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It was one of the viral stories of the week: in 2018, daring members of society will be allowed to sail halfway around the world on a cruise ship named Titanic if they choose to tempt fate. But don't save up for the trip just yet. There's not much proof at this point that Titanic II will actually come to fruition.

Back in the second week of 2015, a Belfast Telegraph proclaimed the unbelievable, saying, "A fully-functioning replica of the Titanic will be built after all."

At the time, a year ago, that may have been true – and it may still happen at some point – but the odds are beginning to mount against the likelihood of this ship getting built. Again, in early December, the Belfast Telegraph published a report saying Titanic II would still set sail, but not until 2018.

(MORE: Captain Blames Forecast for Royal Caribbean Snafu at Sea)

However, as Jalopnik points out, the updated report was short on substance, relying on a statement from Blue Star Line's marketing director that was given a year ago, then citing the plans to push back the ship's maiden voyage. That announcement was made in May 2014, not this week, Jalopnik notes.

There's also the problems surrounding Clive Palmer, the Australian billionaire who is funding this project. Palmer is currently facing charges that he moved millions of dollars from his failing nickel refinery into his self-named political party, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Additionally, his company owes creditors about $100 million, the report added.

And if that isn't enough to convince you Titanic II may be nothing more than a strange dream, there's also the fact that renderings of the new ship have been released, but no construction has begun on the liner, Jalopnik also reported. The shipyard in Nanjing, China, still sits empty; for reference, construction on the Carnival Vista, which will be the company's largest cruise ship ever, will take about 18 months to complete, according to USA Today. It took three years to build the original Titanic, but advancements in shipbuilding technology should shorten the timeline for Titanic II's construction.

Titanic II may someday become a real-life cruise liner, but at this rate, it won't happen any time soon, despite what you've read this week.

MORE ON WEATHER.COM: Titanic II Images, Originally Released in 2013