Belfast

Boasting a rich and varied past, Belfast is a city of both industry and elegance. This exploration of the city will introduce you to the many and varied features of Northern Ireland's largest city. You will also travel outside the city to visit the iconic Royal residence of Hillsborough Castle and the world-famous UNESCO World Heritage site - the Giant's Causeway.

DAY 1

Fly into either the Belfast International Airport or the Dublin International Airport where you will be met outside the luggage collection area and transferred to your hotel which is located in the heart of the city of Belfast. Set in the Linen Quarter, you’ll find it’s the perfect spot for exploring all that Belfast has to offer.

Note: transfer time from the Dublin airport is approximately 1.5 hours and approximately 30 mintues from the Belfast airport. Guests arriving at the Dublin airport will be billed a surcharge of $350 USD per person for a private transfer.

Check in is at 3:00pm so you will be able to drop off your bags with the Concierge and begin independently exploring as this is a day at leisure. Although every effort will be made to have rooms available before this time, this cannot be guaranteed.

Perhaps venture to St. George’s Market – one of Belfast’s oldest attractions and one of the best markets in the UK and Ireland. Other popular sites close by are the Crumlin Road Goal, City Hall, the Ulster Museum and the Botanic Gardens.

Meals are on your own today.

DAY 2

Following breakfast, you will depart your hotel accompanied by a local guide.

Built with 19th century industrial money, many fine buildings from this era still grace the city and are reminders of its prosperous past. Enjoy commentary on such sights as the Grand Opera House and the Albert Memorial before passing Queen’s University where the Botanic Gardens are located. Located in these gardens is the Palm House – a superb structure of cast iron and curved glass panels built even before Kew Gardens opened in London in 1839.

You will drive past Belfast City Hall – an impressive building with a 300ft long façade of Portland stone, which dominates Donegall Square. One of Belfast's most iconic buildings, it first opened its doors in August 1906 and is today where the city council sits.

Travelling towards Belfast’s port area en-route to Titanic Belfast®, your informative guide will point out the twin shipbuilding cranes, affectionately known as Samson and Goliath, which dominate the Belfast skyline and are landmark structures of the city.

The most significant tale of Belfast’s ship building past is the ill-fated Titanic. Nicknamed the "millionaire’s special," it was the last word in luxury and signalled to the rest of the world that life in the 20th century would be bigger, faster, newer, shinier. The striking ultra-modern building of Titanic Belfast® resembles the hulls of four ships and the building is clad in thousands of three-dimensional aluminium plates. From above, it resembles a white star, the symbol of the White Star Line, Titanic’s operators.

Inside, the 118,400 square foot building offers a state-of-the-art experience that will take you through nine galleries on six floors. Through the interactive displays you will learn how Belfast became a thriving boomtown, watch a dramatic presentation of the shipyards and the Titanic under construction, explore the superb craftsmanship of Titanic’s interiors, relive the drama of its tragic end, and explore the wreckage on the ocean floor. After your tour and time permitting, you will have some free time to enjoy the breath-taking views that overlook the slip-ways where Titanic was launched, sit down for a bite in one of the fine restaurants or browse the gift shops for souvenirs.

Re-join your coach and drive past the alternative sights of Belfast including the political wall murals which are a unique cultural experience. You will also see the former Crumlin Road Court House and Crumlin Jail (both of these venues were for political offenders only) and The Peace Wall.

A stop will be made for lunch at a venue where you can experience the local fare and perhaps enjoy some Guinness.

Next, travel a short distance outside the city to the historic village of Hillsborough which is home to the distinguished Hillsborough Castle. Built in the 1770s by the first Marquis of Downshire, the mansion has been remodelled in the last 200 years to its present state and is the official residence of the British Royal Family when they are visiting Northern Ireland. Set on 96 acres, the grounds boast woodlands, waterways, and gardens that feature many rare plants. Set out on a guided tour through this lovely two-story late Georgian manor adorned with beautiful furniture and master pieces of art.

Visit the State Room where all visiting dignitaries are formally welcomed. Next door is Candlestick Hall where candles were collected before retiring for the night in the 18th century. The panels around the room, made in the early 19th century, are made from hand-painted wallpaper and depict scenes from Cervantes’ Don Quixote. Today, this is where members of the Royal Family and visiting dignitaries sign the visitors' book.

Next, you can visit the castle’s two dining rooms - the Red Dining Room, which looks out over what is claimed to be the largest rhododendron bush in Europe, and the State Dining Room where official state dinners are served. You will also visit the Throne Room, where citizenship ceremonies are held; the State Drawing Room, which overlooks the Jubilee garden; and Lady Grey’s Sitting Room.

At the conclusion of the tour, feel free to meander through the lovely gardens or stroll to Hillsborough village before re-joining your coach for the journey back to your hotel.

The remainder of the evening is at your leisure and dinner is on your own.

DAY 3

Following breakfast at your hotel you will depart for a full day tour to Larne where you will join the Antrim Coast.

The three-hour panoramic drive unveils gorgeous vistas of windswept coastline, unrivalled seascapes, towering cliffs, white sandy beaches, tranquil glens and lush forest parks. Around each bend in the road you will find pretty fishing villages or dramatic headlands.

Leave the coach to stretch your legs and take photos at Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge viewpoint. Spanning a chasm some 80 feet deep, this bridge once consisted of a single rope handrail and widely spaced slats. Fishermen would traverse it while holding the salmon they caught - an endeavour that was not for the faint-hearted. Unfortunately, the old bridge was replaced more than a decade ago. There is now a much more sensible, two-railed bridge with no wide gaps or missing boards - not nearly as exciting as the old one.

Continue your drive along the coast, pausing for photos at White Park Bay and Dunluce Castle. Built in the 14th century, Dunluce is perched at the edge of a magnificent cliff with the fierce Atlantic Ocean as its backdrop. Most of the fortifications here date from the 16th and 17th centuries.

Following lunch, visit the Giant’s Causeway – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For centuries, visitors have marvelled at its majesty and mystery. The Visitor Center allows you to decide for yourself which is the most likely (or the most interesting) explanation of how the causeway’s 40,000 basalt stones were formed. Stories about the area’s rich mythology, history, geology, flora and fauna introduce you to the Causeway; then, walk the causeway to see how this unique rock formation has stood as a natural rampart against the unbridled ferocity of Atlantic storms for millions of years. The rugged symmetry of the columns never fails to intrigue and inspire.

Return to Belfast via the inland route of Bushmills and Ballymena -a 90-minute drive.

You are in for a treat this evening as you head out for dinner and a lively show which takes you through the hidden backstreets and lost lanes of old Belfast through narration and dance. Spend an enchanting time in the company of world champion Irish dancers and musicians. Try your hand at 'sean-nós' and céilí dancing as your entertainers sing and play local melodies and street songs that would have been heard in the ship-yards, mills and markets of the old days. With dancing, stories, songs and music played with a variety of traditional Irish instruments, there is something special for everyone in this unique cultural experience that is "The Story of Hidden Belfast ".

Following your enjoyable evening, return to your hotel.

DAY 4 – Sunday, July 3, 2022

After breakfast, the morning is at your leisure. Hotel check out time is 12:00pm, at which point you will meet your guide in the lobby for a transfer to the port where you will embark the ship.

Land Program Details Step by Step

•The order of sites visited may vary to avoid congestion. Program times are approximate, given here for general reference purposes and subject to change.

•Itineraries with the up-to-date details will be issued when you are emailed your final cruise documents 21 days prior to sailing. You will then receive a final itinerary from our ground operator with a Welcome Letter upon arrival or at your hotel. Please review the letter and your final itinerary carefully for further amendments.

•The hotels used for your land program will be the hotels listed in this document unless you have been advised otherwise in advance of the land program start date.

•Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released.

Extra Nights

•All extra nights booked through the cruise line are confirmed at the hotel that is used on the FIRST NIGHT of your land program

•If you book extra nights through the cruise line, you will be met as per the flight details provided and transferred to your hotel. Check-in is 3:00pm (subject to change). Meals other than breakfast, as well as activities, are on your own until day 2 of the program.

•If you have an early-arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night as your room will not be ready for occupation until approximately 3:00pm.

•If you book extra nights on your own, transfers are not included.

DAY 1

Fly into the Belfast International Airport

Transfer to your hotel

3:00pm is the hotels official check in time

Should you have an early arriving flight, you may wish to book an extra night to guarantee your room’s availability when you arrive.

The remainder of the day is at leisure and all meals are on your own

Overnight at Grand Central Hotel Belfast or similar hotel

NOTE: Guests arriving at the Dublin airport will be billed a surcharge of $350 USD per person for a private transfer.

Meet and Greet and transfers

•Final cruise documents will be emailed 21 days prior to sailing. The local ground agent’s telephone number will be on page 1, if you can’t locate the meet-and-greet representative upon arrival. Be aware that the representative may be assisting others and may not be in sight when you first exit Customs and the luggage claim area.

•Look for someone holding a sign with the cruise line logo and possibly your name. If in doubt, ask the airport staff to direct you to the meeting area for transfers or to page our representative.

•Meet and Greet and transfers are arranged for guests arriving on Day 1 of a land program or for extra nights booked through the cruise line and are arranged based on the flight details received by guests at least 14 days before sailing. Guests arriving independently before the program start date will not have a transfer included.

•If we have not received your flight details or your flights have changed, and the Destination Services Land Team has not been notified, then a transfer cannot be provided, and guests will be responsible for getting to the land program hotel at their own expense. Please immediately contact our Reservations Department for any flight changes before departure.

DAY 2

AM Full Irish breakfast at the hotel

8:45am Meet your guide in Lobby

9:00am Begin Belfast city tour by motor coach

City panoramic tour incorporating a visit to Titanic Belfast

1:00pm Lunch will be served in local establishment

2:15pm Following lunch, travel to Hillsborough Castle for visit

5:00pm Arrive back at the hotel

Dinner is on your own

Overnight at Grand Central Hotel Belfast or similar hotel

DAY 3

AM Full Irish breakfast at your hotel

8:15am Meet your guide in the hotel lobby

8:30am Depart for the North Antrim coast

Stop en-route for photo opportunities

11:30am Visit to Giant’s Causeway

1:30pm Lunch at a local venue

3:00pm Return journey to the city

4:30pm Arrive at the hotel

7:00pm Depart for dinner and show

9:30pm Return to hotel

Overnight at Grand Central Hotel Belfast or similar hotel

DAY 4

AM Full Irish breakfast at your hotel

12:00pm Hotel check out

12:30pm Transfer to the port of Belfast to embark the ship

Expected Weather:

Weather in Ireland is very unpredictable. The average high in Belfast from June through August is approximately 18°C (65°F) and the average low is approximately 12°C (51°F).

What to Bring:

Prepare for moderately mild weather at all time and be able to supplement basic dress with a warm sweater and/or a rainproof top. Pack sensible footwear, as most rural attractions and even some urban areas are best described as “rugged terrain,” and the ground is wet occasionally. Also bring hats and sunglasses.

Local Currency:

British Pounds. Credit cards are widely accepted.

Electricity:

230v / 50hz (plugs are 3 square pins). An adjacent switch typically controls outlets. Some hotels will have adaptors available, although this cannot be guaranteed so we suggest brining your own international converter for electric devices.

Documents and Visa Requirements:

Please check with your embassy for up-to-date visa information for your nationality

A valid passport is required

Hotel address:

Grand Central Hotel

9-15 Bedford St, Belfast

Phone: 011 028 9023 1066

*We will only substitute a hotel in unforeseen situations. If a hotel is substituted, it will be similar and with equal ratings and standards and guests will be notified in advance. If guests are not notified of any changes before departure, then the hotel listed in this program will be used.

Program Includes:

•3 nights at the Grand Central Hotel or similar hotel – Deluxe King or Queen Rooms (One king bed or two queen beds)

•Transfer from Belfast International Airport to Hotel on Day 1

NOTE: Guests arriving at the Dublin airport will be billed a surcharge of $350 USD per person for a private transfer.

•Group transfer from hotel to Ship on Day 4

•Two days of sight-seeing and entrance fees as per itinerary

•Entrance to Titanic Belfast (includes audio guides), Hillsborough Castle & Gardens, Giant’s Causeway

•Services of professional English-speaking tour guide

•2 x 2-course lunches in local venues (main course + dessert with tea or coffee and one drink of choice)

•Evening dinner and show on Day 3

•Porterage on two pieces of baggage per person at hotel - in and out

•All government taxes and charges

Please Note: Guests booking their own flights (independent of the cruise line) are responsible for ensuring that the cruise line has the updated arrival information, so your transfer can be arranged. If you book additional nights independently of the cruise line, an arrival transfer is not provided. If we do not receive flight details a minimum of 14 days in advance, transfers will not be provided.

Program Excludes:

•Meals or beverages not listed above

•Gratuities to drivers or tour guides

•Hotel incidentals including mini bar and room service

•Personal expenses

Please note: Land programs that encompass multiple days ashore customarily include extensive and prolonged activity, while those of shorter durations typically have more moderate activity levels. However, each program varies, and participants should be prepared to negotiate a mixture of surfaces which may include inclines, cobblestones, sand, and gravel or natural paths. There may also be a need to climb steps or stairs on occasion. Guests who utilize a wheelchair and those with mobility concerns are advised to check with the cruise line in advance to see if any portion of the tour program may not be considered suitable for their individual situation. Weather appropriate clothing; hats; sunglasses; and flat, comfortable walking shoes are generally recommended.

Please note: All land programs are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Programs falling under the minimum number of required participants are subject to cancellation. Pricing listed is also subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases for transportation, land arrangements or currency fluctuations. Once purchased, pricing is guaranteed and not subject to change. Land Programs must be purchased no later than 60 days prior to your sail date. Cancellations made within 60 days or less prior to the sail date are subject to 100% cancellation penalty. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Guests failing to arrive on Day 1 of a scheduled land program will be considered a no-show and their hotel space released. Arrangements for accommodation and transfers will be at the expense of guests.