Looking back: 2012 Fjords Cruise -Day 3

 11th June

After a relaxing first day at sea the early morning of Monday 11th June found ORIANA several hours from the first port of call , Norway's second largest city Bergen.
The day began early and up on leaving the cabin we were greeted by one of ORIANA's bridge crew and the local pilot on route to the bridge.
Unsurprisingly at this time ORIANA's decks were fairly empty aside from one or two passengers who were also early to rise and members of the ship's crew going about their assigned jobs, on deck there was fresh breeze that blew over ORIANA and the sky was somewhat cloudy in many ways the scene was somewhat reminiscent of the last time I had visited with the heavy skies being somewhat telling  that Bergen has the reputation as the wettest city in Europe.

  Unlike some of the other ports ORIANA would be visiting during this cruise there was no narrow fjords for the ship to traverse instead wide channels marked her course. Initially the land was rocky out crops which soon gave way to green patches with small wooden houses lining the waterfront. 

 

 Continuing on route we were rapidly the approaching Askøy Bridge which was fast becoming a source of interest as is always the case when a ship is about to pass under bridge.
Giving an announcement Captain Pembridge, having performed the manoeuvre many times  before  gave reassurance that ORIANA's air draft of around 55m would permit her to pass comfortably beneath the bridge.

 The mast passing under the bridge

 ORIANA's funnel nears the bridge while specters look on

With the bridge behind her ORIANA neared the city proper and amongst the mix of historic and modern buildings the first of the the other nautical visitors came into view, ORIANA would spend the day in good company as she joined  three other ships from other Carnival brands.

Firstly coming into view two of ORIANA's fellow Meyer Werft built ships the newly built AIDAMAR and her older sibling AIDALUNA.

AIDAMAR and AIDALUNA docked together

Up ahead Holland America's EURORDAM also came into view offering her Signature class lines bringing to mind ORIANA's fleet mate ARCADIA.

EURODAM docked alongside

 Finally alongside the dock stevedores in small boats were in place to pick up ORIANA's lines and secure her alongside.

 After a day at sea and a relatively short journey of 759 Nautical miles (1406.5km) we had arrived at our first destination.

ORIANA arrives into Bergen

With ORIANA tied up alongside and all the arrival formalities completed the passengers were free to go ashore either independently or by taking one of the tour excursion on offer through the tours office on board.

We wouldn't be taking advantage of the excursions instead we would be meeting with local ship spotter Tom Gulbrandsen who had offered to kindly take the time to show us some of the interesting sights of the city.

The clouds which had loomed over the city soon began lifting  to revel a bright morning sky.

 

Sights from around Bergen

The hours slipped by fairly quickly and all too soon it was time to return to ORIANA. 

Taking a short walk through the city to the drop off/pick up point we parted ways with Tom who wished us well with the rest of the cruise.
Returning to ORIANA there was about an hour or so remaining before ORIANA departed, more than enough time to have a brief rest before joining the a special sail away party.

Instead of the normal sailaways loved by many a P&O passenger ORIANA's terraced decks were the venue for the 175th Anniversary sail away party.

 With the party in full swing ORIANA's main engines were brought back up to power and her lines were let go and slowy she pushed off her berth.
Leaving Bergen behind ORIANA set her course towards our next port of call, while her passengers prepared for another evening on board. 

Photos: João Abreu, Tom Gulbrandsen

Looking back: 2012 Fjords Cruise -Day 2

10th June-At Sea

Sunday, the day of rest for many and on this day for those of us on ORIANA it was relaxing to wake with  no sense of urgency.
The first evening on board P&O's mighty flagship had been a complete success the service at dinner and every venue had been of the highest quality and had eased all into the rhythm of ship board life.
During the night and early hours ORIANA had made her way into the North Sea and onward towards Norway.
With calm conditions the night had been a comfortable and calm one and had led to restful sleep so much so that it was only at about 8:15am that we awoke.
Being that it was Sunday and ORIANA's beds being impossibly comfortable it was a fair bet that many other passengers were doing the same enjoying lying in and resting on the first full day on board and in contrast undoubtedly there had been some early risers who would have been up early making the most of ORIANA's spacious decks while they were empty.
Shortly after getting ready for the day our first stop was breakfast in The Peninsular Restaurant which was only partially filled which was to be expected with other passengers still resting or making use of one of the alternative venues specifically The Conservatory and Al frescos.
Prior to the previous night The Peninsular had been the only main dining venue which I had been allocated to dine in on board so it was with a little fondness that I was found my self once again seated in it and like the rest of the ship it looked as good as it ever has done not the slightest sign of wear.

For many certainly among the ladies on board it would be the opportunity to get ready for the evenings Gala Reception with the Captain while that was some hours away beauty therapy in the Spa and retail therapy in the shops would be a must.
For us it simply offered the chance to enjoy the ambiance of the ship and to reminisce over times and how our friendship began courtesy of the ship we now had the pleasure of sailing on.
For what would doubtlessly be the first of many occasions we headed out onto ORIANA open decks firstly to the forward open area directly forward of the deck tennis courts and Oasis spa.
The view ahead was as always inspiring watching as ORIANA's slender and sharp bow pushed ahead despite it being more than a little windswept the was no waves to speak of and no pitching motion just ORIANA's bow seemingly gliding through the water.

ORIANA's bow glides through thr North Sea

Although calm there was a chill in the air and after taking some further photos it was time to head back inside. By now ORIANA was the typical animated scene of a ship at sea with her passengers going about their day in their own unique way it was interesting to note that my initial concerns that the new role as an adults only ship may have in many ways affected the on board atmosphere this was not the case since the atmosphere like the ship herself was as good as it ever had been.

ORIANA's atrium the hub of activity on board

One of the features which never ceased to amaze me and even more so this cruise was the amount of space on offer despite being a virtually full with 1,800 or so passengers all on board going about the first day on board there never seemed to lack free space and unlike her fleet mates even AURORA there were several comfortable and inviting seating areas on various levels of the atrium which were not linked to a bar area Along with The Crow's Nest, which we would undoubtedly visit before the morning was over,another favorite venue was Tiffany's the Coffee bar atop of the atrium and given its relaxing ambiance by the over head stained glass ceiling and the sound of the waterfall and offered us the perfect venue to talk about the cruise thus far, it also was also the perfect reminder of the attention to detail that ORIANA's designers put into her interiors not only with larger features such as the Tiffany styled ceiling and waterfall but also in the smaller details that most wouldn't give a second glance here that was most visible with the wood carved wall panels which lined the bar and corridor leading to the forward stairway. Like its counterparts on ORIANA's fleet mates Tiffany's now offered the popular Costa brand coffee which made the perfect companion to an in depth discussion relating to ORIANA and maritime subjects. In fact a mixture of the conversation and surroundings led to us being there for some considerable time.

Tiffany's at a quieter moment

Elsewhere on board other passengers occupied themselves with many of the other activities taking place on this first day at sea, the activities had began early with complimentary keep fit class in the Spa and fitness centre as well as a 'walk a mile' around the promenade deck.
Following on from the class there was Tai Chi  taking place and while on this cruise it was intended to make use of the Spa as another 'first' at some point that would be certainly for relaxation rather than exercise.
Away from the spa in Chaplins Cinema passengers with an interest in politics would find a the days film The Iron Lady a worthwhile watch .
For the ladies who were looking something a little different a talk on perfumes with the on board expert along the same lines later in the day a talk relating to diamonds scheduled certainly if any ladies had expensive tastes their husbands would be keeping them away from those talks!
The sound of church bells played over the public address system marking in a traditional manner, the beginning of the multi-faith religious service that was being held by Captain Pembridge in the ship's theatre.
As we contemplated moving from Tiffany's several members of the entertainment team began setting up for a quiz the first of the day.
By now most of the bars were open and the passengers who were not engaged in working out or taking part in activities were enjoying the morning sat in the bar much like on land only in much finer surroundings.
The different age groups going about their own things younger to middle aged men were sat to the bars enjoying a beer or two while the older generations sat together in groups discussing anything and everything.
One of the advantages of being on board a ship of course was that one could completely disconnect so to speak with the outside world choosing too cut temporarily all ties with land and  because the ship is its own enclosed world it is an option many would enjoy however for this cruise many on board would be focused on the small matter of Football, while the Lord's Tavern was at present a fairly calm venue that would certainly change later in the day with the Euro 2012 tournament being shown . 
Outside despite the North Sea breeze passengers took the time to leisurely take the air on the promenade deck.
The old saying of time flies when your having fun was certainly very appropriate in this case as a combination of the ship's relaxing ambiance and good company passed the time quickly.
Having a little time before midday we took to The Crow's Nest which after hosting some talks earlier was now fairly empty.
The view although a little overcast was of a fairly calm sea with the occasional tanker passing and in the distance the shape of several oil rigs were discernible.
With a chime from the Public address system the officer of the watch announcing the time at midday as the ships bell struck 12 times the first full afternoon on board ORIANA began.

Photos: Steve Martin

Looking back: 2012 Fjords Cruise

Ten years ago on the 9th June 2012 both the authors of this blog boarded ORIANA for a 7 night cruise to the Norwegian fjords, to mark the occasion we roll back the sands of time to once again enjoy the expericnce of sailing on board P&O's mighty flagship.
9th June 2012 :-
After many months of waiting and anticipating finally the time was almost right to return to ORIANA for what would undoubtedly be another excellent cruise on board P&O's magnificent masterpiece.
However this day was different form othet cruises  as joining me for his first cruise on board the ship he eagerly had watched since childhood was my good friend and the creator of this blog João Abreu, such was the allure of ORIANA. it had been because of my previous cruise on her I had come to know him and despite living far apart we had become close and valued friends and approaching the docks with their cranes and container it was almost time to pay respects to the great lady of the seas who had made it all possible - ORIANA.
On this day all of Southampton's cruise terminals were occupied with cruise ships the first to come into view was the mother of the Grand/Crown type ship GRAND PRINCESS docked in the Mayflower Terminal once the largest ship in the world she looked impressive until compared to the giant docked in the City terminal  CELEBRITY ECLIPSE beautiful from the inside most certainly and at the time an impressive sight due to her size the one attribute this Meyer Werft ship could not boast was fine lines or exterior elegance.
Next in the Ocean Terminal the then last new build for P&O AZURA was docked ready to embark her 3000+ passengers as such the book ends of the Grand/Crown class were present GRAND PRINCESS the pioneer of the Grand Class and AZURA the last member of the derived Crown class ships.
Finally docked by starboard side in the Queen Elizabeth II terminal almost as though she was welcoming her expectant passengers ORIANA, her bow facing towards us as we approached and looking as elegant as ever despite some slight modifications made to her bridge wings, most prominently the addition of a canvas cover on each ORIANA did not look a single one of her 17 years indeed it seemed almost as though she was the youngest the only sign of her age being the fact that ORIANA was the only ship in port that wasn't from a class of mass produced hulls.
Arriving at the terminal almost as soon as we had stepped from the car our luggage had been collected by a porter in a scene almost reminiscent of a embarkation day from the old ocean liners he hurriedly took them away to be loaded on board.

Parting with the driver and with ORIANA looming beyond the terminal we joined the queue to check in, thankfully not very long and in no time at all we were at the desk with passports and tickets at the ready as the process began the check in assistant amused at our matching ORIANA Maiden Voyage T-shirts.
With check in complete another important procedure began with the security screening of course a must and in these days a welcome sight ensuring that all safety procedures being followed completely.

ORIANA looms above the dock

 Once completed all that remained was the customary boarding photograph which on this occasion showed two expectant fans ready to board their favorite cruise liner leaving little doubt the excitement the two shared and then finally a steep gangway leading into ORIANA after swiping the cruise card to officially sign us on board ORIANA's atrium beckoned.
Although some minor differences were  present since her refit these were very slight and didn't affect the ambiance of the atrium its self initially the only differences noticeable was the removal of the black granite panelling around the the Reception desk it being replaced by lighter textures.
As passengers boarded a member of the entertainment team was welcoming passengers on board, with the cabins not being ready she was directing people to one of two areas on board for refreshments, for the passengers travelling in the Suite and Mini-Suite accommodation the spacious Harlequins Bar/ dance venue was serving as an more exclusive buffet complete with champagne and for the remaining passengers a full buffet being was served in the Conservatory on deck 12.
Unsurprisingly the buffet was full of passengers and free seats at tables were few and far between although a slight annoyance since the journey to Southampton often left passengers a little hungry,  it wasn't the fault of the ship's design or company organization more a unfortunate effect of the target market mindset and attitude at times a frustrating one.
While the idea of finding a meal at this time quickly disappearing the business at hand of exploring ORIANA to find what else had changed during her 2011 refit seemed a good alternative , however on reflection when passing by the Lord's Tavern bar with a week in front of us do that the opportunity to at first get into the cruise mood with a drink of larger seemed quite a good alternative for us and with pleanty of room avalible the "Tavern" seemed quite an attractive option.

Seating in The Lord's Tavern

 With its obvious cricket theme eluded to in most every way  possible the room offered an quintessentially English atmosphere in which to enjoy what was sure to be the first of many relaxing moments on board as well as getting well acquainted with one of the waiters introducing him to our fondness of ORIANA and to this blog.
While enjoying our drink the first of many announcements of the day was made advising that all the passengers cabins were now ready, with no hurry our first priority was to finish our drinks before heading up to discover our 'home' for the next week.
For us the journey was up 4 decks to deck 11 or 'A' deck to the starboard side of  the midship area and inside cabin A191.
Reaching the cabin our first impression was a good one despite being an inside the cabin was a generous size in fact the main space of the cabin was considerably larger than a standard Balcony Cabin on board fleet mate VENTURA and also in a slightly unusual design feature for a modern cruise ship the cabin featured a bathroom from complete with bath and shower.
Having taken a brief time to settle in to the cabin and been introduced to the Cabin Steward Daniel who ran through the customary the emergency route plan on the back of the cabin door and a reminder the location and time the safety drill was being held. in this case our designated muster station was Station B on Deck 8 Comprising of Chaplins Cinema, Library an Crichton's games room.
With the first formalities on board out of the way we began our tour of the beautifully refitted ORIANA.
    Most logically we began from the top and from ORIANA's most atmospheric and stunning venue The Crow's Nest, while the room it self had not undergone any change the area behind the bar did have a surprising difference instead of the large model of the P&O's R class ship from the 1920's which had occupied the space since 1995.
The display case now was full of plaques and other items relating to ORIANA most prominently displayed in the centre was one of ORIANA's bells and below it a beautiful model of the ship herself showing her as built while it was not stated as such the high level of detail made it quite possible that it was a builders or pre-construction owners model.

One deck below The Crow's Nest the Gymnasium/Spa was the next area of note to be effected by the refit.
Beginning in area which had been the original Gymnasium this area is now almost completely  occupied by a wooden floored aerobic area for aerobic exercises, fitness class, Zumba  etc.
Forward of this area and stretching to the centre of the forward facing windows the starboard side of what had previously been the spa is now the Gymnasium instead of the relaxation which had previously taken place here now it was ready for passengers to be quite the opposite with exercise equipment ranging from weight lifting machines to exercise bikes.

Reaching the centre of the room a divider admitted entrance to the spa area, which despite its reduced size was still fully equipped with Steam rooms, sauna  and whirlpool spa and having been updated during her recent refit with the installation of two heated ceramic beds along with a small relaxation area .

Elsewhere on board it was not much of a surprise that there were a  series of reminders of the fact that 2012 was P&O's 175 year heritage celebrations in the form of an timeline and art deco styled poster on Deck 8 near the cinema.

While our exploration of ORIANA continued it was obvious that the combination of her latest refit and excellent upkeep by her crew the ship was looking as good as the day she entered service nowhere was there evidence of her being 'dated or tired' as befitting for the flagship of the most distinguished British cruise line.

Looking aft from the Anderson's bar

While it was easy to lose track of the time on board we kept an close on time and with the time fast approaching for muster a quick detour to the cabin to collect our lifebelts we made our way slightly earlier than was required even so there was a few passengers already seated we took our places to wait the important announcement from the bridge.
With all passengers at their muster stations the stairway guides relocated from the positions the had taken to assist any passengers who may need it as the Captain ran through the safety and muster procedure in place on board ORIANA.
While it was a lot of information to take in but as had been proved with the loss of COSTA CONCORDIA almost 5 months ealier it was vitally  important to be aware of what to do in the unlikely event of an emergency.
Following the announcements passengers were invited to practice the correct way of putting on a lifebelt before leaving to enjoy ORIANA's impending sail away.
Leaving the lifebelt in the cabin and avoiding the many passengers already making their way onto deck we fairly quickly made it on to the sun deck in time to watch the other ships passing ORIANA.
Firstly CELEBRITY ECLIPSE her huge size silently slipping by her passengers waving enthusiastically.

Next came GRAND PRINCESS and with the ensuring horn battle a memorable start to the cruise however inevitability ORIANA and her distinctive horn won out.

 Finally taking her leave of the port ORIANA began her own departure from the dockside the brass band played as the thrusters began edging the ship away from her berth and then ahead her proud house flag flying on the bow as she picked up speed.

With Southampton falling astern as ORIANA picked up speed we headed to the cabin to prepare for the first dinner of the cruise, on first sitting we would be dining in The Oriental Resaurant the largest of the main dining rooms on board.

All Photos Copyright João Abreu & Steve Martin

Celebrating ORIANA: Departing Madeira

 Following an overnight stay and full day in port by 6pm on the 13th April 1995 ORIANA was ready to depart Funchal, Madeira and head South to the Canary Islands.
ORIANA's welcome the previous day had as warm as any could and now with preprations completed the city had turned out to wish the ship well as she continued her Maiden Voyage.
At about 6:10pm ORIANA made her way off the berth blowing her distinctive horn as she headed out.
People of all ages lined the sea front to see her sail for some the sight would stick with them for many years.

The scene was certainly one fitting for P&O's new flagship,elegant, modern yet classic, she looked perfectly serene departing and is still remembered many years later with the moment captured in  a photograph which local postcards and ond other keepsakes have featured ever since.

Celebrating ORIANA: The First Port of Call

Having spent 3 days at sea from her successful departure from Southampton ORIANA made her way to first port call, Funchal, Madeira.

ORIANA arrives in Funchal, Madeira 12/4/1995: Luís Filipe Jardim

The Portuguese Island had been an important port for P&O since it's earliest days and since the transition to cruising had been popular among repeat P&O passengers.

As is customary ORIANA and her passengers recived the warmest of Madeiran welcomes, local flowers being presented to the passengers as they stepped off the gangway.
Seeing as ORIANA would be remaining in port overnight a fireworks display in her honour was also put on in the evening.
Being that this was her first call a group of local enthusiasts visited the ship where a plaque commemorating the call was presented to Commodore Ian Gibb, who in turn presented a plaque featuring ORIANA's own Coat of Arms.

Celebrating ORIANA: The Maiden Departure

 Sunday 9th April 1995
It was a fairly grey overcast Sunday as passengers arrived at Southampton's Mayflower terminal, pulling up in cars, taxis and coaches, their luggage dropped off before joing the check in queue.
These are scenes repeated regularly in the port, this occasion however was different for there 1,636 passengers were embarking the Maiden Voyage of ORIANA, ,P&O's newest and first custom built cruise ship, advertised as The First Super liner Built for Britain she perfectly blended modern British cruising tastes with the traditional from teak promenades to her Art Deco/Edwardiana styled interiors.
Behind the scenes ORIANA was also a technical marvel her navigational equipment was the most advanced yet fitted aboard a civilian ship and her intergrated bridge system wouldn't become standard for another 5 years at least.

Departing her berth ORIANA was escorted by a flotila of small crafts wishing her well as she made her way down Southampton water.
Despite the overcast skies and the wind picking up sightseers lined ORIANA's route.
Seen below ORIANA passes Cowes on the Isle of Wight on her Maiden Voyage.

Heading into the English Channel ORIANA turned south and made her way down towards her first port of call Funchal, Madeira.

The final departure from Southampton

16th August 2019: 7 days after her final P&O Cruise ORIANA found herself in the company of her former fleetmates AURORA and VENTURA for what would be her final hours in Southampton.

One final meeting Photo: Patricia Dempsey

In the week since her last cruise her P&O logo,livery ,name had all been removed and some items had been taken from the ship while temporary names were added to her.
On board her new crew (supplied by V.Crew) were joined by some P&O crew who were remaining onboard until her arrival in Asia alongside her new entertainment troupe, provided by Sea Cruise UK.
Over the week ORIANA had been in Southampton her departure day and time had constantly changed but finally at little after 8:30am ORIANA/PIANO LAND began to pulling her lines up and shortly before 9am slipped her berth under the charge of her V.Ships crew her horn sounding 3 blasts AURORA chimed in with a final salute to her former fleetmate with 2 short and 1 long blasts.

ORIANA pushes off for the last time Photo: Patricia Dempsey

Heading down Southampton Water passing VENTURA docked in the Ocean Terminal with the two saluting as she passed.

ORIANA passes VENTURA Photo:ABP

ORIANA continued on her way as she had done many times over the years with many happy cruisers on board, only this time her cabins were only occupied with crew members and  she wouldn't be returning.

Goodbye ORIANA Photo:Patricia Dempsey

As ORIANA moved on Southampton fell astern as did the Isle of Wight and she headed South towards the Bay of Biscay as she had so many times.

Outbound for the last time

ORIANA was heading to Piraeus,Greece where she would have her new logos and names added.
While en route work would also begin on removing unwanted fittings such as furniture in the former Cybercafe and the stripping out the Terrace Bar.
Photos: Patricia Dempsey

Two years without ORIANA

Two years ago today ORIANA made her way up Southampton water for the final time, her glittering 24 year career with P&O  brought to a premature end taking with her the majority of what remaind of the authentic British line that had been so loved by their loyal clientele.

Final arrival taken from on board, Photos: Bob Bowler

As far as P&O and Carnival UK were concerned unique and custom built ships such as ORIANA were no longer relevant to the company, in sad contrast to her intoduction 24 years earlier, all that mattered to the American owned brand was the introduction of the third massed produced Excellence Class ship IONA, a true step backward for the company.
As for ORIANA herself before the end of the day she had been handed over to her new owners and her name and bow livery crudely painted over, the letters which proudly stood under her funnel were cut from their supports all the while Paul Ludlow and the rest of his Carnival House team spouted empty platitudes about her service.

ORIANA no more, Photos: Andrew Sassoli-Walker

Remembering Tom O'Connor

 Today we say goodbye to a legend of British entertainment and firm favourite on board ORIANA throughout her P&O career, Tom O'Connor who has passed away aged 81.
A presenter and comedian Tom will be known to many in the UK for hosting televison game shows throughout the 1970's and 80's such as Name That Tune and Crosswits among others.
Trained as a Mathmatics and Music teacher his comedy career started with evening shows in the working men's clubs of Northern England before moving on to tv with a spot on The Comedians which launched Tom's tv career, Quiz shows followed and eventually he was givein his own show, The Tom O'Connor Show a mix of stand up and comedy sketches.
Like many entertainers he found his way onto cruise ships and was often to be found on CANBERRA who he would later fondly make jokes about.
In 1995 he was among the first entertainers to perform on board P&O's new flagship ORIANA during her Maiden Voyage.

Tom headlines ORIANA Today 11th April 1995

Two years later Tom would be among those on board CANBERRA during her Farewell Cruise.
Over the years Tom would remain a firm favourite with the P&O fleet and other lines with British passengers enjoying his familiar sense of humour and often reused jokes.

Still an Headline act in 2006

Tom O'Connor 31st October 1939-18th July 2021

A Triumphant Beginning

Departure day, the beginning of your cruise, for seasoned and novice cruisers there is nothing quite like it, often planned months in advance Passports/cruise tickets, check, Packing, double check, Dog, collected  yesterday.
Then the journey to the cruise terminal, for the majority of those cruising from the UK, the journey to Southampton, nearing the docks a first glimpse of your ships' funnel and upper looking  for the correct dock gate, and finally arriving at your terminal ready to show passports and tickets.                                      P&O Cruise 571 departing on the 9th April 1995 was in many respects no different, yet in everyway it was a very different journey the 1800 passengers were about to embark upon not only were they sailing on a Maiden Voyage they were sailing on board ORIANA, the new flagship of Britains oldest shipping company, its first dedicated UK based cruise ship designed with the British passenger in mind standing in contrast to her mass market  US cousins.
On a technical level ORIANA was a masterpiece of martime design being the fastest passenger ship built for 25 years and the fastest purpose built cruise liner in the world while at the same time her design remained somewhat traditional giving her passengers the best of both worlds.
In terms of the passengers boarding covered a broad range,mostly there were regular P&O cruisers members of P&O's POSH club but there was also passengers who were new to cruising beginning their "cruising life" with the ship designed to usher in the new era of UK based crusing, while the majoritiy of passengers were British and had come from all over the UK to join ORIANA for her maiden sailing there were some who had travelled from further to join the ship, including from the Netherlands to Australia.

To greet the boarding passengers the first edition of ORIANA Today the ship's own onboard newspaper they and a letter frm ORIANA's Master Commodore Ian Gibb, welcoming them on board and sharing some of the effection which the crew and company had already come to see ORIANA with.

A warm welcome from Commodore Gibb

 It wasn't only for those on boarding who were anticapting ORIANA's sailing ship spotters and enthusiasts were eager to see her sail and to that end P&O published the times at which they estimated ORIANA pass certain points on her journey down the Solent and to the sea as shown below

With passengers boarding at 4pm the first entertainment held onboard ORIANA for her fare paying passengers began with Piano music on offer in The Crow's Nest some or for different tastes there was music being played in both Harlequins and The Pacific Lounge followed by the obligatory safety drill held at 5pm and shortly after 6pm to the sound  of The Horn Pipe played by The Band of the Royal Corps of Signals.
To begin ORIANA's sea going career her first port of call would reflect P&O's history and heritage, leaving Southampton behind ORIANA 2 days at sea would follow before reaching Funchal, Madeira one of P&O's most popular ports call, here she would spend overnight allowing the passengers to take in the beauty of the city and islands while a local Folkloric group would be boarding to entertain the passengers with local dance and traditions before departing for the Canary Islands.
In her 24 year service she would become a familiar sight in those destinations with Madeira in particular having an affinity with the ship over her career.

ORIANA arrives makes her Maiden Call at Funchal, Madeira :Luís Filipe Jardim

ORIANA's Maiden Voyage proved to be resounding success and helped to birth a new short lived era for the company before it demerged the cruise operations 5 years later leading to eventual meger with Carnival to form faceless by the numbers Carnival PLC/UK.
In the years since a number of  P&O Cruises ships have entered service all promising to be the next generational leap for the company, with the exception of AURORA in 2000 none of the others lived up to the promise ORIANA brought to P&O and the UK cruise market.

Post COVID return to service?

 Since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the  cruise industry earlier this year a common question  has  been when will crusing resume?                                                                                                                           ORIANA as PIANO LAND the propaganda flagship of the Domestic Chinese market had her sailings suspended on the 29th of January and has spent most of the last 8 months idle in a lay up vastly different from her former fleet mates back in the UK.

In service with Astro Ocean Cruises

During the course of the year with stories from China itself and the World Health World Health Organization relating to the the state of the virus in the in the country it has been interesting to see when the ship would return to service.
With China being the progenitor of the virus and it's "effective" and "swift" measures being a complete uncomfirmed success it had been widely reported by experts that it would lead the cruise industry into recovery and be the first to return to service, this of course did not come to pass.
During this hiatus ORIANA herself has been for the most part laid up making very short trips out to sea and returning to dock within an hour, a contrast to her former P&O fleet mates who have been constantly sailing between ports on England's south coast.
During April she headed to Zhoushan where Cruise Industry News reported that she would be entering drydock for work alongside new HVAC equipment being installed and a new grade of suites being added with a view to resuming service sooner rather than later
While she didn't enter drydock some work was carried out.

Still in need of a new lick of paint ORIANA departs the Zhoushan shipyard.

 Aside from rumours there has been lack of information coming out China related to it's cruise activities  with only the most broad predictions of the ships returning to service however finally a date has finally been announced and according to Astro Ocean's offical website they will resume their own operations tomorrow, the 12th December although like many things relating to the company and China as a whole there are pleanty of questions left unaswered.

Despite the above banner appearing on Astro Ocean's website the only cruises on sale are 3 cruises scheduled to take place between the 23rd July 2021 and 2nd August 2021.
The first a 2 night party cruise to and from Xiamen, and the second   5 night cruise departing from Xiaman and touring around Japan ending in Qingdao in the Shandong province of China.
For the last of the 3 cruises she once again will head round Japan before returning to Qingdao.

Returning to service?

As some lockdown restrictions around many parts of the world begin to be lift it has been suggested that ORIANA's owner Astro Ocean Cruises would be returning her to service in the coming months.
 Once again being reported by Cruise Industry News the site noted it had observed the company recruiting via V.Ships website leading to speculation that the company is planning a relaunch soon.
In addition for the first time since arriving back from 'refit' the ship has sailed to anchor and back, leading some to suggest that the ship's crew were readying her for service.

In service prior to lockdown Photo: KeitoandKagari

There have been other indications that the company is planning a relaunch in the near future such as the company at long last launching a website albeit one which is only partialy functioning at present.
Although there are menus for destinations and departure dates among others there are no availble dates and the links lead to empty pages.
For the past month the site has proudly proclaimed '50 days to go' referring either to a return to service or potentially  some kind of upcoming announcement relating to the resumption of service a seemingly endless 50 days with no change being made to reflect the passage of time.

50 Days and counting?

Other banners around the site introduce the company's new mascot a typically Chinese lucky cat donning a sailors outfit, based on the Maneki-neko cats of Japanese culture.
Originally the company was also advertising it's enchanced health and hygine procedures however for reasons best known to themselves the company has since removed that information and banner.

Some might find a Chinese company promoting increased health and hygine practices due to Covid-19 a little hypocritical

 For those who may be interested Astro Ocean Cruises website can be found here: http://www.aocruise.com/
In recent weeks there has been localised outbreaks of Covid-19 in Beijing most recently leading to 400,000 people being put into lockdown how will such outbreaks effect the decision to return ORIANA to service? we can not say.
With the secracy and half truths that constantly surround the country it is hard to say whether the company has so far been in a postion to return to cruising either now with the current outbreak or before hand, only time will tell.

Photo Copyright: KeitoandKagari

Layup and changes to ORIANA

It is fair to say that since ORIANA has been under Chinese ownership not many changes have been made to make her "The first ship exclusively built for the Chinese market"
On the whole the majority of the ship's decor has remained unchanged with little to no effort being made to make her uniquly British designs Chinese.
Naturally some changes were made name room changes etc a new albeit oddly placed childrens area built out of the former Crichtons card and game rooms, a new steak house grill from the former Lord's Tavern bar and the removal of the Terrace Bar, and various other minor but on the on the whole not a great deal of work.

In service as 'PIANO LAND'

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus/COVID-19 the ship left service on the 29th of January and was put into lay up in Shanghai.

Laid up in Shanghai

She remained in Shanghai for 2 months finally departing for the port of Zhoushan formerly known as Chusan, a name familiar to anyone who is aware of P&O's history and heritage, where she arrived on the 3rd of April at the Cosco Zhoushan Shipyard.

Shortly after arrival at Zhoushan

Alongside as seen from a drydocked ship. Photo:Arvin Gonzaga

10 days after she arrived at the shipyard it was announced by owners Astro Ocean Cruises via Cruise 
Industry News that "it will spend a month to refurbish the PIANO LAND, taking the opportunity with the ship out of service to make some key upgrades"
It continued "The PIANO LAND, which is the former P&O ORIANA, is heading to a drydock in Zhoushan operated by COSCO for the work. The facility has previously handed emergency repairs for both Royal Caribbean International and SkySea Cruises."

It is worth noteing that during her time at the ship yard in contradiction to the company's/Cruise Industry New's claim, the ship never entered drydock even the crew boasting they were the wet dock team.

The Wet Dock crew pose on the covered former Riviera Pool. Photo Rowel Pacatang‎

The article further details work being carried out during the refit,the ship would  receive a completely new HVAC system which could allow upto 100% fresh air to be circulated through out if necessary.
It also announced that several further changes were being made to ORIANA/PIANO LAND's interiors, several of the ship's cabins would be set up for 'Medical situations'.
It was also mentioned that possibilty of the ship returning to service without any inside cabins signifcantly reducing passengers on board.
This to be honest is not surprising the images and low number of reviews point to the ship sailing with far fewer passengers on board than in her P&O days not unexpected seeing as a domestic Chinese cruise market hardly exists in any form.
In addition to reducing cabin numbers on board Astro Ocean also announced the addition of a new class of suite which will feature it's own dedicated dining area making up a new ship within a ship concept akin with MSC's Yacht Club concept.

Render of the new class of suite. Astro Ocean Cruises/Cruise Industry News

And judging from the image in the article the design is underwhelming, generic and as unispired as it is possible to get, quite the contrast to the aforementioned MSC Yacht Club.
Elsewhere, on Deck 7 the shopping area has been further expanded beyond the atrium itself into what was under P&O Anderson's resulting in an increase in space allowing for the introduction of 100 new international brands to shop from.

The former Anderson's as a new onboard shop but the P&O carpet remains.  Astro Ocean Cruises/Cruise Industry News

Having been docked in Zhoushan for 21 days ORIANA finally departed on the 24th April and arrived in Xaimen earlier today at 12:07 local time.

In need of a lick of paint ORIANA/PIANO LAND departs the Zhoushan shipyard.

Since a date for her return to service has not yet been announced, at the moment all that has been stated is planned resumption of service later this spring, it is assumed that she will remain in Xaimen for further layup and will either resume service form there or return to Shanghai to resume from there only time will tell.