Belfast Harbour
New cruise terminal for Belfast – planned for 2017 opening.
Planned cruise facility location changed as spend doubles. BBC News have reported that Belfast is to get a new cruise terminal, but not at the originally planned location in the Titanic Quarter.  The new location at D3 had been the subject of rumour and speculation over recent months.  D3 is located away from the city centre, next to the RSPB “Belfast WOW” wildlife reserve and close to Holywood Exchange.  The location is currently empty having previously been used for storage and most recently as a park and ride facility for events such as last years Tall Ships and the Giro D’ Italia. A planning application for the new development is about to be submitted, with the harbour reportedly hopeful of a decision within a few months.  With a construction time estimated at 8 months the new facility could be ready for the 2017 cruise season.  2016 is set to be another record ... Read more
A Look Inside: Stena Lagan visit, 2/11/15
Having been invited aboard by Senior Master, Captain Stephen Millar, I boarded the Stena Lagan on a bright November afternoon with my companion for the visit, Scott Mackey, passing a very full looking Stena Performer berthed at VT1. After introducing ourselves at the guest services desk in the lobby, we were escorted to the crew quarters by the Chief Officer in order to meet Captain Millar. After coffee in the tidy and modern looking crew mess area, we joined Captain Millar on the bridge. I am still taken aback by how spacious the bridges on these modern vessels are compared to the older generations! Captain Millar is certainly very knowledgeable and experienced, and was only too happy to talk about his experiences on his current ship and others. We spotted Stena Superfast VIII swinging off her berth at VT4, and having seen our attempts to take some photos through the ... Read more
Stena in Belfast – Celebrating 20 years of Stena Line operating from Belfast.
20th anniversary of Stena Line switching the historic Larne – Stranraer service to Belfast. Today marks 20 years from the last sailing of what was then Stena Sealink Line, into the Port of Larne from Scotland, with tomorrow the anniversary of the first Stena ferry sailing from Belfast. Few could have predicted at the time that 20 years, and 2 bespoke Belfast-Scotland terminals later, Stena Line would also offer services from Belfast to Birkenhead and Heysham, as well as operating a pair of 203 metre long ferries to Scotland from Belfast. Just six weeks after the switch, on the 31st December 1995, the “Sealink” name would disappear altogether with all UK operations being rebranded as “Stena Line”. Of course, things have also changed dramatically at Larne. No longer Northern Ireland’s premier ferry port, Stena’s rise at Belfast has been somewhat mirrored by P&O’s decline at Larne. The services to Fleetwood and ... Read more
Belfast Cruise Calls 2015
This post has moved to a dedicated page here All dates and details are subject to change and are provided for information purposes only. Accuracy of this data is not guaranteed or implied.  Belfast cruise calls 2015 Date Cruise Line Ship Arrive Depart December 2014 17th Dec ‘14 Fred Olsen Boudicca TBC TBC March 2015 27th Mar ‘15 Voyages of Discovery Voyager 09:00 17:00 May 2015 7th May ‘15 Voyages of Discovery Voyager 08:30 19:00 14th May ‘15 Princess Cruises Royal Princess 08:00 18:00 25th May ‘15 Princess Cruises Royal Princess 08:00 18:00 30th May ‘15 PCL Marina 13:00 23:00 June 2015 7th Jun Princess Cruises Royal Princess 12:00 22:00 12th Jun Regent Seven Seas Seven Seas Voyager 08:00 20:00 15th Jun P&O Cruises Adonia TBC TBC 26th Jun Fred Olsen Balmoral TBC TBC July 2015 1st July Princess Cruises Royal Princess 08:00 18:00 2nd July Swan Hellenic Minerva 08:00 22:00 ... Read more