QE2 sails into Belfast

MAJESTIC QE2 SAILS INTO BELFAST

THE World-famous QE2 liner sailed into Belfast harbour this morning as part of a farewell cruise which will see it call at 16 ports this month including New York, Bilbao and Lisbon before retiring at the end of this year to become a floating hotel in Dubai.

The Cunard vessel is one of 39 cruise ships visiting Belfast in 2008 as a result of the work carried out by the Cruise Belfast Initiative, a partnership between Belfast Visitor & convention Bureau (BVCB) and the Port of Belfast with support from NITB.

The ship has around 3,000 passengers and crew onboard, many of which stepped off the vessel to explore all that the newly re-branded Belfast has to offer.

Lord Mayor, Councillor Tom Hartley, was there to greet Captain McNaught and the passengers who chose to come ashore.

“This is an historic day for the city of Belfast and, as Lord Mayor, I am delighted to have the honour of welcoming the QE2 on her farewell tour,” said Councillor Hartley.  “It is a sign of the outstanding reputation that Belfast has garnered as a cruise and tourist destination that such a prestigious vessel has chosen to include the city on its itinerary. 

“While cruise ships are becoming a common sight in the Port of Belfast during the summer months, it is important to remember that this would not be possible without the work of the Cruise Belfast Initiative.  We have worked hard to promote Belfast as a vibrant, modern city, ideal as a cruise destination and it is great to see the recently unveiled brand for Belfast being put into practice - providing an even warmer welcome to the city,” the Lord Mayor added.

The significance of the QE2’s visit was also stressed by Gerry Lennon, Chief Executive of the Belfast Visitor & Convention Bureau (BVCB).

“The cruise season has become an integral part of the tourism mix with over 64,000 passengers and crew visiting Belfast and Northern Ireland this year alone.  To be included on the farewell itinerary of the QE2 is a real coup for Belfast and is indicative of how far we have come in marketing the city as a cruise and short break destination,” he said.  “Cruise visitors will bring in around £15.5 million this year to the local economy and it is very satisfying for all involved in the Cruise Belfast Initiative to know that Belfast has won so many high profile cruise visits this year in spite of very stiff competition in this market from other Irish and UK ports,” added Gerry.

With free tickets available from the Belfast Welcome Centre for a viewing area at the Paint Hall opposite her berth and a number of tour operators offering boat trips to see her, many local residents are taking the opportunity to enjoy the spectacle of the vessel in harbour.  With a number of high profile events taking place in the vicinity of the port, access was restricted and those hoping to catch a glimpse of the QE2 were advised to listen to the advice of the Harbour Police and stewards, paying attention to temporary directional signage.  

Joe O’Neill, commercial director at the Port of Belfast was delighted to see the QE2 sail into Belfast.

“It is a real privilege to welcome such a well-loved and well-known ship into the Port of Belfast just a month before her final leisure sailing and we are pleased that so many people have turned out to help us give her a fitting welcome.  The QE2 is a vessel with a unique history and we are very glad that as a result of the Cruise Belfast Initiative, we have had a chance to bring her here and wish her well in her retirement,” he said.

Siobhan McAuley, Director of Product Development at NITB stressed the importance of cruising for the tourism economy of Northern Ireland as a whole.

“Many of the QE2 passengers will use this stop as a chance to take a tour and explore other areas, therefore benefiting not just tourism in Belfast but the rest of Northern Ireland.  It is our hope that these visitors will return in the future and discover all that Northern Ireland has to offer at their leisure.”