"HMS CAROLINE RE-OPENING - EASTER 2023" Topic

Google the phrase – HMS CAROLINE RE-OPENING BELFAST – and you will get a terrific selection of photos of the restored ship. It looks like the old cadet structure aft remains in place, so she has not, strictly speaking, been restored to her 31 May 1916 appearance. But the rest of her looks fabulous.

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That's good news, I was starting to get a bit worried!

Coincidentally, I've just been to the RN museums in Portsmouth (for the fifth or sixth time) and, earlier this year, to Hartlepool to see HMS Trincomalee and had been hoping to complete the set with HMS Caroline when/if she was reopened to the public.

A pity they won't get rid if the awful drill hall and restore her to her 1916 configuration.

A friend with connections to the museum said there were serious thoughts about relocating the ship to the mainland UK as the visitor numbers and revenue were pretty low, hopefully the NMRN has decided to effectively subsidise the ship to take account of the location and footfall

Was any thought given to moving her to either Portsmouth or London? Visitor numbers next to Belfast in London or Victory/Warrior in Portsmouth would certainly go much farther towards supporting her maintenance.

"Was any thought given to moving her to either Portsmouth or London? Visitor numbers next to Belfast in London or Victory/Warrior in Portsmouth would certainly go much farther towards supporting her maintenance."

I guess there are a couple of problems with that.

If HMS Caroline was moved to Portsmouth, would people be willing to pay more than the current all-in ticket cost (if you buy in advance, online) of £39.00 GBP? Seems a risk of increasing visitor numbers but not increasing revenue.

Belfast is run by the Imperial War Museum rather than the Museum of the Royal Navy so it would (presumably) be a totally separate attraction. The downside is that taking something off Belfast in favour of London might be a bit controversial!