Tag Archives: Cruise Ship News

Titanic

Titanic News: Anniversary of finding, Titanic II tickets, and Titanic Whistles

1. Titanic II Ticket Demand Expected To Increase
Cruise Ship News speculates that now the project is back on, that demand for tickets will begin again. “One thing we do know though, and that is the fact there will now be renewed demand for Titanic 2 ticket prices. Details of Titanic II tickets had already been shared, but not their prices. We do know that there will be first, second and third class like the original liner, and some people have been offering up to £640,000($987,216USD) so they can be the first to experience life aboard the Titanic 2.” They might want to wait until construction actually begins before offering substantial sums of money. There is still a lot of doubt this will get built.
Source: Titanic 2 Ticket Demand Renewed Following Latest Launch News(14 Sep 2015,Cruise Ship News)

2. Titanic Whistles Heard For The First Time Since 1912 At Luxor Titanic Exhibition
Back in 1912 recording media was very primitive so we have no idea what Titanic’s whistles sounded like. Now we have a pretty good idea. A set of Titanic’s whistles were recovered in 1993,cleaned and then X-rayed. The whistles are believed to been on the first funnel and could be used one last time. In 1999 using high-pressured air, the whistle tones were recorded. The whistle sound, two separate blasts of about eight seconds each, are heard by visitors to the Titanic exhibition at Luxor hotel in Las Vegas. A replica set of the whistles is on display as well (the original is at the Huntington Park, California exhibition).
Source:Whistles Give Voice To Tragedy At Luxor Titanic Exhibition(13 Sep 2015,Las Vegas Review Journal)

3. 30 Years!
On September 1, 1985, a joint expedition of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and French National Institute of Oceanography (IFREMER) located Titanic just a little after 1am. Lying over 12,400 feet down, it was a major success for Robert Ballard (WHOI) and Jean Louis Michel of IFREMER to finally locate the wreck. Using a new approach of using a deep towed sonar and video camera system, they were looking for debris rather than just one large object. They found the debris field and followed it to the wreck. It was a major achievement for both and brought worldwide attention. It answered some questions and raised more. Titanic did not sink in one piece but in two. Further explorations would learn there was no large gash but perhaps punctures caused by the iceberg grazing against it. The subsequent salvage would touch off a firestorm between Titanic historians and enthusiasts, a debate that still lingers to this day.
Source: 1985 Discovery of RMS Titanic(Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)

Titanic II

Titanic II: Cruise Ship News Says It’s Not Going To Happen

Photo:Benjamin J MacDonald
Photo:Benjamin J MacDonald

Cruise Ship News notes that by this date things were supposed to be in motion. Excitement had been generated that a second Titanic would be built. Money had been spent on testing models and contracts with various vendors to the outfitting of the ship were done. You had Clive Palmer doing Titanic themed meals around the world with the rich and famous. Ah but now it is all quiet on the Titanic 2 construction. No keel has been laid, no contract has been signed to formally build the ship. Clive Palmer has had a falling out with his Chinese partners and in litigation with Citic Pacific.

The most optimistic appraisal is that things are stalled but realists will say the chances of this ship being built went from probable, down to maybe, and now unlikely. Maybe Palmer ought to contact Premier Exhibitions about buying the Titanic artifact collection, which is still up for sale and no bidders at this time. At least that will not require a Chinese company to build a ship for you.

Source: Titanic 2 Tickets Should’ve Been Available By Now(30 Sep 2014,Cruise Ship News)


Titanic, Titanic II

Titanic II Update: Troubled Waters

Photo:JamesAlan1986 (Wikipedia)
The Chinese appear to have closed the door on Clive Palmer
Photo:JamesAlan1986 (Wikipedia)

Cruise Ship News is reporting that while Palmer has gotten a lot of preliminary things done, progress on ship construction has been stalled. The keel was supposed to be laid in March 2014 but now has been pushed to September. The ship is still planned to be completed in 2016, but another problem has emerged namely that Palmer is not in good standing with the leaders in Beijing. According to the Courier Mail,Palmer’s search for Chinese sponsors is now nearly impossible. The Chinese owned company CITIC Pacific has accused Palmer’s company Mineralogy “of siphoning $12m from it to help fund the 2013 Palmer United Party election campaign.” In short, Palmer took money from the Chinese government. The Chinese government has not filed a formal complaint but Palmer, through his spokesman, denies the allegations.

However it means should he land on Chinese soil, they might detain him. Which means making it very problematic to build Titanic II in China if the government believes you stole money from them. Palmer is also involved in litigation against CITIC over royalties he claims owed to him. Add it up and one can not see a favorable climate in China for this ship being built there at this time. If he wants their money to invest in energy projects and Titanic II, he will have to practice the kowtow before that will occur.

Sources:
1. Progress Of Titanic 2 Ship Two Years On(27 June 2014,Cruise Ship News)
2. Clive Palmer’s Blunt Manner Of Saying What He Thinks Does Not Translate Well From Australia To China. Is The Politician Billionaire’s Mouth Getting Him In Trouble?(31 May 2014, Courier Mail)


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Titanic II

Titanic II Update:More Positive News About Its Construction

Perhaps Clive Palmer Should See If Titanic II Has Good Fortune Photo: MU (Wikipedia)
Perhaps Clive Palmer Should See If Titanic II Has Good Fortune.
Photo: MU (Wikipedia)

Cruise Ship News recently reported the following:

Titanic II construction has been set back by 2 years.
Titanic II will now launch in 2018.
Steel cutting has yet to start, part of the reason for delay.
Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has signed Memorandum of Understanding with Blue Star Line to promote ship together and help get sponsors in China.

Not mentioned or reported is whether any formal contract has been signed yet with the Chinese shipyard that will build Titanic II. Many are still skeptical about that coming to pass.

Source:Titanic 2 Ship News Reignited In Asia(12 May 2014, Cruise Ship News)


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Titanic, Titanic II

Titanic News: Antique Dealers Accused Stealing Titanic Memorabilia, Titanic II Keel Might Be Laid Soon, And How To Recycle Old VHS Tapes

gavel1. The New York Post reports that Noelle Hollander, daughter of late nautical expert Frank Braynard, has filed suit against two antiques dealers accusing them of stealing her father’s trove of ship memorabilia which includes Titanic memorabilia. The suit alleges Kerry McCaffrey and Richard Faber looted the memorabilia during a visit when her father was suffering from dementia. Also alleged is that he sold them a valuable painting at a bargain basement price which a gallery is now selling for $125,000. Hollander claims her father was unaware what the antiques dealers were doing because of his illness. Both dealers deny any wrong doing.
Source: Titanic Items Swiped From Seaport Museum Founder: Suit(25 Mar 2014,New York Post)

2. Cruise Ship News hopes that everything is going well and that the keel for Titanic II will be 31 March. That has symbolism since the original Titanic keel was laid on the same date in 1909. Of course there are nagging reports of problems between Clive Palmer and the Chinese shipyard. And some believe the whole thing is a publicity stunt.
Source: Titanic 2 Keel Expected To Be Laid March 31(25 Mar 2014,Cruise Ship News)

3. In the category of what will they make Titanic out of next comes this story. Five students with a charity called Butterfly Project decided to recycle old VHS tapes in a novel way. So they obtained 1,000 old VHS tapes, disassembled them, and used the materials to construct a 12 foot replica of the famous ship. Sadly no picture accompanies the story, which is a bummer since it would be something worth seeing. Hard to remember but VHS tapes were state of the art tech for viewing movies not so long ago. At least the typewriter still has a use when power goes out and you need to get a letter out the door.
Source: What Do You Do With 1000 VHS Video Cassettes – Make A Titanic Model Of Course(25 Mar 2014 ,Gloucester Citizen)


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Titanic, Titanic II

Titanic News For Superbowl Sunday

American football(Pictured above 2009 Pro Bowl) Photo: Public Domain
American football(Pictured above 2009 Pro Bowl)
Photo: Public Domain

1. Page For New Titanic 2 Ship Goes Down(2 Feb 2014,Cruise Ship News)
Both the bluestarline.com.au and titanic-ii.com websites redirect to a suspendedpage.cgi page that states the following message, “Template Error: The template file must be given (or the template could not be opened)”. This news has led some to feel that the new Titanic 2 ship is never coming and more about helping Clive Palmer’s political career, although we will leave that debate to the conspiracy theorists.

2.Spotlight: ‘Raise the Titanic’ by Clive Cussler(2 Feb 2014,News OK)
By now, readers know what to expect from Clive Cussler. He has written or co-authored 62 books, many of them thrillers focusing on Dirk Pitt, a darkly handsome, unstoppable hero who is something like an unlicensed James Bond. These days, Cussler’s portrayals of chivalry seem outdated and perhaps offensive, but he continues to churn out books, maintaining a consistent presence on the best-seller lists. He may never have become so popular if not for “Raise the Titanic,” a 1976 novel that introduced most readers to Pitt and launched Cussler’s career. The book, published long before Robert Ballard discovered the real resting place of the Titanic, was an unqualified success, in part because interest in the Titanic disaster never wanes. Pitt is tasked with bringing the remains of the great ship back to the surface in one piece, but as success draws nearer, dark forces are closing in.

3.Warhol-Style Exhibition Is Tribute To Titanic Victims (1 Feb 2014, Newtown Abbey Today)
Newtownabbey artist Lise McGreevy has paid tribute to “Titanic’s fallen” with an exhibition inspired by the style of Andy Warhol.The display entitled “We Salute You” is currently on show at The Dock Cafe near the Odyssey in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, until February 28, then onboard the Nomadic, the ship which ferried passengers to the iconic vessel before its ill-fated maiden voyage where it will be shown from March 24 until April 30.

4.Premier Exhibitions, Inc. Announces Partnership To Bring King Tut Exhibition To North America-Press Release(27 Jan 2014,PR Newswire )
Premier Exhibitions, Inc. (“Premier Exhibitions”) , a leading presenter of museum quality touring exhibitions, announced today that it will bring The Discovery of King Tut, an exhibition that recreates one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century, to North America for the first time. The partnership with Semmel Concerts GmbH (“Semmel”), gives Premier Exhibitions the exclusive rights to tour the exhibition in North America. Semmel has successfully toured a similar exhibition in Europe since 2008, with approximately five million people experiencing the exhibition in 20 host cities.


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Titanic, Titanic II, Titanic Miscellaneous

Friday Titanic News:More On Titanic II Third Class, Study Claims 18-24 Would Not Save Women & Children, and Update on Loraine Allison

1. Cruise Ship News weighs in on the 3rd class option on Titanic II. According to Clive Plamer, 700 people will pay for the opportunity to sleep in cramped cabins as they did on the original Titanic. Cruise Ship News says this sounds good in theory but wonders whether having 700 people sharing two bathrooms meets current health and safety standards. And if you are going authentic, does that not mean you will have to keep those passengers away from other parts of the ship? The commentary closes with this:

Then there is the question of price because according to the Telegraph, the cost of a third class ticket was £7 and £9. Converted into today’s money, then Titanic 2 third class tickets would cost £587 and £754. Would you be willing to pay as much as that to cross the Atlantic in such cramped conditions, and then there is the question of whether you would have access to the rest of the Titanic 2 ship, as original third class passengers did not have such access?

That is a good question. Are you willing to spend money to sleep in authentic Titanic 3rd class quarters with just two bathrooms for 700 people?

Source: Titanic 2 Ship Third Class Tickets An Authentic Option(20 Jan 2014,Cruise Ship News)

2.The National Student is reporting on a poll that does not look good if you are looking to an 18-24 year old to save your life. Virgin Cruises apparently did a study that asked various questions about what they would do in certain situations. Stop a pirate? 81% said no. Nor would they summon a kraken to help Davy Jones against other ships. Nor would they help crew load cannons to fend off attacks from enemy ships. And an astounding 87% would not allow women and children first in the lifeboats. Now some of the questions are really foolish like a peg leg pirate boarding the ship. The fact they would not bother to let women and children first may speak to a generation that is self absorbed looking at their smartphones to give a damn about anything. And it would not be surprising many would rather do nothing to help crew repel real pirates (that might be sensible considering the modern day pirate is armed with automatic weapons).

Or the kids answering the survey decided it was a hoot and decided to have some fun with it.

Source: Students: Useless In A Titanic Disaster Situation, Says Research (20 Jan 2o14,The National Student)

Mystery3.3. Update on Loraine Allison/Helen Kramer Story
The news that DNA conclusively proved Loraine Allison did not survive Titanic is getting widely reported now. There has been an uptick in news postings from all over the place and even blogs as well. Over at Debrina Woods site (http://www.titanicslastmystery.com)there is a new statement in the DNA response section which states (in part):

We were informed in DEC/2013, that a third party was announcing that they had conducted a separate (unrequested by us and sponsored by the opposition Allison’s) DNA Testing and had received a very(conveniently) NEGATIVE determination. To which we respond to all: OK…for now. BUT ALL, BE ADVISED, THAT THIS SAGA IS HARDLY OVER…!!!! We intend to maintain fully on course in our determination to presenting THE REAL and total FACTS of this story to the world and while I had harbored sensitivity to certain more inflammatory issues regarding William Percival Allison’s actions and others involved back in the day, that OUR evidence supports and discloses as showing MUCH MISCONDUCT…Now, am thinking not so much. Which will make for all the better reading and PRESS!! I am hoping that my manuscripts will be completed this spring and ready for submission for publication. We regret that many will be confused by the information that is making the rounds now in the press and other media…
and that we feel has been irresponsibly released for sensation value.

The rambling statement hints at conspiracies, divided opinion, and a book to come. While those who support Helen Kramer’s claim might cling to the hope that the DNA test was wrong or that perhaps manipulated in some fashion the uncomfortable truth is that the grandmother was not related the Allison family. Whether she was a fantasy prone individual convinced of being Loraine Allison (possibly by her husband) or was part of a fraud is unclear.

Titanic Exhibitions, Titanic II

Friday Titanic Newswrap

1. Cruise Ship News writes about how some are willing to pay $1 million for a ticket on Titanic II. They also report at least 40,000 people have inquired about a ticket thus far. With reported talks going on between Blue Star at United Arab Emirates (UAE) companies, the speculation is Titanic II will likely be directed to wealthy Emirates.

Source: Titanic 2 Ship Tickets At A Ridiculous Price(Cruise Ship News,2 Aug 2013)

2. Titanic: The Experience has opened in Buena Park, CA at the old Movieland Wax Museum. It runs from 1 Aug-21 Nov and is open daily. Ticket prices, hours of operation and other information can be found here.

Source: 8 Enthralling Elements To Experience At “Titanic” & “Bodies” In Buena Park(1 Aug 2013,Examiner.com)

Wallace Hartley's Violin3. The Hartley Violin is now on display at Titanic Branson  Aug 1-15. Visitors are advised to purchase tickets in advance. Reservations are required for daily VIP Hartley Violin tour.

Source: Press Release:Titanic Branson Set For Exclusive World Display of Long Lost Titanic Violin August 1 – 15(30 Jul 2013, PR Newswire)

4. Titanic Belfast Update:The Belfast Telegraph reports that Ulster Bank has renewed financing with the group backing Titanic Belfast. The £92m financing deal will help further development of the site.

Source: Full Speed Ahead For Titanic Belfast And Its Bankers(1 Aug 2013,Belfast Telegraph)