V.Ships Leisure Appointed as Titanic II Ship Manager

An artist’s rendering of the Titanic II. Photo: Blue Star Line

Australian billionaire, Clive Palmer, announced this week that the he has appointed V.Ships Leisure as the official ship manager of his Blue Star Line’s Titanic II project.

V.Ships Leisure, the passenger shipping arm of V.Ships, is the world’s largest supplier of management and outsourcing services to the maritime leisure industry.

Palmer said the appointment of V.Ships Leisure further strengthens the team that had been assembled to deliver Titanic II in 2016.

“I would like to welcome V.Ships Leisure to the team and look forward to working closely with them on this landmark project,” Professor Palmer said.

V.Ships Leisure CEO Andrea Zito also expressed his gratitude to Blue Star Line and Titanic II for having been chosen for the project.

“We are very pleased to be part of the team that will re-create this iconic ship in a project which we will combine our current know-how with our heritage from the time Vlasov created the first Sitmar Line and then Sitmar Cruises,” he said.

V.Ships Leisure has 200 shore-based and 7,000 crew members providing integrated deck and engine and hotel management service to more than 120 cruise ships, ferries and superyachts. Its parent company V.Group was formed as V.Ships in 1984 by the de-merger of the ship management division of Monaco-based shipowner, Vlasov.

Titanic II will be built at Chinese state-owned CSC Jinling Shipyard and is scheduled to be launched in 2016. Her maiden cruise will recreate the Titanic’s infamous 1912 journey from Southampton to New York, sans the obvious.

“Titanic II will be a regular feature on the transatlantic route between the UK and USA,” Professor Palmer said. “This magnificent vessel is being constructed in memory of the heroic people who served on the first ship, as well as the passengers who sadly shared their fate.

“We also want to recognize the artists and artisans whose skill, creativity and dexterity has never been fully recognized because of the ship’s limited service,” Palmer added.

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