Titanic II May Set Sail in 2022

If you thought the long-delayed project to launch a full-size replica of the ill-fated RMS Titanic will “go on and on” just like Celine Dion sang back in 1997, then think again.

A replica of the Titanic could embark on its maiden voyage by 2022 and eventually follow its doomed predecessor's original route from Southampton to New York, the company behind the "Titanic II" project says. Clive Palmer, an Australian businessman and chairman of Blue Star Line, announced the revival of the project in September following years of delays due to financial constraints.

"The ship will follow the original journey, carrying passengers from Southampton to New York, but it will also circumnavigate the globe, inspiring and enchanting people while attracting unrivalled attention, intrigue, and mystery in every port she visits," said Palmer in a statement.

Allegedly the new ship will be an identical copy of the infamous liner, which sank in 1912 following a collision with an iceberg. However, it is said that to avoid a repeat disaster, Titanic II will apparently be outfitted with plenty of lifeboats -- and will have a welded, not riveted hull -- plus modern navigation and radar equipment.

"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 in his statement.

The maiden voyage, however, will take passengers from Dubai to New York, reports CruiseArabia, with the first sailing scheduled to take place in 2022.

Built at an estimated cost of about $500 million, the nine-decked new Titanic ship will be home to 835 cabins, set to accommodate 2,435 passengers. Passengers will be able to buy first-, second- and third-class tickets -- just like in the original ship.

It may be mentioned that the project was initially announced in 2012. After myriad financial problems, the plan was suspended in 2015 and restarted in September.

Meanwhile, tourists with plenty of money to splash might soon have the chance to dive to the wreck of the original Titanic. American company OceanGate has scheduled diving trips for 2019, costing $105,129 per person.

Realistically, it's unclear whether Titanic II will ever see the light of day -- or whether the diving tours will happen next year.

But one thing's for certain, more than 100 years after the Titanic's first and only voyage, global interest in the doomed ship shows no sign of slowing down.