If this replica of the RMS Titanic ever sets sail, it will look eerily similar to the ill-fated ocean liner that remains the most famous ship of all time. These captivating side-by-side images show how the planned Titanic II will stick to the incredible detail of the original ship that sank in the Atlantic Ocean more than 100 years ago. Even though today’s massive cruise ships have on-board amenities such as robot bartenders and giant slides, the Titanic replica will be toned down in comparison and stay true to its namesake with a small swimming pool, Turkish baths and an Edwardian gym. The launch of the fully functioning Titanic II, the brainchild of wealthy Australian businessman and politician Clive Palmer, who owns Blue Star Line, has been pushed back to 2018. Like the ‘unsinkable’ original it will have first, second and third class cabins and dining rooms, and the grand staircase, smoking room, Café Parisien and Marconi Room will be recreated almost to the exact detail based on renderings produced by the Brisbane-based cruise line. In terms of modern technology in guest rooms or public areas, there is not a TV in sight in the computer-generated images. However, the renderings do show a helipad on the aft deck – a feature that the original Titanic did not have. There was even talk in the past of supplying period costumes for Titanic II passengers who want to get into the spirit, although it’s not known if that is still being considered. Titanic II will meet modern safety and design requirements, meaning it will have a welded hull instead of a riveted one, a diesel-electric propulsion system instead of steam engines, stabilisers, and high-tech navigational equipment. And it will have enough lifeboats for everyone on board – there was a shortage on the doomed Titanic – and modern-day evacuation systems. Titanic II will be 13ft wider than the original ship, but its length, height and weight will be similar and it too will have nine decks, the Belfast Telegraph reported. The new vessel will have 840 cabins across its three classes and a capacity of 2,435 passengers and 900 crew. Although no price tag was revealed, construction cost estimates have ranged from £300million to £400 million. Palmer announced the project in 2012, when he told reporters Titanic II would be built at the CSC Jinling Shipyard in China. A 2016 launch was planned and there was speculation in 2015 that the project had been abandoned after construction failed to get off the ground, but last September a spokesman for Palmer told the Belfast Telegraph that the launch would be delayed until 2018. Yet there is still some uncertainty as to whether the controversial ship will ever be built. Palmer, a 61-year-old MP in Australia’s House of Representatives, is a controversial figure Down Under and has been in the public firing line after his Queensland Nickel business went into voluntary administration, leaving the jobs of more than 200 workers in limbo. Questions are now being asked about funds directed from Queensland Nickel to his Palmer United Party and involvement in any internal corporate dealings after he resigned his directorship. This week, Palmer denied claims that his company was in financial difficulty when about AUD$6million was directed to his political party. He also rejected suggestions he used an alias to ‘hide’ his identity in emails authorising capital expenditure. There has also been criticism that the project is insensitive to the victims and survivors of the April 1912 tragedy that shocked the world. The Titanic sank hours after it collided with an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, leaving more than 1,500 passengers and crew dead. It was the world’s largest ship at the time and was carrying 2,224 people. Titanic II will not take the same route on its maiden voyage, however. Instead of a transatlantic crossing, it will sail from Jiangsu, China, to Dubai.