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.

DIA 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.

Nota: 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.

Neste dia, as refeições são por sua conta.

DIA 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 ago 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.

O resto da tarde é livre, e o jantar é por conta do hóspede.

DIA 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, 3 jul 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.

Programação em terra, detalhes passo a passo

• A ordem dos locais visitados pode variar para evitar aglomeração. Os horários da programação são aproximados e fornecidos aqui para fins de referência geral; eles estão sujeitos a alterações.

• Os itinerários com os detalhes mais atualizados serão emitidos quando você receber os documentos finais do cruzeiro por e-mail 21 dias antes da partida. Você receberá um itinerário final de nosso operador terrestre com uma carta de boas-vindas na chegada ou em seu hotel. Leia a carta e seu itinerário final cuidadosamente para verificar se houve alterações.

• Os hotéis usados para a programação em terra serão os hotéis listados neste documento, a menos que você tenha sido avisado de outra forma sobre a data de início da programação.

• Os hóspedes que não chegarem no dia 1 da programação em terra serão considerados como “não comparecimento” e sua vaga no hotel será liberada.

Noites Extras

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

• Se você reservar diárias extras pela companhia de cruzeiro, você será atendido conforme os detalhes do voo fornecidos e transportado para o seu hotel. O check-in é às 15h00 (sujeito a alterações). Refeições que não sejam o café da manhã, assim como quaisquer atividades são por sua conta até o Dia 2 do programa.

• Se tiver um voo com chegada antecipada, poderá reservar uma noite extra, uma vez que o seu quarto não estará pronto para ocupação até aproximadamente 15h00.

• Se você reservar noites adicionais por conta própria, os transfers não estão incluídos.

DIA 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

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

Recepção e transfers

• Os documentos finais do cruzeiro serão enviados por e-mail 21 dias antes da partida. O número de telefone do agente terrestre local estará na página 1, se você não conseguir localizar o representante de recepção na chegada. Esteja ciente de que o representante pode estar ajudando outras pessoas e pode não estar à vista quando você sair da alfândega e da área de coleta de bagagem.

• Procure alguém segurando uma placa com o logotipo da companhia de cruzeiros e possivelmente seu nome. Em caso de dúvida, peça ao pessoal do aeroporto indicar o local do ponto de encontro para transfers ou para chamar nosso representante.

• Recepção e transfers são organizados para os hóspedes que chegam no 1.º dia de uma programação em terra ou para noites extras reservadas pela companhia de cruzeiro e são organizados com base nos detalhes do voo recebidos pelos hóspedes pelo menos 14 dias antes de embarcar. Os hóspedes que chegarem de forma independente antes da data de início do programa não terão o transfer incluído.

• Se não recebermos os detalhes do seu voo ou se os seus voos tiverem mudado e a equipe terrestre dos serviços de destino não tiver sido notificada, o transfer não poderá ser fornecido e os hóspedes serão responsáveis por chegar ao hotel da programação em terra às suas próprias custas. Contate imediatamente nosso Departamento de Reservas para qualquer alteração de voo antes da saída.

DIA 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

Jantar por conta própria

Overnight at Grand Central Hotel Belfast or similar hotel

DIA 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

DIA 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

Clima provável:

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).

O que trazer:

Prepare-se para um clima moderadamente ameno a todos os momentos e seja capaz de complementar a roupa básica com um suéter quente e/ou um casaco impermeável. Leve calçados adequados, pois a maioria das atrações rurais e até mesmo algumas áreas urbanas são mais bem descritas como “terreno acidentado” e o solo fica molhado ocasionalmente. Leve também chapéus e óculos de sol.

Moeda Local:

British Pounds. Cartões de crédito são amplamente aceitos.

Eletricidade:

230 v/50 hz (tomadas de 3 pinos quadrados). Um interruptor adjacente normalmente controla as tomadas. Some hotels will have adaptors available, although this cannot be guaranteed so we suggest brining your own international converter for electric devices.

Exigências de documentos e vistos:

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

A valid passport is required

Endereços do hotel:

Grand Central Hotel

9-15 Bedford St, Belfast

Tel.: 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. Se os hóspedes não forem avisados da mudança antes da saída, então os hotéis listados no programa serão utilizados.

O programa inclui:

•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

NOTA: 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

Importante: Os hóspedes que reservarem seus próprios voos (de forma independente da companhia de cruzeiro) são responsáveis por confirmar se a companhia de cruzeiro tem informações atualizadas de chegada para que o seu transfer possa ser organizado. Se você reservar noites adicionais independentemente da companhia de cruzeiro, o transfer de chegada não será oferecido. Se não recebermos os detalhes do voo com pelo menos 14 dias de antecedência, os transfers não serão fornecidos.

O programa exclui:

• As refeições ou bebidas não estão listadas acima

• Taxas de serviço para motoristas ou guias turísticos

• Despesas acessórias com o hotel, incluindo frigobar e serviço de quarto

• Despesas pessoais

Observe: Programações em terra que abrangem vários dias normalmente incluem atividades extensas e prolongadas, enquanto os de durações mais curtas geralmente têm níveis de atividade mais moderados. No entanto, os programas variam e os participantes devem estar preparados para enfrentar uma variedade de tipos de superfície, que podem incluir inclinações, pedras, areia, cascalho e trilhas naturais. Também pode ser necessário subir degraus ou escadas às vezes. Os hóspedes em cadeira de rodas e com problemas de mobilidade são aconselhados a verificar com a companhia de cruzeiro com antecedência para saber se uma parte da programação dos passeios pode não ser considerada apropriada para a sua condição individual. Roupas apropriadas ao clima, chapéus, óculos de sol; e calçados planos e confortáveis geralmente são recomendados.

Observe: Todas as programações em terra têm sua capacidade controlada e estão sujeitas à disponibilidade. Os programas que não receberem um número mínimo necessário de inscrições de participantes estão sujeitos a cancelamento. Os preços listados também estão sujeitos a alterações para suprir aumentos de custo inesperados de transporte, de programações em terra ou flutuações da moeda. Uma vez que a compra for feita, os preços estarão garantidos e não estarão sujeitos a mudanças. As programações em terra devem ser compradas com no mínimo 90 dias de antecedência em relação à sua data de partida. Os cancelamentos feitos a 90 dias ou menos antes da data de partida estão sujeitos a 100% de multa por cancelamento. There are no refunds for unused portions of any program. Os hóspedes que não chegarem no dia 1 da programação em terra serão considerados como “não comparecimento” e sua vaga no hotel será liberada. As providências para acomodação e transfers serão custeadas pelos hóspedes.