that were found in the original Titanic. The dining rooms will be designed to look like the original and there will be giant smoke stacks like the first Titanic had, though the ship will not be powered by coal and steam.

One question certain to arise in some minds is whether there is a real interest in something of this nature. After all, more than 1,500 people lost their lives as a result of this disaster. There will also be folks who think it is in terrible taste to even consider dredging up the old memories. Palmer is not deterred by this, even noting that he has received interest from more than 40,000 people who would like to be among those to go on Titanic II's maiden voyage.

The construction of the ship is said to be starting soon, somewhere in China. The announcement of the building of Titanic II was made with a special guest in attendance. Helen Benziger, who is the great-granddaughter of Titanic survivor Margaret "Molly" Brown, has thrown her support behind the effort and is on the advisory board for the ship. An NBC Bay Area piece quoted Ms. Benziger as saying that her great grandmother, "would have loved to see the Titanic rebuilt and complete the journey it never got to finish."

Should the project make it to fruition, it will be something that its passengers will remember for a lifetime. The passengers will be adorned in garments famous in that time and will be served the same menu that folks on the first Titanic feasted on. It is a remarkable undertaking for Palmer, which leaves some wondering why he is doing it. His answer was a simple one: "I want to spend the money I've got before I die. You might as well spend it, not leave it to the kids to spend, there will be enough left for them anyway."

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