Titanic times in Belfast

A visit to Titanic-related attractions in Northern Ireland's capital

BELFAST, Northern Ireland – “Titanic” is defined by one dictionary as “of exceptional size, strength or power.” Synonyms given often include “gigantic,” “colossal” and “huge.” All these terms certainly applied to the infamous, ill-fated ocean liner of that moniker that was built here in the shipyards of what’s now Northern Ireland’s capital a century ago – and then soon sank in the icy North Atlantic, on its maiden voyage in 1912 to New York.

Although merely a midsized ship by today’s even more gargantuan standards, the Titanic – along with little-known sister ships Olympic and Brittanic – was one of the largest vessels of its day. Had it not struck an iceberg and plunged to the ocean floor 100 Aprils ago, it, too, might now, like its siblings, be just a half-remembered footnote in the history of sailing.

But Titanic did sink, spectacularly and tragically so, and so has entered into the collective consciousness and realm of travel and transportation myth and lore. And, best efforts of chroniclers like film director James Cameron aside – or perhaps thanks to them – many misconceptions, half-truths and fictions still muddy the waters of the true story of this iconic, ocean-going giant.

A Titanic experience

Now, Titanic’s hometown, Belfast – itself until recently saddled with its own tragic reputation, thanks to 30 years of violent “Troubles” between warring Protestant and Catholic populations – is commemorating the centennial of the ship’s construction and subsequent sinking with the debut of a new dockside museum and a renewed focus on other related attractions and sights on Queen’s Island, now dubbed the city’s “Titanic Quarter.”

The sparkling, aluminum-sheathed Titanic Belfast museum, measuring nearly 151,000 square feet in area, is – like its namesake – a colossus, too, built to resemble four ship prows, each approximating the size of the Titanic’s. The multi-million-dollar facility’s six display floors and nine galleries detail the historical background, conception, design, construction, outfitting, sailing and loss of the ship, as well as the aftermath.

Titanic Belfast sits hard by the Harland and Wolff shipyard where the Titanic was built, sitting in the shadow of enormous twin cranes known affectionately to locals as Samson and Goliath. Also nearby are the pump-house and dry dock where Titanic was outfitted, as well as the Hamilton Graving Dock, where tender ship SS Nomadic (which ferried passengers to and from the larger ship) still sits.The Nomadic is now undergoing refurbishment for tours.

Entering the brand-spanking-new museum, visitors encounter a bank of ticket windows, two cafes and a large gift shop stocked with Belfast and Titanic memorabilia. But I relegated those attractions the back-burner upon entering; like most visitors, I instead made a beeline for the escalator to the second floor, where the Titanic Experience proper begins.

Interactive, high-tech displays set the historical scene and mood in the “Boomtown Belfast” gallery, detailing the societal, cultural and industrial conditions in early 20th century Belfast, Ireland and Great Britain that led to the launch of the record-shattering Olympic class of huge cruise ships, conceived by the luxury White Star Line, to which Titanic belonged.

I then ascended an elevator through a reconstruction of the Arrol Gantry, the scaffolding in which Titanic was welded together, to “The Shipyard,” the next section of the museum. There, I boarded the Shipyard Ride, a so-called “dark ride” on which visitors clamber aboard high-tech moving cars for a simulated journey through animations, reconstructions and special effects detailing the ship-construction process. (The word on Belfast’s streets was that the ride is persnickety and often out of service; I, however, encountered no problems and hopped right on.)

Upon disembarkation, I thumbed my way through interactive, scrolling screen displays detailing Titanic blueprints in more depth.

The next gallery, “The Launch of the Titanic,” approximates the actual launch of the ship from the gantry and, from there, I moved on to “The Fit-Out.” That fantastic gallery boasts exhibits and models incorporating CGI, or holographic, imagery to illustrate Titanic’s opulent interior. Highlights include exact replicas of first-, second- and third-class cabins; samples of linens, carpeting and china to touch; and a room-sized, three-walled simulated journey through the ship, from engine room to top deck. Ensuing galleries explore the maiden voyage, the sinking and its aftermath. One extremely engaging display lets visitors scroll through the passenger manifest by every category imaginable: nationality, gender, age, and so forth.

The “Myths & Legends” gallery addresses how the Titanic disaster has been portrayed in pop culture over the last 100 years, including literature, television, song and, yes, films such as Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster movie. Next, another highlight: “Visit & Explore the Wreck,” an IMAX-type theater showing footage of the actual shipwreck, filmed in 1985 by American oceanographer Dr. Robert Ballard and French diving engineer Jean-Louis Michel. One floor below, the “Titanic Beneath” and “Ocean Exploration Centre” offered interactive panels allowing more detailed study of Ballard’s and Michel’s finds, as well as the latest in deep-sea exploration technologies.

All in a day’s touring

I admittedly took an express, one-hour stroll through Titanic Belfast, which really deserves two to three hours’, or even a half day’s, perusal – in my estimation. A bite at one of the excellent ground-floor cafes and some de rigeur shopping in the well-stocked gift boutique could well tack on another 45 minutes, minimum. Despite much hype and promotion about the museum, and its novelty and mere three-month pedigree, I found the crowds manageable on my late Friday afternoon visit. Weekends, I was told, are another matter all together.

Walk-up ticket prices range from 6.75 pounds for kids ages 5 to 16 to 11.50 pounds for seniors and 13.50 pounds for adults (Remember, Northern Ireland, as part of the United Kingdom, does not use the euro in circulation in the Republic of Ireland). The best bet is to book online beforehand at www.titanicbelfast.com; there, visitors enjoy slightly discounted prices of about $10, $17 and $20, respectively. Family and group rates are also available. Titanic Belfast is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., October to March (except Dec. 24–26), and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Saturday (10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays) the rest of the year.

Pumping you up

As noted, a stroll through Titanic Belfast can consume most of a day, but visitors to Belfast should be sure to pop by one of the other nearby attractions associated with the ship and ensuing disaster. One of particular note, now a bit overshadowed by the splashy new museum just up the road, is the aforementioned Titanic Dock & Pump-House (www.titanicsdock.com). In fact, I recommend visiting the dock and pump-house before heading on to the engaging, but quite possibly tiring, Titanic Belfast facility.

The centerpiece of this experience is a 44-foot descent by stairs into the original, 880-foot-long dry dock slipway – officially, the Thompson Graving Dock – in which Titanic was inspected and outfitted after her initial launch from the Arrol Gantry. Absent the legendary ship herself, now lost in a watery grave, I can’t imagine a better way to get a feel for the sheer enormity of Titanic than to stand where she once did herself. In her gaping absence there, you can somehow also feel her sheer presence.

Adding to the thrill factor are the somewhat leaky, century-old dock gates not quite reassuringly keeping the sea “at bay” at one end. (Thankfully, the Northern Ireland government just allocated $2.3 million in refurbishment funds for the gates this March.) Extremely well-informed guides lead visitors around the bottom of the dock – keeping them, I assure you, quite dry – and then back up to pump-house, where we marveled at the massive original pumps that once emptied the slipway in a mere 100 minutes. Twenty-first century visitors will be awed by what’s basically 19th century engineering genius at work.

The facility also features an audio-visual presentation, cafe and gift shop. One-hour guided tours leave every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Prices range from 2.70 pounds (about $4.25) for an unguided child’s ticket (ages 5 to 16) to 6.30 pounds (or $9.75) for an adult guided tour ticket. Student, senior and family rates also are available.

Belfast links

For more information on Titanic-related attractions in Belfast, the city’s Titanic Quarter and the rest of Ireland north and south, visit www.gotobelfast.com, www.discovernorthernireland.com and www.discoverireland.com.

Many U.S.-based tour operators also incorporate visits to Titanic Belfast and the Titanic Dock & Pump-House in individual and escorted itineraries to Belfast; I traveled with Brendan Vacations of Chatsworth, Calif.

I flew to Ireland with Aer Lingus and drove to Belfast from Dublin by car. Belfast International Airport is also served nonstop from Newark, N.J. by United Airlines.

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