ORIANA back in Funchal with a former fleetmate

After nearly seven months after her last call in the port of Funchal, in May, ORIANA returned to this destination she knows very well and vice versa, last Saturday on 16th December 2017, while on a 14-night cruise around the Canary Isles.

Having arrived early morning from the Island of La Gomera, she found the company of a former fleetmate, the ARTANIA. Also in port, but for a brief period of time, was fellow Carnival mate AIDA VITA of AIDA Cruises, whom departed some 20 minutes after ORIANA's arrival, thus ending an overnight call in Funchal.

When ORIANA entered service in 1995, the ARTANIA was cruising for slightly a decade more in Princess Cruises, a P&O subsidiary, as ROYAL PRINCESS, therefore we can refer to both as being mates within the P&O group at that time.
The two even met once in Funchal, on the 25th April 2000, at the occasion of ROYAL PRINCESS' last call with her name in this port. The following images taken by Nuno Jesus depict the meeting:

Five years later, and when P&O and Princess were now sister companies under the ownership of Carnival Corporation, their relationship become even more closer, as ROYAL PRINCESS was transfered to P&O and renamed ARTEMIS. The two became fleetmates, cruising out of Southampton and meeting quite often in their homeport.
Nevertheless, one of the many meetings occured far away from Southampton, in Madeira's capital port, on 31st December 2010, when both met to welcome the new year together, as seen bellow:

It was precisely in 2011, that ARTEMIS left the P&O fleet and started operating for her present owners, the German based Phoenix Reisen and so renamed ARTANIA. Curiously later that year, ORIANA entered dry dock in Hamburg, and after several exterior and interior changes, she re-appeared as an adults only cruise ship, thus replacing that void left in the fleet by ARTEMIS.
However, and after all this time, it seems that ARTANIA didn't forget about the close relation she once had with ORIANA, and at the moment of her departure last Saturday, she was very insisting in having a horn salute with her former mate, after some six long blasts when passing by her side, horns that were of course sent back by ORIANA on a funny fashion to say the least. A great moment witnessed in the port of Funchal!
The video bellow depicts the horn salute:
Another interesting fact that both of them share, is having two Godmothers of the British Monarchy, as the ARTANIA was christened by Princess Diana in 1984, and ORIANA by Queen Elizabeth II eleven years afterwards, both ceremonies held in Southampton.
ORIANA remained in port until the evening, offering her guests a chance to see the Christmas lights around the city, and afterwards she left bound to Lisbon.
But already on the 21st of December, she will depart from Southampton bound to Funchal again, on her Christmas and New Year's cruise, and is scheduled to arrive four days later, on the 26th.

Images: João Abreu (unless refered otherwise).