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

The 2012 Voyage - New cruise experience

1- Departure & Day at the North Sea - 09/06 & 10/06/2012

Not everyone is extremely lucky enough to say that their child dream has come true, and I am fortunate to say that mine has indeed come true on the 9th of June 2012, in the moment when I was boarding ORIANA at the Queen Elizabeth II terminal in Southampton, ready for my first cruise ever, that would take me none other than to the stunning Norwegian Fjords.
It was truly hard to believe this image of being onboard her, that first started to take shape on that afternoon of 13th of April 1995, as 4 year old boy, when I watched ORIANA's departure after her grand maiden call in Funchal, first port of call of her maiden voyage, was actually happening and I was there in the flesh, I have never felt so lucky in my life!
On that same June morning, when I was heading off to Southampton, in the company of my good friend Steve, and fellow author of this blog, who was also boarding ORIANA later on, the excitement couldn't be higher, the journey seemed endless, as I was always looking at the clock eagger to arrive at the destination.

When we finally arrived at the Southampton docks, we first passed by the cruise ships GRAND PRINCESS and CELEBRITY ECLIPSE, berthed at the Mayflower and City terminals, and shortly after AZURA, docked at the Ocean Cruise terminal, just the opposite of Berth 44, where the big White Star Line liners used to dock in the past, like TITANIC, before the departure of her ill fated maiden voyage in 1912. As we continued along, we could see posters hanging on light posts advertising P&O's 175th Anniversary, and the big celebrations that were going to happen the following month in this port, with the highlight being of course the parade of the then 7 ships of the P&O fleet down Southampton Water.
Then the sight we were most looking forward to see... we spotted ORIANA! Facing her bow to us from the QEII terminal, it was the first time I saw her outside my bithplace Funchal, and she looked amazing, still in her full white livery and buff funnel.

As mentioned before, she was about to start a 7 night itinerary to the Norwegian Fjords, calling respectivaly at Bergen, Geiranger, Olden and Stavanger, ports/cities which I will write about with more detail in the next posts. Curiously she had arrived early on that morning from a cruise to the Atlantic Isles, so I saw her in Funchal just six days before.

Following our arrival at the QEII terminal, and after all check-in and security procedures were done, it was time for a photo near the gangway, surely a precious souvenir of this memorable moment, just before we finally made our way onboard, and there I was standing in ORIANA's fantastic Atrium, looking at its beautiful glass ceiling which changed colors from green/yellow during the day, and blue at night, and also the waterslide, that was replaced later in 2016 for a living wall.

 After we settled in, it was time to go out on deck and wait for the departure, standing in the balcony above the Crow's Nest we saw CELEBRITY ECLIPSE leaving first and passing by us on her way out of Southampton Water, GRAND PRINCESS followed and engaged in a nice horn fight with ORIANA. And then, we just had to wait for the passage of the RO/RO vehicle carrier AUTOSTAR, to begin our departure, and off we went! Thrusting from the berth with the sound of the band performing along and down at the quayside.

I will now quote the text from our cruise log compiled by at the time third-officer Mathew Tucker, for a better insight:
But before hand, let's introduce the officers that were on ORIANA's bridge in this cruise:

Captain: David Pembridge

Deputy Captain: Ashley Cook

Safety Officer: Dawid Kowalski

First Officer: Aureliano Mazzella

Second Officers: James Stewart / Brent Bolton

Third Officers: Mathew Tucker / Alex Trezins / Ian Smithson

Deck Cadets: Christopher Doyle 

Weather: Fine and dry

Wind: West with south force 2

Barometric Pressure: 1012.4 mb

Temperature: 13ºC

"During the day ORIANA lay quietly alongside the QEII terminal, starboard side to quay, embarking our passengers. Additionally, stores and oil bunkers were loaded, ready for our cruise to the Norwegian Fjords.

At 16:36, with all pre-departure checks completed, Captain Pembridge rang "standby bellow" and ORIANA was ready to sail and we began singling up our mooring lines. With all lines gone and clear at 16:50, ORIANA began to manoeuvre off the berth at the QEII berth, using her engines and thrusters. Thrusting off the berth at 16:53, ORIANA commenced coming astern at 16:56, ready to turn and head down the river. After swinging to port at 17:03, ORIANA proceeded down Southampton Water passing Dock Head and then Fawley Oil Refinery at 17:26. ORIANA then completed the famous turns, firstly rounding Calshot Spit at 17:39 to enter the Thorn Channel and then rounding Bramble Bank at 17:48, before passing Cowes and transiting the Eastern Solent between No Man's Land and Horse Sand forts. A southerly course was then set towards the Nab Tower where the pilot disembarked at 18:38 and ORIANA was full away at 18:54. Passing the Nab Tower to the north at 18:30, ORIANA set a northerly course as we headed up the coast, England to port and France to starboard, to enter the Dover straits."

As the log reports above, we were then bound to the North Sea, where we would spend the next day at sea, before the arrival at the first port of call Bergen. Later on our way to the Oriental restaurant for dinner, we went out on the Terrace decks first, astern of the ship, to admire the views, and spotted CELEBRITY ECLIPSE in the distance, as we had surpassed her since our departure from Southampton.

After a much deserved rest on the first night, the day at sea started early with a great will to explore ORIANA's public spaces, and we can tell immediatly she has nice sober areas, for example an interesting reading room: "Anderson's" and a sports pub: "Lord's Tavern", very fitting of a British marketed cruise ship, and even her own cinema theatre: "Chaplins Cinema". She has a nice and easy layout to hang around, without any concerns of getting lost like what happens in some huge floating resorts nowadays. And of course, it was also a good excuse to sit back and relax in the Crow's Nest, ORIANA's superb panoramic lounge located above the bridge, thus offering excelent views to the immense sea that surrounded us:

Weather: Overcast skies

Wind: West with north force 3

Barometric Pressure: 1011.2 mb

Temperature: 11.3ºC

"In the early hours of the morning, at around midnight, ORIANA started the transit of the Dover straits, as we continued our north easterly course to Norway, and our first port of call, Bergen. With the transit successfully completed, with little shipping to concern us, ORIANA came onto a more northerly course and by around 5 am, we were abeam of Harwich to port at a distance of around 50 nautical miles. By 8:30 am, ORIANA was fast approaching the North Sea, and the famous oil rigs, transiting past Corvette Field. At 16:17, ORIANA encountered restricted visibility. This meant that ORIANA's bridge was manned at a higher level, and that our fog signal was sounded. Since departing Southampton to midday ORIANA steamed a distance of 348 nautical miles."

As mentioned in the log, what started to be a normal overcast day at sea, deteriorated a bit in the afternoon, with the appearence of fog. From time to time, we could listen to the horn signs, in order to let others know of our position in very low visibility conditions. But no reasons of great concern, as the officers manned the ship well, so we were in good hands and getting closer and closer to Bergen.

João Abreu

ORIANA 23 Years Young

Southampton, 9th April 1995, ORIANA the largest, fastest and most advanced British passenger liner built for 25 years, embarks her first passengers as the great ship prepared to sail on her Maiden Voyage.
Amongest streamers, a brass band playing and a waiting flotilla of boats to wish her well the new flagship of  P&O Cruises and the British Merchant Navy looked resplendent as her master Commodore Ian Gibb guided her out of Berth 106 and down Southampton Water and onward to her first landfall  Funchal, Madeira.

23 years to the day it is perhaps fitting that ORIANA is alongside in the very port of call she set off for all those years ago Funchal, where she is joined by AIDA PRIMA.
A great many things have changed since April 1995 both with ORIANA/P&O and with the port of Funchal itself but ORIANA still makes for an unmistakable and elegant sight whenever she calls.

ORIANA arrives in Funchal 9/4/18 Photos: Francisco Correia

ORIANA docked in Funchal, 9/4/18

ORIANA back in Southampton

Yesterday afternoon at around 2:00pm ORIANA arrived back at her port of Southampton.
Originally scheduled to arrive this morning the change most likely was bought about with ORIANA's upcoming required technical work.
ORIANA was due to depart for Hamburg and the Blohm+Voss shipyard at 10:30am and got underway at around 11:10am heading down Southampon Water at 6.5 knots.

ORIANA seen on AIS departing the Mayflower Terminal

ORIANA is due to arrive at the Blohm +Voss yard tomorrow evening at around 6:45pm local time where she will enter drydock for over a month of technical maintenance.

View from ORIANA's webcam passing the QEII terminal and VTS tower.

ORIANA is due to return to Southampton on the 24th of February.

Celebrating ORIANA - Southampton arrival

Amongst the grey overcast sky of the 3rd April 1995 a mist shrouded ORIANA made her way for the first time up Southampton water despite the weather conditions the welcome couldn't be warmer.
Pleasure craft and tugs and swarmed around to give the traditional firehose welcome.

Jets of water welcome ORIANA into her home port for the first time.

As with any such occasion the mood was positive and the welcome only fitting for the new ship who was not only P&O's new flagship but also of the British merchant fleet.
 The atmosphere on board was also a positive one from Commodore Gibb and officers on the bridge whose delight was most evident as was the rest of the crew who had spent the first short trip from Germany familiarizing themselves with the workings of the new ship.
Alongside the crew Lord Sterling also was extremely pleased and brimming with pride as he took a moment to savour the emotion of the event which his cameras were on hand to capture.

Such was the national importance of the event that press and media  had descended upon the port to watch ORIANA's arrival as she was subject to their every scrutiny.

ORIANA had well and truely arrived in style and for the next days she would play host to many visitors from within the cruise and travel industry before her naming by Queen Elizabeth II on the 6th of April.

ORIANA returns to Southampton

After 50 nights, a firework send off, a west and eastbound transatlantic crossing and sailing up the Amazon River ORIANA has returned to her home port of Southampton.

ORIANA's webcam view

Having taken her passengers to exotic destinations during their 51 days on board ORIANA returned them during the early hours to a dark and windswept UK.

ORIANA alongside the Mayflower Terminal

Departing again at around 5:30pm ORIANA is now on route to a very different destination to those she has grown accustomed to recently as she heads Norway for a 12 night Northern lights cruise

Passengers brave the cold as ORIANA departs Southampton once mor

ORIANA returns to service

Today sees our ORIANA return to service as she departs the Mayflower Cruise Terminal heading out on a 2 night getaway cruise to Belgium ahead of her Atlantic Island Christmas cruise.
 As she departs she is following her near sister and fleetmate AURORA in down river.

ORIANA follows AURORA down river

To celebrate her return to service P&O today released some further images of ORIANA showing some of the changes which have been on board including one which will immediately apparent upon boarding the replacement of the atrium waterfall with what P&O calls a living wall.

ORIANA's new so called 'Living wall'

Photo Copyright: P&O Cruises

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.

I Name This Ship ORIANA.

 Alongside the former Ocean Terminal which had once played host to many great ocean liners on the 6th April 1995 ORIANA dressed over all and her hull immaculate white made the perfect backdrop to a time honoured tradition.
 The sounds of the band playing and the Choir of  Westminster Abbey singing the national anthem all added to the sense of history being made not since 1967 had such a scene been witnessed.
With the immortal words I name this ship ORIANA, May god  bless her and all who sail in her, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to great applause offically brought to a close the first chapter of the life of ORIANA  one of  steel cutting, welding, drilling, deck laying etc for a new page of cocktail parties, fine dining and endless adventures.

Everything was perfectly planned, rehearsed nothing left to chance and as the bottle smashed across her bow there could be me no doubt that all present were moved at the emotion of the event
With the royal standard flying from the mast Her Majesty and His Royal  Highness The Duke of Edinburgh went on board for a tour and lunch.

Fireworks end the days events.

In the evening to round off a triumphant day of celebration a fireworks display overhead honoured Southampton's new arrival.

In the years since ORIANA has followed in the wake of her namesake and predecessor CANBERRA heading to Australia during her world cruises and heading west across the Atlantic to New York like the transatlantic liners of the past.
Through canels, locks and great fjords to the North Cape and further to Ice floes of the Arctic bathed in the light from the Midnight Sun ORIANA has carried her passengers on adventures which have lived on after they have returned home.
There also has also been the friendships formed on board and around the appreciation of her which have led to their own adventures often returning to ORIANA herself all this ensuring her popularity remains for many years to come.

ORIANA leaving Southampton

Video depicting ORIANA's departure from the Mayflower Terminal on 21st November 2015 in late afternoon and already in complete darkness, thus beggining the well known journey out of her homeport bound for the English Channel.
It was the start of her current 14 day Canary Isles and Madeira cruise, having called first in Lisbon, and will also include a visit to La Coruna, Northern Spain on the return voyage back to Southampton Water.
Also in this footage, Fred. Olsen's BALMORAL is seen following her in the same route out of the UK's busiest cruise port.
Video: Daniel Gosling.

Southampton Departure

On a slightly cloudy June afternoon in 2012 ORIANA loomed large above the terminal building of the Queen Elizabeth II terminal her CANBERRA inspired funnel towering over her pristine decks as her crew readied her for her next cruise to the Norwegian fjords 17 years to the day that she first headed north to the nature of Norway.
On the dockside the band struck up a tune as ORIANA began to cast off.

 Joining ORIANA in port that day was CELEBRITY ECLIPSE and GRAND PRINCESS both of which departed shortly before her.

While CELEBRITY ECLIPSE remained quiet passing by GRAND PRINCESS saluted which was drowned  by ORIANA's more powerful reply

With a blast from her horn ORIANA departed her berth swinging her bow to head down river.

Passing as she went a small  "fleet" of tugs.

As she headed out to sea she left CELEBRITY ECLIPSE in her wake

Photos Copyright : João Abreu & Steve Martin

The Maiden Voyage I - Departure

Sunday 9th April 1995
On an over cast April day cars arrive at Southampton with eager holiday makers on their way to board thier waiting cruise ship, porters on the dock side taking luggage to be loaded on board - a scene which has been seen by the port many times over the years and for the passengers on each it always seems like the most important of occasions however this time it really was a unique and once in a life time experience.
For these passengers were not only leaving British shores for 2 weeks to enjoy the sun in the Atlantic Islands and the Iberian Peninsula, they were sailing on the Maiden Voyage of ORIANA not only the new flagship of the P&O fleet and the British merchant navy but the first ship custom built for the rapidly growing UK market she was P&O's £200 million gamble into the future of cruising.
On a technical level ORIANA was also 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 her passengers themselves they  overed  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 afield to be on board.
To greet the boarding passengers alongside the first edition of ORIANA Today the ship's own onboard newspaper they also received  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 welcome from Commodore Gibb

And for P&O's regular passengers a greeeting from the secretary of the loyalty club.

 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.

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.
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.

As was only fitting for the world's newest super liner a flotila of boats followed her out to wish her well on her journey while all on board some preparing for Dinner or enjoying the entertainment on offer began to settle in for the first time to life on board ORIANA.
 

An early return

Three days earlier than planned ORIANA is due to arrive in Southampton later this afternoon due to a seal that needs replacing on one of her propeller shafts.
As reported last week ORIANA had been sailing to Funchal, Madeira at reduced speed due to a combination of the seal problem and the rough sea conditions.
Having stayed overnight in Funchal ORIANA called at two further ports Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
The repairs are expected to be completed in time for her next cruise on the 1st March, with her current passengers being offered the chance to remain onboard for the 3 days she'll be docked in Southampton.
At present ORIANA is near Bembridge on The Isle Wight she is estiamted to dock at the Ocean Terminal  at 17:20.

 On P&O's Facebook page they announced the change of itinerary on  20th Feb with the following post
"We would like to let you know that ORIANA's current cruise will be returning to Southampton three days earlier than planned to conduct some necessary repairs to one of the ship's two propeller shaft seals. The repairs, whilst required, have no impact on the ship's safety.

Captain Camby has kept passengers fully informed of the situation and all passengers will be able to remain on board and enjoy the dining and entertainment offering on ORIANA whilst in Southampton until March 1, 2014 as planned.

All customers will have the choice of receiving a credit of 100% of their current cruise to use on a future ORIANA Cruise in 2014 or 2015, or a 40% cash refund.

Our decision to bring the ship back early has not been taken lightly and we are deeply sorry that customers' holiday plans have been impacted.

ORIANA's next cruise will still depart as planned on 1 March " 
P&O's decision has been met by a mostly  positive response and shows that despite some  comments from critics the company is putting the safety of their passengers and the maintenance of fleet before profits.