Titanic-Belfast-credit Christopher Heaney

Titanic Blood and Steel image credit: Tourism Ireland

Titanic Blood image credit: Tourism Ireland

Titanic image credit: Tourism Ireland

“Mid ship” the Captain shouted.

“Boat to mid ship sir” came the reply.

“Port, four turns“

“Four turns to port sir” the helmsman called.

“Wait, what is that on the horizon? Lookout, it’s the Titanic Belfast!”

100 years later, 2012 is a special year for Belfast with the launch of the World’s Largest Titanic Visitor Experience.

With the famous ship having been built and constructed in Belfast there’s no better place to commemorate her centenary.

The new £97 million visitor attraction which opened to the world on 31 March this year tells the story of the titanic through the eyes of her creators.

The tour transports visitors from the ships conception in Belfast in the 1900s through to the construction and finally to her ill -fated sinking in the Atlantic Ocean, where 1,512 men, women and children lost their lives.

Across nine interpretative galleries the150, 000 square ft convention space features an interactive blue print of the Titanic that visitors can jump into, virtual tours, full-scale reconstructions, original photos from the maiden voyage and even a six-minute ride through a reconstructed shipyard.

Throughout the journey visitors will learn about the construction of RMS Titanic together with the rich story of Northern Irelands industrial and maritime heritage.

The impressive building is wrapped in shiny aluminum and its exterior resembles the bows of luxury liners including the Titanic, Olympic and Britannic.

The iconic six-floor building also functions as a convention centre housing temporary exhibits and features a 1,000 seat banqueting suite, education and community facilities, catering and retail space.

The Titanic Belfast Festival 2012 has organised a massive entertainment line up to celebrate the history of the Titanic and its strong links to the city of Belfast.

This month, the night of the tragedy will be commemorated with a virtual choir installation assembled by Grammy winning Composer/Conductor Eric Whitacre that will sound off 100 years to the minute after the ship hit an iceberg on 14 April 1912.

The virtual Choir installation will consist of music from across the world that is synchronized to create an impressive visual and vocal experience for visitors.

On the 14 April visitors to the city will be able to attend a gala commemorative event in the waterfront Hall showcasing the city’s Titanic story.

Titanic Belfast is open from 9am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday; 10am to 5pm Sundays; and 10am to 5pm every day between October and March.

Entrance tickets include all interactive experiences and cost £13.50 for adults and £6.75 for children up to the age of 16 (under-fives entry is free).