ORIANA returns to the New Year's Eve in Funchal in 2018?

ORIANA welcoming the year 2011 in Funchal.

According to the website of the port authorities of Funchal, ORIANA is scheduled to make her return to the great gathering of cruise ships in Funchal for New Year's Eve on 2018/19, eight years after her last presence in this festivity.

Ready for her first ever New Year in 1995.

Nevertheless it will be the first time she will arrive in the evening, due to 10 pm, then overnighting in port and leaving late in the afternoon on 1st January 2019, instead of spending the full New Year's Eve day in Funchal. Her large fleetmate, VENTURA, is also scheduled for that day, arriving early morning and departing after the famous fireworks display.

Berthed in Funchal during New Year's Eve in 2004

Altought the occasion being still too far distant, if it is indeed to happen it will be the 11st New Year's Eve that ORIANA spends in Funchal. Her first New Year ever, she welcomed in this port, from 1995 to 1996, and afterwards she returned in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010, making her the most regular P&O ship in recent history calling during this day, even surpassing her predecessor CANBERRA, with 9 calls made between 1980 and 1996.

Seen during her last 2010 New Year's Eve in Funchal, hopefully until 2018!

Images (From Above): 1st: Sérgio Ferreira. 2nd and 3rd: Nuno Jesus. 4th: João Abreu.

ORIANA's New Year on film

A subject we have mentioned on previous occasions a cruise on board ORIANA calling in Funchal on New Years Eve is an experience which very few can fail to be impressed by the events the day play host to from the port full of cruise ships filling all available berths and also sitting on anchor during the day.
 As the light fades the city comes alive with the illumination of the Christmas lights, from the decks of a docked ship the entire waterfront forms a beautiful panorama of light and colour and end the day and the year the world famous fireworks display complemented by a cacophony of ship's and boat's horns .
It is an event which P&O has had a presence at for almost 30 years and for a number of those ORIANA  has been on hand to welcome in the new year.
One such New Year we have mentioned previously was of 2004/2005 and thanks to the medium of film we once again join avid P&O Cruiser David Taylor as we see a little of the the adventures of passengers on this cruise enjoyed from leaving a wintery Southampton to enjoying the fireworks in Funchal.

ORIANA docked in Funchal 31st December 2004

Below we present the entire video shot by David from the cruise.

 The New Year's fireworks display can be jumped to using the following link  and our previous post on 2004 New Years Eve call can be found here

Photo Copyright: João Abreu

ORIANA keeping the tradition in New Year's at Madeira

For many years now P&O is one of the most loyal companies calling at Funchal on the last day of the year, at the occassion of this special event famous worldwide.
Since 1995 ORIANA is one of the most P&O regular ships to visit Madeira at this date, much like her predecessor the CANBERRA.On 31th December 2008 ORIANA was in Funchal to welcome another new year in the garden island, as usual with many other cruise liners, in port and anchored, having the same idea to enter within the new 2009 in grand style.On this particular day the sea conditions were rather rough, the worse in more than 30 years, nevertheless didn't stop the anchorage operations and festivities, held normally as ever.Photos: © Nuno Jesus.

Another presence in New Year's Eve

On late December 2006 ORIANA left her homeport inbound the atlantic islands, of course to be present in the 31th for the New Year's Eve celebrations in Madeira.
The previous year she gave her place to near sister AURORA, when Funchal's port registred the largest amount of cruise ships in the past years at the time, 11 calls in total.In 2006 ORIANA was yet again one of the first ships to arrive, from La Coruna she made her way into the breakwaters early in the morning, with the sun rise shining on what was going to be a warm winter day. Already berthed were the BLACK PRINCE and MSC's brand new MSC MUSICA. As ORIANA secured her berth soon her crew members dressed her overall for this special occasion. It's nice to see long time traditions being maintained and definitly P&O ships are the ones we see more dressed in Funchal.Eventually during the day other cruise ships were joining this fleet, like VAN GOGH, ATHENA and AIDA BLU former CROWN PRINCESS that later occupied MSC MUSICA's berth. SAGA ROSE and THOMSON DESTINY followed in the afternoon.As the dark colours of the night covered the skies of the bay all was set and ready to welcome the new 2007 in grand style. And so it did, at midnight a great orchestra of horns gave place to the fireworls illuminating all of the landscape of Funchal. Shortly after ORIANA set her course to Santa Cruz of Tenerife.Another photo contribution from Nuno Jesus, in which we thank once again.
In 2007 the New Years fireworks display in Funchal were awarded as the best and longest in the World by the Guiness World Records. Bellow is a video of that pyrotechnical show filmed from THOMSON DESTINY.

ORIANA in Funchal's 2004 New Year Eve

Aspect of Funchal's harbour in the morning with 4 Ships. © Nuno Jesus

After the New Year's Eve of 2003, when P&O positioned in Funchal the former ADONIA, presently in service for Princess as SEA PRINCESS, ORIANA was back in 2004 for this special event, the biggest in Madeira.

3 ships lined up in port. Later would join the local ferry boat LOBO MARINHO. © Nuno Jesus

Like in past years, she was undertaking a Canary Isles cruise to welcome the New Year, and arrived in the morning from La Coruna. Already in port were MSC LIRICA anchored east, Transocean Tour's ASTORIA berthed alongside and COSTA MARINA.
Later would join Fred Olsen's BLACK WATCH, Travelscope's soviet built VAN GOGH and Sun Cruises CAROUSEL with My Travel livery at the time.

ORIANA seen from the water level. Looking greater than ever after that mid year's refit in Germany. © Nuno Jesus.

At just one hour before, Funchal's harbour was fully composed and ready for the world renowned fireworks display to enlighten the skies of the bay.

Once more ORIANA delighting us with another visit. © João Abreu

Shortly after the show, certainly with many amazed passengers, ORIANA completed her Full Day & Evening call in Funchal and left inbound Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Afternoon looks of the harbour, with VAN GOGH now berthed alongside. © João Abreu.

The 31th December of 2004 was when i first made photos with my 3.2 mega-pixel Canon PowerShot, some of those published here, being my first steps into digital photography. Amateur photos joined here with excelent images taken by, the already at the time, skilled photographer Nuno Jesus.

Funchal's new year's eve of 2002 with ORIANA

On the 31th December of 2002, Funchal was getting ready for another typical new year's eve celebration and like many years of old, the great cruise ship gathering was no exception.
Eleven passenger ships were scheduled to welcome the new 2003 in a phenomenal way, ORIANA among them.
But this time she would only arrive by late afternoon, giving a less time wait for midnight to the benefit of anxious passengers.

Funchal's harbour on 2002 new year's eve prior to the arrival of ORIANA.

Other ships in port were Festival's EUROPEAN STARS and former P&O's SPIRIT OF LONDON, FLAMENCO, THE TOPAZ, MSC's MELODY, Phoenix Reisen's former cunarder the SS ALBATROS, MONA LISA former P&O's VICTORIA recently sold for german interest, AIDA CARA, Fred Olsen's BLACK WATCH, ferry boat LOBO MARINHO and SAGA ROSE.Half an hour before ORIANA's arrival, EUROPEAN STARS left her berth free heading next for the anchorage and at nearly 6:15 pm ORIANA secured her place in port having just arrived from Southampton. She would overnight in Funchal only to depart at 5 pm the next day inbound the Canary Islands.

The city woke up on the first day of 2003 with 5 cruise ships in port.

Once again we thank Nuno Jesus for another great batch of new year's photos.

ORIANA in Funchal for the 2000 new year's eve

On the 31th December of 2000 ORIANA was once again in Madeira to welcome another new year in the "floating garden".On a Canary Isles cruise, she arrived at early morning from Tenerife, and immediatly moored at berth 3 of the harbour, as it's usual in every new year's eve she spends with us.As the day was slowly moving towards the much expected midnight, for the fireworks display, the harbour was getting more crowded with other cruise ships with the same idea, and so joining ORIANA in this magnificent event. With her in port that day were Thomson's now retired and scrapped THE TOPAZ, BLACK WATCH and FLAMENCO occupying all the berths available in port. On the anchorage SAGA ROSE, MELODY, ARKONA and the MAXIM GORKIY, whose arrival happened by early evening, were also present.After the prestigious fireworks, the delight for thousands of tourists every year, ORIANA left Funchal at fourty past midnight inbound the northern spanish port of Vigo, on her way back home.

Photos: © Nuno Jesus, whom we thank for another great contribution.

ORIANA in Funchal new years eve 1999

From L to R: SAGA ROSE on anchor, ORIANA, MAXIM GORKIY, MELODY and alongside PALMIRA.

On 31th December of 1999, ORIANA was once again in Funchal for the new year's celebrations, this in particular very special, it marked the beginning of a new millenium. 8 cruise ships were scheduled and like her previous times, ORIANA was one of the first to arrive, on a transatlantic crossing from Bridgetown.Among other british marketed ships like the SAGA ROSE, on 1999 new year's eve, two P&O ships welcomed the new year of 2000 in Funchal. To join ORIANA, arrived early in the evening the 1989 built ARCADIA former SITMAR FAIRMAJESTY and STAR PRINCESS, whose passengers had the chance to assist the fireworks display on the anchorage.

On the 1st January, ORIANA left on the first 2 hours of the dawn inbound Southampton and ARCADIA 15 minutes earlier towards Lisbon.

The spectacular and highly expected moment is only hours away! From L to R: ORIANA, MAXIM GORKIY, MELODY, LOBO MARINHO I and alongside OLYMPIC COUNTESS.
The ARCADIA of 1989 was one of 4 cruise ships that welcomed the new year in the anchorage on 1999.

Photos: © Nuno Jesus.

ORIANA - New Years Eve in Funchal - 1998

On a sunny New Years Eve of 1998, ORIANA was one of the first cruise ships to arrive in Funchal, of 5 scheduled to witness yet another memorable fireworks display.From Tenerife, she left the 1965 built SAGA ROSE dock first in port, then aproximatly half past nine am she was fully secured with both the Saga liner and the 6,757 GT ASTRA II in position.
Later that morning the fourth cruise ship joined the meeting, Fred Olsen's BLACK WATCH secured her mooring place at ORIANA's stern, having arrived from the small Canary island of La Gomera.The fifth at final ship of the day, was to make her way in port by late afternoon, the former ferry boat THE AZUR docked in the opposite north terminal, where she would stay for the late night show.At 10 past 11 pm ORIANA released her mooring lines and set out for the anchorage to have a better view of the fireworks. Having welcomed the new year in style, she left Funchal in the first 20 minutes of 1999 inbound the nothern spanish port of Vigo.

Photos: © Nuno Jesus.

ORIANA and the New Year in Funchal

ORIANA in Funchal on 31th December 2010. © Jorge Ferreira

ORIANA being one of the most regular cruise ships in Funchal's New Years Eve, we're devoting another post for that occasion, this time as seen by ship lover Jorge Ferreira, who kindly wrote this text that follows:

ORIANA a regular cruise ship in Funchal harbour, has been cruising to Madeira several times for the New Year since 1995.

Since her built year, Oriana already registered a total of 10 calls at the end of the year, making it today the P&O ship with more calls in Funchal at this date.

Of all the numerous visits that Oriana already made in Funchal at the New Years Eve, this ship is already well known by enthusiasts, not passing white in that day.

To replace the output of the now dismantled CANBERRA, her british design and yellow coloured funnel are definitly the best features of the ship.
Spending the holidays in Funchal and onboard Oriana, should be an impressive experience.
A list of all the New Years that ORIANA has passed in Funchal:

• 1995/1996
• 1998/1999
• 1999/2000
• 2000/2001
• 2002/2003
• 2004/2005
• 2006/2007
• 2008/2009
• 2009/2010
• 2010/2011

Spending the holidays in Funchal and onboard Oriana, should be an impressive experience.
To finish I must say that Oriana is one of the most beautiful ships of P&O Cruises.

ORIANA welcomes the new year 2011 in Funchal. © Sérgio Ferreira.

A young ship lover and spotter, Jorge Ferreira has already shown his great enthusiasm in several ways, in his blog Cruzeiros, he publishes his own photos of ship activity in Funchal among writing about the latest news of the cruise industry.
Recently, he launched the website MareMadeira, where in this new format, he continues publishing about the cruise industry giving visitors a chance to send their photos.

First New Year of ORIANA in Funchal

In the year of 1995, on a gray New Year's Eve morning, Funchal welcomed the first ship of many scheduled that day. From Tenerife the newest built ORIANA berthed in Funchal for her very first New Year.
The first New Year in Funchal of many that were to follow for ORIANA, P&O by the years have cruised to the Atlantic especially for this occasion, CANBERRA was also a loyal visitor on this date where many passenger ships gather to witness the well knowed and now rewared fireworks that welcome the New Year in magnificent style.With ORIANA, on 31th December 1995, were the 1975 built UKRAINA former BELORRUSSIYA with her new blue livery, Fred Olsen's BLACK PRINCE, THE AZUR and MAXIM GORKIY, whose arrival at anchor took place two hours before the fireworks display.
At almost 1 am on the 1st January 1996, ORIANA left Funchal inbound her homeport of Southampton.
Photos by: © Nuno Jesus.Check out more ORIANA in Funchal New Year photos and reports in "ORIANA of 1995".