The first night on board ORIANA had been a fantastic introduction to life on board which had ended with returning to our immaculately turned down cabin to sleep and rest before ORIANA’s arrival in Rotterdam.
Waking at about 6:30am and venturing on deck about half an hour later just in time to see the pilot boat on its route back to shore.
On deck there were several other passengers who was also leaning on the rails and watching the approach.
Shortly after the pilot ORIANA passed through the Breakwaters passing the town of Hoek Van Holland on her portside marking her entry into the Nieuwe Waterweg shipping canal.
ORIANA's route to the cruise terminal
On either side of the sun deck passengers stood watching the scenery as a mixture of green pastures and industrial landscapes passed by.
Although in terms of distance it wasn’t really that far from home especially when compared to some of the destinations ORIANA had visited, for me it was interesting to watch as the landscapes passed by.
In fact it was still an interesting fact to get around I was on board this fantastic ship while she did what she does best taking passenger to ports while they could enjoy the views in style and sophistication a fact that it seemed the locals were indeed aware as several gathered to watch ORIANA’s passage towards Rotterdam.
With the time very quickly moving on towards 8am I headed down below meeting up with my mother on the way and then headed to breakfast.
Unlike the Club dining of dinner the Breakfast on board in the main restaurants was on an open sitting and when we reached the restaurant we were directed to a seat near one of the starboard side windows.
As it also turned out we were being served by our evening waiters Satish and Suvin who as soon as we were seated left us with the breakfast menu which had on offer some quite tempting options available.
Being a ship primarily serving the British market the most popular option was fried full English breakfast, not exactly healthy but none the less a firm favourite with many for me however a lighter option had more appeal and with coffee and fruit juice to complement it.
It was interesting to watch for the first time ORIANA’s passage towards a port of call.
Although it had always been an ambition of mine to cruise and experience shipboard life it the one thing I hadn’t expected to think about was the way that the world passed by, yes I expected to see landscapes both natural and influenced by manmade structures and of course people but as I watched I saw something else, people going about their everyday business dog walking, taking their children to school and going to work then stopping to look at ORIANA before continuing on their own way.
To me it emphasised the description once given to passenger liners of being like a self-contained floating city and when approaching a port of call it offered an unprecedented introduction.
Sitting watching it was noticeable ORIANA’s motion was slowing until ORIANA came almost to a complete stop, strange I thought since it seemed we were certainly not near the dock.
ORIANA than began turning towards her starboard side slightly before again going ahead although this time it seemed to be somewhat slower than before.
Continuing with breakfast Staff Captain Chris Wells made an announcement from the bridge on behalf of the Captain concerning ORIANA’s current movements and within 10 to 20 minutes ORIANA would be making a turn to starboard before preparing for her arrival at Rotterdam Cruise terminal which was expected to be a little after 9:30am.
It was interesting to note Chris Well is actually an employee of P&O’s once rival and now sister brand Cunard having previously worked on board QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 and being a member of the build team from Cunard who was involved with and oversaw the construction of QUEEN MARY 2 in France.
Within a couple of years he would attain the rank of Captain and given command of P&O’s OCEANA and later still in October 2010 Cunard’s new QUEEN ELIZABETH.
Leaving the restaurant our first stop was on the promenade to watch as ORIANA began commencing her swing to starboard. Standing at the rail it appeared that the manoeuvre was drawing quite a crowed.
Looking down towards the water line and slightly astern the disturbance from the stern thruster could be seen as it pushed the stern to port.
Once completed ORIANA continued slowly astern towards the berth and Captain Reid and the harbour pilot were stood watching proceedings before re-entering the bridge.
Walking aft towards the stern and taking the stairway up deck 8 above to get a better view, the terminal was vaguely visible in the distance.
With a distance of about 2 Nautical miles (3.70636 km) left to run ORIANA slipped slowly towards her berth which was flanked by the cable stayed Erasmusbrug (Erasmus Bridge) which had been opened 10 years earlier by the Her Majesty Queen Beatrix.
The Erasmusbrug
Slowly ORIANA continued until she paralleled the berth and then slowly thrusted into position alongside with the stevedores waiting in place to receive ORIANA’s mooring ropes.
According to the cruise according to the Cruise log-
“At 0930 we commenced to swing the bow starboard. One the swing was complete we then proceeded to move astern for two miles towards our berth where we were all fast port side alongside by 0940.
With ORIANA tied up alongside Captain Reid made his arrival announcement informing us that ORIANA was secure alongside and the arrival formalities were in the process of being completed and as soon as they were all would be free to go ashore.
While waiting I took the opportunity to take a look from the deck at Rotterdam.
Ascending the stairways on each the terraces of the stern, the sight to be seen was an excellent one the sprawling city of Rotterdam the largest port in the world and like Southampton a historic one even from just standing on ORIANA’s deck some of the city’s history was easy to see.
Directly behind the cruise terminal this was to be seen most prominently in the old warehouse that towered above the terminal. Near its roof the names Borneo, Ceylon and Jakarta among others which told of the far flung destinations that goods would arrive from.
Also in another nod towards history the berth we for the cruise terminal where ORIANA was now docked is named Holland Amerikakade(Holland America Quay) in honour of the most famous Dutch shipping company (and also P&O’s fellow Carnival brand) Holland America Line.
Not far from here but not visible due to the some of the high rise buildings was the Hotel New York built in 1903 it was for many years the Head office of Holland America.
About 10 minutes after the first announcement Staff Captain Wells made a follow up stating that all arrival and immigration formalities had now been satisfactorily completed for passengers and crew and were free to go ashore but to keep our Passports and Cruise Cards with us as all times. His final reminder before wishing everyone a good day in Rotterdam was that ORIANA would sail for Zeebrugge at midnight and all passengers were requested to be back on board by 11:30pm.
Shortly after the sounds of the ships engines reduced and eventually stopped as one of the engines was shut down for standard maintenance while the other stayed online providing all on board services
Immediately passengers who were on one of the tours, Rotterdam & Cruise, were on their way to the theatre to meet as instructed in the ORIANA Today paper. This first tour was a combination of a coach tour of Rotterdam’s sights and a boat cruise taking in sights of this incredible harbour.
Other tours on offer were full day ones to the City of Amsterdam which included lunch and shopping opportunities, most important for many of the female passengers.
Other sights there which passengers were talking about seeing was the famous “Red Light” district of the city famous for its ladies in ‘interesting clothing’ in its windows.
Starting at 10am there was a limited shuttle bus service available which ran from the car park to 2 spots in the city centre the service was in place until 7pm and at each point a guide was on hand to assist passengers with directions etc.
With Cruise Card and passport in hand and with euros in pocket we took the lift down to deck 5 and walked to the atrium where the gangway was located.
Reaching the exit and in a reverse of the embarkation we had our cruise card scanned by the security at the door and with a computer’s ‘goodbye’ acknowledgement we walked out onto via the enclosed gangway and into the first floor of the terminal.
Important infomation about going ashore
Walking along from the gangway there was many market stalls set up selling both Rotterdam and Netherlands souvenirs including little wooden clogs and their full size counterparts which if I recall correctly was about 40 €, fridge magnets of various sizes and shapes including what the Netherlands are most famous for Windmills and Tulips which cost much left than the clogs at about 3€ each other items included some of the more tasty delights of the Netherlands in the form of various cheeses which including the firm favourite back home in the UK Dutch Edam cheese.
Taking the lift down to the ground floor and after passing through the terminals own security area we exited out and into Rotterdam.
My first intention was as far possible to photograph and get some good views of ORIANA in port and with this in mind headed towards the Erasmusbrug to see if it was possible to get a stern view which it was, what a perfect sight it was!
The finally shaped stern and the name ORIANA and London written on it with the terraces rising above it and then crowing at the top overall the buff corn coloured CANBERRA inspired funnel stood proud.
Sadly those first photos I took of ORIANA have long since been lost but the impression it made on me as the first photos I took of a ship remain with me over 5 years later.
Walking back around near the front of the terminal of it perhaps struck me for the first time that I was in another country with its own customs, language and way of life and with our mode of transportation looking elegant docked just behind the terminal building it was obvious this is the best way to travel !
Moving towards the car park where the first of the shuttles were just departing.
Just over from the car park was the aforementioned Hotel New York on its side it still had written on it “Holland Amerika Lijn” its position near the end of the pier gave it a perfect view out over the port, the reason it was built on this site I assumed.
Hotel New York
Taking the next shuttle bus we enjoyed the brief journey to the central station passing over the bridge it offered excellent views of both ORIANA and the terminal from this angle was ORIANA looked stunning and from here some we could see some camera flashes from some of the balconies, the only unwelcome sight was the gathering clouds on the horizon, it looked like there was rain on the way, hopefully if it was coming it wouldn’t last long.
Reaching the stop in the centre the local guide was on hand to direct passengers towards various shops, cafes, restaurants and other usual places tourists visited.
The city as I expected to be was very clean however on this occasion there was no smell of certain ‘substances’ which I had been told I would be able to smell coming out from most cafes.
Finding a side café we stopped to take in the atmosphere and to drink the first of what would become many cups of coffee in local cafes while visiting cruise destinations!
After finishing our coffee we again went looking at the sights and sounds of Rotterdam.
Although far more industrial than Amsterdam Rotterdam did indeed have its own character and old world charm.
It was certainly something of a new experience arriving in a different destination each day to experience new sights and sensations it was surly a great feeling.
However the exploration of my first ever port of call came to an abrupt end as the clouds we had spotted earlier deposited what seemed like an endless maelstrom of rain and hail which was being whipped by the howling wind.
Being not too far from the Central Station we gambled that hopefully one of the shuttle buses would be waiting to return to the docks and ORIANA, even if our exploration was prematurely cut short there was still some areas of ORIANA which had yet to explore.
Arriving back at the car park near the cruise terminal it seemed for the time being the rain which had sent us back this way had passed for the time being however being almost lunch time we thought ORIANA would be the perfect venue for it.
Walking back into the terminal we once more had to pass through the cruise terminal’s security screening before returning to the first floor where the small stalls were still set up, having failed to purchase any souvenirs from the shops the stalls were the perfect solution and after some moments of indecision we walked back towards the gangway and onto ORIANA.
In deciding where to go next once back on board we thought we would try the Tiffany’s Bar which surrounded the top level atrium beneath the beautiful art deco stained glass ceiling.
Not feeling too hungry the menu of light dishes seemed to appeal so to go with our drink we had a French styled sandwich with an Italian Mozzarella side salad, a very European style lunch!
Being the first time we had spent any time here it had a nice and relaxing ambience which offered an elegant venue for socialising or just to sit and read, the sound of the waterfall nearby I found to be very relaxing, and the perfect setting for a light lunch.
With a soft drink to compliment it and subtle but elegant surroundings we enjoyed our first lunch on board.
With lunch over we walked aft to continue our tour of ORIANA’s public rooms which we began the day before.
The first of the rooms was Curzon Room ORIANA’s piano recital venue, with nothing going on at the moment the room was empty except for the high back chairs and in the centre beneath largest of the room’s crystal chandelier the grand Steinway sat looking immaculately clean and ready for use later in the evening.
The décor of the room was interesting like many other rooms aboard the room featured plenty of art work in this case six large art pieces however these were not paintings or sculptures instead the portraits were six large pieces of embroidery, said to be among the largest of their type in the world.
The Curzon Room in use
Leaving the Curzon our next stop was the elegantly appointed Library and writing room.
The room’s shelves contained fiction books of all genres for passengers on longer cruises to indulge their passion for literature on the lazy and relaxed days at sea as well as offering a variety of non-fiction books mainly relating to travel and cruising but also other subjects.
On a large Octagonal table towards the centre room which had on it a large jigsaw puzzle which where some passengers were stood around assembling parts of it.
In the Neighbouring Thackeray Room several passengers were sat reading in the chairs around the side of the room and at writing tables.
Our next stop was the probably the most bizarre venue on board was the Art Gallery which ran along the port side of the Thackeray Room and stretched aft to the entrance of the Cinema.
Here there was several interesting works of art on display which were available for purchase for some very high prices, some of them in my opinion were good although but not worth the price being asked while others were completely awful.
Chaplin’s Cinema was in the middle of showing a film so thought it was most probably not the best time to look around however I could help but smile at the two statues of Chaplin himself in character as the tramp at the door.
The only other rooms on in this area of the ship was the Children areas and the sound of laughter and coming from that direction was enough to tell anyone passing nearby that the children who had remained on board ORIANA were having a good time.
Taking the aft stairs down to the promenade deck we took the opportunity of to take a seat outside the Lords Tavern entrance, in what I was quickly learning was typical ORIANA high standards, a waiter was at our table almost as soon as we arrived.
Looking at the ORIANA today paper I was surprised that there were still many activities going on around ORIANA despite being in port.
The activities had started from 9am at the Sports court on the Sun deck with an Adult Tennis competition while another member of the entertainment team was giving a general introduction to ORIANA’s deck sports activities and facilities
As anyone who has taken a cruise on a more traditional cruise line will know the deck sports of Shuffle board and Deck quoits are firm favourites of veteran cruisers, ORIANA was no exception and in speaking with one passenger they told me that they had played in deck games competitions every day of every cruise they had taken since the 80s when they had first cruised on board CANBERRA.
Elsewhere on board ORIANA beauty therapy was the order of the day and had begun with a lecture about Oxyjet an alternative to Botox anti-ageing treatment.
And later still a lesson on ‘Detoxing’ was being held by the on board fitness instructors.
Having been on board ORIANA for over day I had become come to see exactly why in 11 years of service the ship had become a firm favourite with many of her passengers, the choice and range of activities on offer combined with the elegant but not imposing surroundings and service that she offered.
With the time approaching 4pm a second visit to The Crow’s Nest seemed to be a good idea before preparing for the evenings dinner.
While there the John James Trio returned for their second performance of the cruise.
For this evening dinner was something of different experience from the previous night with the view of Rotterdam being the backdrop.
Walking to the restaurant we were greeted by the polite greeting and a smile from the head waiters, being seated a few minutes after 6:30pm and as we did announcement was mad indicating that dinner was now being served in the main restaurants.
The menu was as every bit as interesting and good as the previous evening and of course it was just as hard to decided what to have , something I had never had thought of before that I have could have too much choice! But in the end lamb was the most obvious choice for me.
have too much choice! But in the end lamb was the most obvious choice for me.
To go with it we chose a white Australian Wine which if I recall correctly was called Wakefield Estate.
While talking with one of our waiters Satish was sharing some of his experiences of working for P&O, he told of his time on board CANBERRA and the sadness within the officers and crew at her retirement
Despite the beloved former flagships retirement his own saddest memory came from the departure from the fleet of his own personal favourite ship VICTORIA he recalled with a slight sadness how most of her crew had cried when the ship was sold off by P&O 4 years before.
For a ship enthusiast such as myself it was of interest to listen to such stories as these, especially since they concerned famous ships such as CANBERRA.
The dinner its self as excellent just as we expected to be, there was no other way to describe it perfectly prepared, cooked and presented with the service to match, P&O I thought to myself should be proud of both ORIANA and her crew, undoubtedly among the finest built.
After dinner we decided on attending the Theatre Royal where it was advertised that “Britain’s favourite comedian Tom O’Connor was performing, now weather he was the most famous or not I really didn’t know I certainly had not heard of him but it seemed people of a certain age did so it seemed a good idea to attend.
Finding our seats quickly the theatre began filling to its capacity quickly and within 10 to 15 minutes was virtually full.
Just before the show began proper the Cruise Director Ian Fraser, who incidentally had been ORIANA’s first Cruise Director announced that the planned deck party was to be moved indoors to the Pacific Lounge due to high winds and predicted rain. With the message given he then introduced Tom O’Connor, who had also been on board ORIANA’s maiden voyage.
Tom O'Connor entertains during ORIANA's Maiden Cruise
The show was excellent, very funny and had many almost rolling out of their seats.
The humour he used was always good natured and family orientated and never rude or offensive he also included several songs and then concluded with a theatre sing along.
It would take I was sure some time for many present to stop laughing!
Having planned to attend the deck party, the alternative ‘Below decks’ party which was being held in the Pacific lounge seemed to be a good choice and after arriving the music and interesting dancing began with musical accompaniment from Natural High all it seemed were in good spirits.
The music was fair mix of party tunes , 60&70s and novelty songs, watch fellow passengers dance to Agadoo was indeed a sight that is pretty hard to forget and can only be matched by the conga that followed.
Ending at about 5 minutes to midnight it gave enough to time for getting out on deck to watch the stevedores removing the mooring ropes.
Captain Reid then gave his announcement ORIANA was ready to sail and with three blasts from her horn which pierced through the night air ORIANA slowly slid away from her berth on route to the English Channel.
Spending a few moments on the promenade before returning inside it was interesting to see that some very eager photographers and ship enthusiasts were still up as the cameras flashed form the shore
Retiring for the night we found our cabin ‘turned down’ with a chocolate on the pillow inviting for comfortable sleep.
After a long day there was not much inviting needed to sleep for when we woke there would be another new destination to explore.
Photos Copyright: P&O Cruises
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