HMS Caroline

Such a cool piece of history with great displays and and lots to walk around and see. If you want to do the self guided tours(recommend for more time to explore) you have to go during the summer. Otherwise groups of about 15 or so leave every hour with a tour guide and they will answer all your questions and walk you through everything. Definitely worth the stop if in the area. Book tickets in advance if possible as they may be sold out when you arrive

Awesome learning experience. Quality tour easy to understand and well informed.. loved the history quality volunteers. Highly recommend HMS Caroline for anyone at any age.

Great tour, very seamless. The volunteer was our highlight, happily sharing his personal experience on the ship. Learnt so much history of the ship and associated wars.

The other reviews that I read about HMS Caroline were all very positive and I concur. This ship was in the battle of Jutland! You learn a lot about the battle of Jutland and also about life on board the ship. For the captain and officers it was like being on a cruise! Highly recommend.

Amazing tour, Chris our tour guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Well worth a visit on the weekend and witj the enthusiastic staff and history of the place it's amazing. Also no ghosts slighted

Because I'm ex Royal Navy I made it a pint to visit HMS Caroline, especially with her rich history and her age, we really enjoyed our tour, the guide was very knowledgeable and made us laugh, what an amazing little ship she is, and her story is even more amazing, over all I would highly recommend a visit if you get time ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In 2026 price was very good for a NI museum. Guide was very nice and funny. It is a quite short tour but interesting for both kids and adults. You have a chance to see a lot of sections of a ship.

Probably one of the best navy museum ships in the UK. It may not be the grandest but the staff and the volunteers really make all the difference. I've never met people so kind and dedicated to their jobs. Arthur was great and lovely to talk to and there was another fella who took the time to ask me if I had any feedback onboard during my visit and took note of an audio point which wasn't working. The interactive displays for signalling here are some of the highest quality I've seen and even though I'm probably way too old to play with them I couldn't help myself.i also really liked the Jutland video in the first hall. Honestly Caroline's staff are a gleaming example for what should be the standard for any museum ship.

HMS Caroline has jumped right to the very top of my list of 'best things to do in Belfast'. Even though I'm not interested in ships or naval history, I thought HMS Caroline absolutely fantastic. Walking around this beautifully restored, 100 year old ship, is mesmerising and truly a living history experience. As soon as you step aboard there's a movie to watch, then you can wander around at your own leisure, listening to an audio guide which is activated by hitting a button near sensors placed over the ship. Luxury Captain's quarters, dinning rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, sick rooms, messes and the engine room - everywhere is open to go into and has been authentically restored. I spent two hours aboard and was fascinated. Even seeing the weaponry (torpedoes were called 'tin fish'!), decks and navigating bridge was enthralling. I loved that the ships crew had mascots in the form of a rabbit and two cats named Tom and Puff. HMS Caroline boasts a reasonably priced cafe which sells a small selection of sandwiches, sweet items, tea, coffee and much to my delight beers. Plus there's a gift shop if you fancy picking up presents or memorabilia. All ages will enjoy visiting Caroline and it's definitely not just for the boys, girls too will enjoy this unique experience. Entrance fees are extremely reasonable at circa £12 (adult), £7.50 (concession) and £5 (kids) plus there are family deals available e.g. 2 adults and 3 kids for £26 (as at July 2016). This is one of the few attractions I would actually want to return to because there was so much to see and take in. I plan to visit again to fully absorb HMS Caroline's history. We are very lucky to have the last British, Word War One, light-cruiser and only survivor of the Battle of Jutland docked in Belfast.

The HMS Caroline has been docked in Belfast for 82 years! I wasn't even aware of her being here until someone recommended I have a look. She is a rather unimpressive looking ship, that is until you consider her history. (See below) although the crows nest was stunning. (imagine being out there in gale force winds climbing up those tiny rungs to the nest. No way!) If you are a maritime fan then come check this out. It's lovely to see her docked in Belfast. For a little history brief; HMS Caroline was commissioned into service December 1914. She was the fastest built major warship ever. She weighs 3750 tons, measures 446ft, has a beam of 31.5ft and a draught of 14ft 9ins. The armour plating around the ship is four inches at the top and deprecating to two inches at the keel. Her armament consisted of two six-inch guns aft, one 3-inch anti-aircraft gun, two four-inch guns and twin 21-inch torpedo tubes amidships on both sides of the ship and four, four-inch guns around the bridge area. Her motto is TENAX PROPOSITI: Firmness with purpose HMS CAROLINE has been in commission for the last 92 years and is the second oldest commissioned ship in the Royal Navy. Now berthed in Alexander Wharf, the ship has been a part of Belfast City Docks for the last 82 years and at the moment it is intended for her to stay as a commissioned ship conducting training for the Royal Naval Reserves for the foreseeable future. Come see this lovely, lonely little gem of a ship.

I spent a couple of hours exploring this restored naval vessel, which served in the Battle of Jutland in 1916. So proud to have finally toured it as ever since I was a boy it's been derelict!! So much history and heritage. It's hard to imagine up to 500 sailors lived,ate,slept and fought on board. Excellent AV displays, interactive displays, sights and sounds. Very knowledgeable staff, great cafe and shop. £13 well spent and a must see for all ages when in Belfast!!

Apparently it going to be restored soon and opened to the public, I hope it will be put back to original condition, with its history it deserves to be preserved and exhibited so everyone can see it. Its an important ship and Belfast and the royal navy have just let it decay for too long. Currently its fenced off but you can still walk within meters of it.

I had to go see HMS Caroline as she shares my name and what a fantastic experience! I spent hours walking around this World War 1 battleship. It was a superb day out and much better than I anticipated. From the captains to the crews quarters there's so much to see and hear. The characteristics of HMS Caroline are captured perfectly in the recent renovation. She is a gorgeous and amazing ship, a productive and entertaining way to spend an afternoon.

I got a sneak hard hat preview of the grand old lady HMS Caroline before she gets her makeover for reopening on June 1st. This is going to be an excellent addition to Belfast's visitor attractions and I can't wait to see the results. We visited on a bright but bitterly cold morning. Going up the gangplank you first enter the drill hall which will be the entry to the exhibition and will have interactive displays detailing the history of the ship including some unseen archive film. The tour will be self guided and will feature areas of the ship as it would have been when in active service. Cabins and officer's quarters will show how the different ranks lived and ate while at sea. The ship will be fully accessible for the less able bodied and there will be a café and museum shop. On the day of our visit it was a complete mess as it is being completely gutted but we were able to walk around the public areas and use our imagination as to how it will look. I even got down to the engine room via a rickety ladder to see the massive powerhouse of the ship! Up on deck there's a great view over to Cavehill and you get a sense of what it must have been like as a working ship. I will add a further review when I revisit. Bookings are already open for the first tours priced at £12 pp or £26 for a family.

As a supporter of HMS Caroline for almost 20 years, I feel that she is part and parcel of Belfast and should stay here. She is the last surviving ship from the WW1 and she should be saved. Belfast is in need of a Maritmes Museum and why not make Carolne the backdrop for it, so come on Belfast City Council and the Navy and lets keep Caroline for both Belfast and Northern Ireland