New York, NY— Same design. Same ocean that swallowed the last. Same tragedy? Many Americans are worried about the possible danger in sending another disaster across the Atlantic.
As a young girl who has grown up watching James Cameron’s Titanic, reading every news article on the topic in the world, I have dreamed about setting foot on the glorious liner. The grand staircase. The giant smokestacks. The never-slept-in sheets. But I won’t say I wouldn’t be hesitant to hop aboard the ship. Here’s why.
Clive Palmer, President of Blue Star Line, the company that built Titanic, fights to continue the building of the Titanic II in China’s Jingling Shipyard, even though many are uncertain about the building since the design has many fatal flaws. One thing the company, Blue Star Line, has announced is that “work on the luxury liner will continue, even though many people are against it,” says Esquire. The reason this seemed a bit jarring was because they wanted to recreate something that had almost torn the faith in mankind, and they wanted to keep doing it.
Many people wonder about the new ship and the way it will be executed. So many watched and fell in love with the box office sensation, Titanic, that the curiosity is still among us today. Since the building began in 2018 on Titanic’s 100th anniversary, the shipping company has made a lot of progress. The original Titanic was built and set sail from Belfast, UK, and unlike the original, Titanic II is currently being built in China. It will hold 2,400 passengers and 900 crew members, similar to the original ocean liner. MSN news in China reports that the new liner will hopefully set sail in 2022.
When I went to the public, I learned that many people were not willing to ride on the new ship, as it seemed untrustworthy due to the way the last liner’s maiden voyage ended. Based on a poll I conducted, only 37.3 percent of people with ages ranging from 10-85 years were willing (if given the chance) to ride on the Titanic II. When I asked Jordan Peter, a teen living in Indianapolis, Indiana, she said she understood that there were new safety regulations, but said “I don’t think I am ready to trust my life on this.” To some, it feels like just yesterday the world was grieving over the loss of 1,500 people left on the decks of the RMS Titanic, stern high in the air.
“I have been on a large passenger liner before, but there were definitely safety measures,” stated Jordan, as she went on to list some things the cruise had that the old Titanic didn’t have. “We had a lifeboat drill, with some stupid looking orange jackets. There were lots of lifeboats visible on the decks, too,” Jordan laughs. “We were on a Disney Cruise to the Caribbean, so the danger of icebergs was non-existent.” This made me think that maybe the real problem with the sinking of the original RMS Titanic were the faulty laws at the time. “Wireless operation was a relatively new thing,” says CBC news. “People are now required to stay on wireless all night in case of an emergency or distress call.” One recurring story that is proven true is that the Titanic could have fared better with more lifeboats. “The regulations required a vessel of 10,000 tons or more to carry 16 lifeboats with a total capacity of 9,625 cubic feet (272.5 m3), sufficient for 960 people. Titanic actually carried four more lifeboats than was needed under the regulations,” according to Wikipedia. Now that there are more lifeboat rules put in place by the SOLUS (Safety of Life at Sea) convention, the new liner might be a little safer than people think it is. The new Titanic may seem faulty and untrustworthy, but are we speaking the truth by being afraid, or will this ship restore faith in mankind?