Blue Star Line says it has appointed V.Ships Leisure as the ship management services partner for its Titanic II project.

V.Ships Leisure is the world’s largest supplier of management and outsourcing services to the maritime leisure industry. It is the passenger shipping arm of V.Ships, the world’s leading provider of third-party ship management and related services.

Professor Clive Palmer, chairman of Blue Star Line,  said the appointment of V.Ships Leisure further strengthened 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 in a statement.

V.Ships Leisure CEO Andrea Zito said the company was pleased to be associated with Blue Star Line and Titanic II. “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 200 shore-based and 7,000 crew members provide services to more than 120 cruise vessels, ferries and super yachts. These services are in many cases customised to meet the specific needs of clients including the ability to provide integrated deck and engine and hotel management as part of the same service offering.