Maiden Departure- Beginning of a New Era

9th April 1995, after over  6 years of careful planning designing, building and the cost of £200 million ORIANA the first ship built for the UK cruise market departed the Mayflower Cruise terminal with 1850 passengers on board for her Maiden Voyage.
Her passengers boarded with the knowledge of being on board the newest most expensive liner, but also the fastest built since the liner era had ended.

Departing from her berth ORIANA's passengers listened as they threw streamers from her decks while below the band on the dockside saluted with music as Southampton's newest resident moved off
 Surrounded by small crafts reminiscent of her arrival one week earlier ORIANA made her way stately down Southampton water her fine lines making an impressive sight  as she sailed.
From her home port her voyage would take her to ports well known to P&O in its long history,
Firstly the Garden Isle of Madeira, where she would overnight, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Casablanca, Praia da Rocha in the Algarve and finally Lisbon, the Portuguese capital was well known to the previous ORIANA who had cruised there in 1960 on a pre maiden voyage shakedown cruise.
Below is a short clip from P&O's official film of the Maiden Voyage showing her departure.