The Titanic, the stars and special voyages

Going into outer space or going down into the deep sea to see the Titanic have become fashionable trips.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
13 July 2023 Thursday 04:24
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The Titanic, the stars and special voyages

Going into outer space or going down into the deep sea to see the Titanic have become fashionable trips. It is about the experiences of the moment.

They are more exciting than the combination of the Pyramids in Cairo and scuba diving in Sharm-el-Sheikh; than any round-the-world trip on a Boeing 757, or on a luxury cruise; that a safari through 12 Afro-Asian-Latin American countries, organized by Natura World Safaris; to go shopping in New York, Paris, or Milan; than a detox in India, where the poorest have four or five bodyguards; or renting an island in the Bahamas or Fiji for a week to celebrate a party. Even more than climbing Everest without any athletic preparation.

Citius, altius, fortius. It has happened throughout history, not just in sport. For example, access to Athens during the primitive Olympic Games; being received in the baths of Bath in Great Britain or taking baths in those of Saturnia, Diocletian or Caracalla in Italy; visit the Blue Lagoon in Iceland; bathe in the pools of Travertine hot springs in California or those of Pamukkale in Turkey; or visit war zones, as is currently the case in Ukraine.

The same happened with the first train trips to the high snowy peaks, with the first ocean liners that covered Europe and America or with the beginnings of commercial aviation. Experiment, experiment, experiment. And show off. The only condition required to achieve this upgrade is to pay half a million euros.

After decades of democratization of tourism, special trips expand the field towards the sky and towards the bottom of the seas. These days Richard Branson is testing his space capsule which, if all goes well, will allow six privileged persons to be sent into space each month in his BMS Eve aircraft. The waiting list at 90 minutes of glory will allow Virgin Galactic a business of 400 million euros in ten years. Along the same path was Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate. He chartered the shell of the Titan for passengers to see the Titanic with their own eyes; the adventure, which has dazzled half the world, has ended badly. The company will go into suspension of payments.

Aeronautics and immersion take off in private hands. Until now, space and the deep sea were a monopoly of the States. They invested and took all possible precautions. Analyzing how the new devices are built, we observe that many of the components are purchased via Amazon, the tests are scarce, and they do not comply with the precautions, because in the new scenario the regulations do not yet require it. It would give the impression that the jump into the void and into the depths is carried out in a low cost format; In order to make the expensive experience cheaper, the passengers sign to exempt the carrier from any commitment. To innovate is to open up to the unknown to improve the above, taking all the precautions and more. Never has something so cheap been so expensive.