Monday, May 08, 2006
dramatic rise in cruises docking at Belfast
Not sure about the £9million prediction, but good news it seems. The Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau and Port Of Belfast has announced that 23 cruise liners will dock at Belfast this summer with an estimated 30,000 passengers and crew. It’s not the Mountains of Mourne.. but there’s a lot of cheerful optimism in the report that it will encourage return visits.
Pete Baker @ 02:03 PM
good news indeed. And quite a challenge, i would have thought, marketing the Titanic experience to cruise ships. So really well done! And lets hope the money trickles down to the ordinary folk.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 03:18 PMEast Belfast
July 12
Titanic
Blue-Haired Little Old Ladies
Beware Gods with a sense of humor.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 05:31 PMSo plenty of trade for those open top tourist buses then! I can’t quite imagine why tourist liners would want to come here. At the minute I hardly want to be here myself and I’ve always been perplexed by the snappers taking pictures in the rain of some dreary 19th century city centre building. Lets face it—Belfast is an ugly city with some fairly ugly attitudes—night life isn’t bad , shops are the same as anywhere else, i’ve hardly ever had a meal out that was top notch. May be that most of those on board the ships might never even leave them ( here’s hoping!) and if they do it’s for a sanitised shopping experience in a typical “british “ high street and a quick trip to the Giants Causeway for a “ worth seeing but not worth going to see” experience.
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 10:13 PMRapsunel
Thank you for the Samuel Johnson quote :) -
BOSWELL: He, I know not why, shewed upon all occasions an aversion to go to Ireland, where I proposed to him that we should make a tour. JOHNSON. “It is the last place where I should wish to travel.” BOSWELL. “Should you not like to see Dublin, Sir?” JOHNSON. “No, Sir; Dublin is only a worse capital.” BOSWELL. “Is not the Giant’s-Causeway worth seeing?” JOHNSON. “Worth seeing, yes; but not worth going to see.”
Posted by on May 08, 2006 @ 10:20 PM“...Welcome to Northern Ireland..And over here on your right, you’ll see a fine example of NI ‘Culture’, a bunch of overweight middle aged men,dressed in bright coloured sashes and bowler hats, and just behind them is a group of thugs kicking a young boy to death”.
Posted by on May 09, 2006 @ 10:35 AMI think this reflects the economic peace-dividend. Politicians should try to protect that meaning implementing the GFA.
Posted by on May 09, 2006 @ 02:16 PMI think we should encourage the use of some of the quaint pubs in places like Tigers Bay. The local cultural gems that house humanities missing link.
Just think how warmly a coach load of Japanese tourists would be received in such hostelries. With a bit of luck some may catch a glimpse of that rear beast the Loyalist think tank. However most should witness the rich variety of street theatre and may even find themselves participants. You just cant say no to these people.
Posted by on May 09, 2006 @ 05:19 PMWhere on earth are these ships coming from? Have they been refused access to the Isle of Man?
Posted by on May 09, 2006 @ 09:32 PM
