Titanic, Part 2: Why all the fuss in Belfast?

Belfast. Image courtesy of Belfast Visitor Convention Bureau

As promised, here is part 2 of our visit to the new Titanic Belfast project, currently under construction in Belfast.

Why is there such a big fuss in Belfast over a ship that sank a long time ago? ”At the time Titanic was built,”  Bryan Gregory, the executive in charge of Titanic Belfast says, “Belfast had the four largest industries in the world, in shipbuilding, rope making, linen production and tobacco. The city really was a hive of industrial activity and that spirit has sustained us through the 30 years of the troubles.”

Also intriguing is this question: Why is Titanic, beyond Belfast, still such a magnetic presence? Gregory, I thought, had an interesting answer. “The romanticism of the ship,” he says, “is part of it, as it as a ship of unfulfilled dreams, one that is an uncompleted journey.”

The Titanic-obsessed, dubbed “Titanoraks” have had this city on the radar for years. Says Colin Cobb, proprietor of Titanic Walking Tour, the name is “a geek version of anorak, the name for plane spotters, but a Titanorak is an honorable geek”.

Titanic crafts made by children

Even local kids have Titanic fever.  Through everything from arts and crafts to history, Belfast children actually learn about Titanic in school! Particular kudos to the young interpretive artist who created a papier mache version of the ship – he got it right about Titanic’s four funnels (these were on display at Titanic Belfast’s marketing office).

If you’re a tourist visiting Belfast, there’s much to see and do. You can take a boat tour that gives a close-up look at the slips occupied by Olympic and the drydock in which Titanic was built.

Take a boat tour in Belfast (Westerdam is in the background)

In Titanic builder Harlan & Wolff’s headquarters down on the Belfast waterfront, the drawing gallery is on the Titanic Walking Tour itinerary; with its soaring glass ceilings, it’s the place where the ship’s architects and designers drafted plans.

The Ulster Folk & Transport Museum (a must visit on any trip to Belfast whether you’re interested in Titanic or not, and I figure you wouldn’t have gotten this far into the story if the ship is a snore!) has still and moving images and the world’s largest collection of photographic negatives.

Dry dock

But the highlight, the real moment of “wow!” has to be the dry dock in which the ship is built. It’s still here (and still dry) and the view, alongside the historic pumphouse (which houses a café and gift shop) is the most interesting visual of all.

Ultimately, the dream for the creators of the glossy new Belfast Titanic museum complex see it as a magnificent centerpiece for the magnet in this city that the ship has become. And it’s one that will connect, as well, with all of the disparate Titanic offerings, from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum to walking tours and to the boat rides that sail up to ship slips.

Stay tuned; we’ll continue to follow Titanic’s progress in Belfast. And whether you’re thinking of booking a cruise that will call at Belfast in 2012, the anniversary year, or considering a more intensive visit (count me in there!), you might want to start planning the trip!

CSB

Cruising the Med on Ruby Princess

While Carolyn, our editor-in-chief, explores Britain on Holland America Line’s Westerdam, I’m heading off to the sunshine and sailing on Ruby Princess  from Rome to Venice, via Monaco, Livorno, Naples and the Greek Islands. 

Ruby Princess

It may be a slightly unconventional trip. As I have my children (aged 11 and 13) with me, we’ll probably skip Ephesus and shop for bling in the market in Kusadasi, while there are demands for a beach trip from Katakolon instead of a cultural day at Olympia.

For Corfu, I’ve already located the Aqualand theme park and the bus that will get us there. The only concession to sightseeing my kids have made is Pompeii.

The way I see it, it’s going to be extremely hot and this is a family holiday, not my personal cultural odyssey around the ancient Mediterranean. So I’m contenting myself with the fact that in the absence of much that their school teachers would approve of, my kids will at least experience a bit of local culture, as they’ll be travelling by Italian train, Corfiot bus, Greek donkey (in Santorini) and on foot up to the crater of Vesuvius after Pompeii.

On board, we intend to eat our way round the ship (happy memories from previous meals in Sabatini’s!), check out the kids’ club (them), go to the gym every day (me, famous last words), celebrate a birthday and watch movies under the stars.

I’ll also be attending my first Cruise Critic ‘meet ‘n’ mingle’, having signed up to the roll call for this cruise, and am looking forward to meeting some ‘real’ members, instead of virtual ones!

Keep checking back as it’s going to be a busy week on the Cruise Critic blog! SJB

Waterford – No Longer Just Crystal

Waterford

When big ships like Westerdam call list Waterford as a port of call they’re really stopping at Dunmore East, a small village with a picturesque harbor that’s about a 30-plus minute drive from the bigger city.

It’s also a bit of a hassle from the ship as this is a tender port, which means Westerdam doesn’t dock in town; it anchors out in the harbor and transports passengers via tenders, also known as lifeboats. That adds another 45 minutes or so to the journey (leaving time to queue on either end and then the 20 minute, very beautiful ride to the town dock).

Dunmore East, which sits high on craggy rock cliffs, looks sweet and charming but there are few shops or services here (I did learn that Powers is the pub to visit but alas, no time). To get to Waterford itself you can take a taxi for about 25 Euro or, as the region laid on a shuttle, pay 4 Euro each way to ride a motorcoach; you’re dropped right by the slick and splashy tourist center. It’s got a museum, a few shops and a cafe.

For a long time Waterford’s claim to fame is of course the presence of the mighty Waterford Crystal factory. The company was sold and most operations moved away (some pieces, particularly large commissions and trophies and such, are still made here), but that’s left the city with a marketing challenge. Though it’s got quite a lot of history – dating back well before the year I was born! – its 17^th century history is the most evident, lying at the bank of the River Suir (particularly notable are restored parts of a medieval wall).

It’s clear too, on this short visit that even beyond the significant loss of much of the crystal industry, Waterford has really struggled with the recession.

Here are some snaps from the day:

Waterford's Christ Church Cathedral

Unusually for a town of Waterford’s relatively small size, it’s got two cathedrals. Even more unusually, the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral and the Catholic Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity were designed by the same architect. The former, pictured here, is one of the most beautiful, in a simple way, Anglican churches I’ve ever seen; walls are a buttercream color and it oozes peace and serenity.  Holy Trinity is also simple in its own way (having just come off a trip to Italy, where churches are crammed with art and artifacts, it’s really really plain!), and is also beautiful but a bit moodier.

You can see a number of deserted storefronts throughout the city’s retail area, but what I liked most about the shops is that so many had a local feel to them. You could find a handful of High Street chains like Debenhams, Monsoon, Boots and Next but they weren’t overpowering.

This sign, in Kilo’s Food Store, is pretty self-explanatory, don’t you think?!

Kilo's Food Store

The Hemporium purports to be a wacky, 1960s-like counterculture boutique with a “name your own price” bong collection and packaged herbs with brand names like Doobies that, according to the shop girl, are ersatz versions that have the same effect as the real thing.

the hemporium

Ireland of course is a country of readers and there’s no shortage of them here in Waterford. I don’t know though, this fantastic bookstore (with coffee bar and gift shop) has made it so comfortable to sit and stay for awhile, it feels more like a really swell library than a commercial enterprise.

Get into a good book in Waterford

Pick up a book, sit down and have a read!

One of the city’s best restaurants is La Boheme which alas, wasn’t open for lunch. But L’Atmosphere, a French country bistro, was – and it was magnificent (the duck confit, served in an iron pot, was superb).

L'Atmosphere is ranked #12 on TripAdvisor's Waterford restaurant picks

The House of Waterford Crystal is described as a “fascinating visitor centre and crystal factory tour and an opulent retail store housing the largest collection of Waterford Crystal”.

To me it felt like a tourist trap with little authenticity (but a very nice loo if you need one) and very high prices on the crystal. When I popped in it seemed as if half the passengers from Westerdam were mingling around (most of whom were on shore tours).

Westerdam waits for us in Dunmore East

We’re heading back to Westerdam from East Dunmore across a pretty rocky bay with swells so deep you expected wavelets to break into the tender. Alas, the ride was dry if a bit of a roller coaster and we set off this evening, under gloomy skies (that seem to be sticking with us).

CSB

Eye Openers in Guernsey

Having visited Guernsey’s St. Peter Port several times on cruise ship calls and loving it (it’s definitely on the list for a more in-depth, non-cruise-related holiday in future), I looked forward to yesterday’s call there on Westerdam. But this time I got a chance to learn about the island without actually setting foot off the ship!

This time, a bit of Guernsey came to Westerdam.

We had reached out to local journalists Mark Windsor and Nicci Martel from the Guernsey Press and Star, and Claire Brouard, from Island FM radio, with an invitation to come onboard the ship for lunch, a tour, and good conversation. The afternoon delivered on all three counts.

From left to right, Mark Windsor and Nicci Martel from the Guernsey Press and Star, and Claire Brouard, from Island FM radio

Some interesting tidbits:

*First, the complicated stuff and I only include this info because Mark tells me that Brits often don’t really get what Guernsey is all about:  Guernsey is one of England’s Channel Islands and a British Crown Dependency. Sark, Isle of Man and Jersey are among others. They’re not part of the U.K. – they’re a separate possession of the Crown.

*Remember “Bergerac”? The popular 1980s cop show was actually based in Jersey but gave the Channel Islands a big jolt as a tourist destination at the time. The basic gist of the series was, according to Wikipedia, “the blend of holiday locations, the island’s tax exile millionaire populace and, of course, some unsavoury criminals.” Our Guernsey journalists were stunned to learn from my Finnish husband that the show was such a huge hit in Finland that charter air and package tours were created to ferry Finns to the Channel Islands.

*Did you know that Guernsey’s big “crop” is money? It’s a banking mecca on the scale of Bermuda and the Caymans. The next big industry is tourism; horticulture’s on the wane but islanders do grow tomatoes and flowers (I’m told the gorgeously scented freesia is the most common flower)

*There was a spirited debate about Guernsey’s awareness among travelers. My husband, Teijo Niemela, who’s editor of Cruise Business Review (www.cruisebusiness.com), a cruise industry business to business magazine, and who joined us for lunch, really peppered the trio with questions about why the Channel Islands doesn’t market itself more aggressively to cruise lines.

*It’s almost as expensive to live here as it is in London! Claire, who’s shopping for a home, regaled us with tales of too-small, garden-less condos here that were more expensive than detached homes with big backyards in other parts of England. Island living is definitely London-esque, real estate-wise.

Shopping

*Speaking of shopping, one of the big selling points for Guernsey when it comes to cruise visitors is its variety and quality as a shopping destination (and its light tax position). It has a nice blend of high street chains and unique-to-Guernsey boutiques. But it’s a controversial issue. The Guernsey Press and Star (http://www.thisisguernsey.com/2010/07/19/the-high-streets-ship-fails-to-come-in/#ixzz0vd9SEZRH) reported recently that on a day with two ships (and 4,000 passengers) in port, the High Street was deserted; cruise shoppers did not materialize. On our visit, I noticed that many, many passengers returning onboard from their day ashore were carrying shopping bags (certainly saw more of these than on our Portland/Weymouth call).

Westerdam's Crow's Nest

On their part, neither Claire, Nicci or Mark had ever been on a cruise ship before and it was illuminating to see what caught their attention. One great comment from Claire on the pool deck, looking back towards the island: I’ve never seen Guernsey from this vantage point before! Other hits onboard for these first time cruisers included Holland America Line’s Explorations Café (the coffee bar/library/card room/Crow’s Nest bar), the lavish theater (easily as big as anything we have on Guernsey, Claire noted), and a tour of our cabin, a standard balcony that was roomier than they expected.

The weather, which was gloomy, spitting rain throughout the day, was definitely  more conducive to staying cozy and dry onboard! Ironically, just as Westerdam began to raise its tenders in preparation to heading back out to sea, the skies cleared and the sun shone brightly. Alas, it was too late to do passengers any good.

CSB

I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside

Weymouth seafront

Where do you really go when your cruise ship docks at England’s Portland? You go to the seaside resort of Weymouth! Our cruise was officially underway Tuesday with Portland, on the Dorset coast, as our first port of call. This is a new destination for me (have spent a lot of time in Brighton, Southampton and in various delightful New Forest towns and villages but haven’t gotten this far west) and you can figure out a lot about a port stop by reading between the lines.

In this case, the fact that most of the ship tours were heading away from the port (Stonehenge was a big draw) was one sign. That the shuttle bus that took us from ship to town ferried us to Weymouth rather than Portland, well that’s another. It’s a little weird that all the info the ship provided was about Portland, rather than Weymouth, as if the onboard folks didn’t realize we were stopped here, at the former, to go there, to the latter.

On a longer cruise like this one (anything over 7 days I consider “long” and the more I cruise the more I love the more-than-a-week trips because there’s just more time to both explore on land and relax onboard), the best first port is a low-key stop.

Summertime in Weymouth

Now, while Weymouth, in the height of its summer seaside glory, was anything but low-key, the port is a reasonably relaxed one; there are no major pressures to trod from museum to museum and from historic relics to old castles.

The Weymouth tourism folks who greeted us at the dock  recommended a place to rent a bike, as I had planned  to go into town and find a great bike path to get some exercise and also see the place. But it didn’t in the end work out. In fact, quite boringly (but yet oddly satisfying), I spent time ashore picking up some miscellany for my husband at Marks and Spencer, bought a few books and magazines at W.H. Smith, and then headed across the bridge for a long, lazy meal at Lane’s, where a delicious two-course lunch was £10.95 (the local crab salad starter with a tomato and mango salsa is a winner).

Today, at Guernsey’s St. Peter Port, is another fun day – yes, there’s history here, but it’s also a terrific shopping port. After this, we’ll get serious!

CSB

P.S. By the way, Portland will be host of the 2012 Olympics sailing competitions….

Join us as we cruise around Britain & Ireland

If an around-the-region Great Britain/Ireland cruise may seem a little bit too “in my own back yard” style of holiday – well you might be surprised.  This style of cruise is actually the hottest thing going not just around Ireland and the U.K. but also in Australia. (The U.S. would be a fantastic itinerary as well – can you imagine a trip that goes from Boston round to Miami, over to New Orleans, and then through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles and onward to Alaska? Unfortunately, antiquated American laws make it difficult to try such a itinerary.)

Anyway, I’ll be sharing vignettes from my 10-night cruise onboard Holland America’s Westerdam. We start off today from Rotterdam (photo taken this morning shows the ship heading up Holland’s Nieuwe Maas or New Meuse river, from our balcony in the fantastically retro Hotel New York). Then we head for ports of call that include Portland, Guernsey, Waterford, Dublin, Holyhead, Belfast, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle, before returning to Rotterdam (the blog ends at Newcastle, however, as we’re hopping off the ship there).

I hope you’ll come along – and feel free to share your insights, opinions and questions.

CSB