Titanic: Unsinkable Moneymaker
Titanic: Unsinkable Moneymaker
by David Eugene Perry
8 November 2025 – At Sea: Ahoy! Today I gave my ever-popular maritime history presentation “Titanic: Now and Then” aboard Holland America’s Oosterdam for her TransAtlantic crossing.
In a very real way, I’m here today because of Titanic, having become fascinated by the late great White Star liner after watching the Clifton Webb / Barbara Stanwyck movie Titanic on the late show with my mother in our den in Richmond, Virginia, when I was five or six years old. I was hooked. From there, I couldn’t get enough. When I was later gifted with a copy of Walter Lord’s seminal 1955 book about the tragedy, A Night to Remember, I read it in one sitting and have since re-read it dozens of times. It certainly fueled my lifelong fascination with all things shippy, and was a direct inspiration for my “two years before the masthead” as I call it, working my way around the world in 1998 / ’99 editing the newspaper aboard Crystal Symphony. When I came home, I met Alfredo, so actually – I have “Titanic” to thank for that too. Imagine!
Although there had been previous books, and even films, about Titanic, Lord’s book re-ignited “Titanic Fever”—an affliction seemingly with no cure. Every tome, TV show, and theatrical release since then owes its nativity to ANTR. Earlier this year, Alfredo and I had the chance to visit the great writer’s grave in Baltimore, Maryland. Though he wrote other fine works—including one of the best accounts ever written about the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor—he remains inextricably linked to Titanic. After Robert Ballard discovered the ocean liner’s wreck in 1985, Lord followed with a companion volume, The Night Lives On.
Indeed, the night of April 14–15, 1912 “lives on” in more ways than that Celine Dion song. There have been hundreds of books, dozens of films, television specials, and even a Broadway musical inspired by the legendary liner. It struck me the other day that Titanic may well have been the first ship that made more money sunk than sailing.
During my time on Crystal Symphony is when Cameron’s epic (and extremely accurate) film came out. Many cruise lines were nervous. What would this do for sales? Cunard was said to have been more than a bit anxious, as the company’s full name is “Cunard White Star” from the merger of the two lines in 1934. They needn’t have worried. It is estimated that Cameron’s Titanic resulted in a 35% increase in cruise bookings. Would-be passengers were fascinated by the glamour and romance of the all-too-briefly sailing liner. “Ca-CHING” indeed went those cruise ship bookings!
So below, an interesting financial analysis.
The Cost of a Legend:
When she was completed in 1912, Titanic cost about £1.5 million, or roughly $7.3 million USD at the time. Adjusted for inflation, that’s the equivalent of about $225–$500 million in 2025 dollars, depending on how one measures economic scale. In short, building Titanic was roughly as costly as constructing a modern megaship or luxury cruise liner today.
Yet, as immense as her cost was, her afterlife has been far more profitable.
From Tragedy to Treasure:
James Cameron’s 1997 epic Titanic cost an estimated $200 million to produce—ironically, about the same as the real ship in today’s terms. The film went on to gross $2.26 billion worldwide, or around $4 billion in 2025 dollars, securing its place among the three highest-grossing films of all time.
But the story doesn’t end there. From films and documentaries to exhibitions, merchandise, tourism, and expeditions, the “Titanic brand” has become an enduring global industry:
| Category | Estimated Lifetime Revenue (USD) |
| Films & re-releases | $5 billion + |
| Documentaries, books, media | $1 billion + |
| Museums & exhibitions | $3–4 billion + |
| Merchandise & memorabilia | $2–3 billion + |
| Expeditions, licensing, and IP tie-ins | $0.5–1 billion + |
Total estimated global impact since 1912:
$10–15 billion and counting.
That makes Titanic one of history’s most profitable “brands”—right up there with Star Wars, The Beatles, and the Apollo moon program in terms of cultural and commercial reach.
The Unsinkable Story:
From her tragic maiden voyage to her rediscovery on the ocean floor, from Walter Lord’s pen to James Cameron’s lens, Titanic continues to fascinate, inspire, and enrich. She reminds us that even in loss, there can be legacy—and that sometimes, the greatest ships never truly stop sailing.
David Eugene Perry is a maritime historian and lecturer, having visited over 75 countries and every continent except Antarctica (but it’s on the list!). In 1998 / ’99, and again in 2000, Perry “wrote his way around the world” as a junior officer aboard “Crystal Symphony” and the editor of their onboard newspaper, “Reflections.” He is the author of the award-winning novel “Upon This Rock”, now in its second printing, and in screenplay development. He is currently working on its sequel, “Thorns of the 15 Roses”, which takes place in the small Andalusían town of Grazalema and also aboard ship. When not at sea, Perry and his husband, Alfredo Casuso, run a Communications and Design Firm. They make their home in Palm Springs, with frequent visits to San Francisco, Italy and Spain. They have been presenting their “LinerLore” series of maritime history presentations for 26 years. www.davidperry.com
