Displaying items by tag: World Travel Awards

10th June 2019

Titanic Hotel Belfast Named Northern Ireland's Best at World Travel Awards

The former Drawing Office at the Titanic Hotel, Belfast. Afloat adds they are the oldest part of the former shipyard buildings that date from the Victorian era when Edward Harland and Gustav Wolff were the principal designers.

The Titanic Hotel in Belfast has been awarded the title of 'Northern Ireland's Leading Hotel 2019' at the World Travel Awards.

The hotel writes The Belfast Telegraph was given the award at a ceremony in Madeira, Portugal on Sunday evening.

The awards honour excellence within the hotel industry and the standard of service the hotel has demonstrated to visitors throughout the year.

Titanic Hotel’s General Manager Adrian McNally said his team were "thrilled" with the win.

"There are so many great hotels in Northern Ireland now, the standard here is very high, so to win this award means a lot to the staff and team at Titanic Hotel Belfast," he said.

For more on this prestigious travel award click here.

The above photograph Afloat adds are the Titanic Drawing Offices the oldest part of the former shipyard building that dates from the Victorian era.

Published in Belfast Lough

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Danish Shipping Giant DFDS Takes Europe’s Leading Ferry Operator title at World Travel Awards

#ferrynews - Danish shipping transport giant, DFDS has been named Europe’s Leading Ferry Operator for the sixth year in a row at the World Travel Awards Europe Gala Ceremony.

Breaking Travel News writes that DFDS beat four rival ferry operators to the award, which recognises excellence in the travel and tourism industry.The ferry operator won the title with thousands of votes from the public and travel industry professionals from 57 European countries.

Pete Akerman, DFDS marketing director, said: “We’re delighted to have once again won the approval of our guests and travel industry partners to claim the titles as Europe’s Leading Ferry Operator for a record sixth consecutive time.

Afloat adds that DFDS which celebrated its 150th anniversary, operates up between Dover and France on its Dover-Dunkirk and Dover-Calais routes. The operator also has a North Seas service between Newcastle and Amsterdam. As also reported on Afloat, it was in the UK that the nearby port of Blyth was host to the Tall Ships Races last year.

In addition a passenger and freight service between Newhaven to Dieppe, operated by Transmanche Ferries.

The DFDS Group through its extensive network includes lo-lo container operations through subsidiary, DFDS Logistics. Among the container services are those between the island of Ireland (see Port of Waterford) and northern mainland Europe.

Published in Ferry

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About Conor O'Brien, Irish Circumnavigator

In 1923-25, Conor O'Brien became the first amateur skipper to circle the world south of the Great Capes. O'Brien's boat Saoirse was reputedly the first small boat (42-foot, 13 metres long) to sail around the world since Joshua Slocum completed his voyage in the 'Spray' during 1895 to 1898. It is a journey that O' Brien documented in his book Across Three Oceans. O'Brien's voyage began and ended at the Port of Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland, where he lived.

Saoirse, under O'Brien's command and with three crew, was the first yacht to circumnavigate the world by way of the three great capes: Cape Horn, Cape of Good Hope and Cape Leeuwin; and was the first boat flying the Irish tri-colour to enter many of the world's ports and harbours. He ran down his easting in the Roaring Forties and Furious Fifties between the years 1923 to 1925.

Up until O'Brien's circumnavigation, this route was the preserve of square-rigged grain ships taking part in the grain race from Australia to England via Cape Horn (also known as the clipper route).

At a Glance - Conor O'Brien's Circumnavigation

In June 1923, Limerick man Conor O’Brien set off on his yacht, the Saoirse — named after the then newly created Irish Free State — on the two-year voyage from Dun Laoghaire Harbour that was to make him the first Irish amateur to sail around the world.

June 1923 - Saoirse’s arrival in Madeira after her maiden passage out from Dublin Bay

2nd December 1924 - Saoirse crossed the longitude of Cape Horn

June 20th 1925 - O’Brien’s return to Dun Laoghaire Harbour