In their on line statement posted on their social media page P&O's Senior Vice President Paul Ludlow stated
"We apologise to those guests due to travel on ORIANA's X801 but our technical team has advised us that it is necessary for ORIANA to undergo a three week technical maintenance from January 6 2018. As a result we will be cancelling this cruise.
We have contacted all those affected guests today and we are extremely sorry for the late notice and disruption.
It is presently unkown what the issues are which will be addressed however when asked if they are related to technical problems ORIANA expirenced with her boiler plant earlier in the year P&O responded that the maintenance is not related to any previous technical problems.
There has been as expected quite a lot of activity on P&O's social media pages relating to the news on the company's Facebook page many of their past passengers have been critcal of their decsion to withdraw her from service for 3 weeks and the effect it is having on the passengers who were booked to sail while others were more concerned if other sailings will be affected to which P&O replied -
" this cancellation is due to the dry dock facility becoming available and so we are taking the opportunity to undertake a range of technical work on her. This will not affect her other sailings."
With the sudden change to ORIANA's schedule it is no surpise that also has been a certain amount of speculation around the reason with several even suggesting that the work was in prepration for the ship being sold this was quickly dispelled as P&O replied "rest assured we have no plans to sell ORIANA at present. We are simply to take this opportunity to undertake a range of technical work on the ship as the dry dock facilities are available."
As of writing it is not confirmed where ORIANA is to drydock but it is very likely that she could return to the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg where she was refitted last November and December.
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| ORIANA in Drydock in December 2016 |
