"As with her cherished namesake and her sister the sacred CANBERRA, old acquaintance will be more than enough to ensure that whenever the great ships of Britain are brought to mind, another ORIANA shall now never be forgot."
Oriana
ORIANA berthed in Funchal as the replica of Columbus SANTA MARIA passes by. 8 October 2015
Sadly, gone were the days when writing a post like this was unthinkable, but still the worst came... We all were sure that we would write about ORIANA for many many years to come, but seems like the bad omens became true, in the end P&O is not the same company as it was 25 years ago, so she wouldn't have the same treatment and such long career as her predecessor CANBERRA had, said and done! The result of the current trend of modernization and massification of the cruise industry.
Yesterday it was ORIANA's penultime call in Funchal, a city which will always have a special connection to her, the first landfall of her inaugural voyage 24 years ago, after departure from the homeport Southampton on 9th April 1995.
At about 7 am she was making her way into port, coming from Praia da Vitória, Azores archipelago, while on a 16-day itinerary around the Atlantic Isles, and after a typical cruise day visit, she left her moorings at nearly 5:30 pm, casting off slowly and silently too, which almost felt like a sign of the demise that is about to come upon her. Soon the pilot disembarked and she was bound to La Palma, Canaries.
The last call under P&O's flag will happen next month already, on the 7th June, and most certainly in Funchal that day the emotions will be on a high level, just like on that historic overnight call on 12/13th April 1995, but on a total opposite feeling.
Images taken with a mobile phone, thus the not so good quality, but between capturing the moments or not, best to capture with what we have.
Today we take a look back at to April 1995 and a look at special edition of the Daily Echo, the local Newspaper for the Southampton area, published to celebrate ORIANA's arrival and entry into service.
Proudly displaying ORIANA on arrival in Southampton and the caption Cruising into the 21st Century
Inside the pages publicised many of ORIANA's features from her luxurious interiors to her crew and heritage recalling and comparing her to her 1960 built namesake.
A look at the crew of ORIANA for her Maiden Voyage
ORIANA beyond all expectations
For many ORIANA brought back memories of SS ORIANA retired nine years earlier who spent her last years in Australia
Rounding off the publication with a optimistic outlook for ORIANA that 'From Today other Holidays will be Left In Her Wake' in everyway reflected the companies hopes for her and the reality which was to follow.
The dawn of Sunday 9th of April 1995 brought ORIANA her first day at work, for the passengers who would be arriving at the Mayflower Cruise Termianl her pristine white hull and her CANBERRA inspired buff funnel made for an impressive sight for the 1,800 passengers joing her for Maiden Voyage
It had been 3 days since her high profile naming by Her Majesty The Queen and the associated festivites of that day and now ORIANA was meeting her paying public for the first time.
Boarding the new pristine flagship was an experience like no other for her passengers, never before had a ship like her been built, custom designed ship for the UK market a departure from the former ocean liners such as CANBERRA, and also difffering to the mass market glitzy shopping mall like ships entering service for the US market ORIANA in every respect was one of a kind, no multipurpose Las Vegas show lounge instead a dedicated West end theatre and a wider choice of bars and public rooms than any other ship then in service at that time.
As her passengers boarded the first on board entertainment began with relaxed piano music in The Crow's Nest to accompy the lofty views of Southampton while elsewhere on board other acts performed in Harlequins the on board night club/dance floor and The Pacific Lounge.
With safety drills held at 5pm ORIANA was finally ready to sail and just 6pm passengers lined her rails streamers rained down from her promenade deck as the The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals began to play as under Commodore Gibb's and the pilots guidance ORIANA slipped her moorings and headed down Southampton Water
And for those not able to be onboard P&O published a map showing the approximate times she would would be passing certain points of her route.
As ORIANA left Southampon behind her passengers settled in to their brand new home.
ORIANA's first call on this Maiden Voyage was none other than Funchal, Madeira a port that P&O had been calling at since it's early days and as liner passengers had given way to cruise passengers it had become one P&O's most popular port of calls among both passengers and crew.
Arriving on the 12th April ORIANA's reception at Funchal was as warm as her departure 3 days earlier with a flotila of small craft welcoming the new arrival and escorting her to her berth.
A picture of crusing perfection - The stunning ORIANA arrives in Funchal for the first time.
As ORIANA herself was welcomed her passengers were made as equally welcome being given local flowers as they disembarked.
Being an overnight call a local folkloric group went on board during the evening to give a typical local performance for ORIANA's passengers while the ship herself was saluted with a fireworks display in her honour.
In something of a time honoured tradition visitors of the local ship enthusiasts club (CEN) were welcomed on board and shown around by members of the crew.
Having had a warm welcome and stay overnight on the 13th April ORIANA's departure was as celebratory as her arrival had been with many Madeirans lining the port area the sea wall and the seafront of Funchal to see her sail.
One image taken from that day is still in use on the island to this day on various postcards.
Today we continue our look back over ORIANA's career as we take a trip back to April 1995 and ORIANA's arrival in Southampton and her naming day.
On a typically British overcast day ORIANA's perfectly white form glided gracefully into Southampton for the first time to a fittingly warm welcome of fireboats and small pleasure crafts.
ORIANA is welcomed to Southampton for the first time
On ORIANA's bridge a delghted Commodore Gibb and his officers were joined by P&O's Chairman Lord Sterling who was also eager to show his pride in the new flagship as she sailed up Southampton water.
At long last the culmantion of many years of work finally arrived home for the first time.
Following her arrival ORIANA would recieve some 10,000 visitors on board to tour with wonder and awe the first custom built cruise liner for the British Market.
On the 6th April just 3 days before her maiden voyage ORIANA was again the centre of attention as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II performed the time honoured tradition of naming her. Along with being the first cruise ship built for the British market ORIANA also hold the first ship to hold the honour of being first P&O ship to be named by a reigning monarch.
ORIANA is named by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
After the naming itself Her Majesty, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and their entourge went on board for lunch and a tour of the ship along with Commodore Gibb, Lord Sterling and various P&O officials.
Queen Elizabeth II with Commodore Gibb on ORIANA's bridge
Her Majesty is shown the ships plaque originally from ORIANA's 1960 built namesake
Rounding off the days celebrations in the evening the new flagship was treated to a fireworks display.
At the end of perfect day fireworks light up the Southampton skyline in honour of ORIANA
With ORIANA having a little over 6 months left in P&O service in this small series we take the time to look at a selection of images of her over the years from shipyard up to the present day.
Today we take a brief look at her time under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard and her sea trials
11 March 1993 - The first photo of ORIANA as her Keel is laid to much celebration
With a metal framework suporrting her ORIANA reaches 10 decks in hight.
30th June 1994 ORIANA floats for the first time
Complete at last ORIANA takes her leave of the Meyer Werft yard
Waiting for high tide, ORIANA at Leer on her journy down the River Ems on route to the North Sea
ORIANA cuts a fine image in the North Sea on her trials. All Photo Copyrights P&O
As ORIANA's time with P&O comes towards it's end so does her calls and departures remaining from various ports and today among overcast skies and choppy seas she made her penultimate departure from Bermuda where she has been of course registered since December 2006.
Having arrived from Southampton yesterday afternoon and after a overnight and call ORIANA let go her ropes around 3:20pm local time.
ORIANA preparing to depart
Thrusting off from the berth shortly after without any blasts from her horn and picking up speed as she headed back out to sea and her next port of call Freeport in the Bahamas.
ORIANA picking up speed
Watching as she departed it was hard not to feel a sadness seeing her looking pristine and as she always has elegant despite the tasteless livery yet knowing that her time in the west is coming to an end.
An overcast sky hangs over ORIANA as she sets course for the Bahamas
ORIANA will make her final call in Bermuda on the 1st of March with one last call overnight in the port.
With a few passengers and crew on her decks ORIANA disappears from sight
While details relating to ORIANA's future beyond P&O have been hard to come by we can now reveal details about her new owners, a new cruise company formed as a joint venture between the China Ocean Shipping Group Company also known as Cosco and China Travel Service (CTS).
While it maybe a poor or mistranslation the new venture's name appears to be Twinkle Travel Cruise.
ORIANA is due to leave P&O in early August 2019 and will be arriving in China to begin operations for her new owners in mid September 2019
While we don't know if this new venture is related to or is one in the same as the mystrious Oriental Fleet Cruise 01 Ltd who ORIANA was transferred to in July this year it was comfirmed as expected that since July she has been bareboat chartered to P&O in order to complete her cruises up to August next year.
It has also been announced that neither the venture or it's joint owners will be taking care of any of ORIANA's operational requirements either in terms of the ships navigation and technical systems or Hotel services instead she will be crewed and operated by V Ship Leisure who will be expanding to China to support the new venture speaking about taking on responsabilty of ORIANA V Ship Leisure Director Per Bjornsen said,
"We are very pleased to have secured the contract to handle the
technical and hotel management of this cruise ship after the redelivery
next August."
He continued, "We are proud to build on our legacy
in the cruise sector, as the first ship manager to create a separate
company for cruise ship management and now becoming the first manager to
set up a fleet cell in China for cruise operations for both technical
and hotel operation."
Alex Iley, business development manager and Per Bjornsen, director, V. Ships Leisure on board ORIANA
While Per Bjornsen and his team maybe looking forward to taking over ORIANA's running it can be noted that V.Ships Leisure has something of a reputation for it's cost cutting and a 'slap dash' approch to ship managment and is infamous in shipping circles for it's less than examplery practices.
It is assumed at this time very little in the way of changes will be made to the ship as the short turn around time between her leaving P&O service and entering service in China.
