Belfast and a Visit to the Titanic Museum

We are up early and head up to Lido buffet around 7 am.  Lots are up as we are currently docking and lots of tours leave early today.

Breakfast was very yummy.  I found an eggs benedict station.  I request one and I got to choose toppings.  I went with English Muffin, fried mushrooms and the egg with hollandaise sauce.  The egg was cooked perfectly, sauce was smooth and not gloppy or thick.  So much better this way compared to a tray of premade eggs benedict that has been sitting out for awhile.

Because the stations are all served by staff it can take longer to get food, also some queues form and if you want just one thing, like say a banana that you can self serve you often have to wait or just ask if you can grab it.  A small issue but not a biggie.

I ordered a latte and it arrived within 5 minutes.  Wow!  Quick.  

We are doing our own thing today in Belfast.  The ship is offering a shuttle service to downtown for $20 US per person.  

ship's shuttle

However we want to go to the Titanic Musuem which is closer to us than downtown so we get a taxi from the port with another couple.  It is a short ride and cost 15 pounds.  Yes in Northern Ireland they use the pound, not the Euro.  We don't have pounds but the taxis take credit card.

I would recommend booking your tickets for the museum ahead of time.  We didn't as I was not sure if I would be needed on board for anything or if I would have to do some prep work for my talks.  But I did check their website to see when they weren't super busy and planned accordingly.  It was sold out between 1030 and 1130.  We arrived just after 9 am.

This place is a must see.  Very well done museum.  I loved it all.

You really could feel how it was to live in Belfast at the time.  To feel how the workers felt building the Titanic.  

The excitement at the launch of the ship.  The huge windows shaped like the bow of the ship you stare out on the exact spot she launched.

To the passengers and their life onboard.

I was especially moved by the stories of the passengers, those who survived and those who perished. I even shed a few tears.

Then the inquiry and all the things that impacted the sinking and that later changed rules to make all ships safer.

We probably spent an hour and a half here and we could of spent longer.

We grabbed an Uber when we got out to a grocery store where we picked up some items, then another taxi back to the pier.

We arrived back at the pier around 1 pm and checked out the little shop at the pier but didn't buy anything.  We did pick up a magnet at the museum though.

We grabbed a bite to eat in the buffet.  The Asian food was so yummy but the sushi, although looked impressive was dry and chewy, obviously a little old (which never improved throughout the voyage) - so I didn't eat.  But will definitely be back for the Asian food.  Bernie had an egg sandwich and salad - have to remember to tell them half the dressing on the salad, or better yet, on the side.  Way too much was put on the salad.

Bernie goes down for a nap and I do some work on my talk I am presenting tomorrow.  Not nervous, but since I have never worked HAL I worry (probably for no reason) if the set up will go ok, will the videos in my talks work, the sound etc.).  

We head up to the top deck for sailaway.  There is an Irish sailaway as this is our last stop in Ireland.  It is cute but very low key, a few decorations and some music, and selling green drinks.  The sun is shining and it is a great way to say goodbye to this amazing place.

All aboard is 430 so decide to stay on board.