Off-topic - recommendations for the Titanic?

[Mol_PMB]

On Friday morning I'll be arriving in Belfast on the ferry from Liverpool, and I have most of the day free until getting a late afternoon bus to Downpatrick.

I was thinking about visiting the Titanic experience, which I've never been to before. They seem to have various options including the main experience or the discovery tour, plus the SS Nomadic. The website indicates that everything needs to be booked in advance.

My interest in ships doesn't quite match my interest in railways, but I do have a significant interest in ships, naval architecture, marine engineering etc. I'm more into the rivets than the personal tragedies.

Any recommendations as to what's the best option? 

Are there any other marine attractions in the vicinity?

Looks like it's fairly easy to get to on the bus from City Hall?

Many thanks,

Mol

[GSR 800]

15 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

On Friday morning I'll be arriving in Belfast on the ferry from Liverpool, and I have most of the day free until getting a late afternoon bus to Downpatrick.

I was thinking about visiting the Titanic experience, which I've never been to before. They seem to have various options including the main experience or the discovery tour, plus the SS Nomadic. The website indicates that everything needs to be booked in advance.

My interest in ships doesn't quite match my interest in railways, but I do have a significant interest in ships, naval architecture, marine engineering etc. I'm more into the rivets than the personal tragedies.

Any recommendations as to what's the best option? 

Are there any other marine attractions in the vicinity?

Looks like it's fairly easy to get to on the bus from City Hall?

Many thanks,

Mol

Nomadic was definitely worth it for me, try to get the Titanic Centre during off peak times if you can. While its good, I think the internal design in terms of capacity and crowdflow I've found to be poor. 

There's also HMS Caroline just across the way, the last survivor of Jutland.

 

[airfixfan]

44 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

On Friday morning I'll be arriving in Belfast on the ferry from Liverpool, and I have most of the day free until getting a late afternoon bus to Downpatrick.

I was thinking about visiting the Titanic experience, which I've never been to before. They seem to have various options including the main experience or the discovery tour, plus the SS Nomadic. The website indicates that everything needs to be booked in advance.

My interest in ships doesn't quite match my interest in railways, but I do have a significant interest in ships, naval architecture, marine engineering etc. I'm more into the rivets than the personal tragedies.

Any recommendations as to what's the best option? 

Are there any other marine attractions in the vicinity?

Looks like it's fairly easy to get to on the bus from City Hall?

Many thanks,

Mol

Go yo Culra see the Transport and a very good collection of genuine Titanic artefacys niy thr tourist trap of the Titanic Centre

[Mol_PMB]

32 minutes ago, airfixfan said:

Go yo Culra see the Transport and a very good collection of genuine Titanic artefacys niy thr tourist trap of the Titanic Centre

I agree Cultra is excellent and I’ve been 3 times over the years. Just fancied something different, but as you say I wanted to avoid too much of the tourist trap! 

37 minutes ago, GSR 800 said:

Nomadic was definitely worth it for me, try to get the Titanic Centre during off peak times if you can. While its good, I think the internal design in terms of capacity and crowdflow I've found to be poor. 

There's also HMS Caroline just across the way, the last survivor of Jutland.

 

Many thanks. I’ll see of I can get there early off the ferry. Thanks for the tip about the Caroline - I’ll look that up and see if I can fit it in. 

[GSR 800]

1 hour ago, Mol_PMB said:

I agree Cultra is excellent and I’ve been 3 times over the years. Just fancied something different, but as you say I wanted to avoid too much of the tourist trap! 

Many thanks. I’ll see of I can get there early off the ferry. Thanks for the tip about the Caroline - I’ll look that up and see if I can fit it in. 

You can tell they thought A LOT about the visual aesthetic of the outside of the building, and then kind of forget the design means you've a pretty limited square footage, especially in the entrance/concourse area.

Interestingly, I remember watching a documentary on the construction of it, one of the designs was to effectively be a glass encased Arrol Gantry spanning the original slipways, which I think would have been much better! Alas, it brings in the tourists regardless.

I think they've recently restored Caroline, so hopefully should be good!