"Funeral arrangements included?": OceanGate still advertising trips for future Titanic expeditions sparks hilarious reactions

More than 10 days after the horrific Titan submersible accident, it has been reported by several sources that OceanGate is continuing advertising expeditions to the Titanic wreckage site on its official website. Last week, after the sub’s collapse was declared, it was speculated that the company will permanently shut down its business.

The doomed Titan submersible owned by OceanGate went missing on the morning of June 18 with five people on board, only an hour and 45 minutes into its dive. It was on its way to the Titanic wreckage site from St. John’s in Newfoundland which lies 435 miles south of the Titanic ruins, deep down in the North Atlantic Ocean.

After five days of thorough search and rescue operations by OceanGate, US and Canadian Coast Guards among others, on June 22, it was announced that the submersible got destroyed during its descent following a “catastrophic implosion.”

The five people on board were also reported to have succumbed. They included OceanGate’s CEO and founder and pilot for the mission Stockton Rush, French submersible specialist Paul-Henri Nargeolet as the content expert, and three tourists, each of whom had paid 250,000 dollars for the expedition.

They were British billionaire businessman and explorer Hamish Harding and the father-son duo Shahzada and Sulaiman Dawood of Pakistan’s famous business family.

Recent reports suggest that the OceanGate website still features available dates for its next two eight-day expeditions to the Titanic, scheduled for next year. This news has sparked hilarious reactions online. One user even commented:

A netizen ridicules OceanGate's future missions ad. (Image via Twitter/John Helak)

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“Don't miss this explosive deal!”: Internet reacts to the endorsement of OceanGate’s upcoming expeditions

Apart from the Titanic wreckage site, so far, OceanGate has conducted expeditions to the Azores Archipelago in Portugal and to the Bahamas for the same price.

However, at present, its website still endorses its upcoming expeditions to the Titanic ruins, despite the recent tragedy. While the company has not issued any statements regarding its future missions, it seems like they have forgotten to update their website.

As a result, it still shows two expeditions in 2024, one from June 12 to June 20 and the other from June 21 to June 29. The cost remains the same for the tourists, $250,000 for all amenities including a submersible dive, private accommodation on the mother ship, expedition gear, training, and meals for eight days.

The ad even lists the late sub-specialist Nargeolet as one of the experts who might join. Evidently, this has triggered wild reactions online. Here’s how the netizens reacted to the news.

A pun-intended tweet. (Image via Twitter/BenGaunt)

A netizen asks whether the coffin is an amenity on the next mission. (Image via Twitter/AL)

A Twitter user makes a hilarious comment. (Image via Twitter/PracticalMan)

A tweet making fun of the sub's controller. (Image via Twitter/John Novio)

A Twitter user says such a doomed expedition is not part of her bucket list. (Image via Twitter/J. Lombar)

A tweet asking about the company's refund policy. (Image via Twitter/Stuart Rudolph)

A netizen demands the company's investigation. (Image via Twitter/TeeTalk)

Interestingly, many industry experts, including The Explorers Club, told the New York Post that OceanGate’s future seemed uncertain and all planned expeditions to the Titanic should be called off. It also stated that other commercial expeditions should also be grounded for the time being.

Last week, OceanGate received severe backlash after its advertisement for a sub-pilot position became viral. The job posts on its website as well as Indeed have since been deleted. However, prior to that, it was visible for four days, even during the search and rescue operations for the Titan submersible were still ongoing.

Currently, investigations are on to learn more about the cause of the sub’s implosion. The authorities in the US Coast Guard and the Marine Board of Investigation are also looking into unearthing human remains from the sub’s debris.