ORIANA and a "mammoth of the seas"

Yesterday on yet another call in her homeport of Southampton, ORIANA had an encounter with a true "sea mammoth", none other than Royal Caribbean's most recent ship and the latest unit of their Oasis class, the 227,700 GT and 5,488 passenger HARMONY OF THE SEAS, now the World's largest cruise ship.

ORIANA meets the World's largest cruise ship in Southampton. Image taken from the video posted bellow.

Although the two were berthed slighly distant from each other, the HOTS at her departure from the City terminal, went to the port's upper swinging ground to manouver her bow to starboard, then making two close passages with ORIANA, docked at Mayflower and also ready to depart.
It was a clear proof of something that is becoming with time more of a common fact rather than just an opinion, that the current trend of cruise shipbuilding is more aimed in sheer size and therefore more profit and less concerned with the looks of the ships. No doubt that ORIANA proudly stood there yesterday, being one of the last cruise ships in the industry where aesthetics were equally important as profit for its designers.
After the two greeted each other with horns, ORIANA slipped her moorings and followed the giant cruise ship down the Solent, which was very horn blowing and escorted by a local Svitzer tug firing water canons, since it was the ship's last call in Southampton for some times, as HARMONY OF THE SEAS is now relocating to the Med where she will operate in the Summer months.
Having departed afterwards, ORIANA still managed to pass ahead of the HARMONY in the English Channel bound to Lisbon, on a 12 day Iberia itinerary, which is quite natural since the latter is no match for the superior speed capability of P&O's senior ship.
Bellow a video that depicts with even better detail what was described above, also including the earlier departures of two other cruise ships that were present yesterday, the Cunarder QUEEN VICTORIA and ORIANA's mate and Flagship of P&O the BRITANNIA. (ORIANA and HOTS encounter starts at min. 8:55, which is followed by both's departures respectivaly).

Video: Daniel Gosling.