Dublin & Belfast

This last summer as you all know we did a celebrity cruise around Iceland and Ireland. I have mentioned this cruise in my previous blogs but thought you may want to know a little more of my Irish experience.

We did an overnight in the port of Dublin. This is the largest city and the capital of the Republic of Ireland. It is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey. Founded as a Viking settlement, the city is today one of the most forward reaching, fast paces cities in Europe. It is youthful, vibrant and dynamic.

I would call it a mini – London but with the intimacy of your local village and as friendly as your local Irish pub.  Come here for Georgian architectural elegance, a still robust pub culture, some wonderful museums and galleries, an attractive seaside location – and an evident way with words, reflected in the city’s designation as a Unesco City of Literature.

One of the first places we visited was what has become known as Dublin’s Best Mesuem – The Little Museum of Dublin. This much-loved museum tells the amazing story of the Irish capital. Rated as “Dublin’s best museum experience” by The Irish Times, we are the number one museum in Ireland on TripAdvisor. From James Joyce to John F Kennedy, you will meet some fantastic characters on your visit to this little gem. Our guide then pointed us in the direction of one of the many pubs for a pint of Guinness and some Irish grub.

Our next stop was to the city of Belfast which lies at the mouth of the River Lagan. it is also the home of the worlds largest dry dock and the Harland and Wolff shipyard, famous for building the Titanic.

We spent most of our time at the Titanic Belfast.  Titanic Belfast tells the story of the Titanic, from her conception in Belfast in the early 1900s, through her construction and launch, to its maiden voyage and subsequent place in history. This an excursion not to be missed and will take up to 3 hours to visit.

If you have not yet seen the beauty of Ireland whether it North or South I highly recommend a visit and what better way to do it than in the comfort of a cruise.