Titanic Belfast: Day 5 – Ireland 2014

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13 April 2014

Of the entire reunion, this day might have been my most looked-forward-to. We were FINALLY getting to step into the wonderful Titanic Belfast! There were other treats in store for the day as well, but first, breakfast.

After a quick bite, we all loaded into the bus for the short drive over to Titanic Belfast. Feeling giddy as children, we stepped through the doors of the museum as though we were walking into Wonka’s chocolate factory. It was incredible! I could probably write pages about the exhibits we saw, but instead, I’ll hit the highlights and included a ton of photos. Here we go!

Titanic Belfast

Just viewing it from the outside, the building is impressive. It takes on the coloring and texture of an iceberg while the shape of four bows protrudes from its corners. The height of the building from the ground to the top (90 ft) is the same height as Titanic from keel to deck. Standing in the footprints of Titanic and Olympic in the slipways behind the museum, you can really get a feel for how large the ships were as you gaze up to the top of those bow points of the building.

Once inside, the wonders keep on coming. Looking up, there are tons of steel plates rising up, up, and up. We were told they represent 1/3 of the steel plates used to build Titanic. They were impossible to get all in one photo and were impressive to stand under.

If I remember correctly, we were let into the museum part in groups, that way it doesn’t get too overcrowded. I really like this way of doing it because the museum is set up like a one-way street. You follow a path through the entire building, up through the floors and the many exhibits. You are first greeted with some history on Belfast well before Titanic was built. Slowly, you walk into the early 1900s and the era of Titanic and her sisters.

Harland and Wolff

Harland and Wolff came into existence in 1861. In the early 1900s, the shipyard was the largest employer in Belfast. Ocean liners were in demand and Harland and Wolff were pumping them out as fast as they could. Titanic, hull number 401, began construction on 31 March 1909. She would be launched on 31 May 1911 and would begin her maiden voyage on 10 April 1912.

The museum follows history through her construction at Harland and Wolff. Not only are there interactive displays, hologram-type displays with actors acting as passengers, and replicas of rooms and lifeboats to view, there is also a short ride that you can go on. It takes you ‘through’ the shipyard and the working conditions and jobs available there. The ride begins on one floor and ends on the floor above. It is easygoing and very informative, but if it isn’t something you’d like to do, you can take the elevator to the next floor and skip it.

Once you’ve seen Titanic come to life, you follow her on her maiden voyage and, ultimately, to her demise. The area with the telegraph messages was the most touching to me. There are quotes on the walls from survivors and all of the telegram messages sent during her sinking are posted. It is a very solemn area in the building and one I spent a great deal of time in.

Titanic Today

Towards the end of your journey through Titanic Belfast, you’ll come to my favorite part of the museum. Silently underfoot, the Titanic slowly drifts past. Standing on a glass floor above the wreckage, you see Titanic as she is today. It’s haunting to watch as she sails under you, one final journey. I watched her for quite a long time, imagining her whole again and once more sailing the oceans.

Meet Me At The Staircase

Once our tours of the museum were finished, we headed up to the Titanic Suite. This room contained the one thing I wanted to see most; the replica of the Grand Staircase. When we walked in, I was in awe. I stood in front of it for some time, letting myself cry for the beauty of it and for all of those lost when Titanic went down. There are moments when the gravity of the history hit me with full force, and this was one of those moments. Eventually, we had our picture taken and then enjoyed our afternoon tea with the rest of the group.

Harland And Wolff Drawing Offices

Our next treat for the day was a private tour of the Harland and Wolff drawing offices. At the time, they were not open to the public and we were being given a private tour of the place where so many ships were brought to life, including Titanic. It was awe-inspiring and heartbreaking to see them. Once grand, beautiful buildings, they had fallen into an incredible state of disrepair. I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. The good news? Four years later, Billy and I stayed in the same building for my birthday. It has been restored and transformed into a beautiful hotel and now everyone can appreciate the beauty and history of the drawing offices.

The Nomadic

Our last stop on our long day of tours was the Nomadic. Sitting in dry dock just outside Titanic Belfast, the last White Star Line ship left in the world awaits. She has been beautifully restored after a long and slightly odd history. Shortly after completing her sea trials, she tendered passengers to Olympic in Cherbourg, France. She did the same for Titanic almost a year later. She served in both world wars and saw much commercial use before being bought and turned into a floating restaurant in Paris. In 2006, she finally returned home to Belfast, where restorations began.

We loved touring her. She is so beautifully restored and our tour guide was amazing and incredibly knowledgeable. After checking out every square inch we could get into, one of our group members got to pull the whistle aboard Nomadic to signal the end of our visit.

A Long Day Coming To A Close

Once all of our tours were over, we headed back into Titanic Belfast to hit up the gift shop. If you love browsing gift shops, they’ve got a great one! It took us ages to decide what to buy because I really wanted one of everything.

We walked back to the hotel, taking in more sites of Belfast. There were a lot of great art pieces along the way, and we’d have missed them if we had taken the bus. The day was a beautiful one and the sun was shining on us as we arrived at the hotel.

We enjoyed a nice dinner at the hotel bar and spent the evening chatting and getting to know others from our group. It was a happy close to a wonderful day.
Cheers,
Lydia and Billy