The Titanic Experience Belfast

The RMS Titanic was built in Harland and Wolff shipyard, Belfast, UK between 1909 and 1912 and the estimated cost to build was $7,500,000.00. The RMS Titanic left Southampton, UK and set sail to New York, USA on 10th April 1912.

The ship passenger’s manifest on 10th April 1912 was 2,223 and could accommodate a maximum 3,547 passengers. Although complying with the regulations of the time, the ship carried lifeboats for only 1,178 passengers.

The ships length was 269.10 meters and to operate its three engines at an average of 21 knots would have easily taken 825 tons of coal per day.

The Sinking of the Titanic - When the Titanic embarked on her maiden voyage the world was filled with hope. In just a few short days those emotions turned to horror and grief as it hit an iceberg 4 days into the voyage, at 11:40pm on 14th April 1912. The ship sank after 160 minutes upon hitting the iceberg.

The eclectic mix of passengers the Titanic saw onboard. When the ship sank, the lives of both the famous and the unknown were lost. A disproportionate number of men died due to the women and children first protocol that was enforced by the ship's crew and the fact that a lot of the lifeboats were only half filled with the capacity it could have taken. 53.4% of the passengers should have survived but sadly only 31.6%.

Further only a few passengers were picked out of the water which was at least -2 degrees centigrade due to the fear of the lifeboats being overfilled or capsizing. Another factor that contributed to the high death rate was the failure of the nearby ship the Californian to come to the rescue even though she was within visible range. In the end it was the Carpathia which came to the rescue and picked up the 710 survivors from the lifeboats but not until the Titanic had been sunk.
It has been almost 100 years since the Titanic sank and in its memory a new building has being built in the Belfast Titanic Quarter, UK

Housed in an iconic, 6-floor building, this state-of-the-art visitor experience tells the story of the Titanic. The visitor begins in turn of the century Belfast, to learn why this city which was once the third largest in the Empire, was so industrialised. From there, the story of Titanic’s conception is told followed by its early construction, launch, fit out and tragic maiden voyage. The story is brought up to the present with the discovery of the wreck and into the future with live links to contemporary undersea exploration. Across ten galleries, with an equal number of interactive exhibits, Titanic Belfast will convey the sights, sounds, smells and stories of the shipyard and its most famous creation.