cruise liner oriana

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Oriana has become one of Britain's most popular cruise ships, following her launch by HM the Queen in 1995. Known as a ship which displays timeless style, Oriana is ideally suited to the sophisticated and experienced traveller who isn’t totally wedded to gourmet cuisine. The décor is superb, featuring elegant furniture, wonderful carpets and flooring and rooms that don’t echo with ambient noise. She has been specifically designed to suit British tastes and the cultural heritage of this traditional-style vessel runs through it like the wording in a stick of rock. Following a multi-million facelift in 2011, Oriana was launched as an adult-only ship and the original offering was enhanced rather than radically altered. The refurbishment saw the addition of 27 new cabins, including balconies and singles, in place of the previous children's area, a refreshed spa and a new seating area where the children's pool used to be. Other changes included the addition of new restaurants.

These new dining options include Marco Pierre White’s Ocean Grill restaurant, which replaced fellow celebrity chef Gary Rhodes’ dining venue, and the Italian-themed Sorrento restaurant. The latter specialises in all things Italian with novel dishes such as the ‘cook your own' fillet of beef, which is brought to the table on a sizzling slab of Italian lava rock and you leave the meat in situ until it's done to your liking. You can also enjoy the Mediterranean styled Al Fresco and Oriana's special Club Dining experience in the Peninsular or Oriental restaurants, where you'll make new friends as you recount all the fun you've had during the day.

Of course, holidays should be about relaxing and Oriana is the perfect place to do so with the beautiful Oasis Spa and salon. The salon features Elemis products and a good selection of beauty and pampering treatments, including more specialist therapies such as Ayurveda and acupuncture. Along with the usual sauna and other facilities the spa also has two cosy thermal loungers, installed as part of the 2011 refit. However, if you prefer to be a little more active whilst on holiday, you’ll find a state of the art gym onboard. The L-shaped gym is surprisingly big with a fleet of modern high-tech cross trainers, running and rowing machines, free weights and other fitness equipment. As well as the deck walking and jogging track, play a game of shuffleboard, deck tennis, five-a-side football or pad up in the cricket nets and practice your cover drives.

Evening entertainment options include pianists tickling the ivories in the glass-roofed Tiffany Lounge and more lively music in the Lord's Tavern sports pub. One of the stand-out features onboard Oriana is her Crow’s Nest bar, which is the perfect spot to watch the passing scenery at sunset and enjoy a cocktail or two. You can also pick up a new-release movie in Chaplin's Cinema, take in a show, listen to live music or see if Lady Luck is on your side in the Monte Carlo Club Casino.

Line: P&O Cruises Launched: 30/06/1994 Tonnage: 69153 Length: 260 Total Crew: 794 Occupancy: 1928 Ship Rating:

Life on Board

Entertainment

• Chaplins Cinema
• Body Composition
• Fitness Ball
• Nutritional Consultants
• Personal Training
• Slimming Treatments
• Step Classes
• Tennis, Yoga

Food and Drink

• Anderson's
• Bistro Jardins
• Lords Tavern
• Oriental Restaurant
• Peninsular Restaurant
• 4 x Restaurants
• Riviera Bar
• Terrace Bar
• The Crow's Nest
• Art Gallery
• Explorers Tour Desk

Recreational

• Deck Cricket
• Deck Football
• Deck Quoits
• Knightsbridge
• 3 x Outdoor Pools
• Shuffle Board
• Table Tennis
• Tiffany's
• Balinese Head Massage
• Beauty Treatments for Men
• Cloud Walking
• Conservatory
• Curzon Room
• Facial Treatments
• Hand and Foot Rituals
• Hot Stone Therapy
• Medina Room
• Pacific Lounge
• Reflexology
• Tanning Treatments
• Thackeray Room

Deck 4 - G Deck

Cabin Codes

NA - Inside Stateroom with Bath/Shower (Inside)

Two lower beds convertible to king-size bed Bathroom with bath, shower and WC or shower and WC Three single wardrobes and drawer space Two seater corner sofa, chair and table Vanity table/writing desk TV and radio Safe, hairdryer and refrigerator Direct dial telephone Large picture mirror

NB - Inside Stateroom with Bath/Shower (Inside)

OB - Inside Stateroom with Shower (Inside)

OC - Inside Stateroom with Shower (Inside)

OD - Inside Stateroom with Shower (Inside)

EA - Deluxe Outside Stateroom with Bath/Shower (Outside)

Two lower beds convertible to a king-size bed Bathroom with bath, shower and WC or shower and WC Three single wardrobes and drawer space Two seater corner sofa, chair and table Vanity table/writing desk TV and radio Safe, hairdryer and refrigerator Direct dial telephone Large picture window Fully air-conditioned.

KB - Outside Stateroom with Bath/Shower (Outside)

KC - Outside Stateroom with Bath/Shower (Outside)

LB - Outside Stateroom with Shower (Outside)

LC - Outside Stateroom with Shower (Outside)

DA - Deluxe Balcony Stateroom with Bath/Shower (Balcony)

Two lower beds convertible to a king-size bed Bathroom with bath, shower and WC Separate sitting area with sofa, chair and table Two double wardrobes and drawer space Vanity table/writing desk TV and radio Safe, hairdryer and refrigerator Direct dial telephone, floor to ceiling patio doors leading to balcony with chairs and table.

DB - Deluxe Balcony Stateroom with Bath/shower (Balcony)

AB - Suite with Balcony and Bath/Shower (Suite)

Separate bedroom with two lower beds convertible to a king-size bed, walk-in dressing area, two double wardrobes, drawer space, trouser press and ironing board Bathroom with jacuzzi bath, shower and WC Separate lounge with sofa, armchairs and table Writing desk and chair Two TV's, video and radio Safe, hairdryer and refrigerator/bar cabinet Direct dial telephone Floor to ceiling patio doors leading to balcony with two loungers, chairs and table Guest bathroom with WC Fully air-conditioned

BA - Mini-Suite with Balcony and Bath/Shower (Suite)

Two lower beds convertible to a king-size bed Two double wardrobes, drawer space, trouser press and ironing board Bathroom with jacuzzi bath, shower and WC Separate sitting area with sofa, armchairs and table Writing desk and chair TV, video and radio Safe, hairdryer and refrigerator/bar cabinet Direct dial Telephone Floor to ceiling patio doors leading to balcony with two loungers and table Fully air-conditioned.

• Dining: Two dining rooms plus several casual eateries and a Gary Rhodes premium pay-extra dining venue
• Main Penninsula Restaurant offers Freedom Dining, available to passengers booking Select Price fares. Just arrive any time between 1800 and 2130, and you'll be seated as soon as practical. Menus for dinner run to five courses, and six courses on Gala Nights. Afternoon tea is also served here
• Oriental Restaurant showcases traditional, two sitting dining. Choose from first sitting at 1830, or second sitting at 2030. You'll be seated at the same table every night to enjoy a five course dinner. This venue also serves a daily afternoon tea
• The Conservatory offers relaxed, upper deck dining at any time of the day for all main meals, and a selction of hot and cold snacks through until six in the morning
• Al Fresco offers poolside breakfast and lunch with something of an Italian twist
• Sindhu is a P&O signature restaurant, offering chef Atul Kochhar' signature English/Indian fusion food. Extra supplement applies
• The Beach House is set within an indoor/outdoor area of The Conservatory, and offers up steak, seafood and other grilled fare either indoors or outside. Extra supplement applies
• Top accommodation: Eight suites, with private balconies, whirlpool baths and separate bedrooms, but still on the small side at 500 square feet
• Entertainment and facilities: Great ballroom dancing on the many wood floored lounges onboard, and good programming of British acts in the theatre and other lounges
• Tipping: At your discretion

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Oriana’s interior design is reminiscent of English country houses of centuries gone by, while its elegant exterior features a sleek design and white hull. It also has a lot to offer from a technical perspective, cruising through the oceans at an impressive rate of 24 knots. The sheer depth of the vessel ensures incredibly peaceful cruising. When Oriana left the MEYER WERFT docks, it was the most modern cruise ship of its era.

Oriana was delivered to P&O Cruises in 1995, measuring 260 metres in length and featuring 914 staterooms – it was the largest passenger ship that had ever been built in Germany. The cruise liner was the predecessor of Aurora, which MEYER WERFT delivered to P&O Cruises in 2000.

Oriana’s theatre extends over three decks, featuring an orchestra pit, stage lift and revolving stage. With a cinema, ballroom, casino and library, Oriana’s passengers really are spoiled for choice. They can also enjoy a game of tennis or a relaxing session in the luxurious spa. The ship’s hub is the atrium, which extends over four decks and features an eye-catching 12-metre waterfall.

Cruise Ship   Oriana

Cruises On Oriana

SS Oriana (1959)

SS Oriana was the last of the Orient Steam Navigation Company 's ocean liners . She was built at Vickers-Armstrongs , Barrow-in-Furness , Cumbria , England and launched on 3 November 1959 by Princess Alexandra . Oriana first appeared as an Orient Line ship, with a corn-coloured hull, until 1966, when that company was fully absorbed into the P&O group. Faced with unprofitable around-the-world passenger routes, the P&O white hulled Oriana was operated as a full-time cruise ship from 1973. Between 1981 and her retirement from service five years later, Oriana was based at Sydney, Australia , operating to Pacific Ocean and South-East Asian ports. Deemed surplus to P&O's requirements in early 1986, the vessel was sold to become a floating hotel and tourist attraction, first in Japan and later in China . As a result of damage sustained from a severe storm whilst in the port of Dalian in 2004, SS Oriana was finally sold to local breakers in 2005.

Further reading

External links.

In May 1954 the Orient Steam Navigation Company began planning to replace SS Orontes and RMS Orion on the United Kingdom to Australia route. One ship was called for, named Orbustus in the early stages of planning, before Oriana was settled on – a poetic reference to both Queen Elizabeth I of England and the recently crowned Queen Elizabeth II . [2]

Oriana's maiden voyage was from Southampton to Sydney in December 1960, during this voyage the Oriana was the first ocean liner to berth at the Fremantle Passenger Terminal . [3] At 41,915 gross register tons and with capacity for more than 2,000 passengers in two classes (first and tourist), Oriana was briefly the largest passenger liner in service on the UK to Australia and New Zealand route, until the introduction of the 45,733 ton SS Canberra in 1961. The Canberra could never match the Oriana for speed, however, the latter having achieved 30.64 knots during her pre-hand over trials in 1960 and held the Golden Cockerel trophy for the fastest ship in the P&O fleet which she retained until she retired in 1986, when it was handed back to the Canberra (in spite of the fact that Canberra's speed had by then been reduced to 23 knots). On Canberra's final cruise the Golden Cockerel was handed over to the new MV Oriana when both ships were anchored off Cannes and sent boats out to perform the handover.

In 1962, the Oriana collided with the USS   Kearsarge   (CVS-33) , resulting in damage and an eventual court case with the United States government, Orient Steam Navigation Company v. United States . [4]

In August 1970, the Oriana caught fire while steaming out of Southampton. [5] This serious fire occurred when the boiler room caught fire at the beginning of its journey across the Atlantic on its way to USA, New Zealand, [6] and Australia. Repairs took more than two weeks.

From 1973, Oriana was converted to operate as a one class cruise ship and from 1981 until retirement in March 1986 was based in Sydney. After a layup of two months at No. 21 Pyrmont Wharf, Sydney, the ship was sold and moved to Osaka, Japan , [7] to become a floating hotel. The ship served as a floating museum at Beppu, Ōita , from 1987 [7] but this venture was ultimately not successful, and she was subsequently sold to Chinese interests in 1995. The ship served as a floating hotel and tourist attraction in Shanghai until 2002, when she was moved to Dalian . In 2004 Oriana was damaged in a storm. Repairs proved to be unfeasible, so she was towed to a ship breakers yard and dismantled in 2005. [8]

In 1995, the name Oriana was assigned to the P&O Cruises ship MV Oriana .

• Orient Steam Navigation Company

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• ↑ McCart. SS Oriana . p.   5.
• ↑ "Victoria Quay" . Assessment document . Heritage Council of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014 . Retrieved 27 January 2013 .
• ↑ "Orient Steam Navigation Company v. United States, 231 F. Supp. 469 (S.D. Cal. 1964)" . Justia Law . Retrieved 7 January 2016 .
• ↑ "Oriana On Fire 1970" . Ships Nostalgia . 5 August 2008.
• ↑ "Maritime" .
• 1 2 "沿革" . 大和リゾート株式会社 . Retrieved 5 August 2013 .
• ↑ Miller, William H. (2006). Doomed Ships: Great Ocean Liner Disasters . Dover. p.   115 . ISBN   0-486-45366-9 .
• McCart, Neil (1992). SS Oriana -The Last Great Orient Liner . Cheltenham: FAN Publications. ISBN   0-9519538-0-X .
• Oriana at SS Maritime

Oriana Decks and Cabins

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Built in 1995, the P&O Cruises UK Oriana cruise ship weighs 69K tons and has 941 staterooms for up to 1882 passengers served by 800 crew . There are 13 passenger decks, 6 with cabins. You can expect a space ratio of 37 gross tons per passenger on this ship. On this page are the current deck plans for Oriana showing deck plan layouts, public venues and all the types of cabins including pictures and videos.

P&O Cruises UK Oriana

Last Drydock: Nov 2016

STATEROOM CABINS COMPLETE LIST BELOW

Floor Diagram Suite

Sleeps up to: 3 8 Cabins Cabin: 414 sqft (39 m 2 ) Balcony: 83 sqft (8 m 2 )

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Deck locations, stateroom cabin features, stateroom cabin perks.

Floor Diagram Mini-Suite

Sleeps up to: 3 16 Cabins Cabin: 306 sqft (29 m 2 ) Balcony: 62 sqft (6 m 2 )

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DELUXE BALCONY

Floor Diagram Deluxe Balcony

Sleeps up to: 4 106 Cabins Cabin: 220 sqft (21 m 2 ) Balcony: 30 sqft (3 m 2 ) * Size may vary, see details below.

Important Size Information

Floor Diagram Outside

Sleeps up to: 4 480 Cabins Cabin: 150 sqft (14 m 2 ) * Size may vary, see details below.

 Accessible Info [+/-]

Floor Diagram Inside

Sleeps up to: 4 331 Cabins Cabin: 150 sqft (14 m 2 ) * Size may vary, see details below.

Oriana Deck Page Menu

Click deck pictures to go to individual cruise deck plan pages where you can see all the public areas, venues and stateroom cabins categories for each deck.

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Cruise Ship Odyssey

• Out of service

Oriana (1960 – 2005) P&O Cruises

• June 24, 2023

Oriana 41915 GRT, loa 245m, 1700 passengers. Ordered in 1959 by British Orient Lines, she was the fastest ship on the Australian run. In 1965 Orient Lines merged with P&O Lines and she became a fleetmate of Canberra (see above). During the latter part of her career, she was used as a cruise ship, based in the UK and from 1981 onwards in Australia. She was taken out of service in 1986 and was sold to become a convention centre in Beppu, Japan and later as a hotel ship in China. In 2004, during a storm, she partially flooded and listed badly. She was righted however but she proved to be beyond repair and was sold to local scrappers in 2005.

28 photographs, made in 1981 during a ship visit in Rotterdam.

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• The Last NORTH ATLANTIC Ocean Liners
• Last Ocean Liners to AFRICA & LATIN AMERICA
• To AUSTRALIA, FAR EAST & AROUND-the-WORLD
• SAILING SCHEDULES January to December 1966
• RANK & COMPARE the Last Ocean Liners

The Last Ocean Liners

P&o-orient lines, orcades / oronsay / orsova / himalaya / chusan / arcadia / iberia / oriana / canberra / cathay / chitral.

To the ship profiles

Air travel was making its impact on the ocean liner, and so new ideas were needed to attract passengers to travel by sea. Accordingly, the seven newer ships were refurbished and refitted with complete air-conditioning. The distinctive corn colored hulls of the Orient liners were painted tropical white to match the P&O ships. Entertainment became a major feature of the voyage.

By 1963, the last of the pre-World War II ocean liners were retired, including P&O's Strathaird , Strathnaver , Strathmore and Stratheden as well as Orient Line's Orion and Orontes . Himalaya and Orcades were then reconfigured as all tourist class, leaving P&O-Orient Lines with an all modern fleet.

In the early 1970s, with the inevitable decline in point-to-point sea travel and a dramatic increase in fuel prices, P&O ceased most of its line voyages. First, the Cathay and Chitral were transferred to a P&O subsidiary in 1970 for further service between Australia and the Far East. Then they quickly retired and scrapped Iberia , Orcades , Chusan , Orsova , Himalaya and Oronsay . The Arcadia was used for both cruising and line voyages until 1979. That left only Canberra and Oriana , which were redeployed as full-time cruise ships.

Sample minimum one-way fares from Southampton to Sydney: First class $840; Tourist class $518; from Southampton to Yokohama: First class $934; Tourist class $583; from San Francisco to Southampton: First class $560; Tourist class $439; from San Francisco to Sydney: First class $504; Tourist class $405; All fares are per person in U.S. dollars.

Go to P&O-Orient Lines sailing schedules or select schedules by ship below:

The Cruise Ship SS Oriana’s Maitre d’Hotel Neil Whitmore writes about his beloved ship

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Maritime Historian, Author and Lecturer & Cruise‘n’Ship Reviewer

1 st Lady of the Sea

By Neil Whitmore

Neil (Bob) Whitmore , Oriana’s Maitre d’Hotel (1976 to 86)

Oriana at anchor during a South Pacific Cruise

“ 1st.Lady ? the Sea ” was the title given to the Oriana when she was cruising from Australia , as a result of a song written about the ship, by ‘ Sir Deuce ,’ a New Zealand group who entertained our passengers when we were at sea. This was a fitting title for what was a much-loved ship. She was also the fastest ship in the P&O (Orient Lines) fleet, and above her bridge, she proudly displayed a brass cockerel, having made the fastest crossings of both the Pacific and Indian oceans.

After passenger numbers declined, due to air travel, Oriana commenced a new career as a cruise ship. She proved to be very popular with Australians, and she mostly departed Sydney  with a full capacity of 1500 passengers.

Dry-docking in Singapore

Please Note : All photographs by & ? Neil Whitmore

Oriana in a Singapore Dry dock :

Every March and September, she made a Far East cruise, while the rest of the year was spent cruising around the Pacific Islands . The September Far East cruise was planned to include the yearly visit to the dry docks at Sembawang in Singapore . One year she would have about nine days in dry dock and the following year 14 days. General maintenance was carried out on her engines, and the hull was cleaned and re-painted. The rudder, propellers, stabilizers, and side thrusters units were also checked and any repairs required were carried out. Various other equipment, had safety checks including anchor chains and the davits, from which the lifeboats were hung. The passenger accommodation also received a face-lift with new carpets and furnishings being fitted, service areas were constantly improved, and a lot of painting was carried out. With work completed she would sail back to Sydney with some of the passengers who had sailed to Singapore and others joining for the return trip.

From Top: ss Oriana in a Singapore dry-dock - One of her screws and the rudder -Starboard Stabiliser fin

“Child of Bounty”

In the pictures on this page are two pictures of the exact replica of the longboat (built in New Zealand & called ‘ Child of Bounty’), in which Captain Bligh , and 18 of his crew were cast adrift on April 28 th 1789. The replica and its crew were taken from Sydney to Tonga by Oriana, arriving in Nuku’alofa on the 5 th April 1983. It was then planned to sail the boat, leaving Tonga on the 28 th April, over 3,000 miles to Jakarta . Filming was planned to take place during the voyage.

Child of Bounty onboard Oriana

A Tongan Fun Run

Many of Oriana's crew, including the captain, took part in fancy dress charity fun runs and other events, raising money for the island charities. Pictures from one of the fun runs, held in Nuku’alofa, are shown here.

Robin Mason Interviews Captain Phillip Jackson dockside

Fun Run Participants dressed to kill – literally!

Interior shots

Other pictures show one of the foyers with items presented to the ship by officials at ports of call and also the Midships Bar, which, in the evenings featured a popular sing along group ‘nostalgia’ who also did the luncheon show at the plough tavern.

Oriana’s “Hall of Fame”

The Midships Bar

I worked on Oriana, where I was known as Bob, from September 1976 until she was withdrawn from service in March 1986. I also sailed on many of the other P&O ships having joined the company in 1951. Should anyone wish to contact me, my e-mail address is [email protected] .

Neil Whitmore .

Tuesday June 24, 1986

A tragic sight, as Oriana’s passes under Sydney Harbour Bridge for the last time 

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SS Oriana - Main Index :

PART ONE …

Designing & Building the Oriana - ONLY available to ssmaritime.com:

Images from the naval architect & designer of the SS Oriana:

Page 1: ?????? The building of SS Oriana

Page 2: ?????? The launching and fitting out of SS Oriana

Page 3: ?????? Sea trials and Oriana’s maiden voyage

Page 4: ?????? Deck Plan, Rare Photographs and other Images

Page 5: ?????? Countless Specifications & Oriana Facts (NEW)

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

PART TWO … ?????????????????????????????????

Oriana’s General History Pages :

Page 1: ?????? History and Images of the Oriana  

Page 2: ?????? Oriana Postcards issued in 1960

Page 3: ?????? Oriana Photo Album - Page 1

Page 4: ?????? Oriana Photo Album - Page 2

Page 5: ?????? Oriana “Lady of the Sea” by Neil Whitmore

Page 6: ?????? The Paul Oliver & Colin Pursehouse Collection

Page 6b : ?????? Paul Oliver Story

Page 7: ?????? Dalian  - See the sad photographs of SS Oriana damaged during a storm

Page 7b: ?????? Oriana at Zhangiagang shipyard in China - Taken 29 July & 9 September 2005, the demolition of a liner

This is recommended reading!

“ Orient Line – A Fleet History ”

Is available for ?23.50 plus p&p from “Ships in Focus”

email : [email protected]

Also Visit our Features on the following Orient Lines/P&O Ships

Orient Lines: RMS Orcades – SS Oronsay - SS Oriana - RMS Orion

P&O: RMS Strathaird -  SS Iberia - SS Canberra

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Photographs on ssmaritime.com, & .net and associate sites are : 1 . By the author. 2 . From the author’s private collection. 3 . Or as provided by Shipping Companies and their Publicity Companies as well as by private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors whenever possible.

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1960 – 2005

Looking back at the 20th century, the 1940s must be the one filled with most contrasts. The first half, from 1940 to 1945, was a time of great conflict, with the Second World War raging across the globe. This was a war of total destruction, and when peace was finally achieved in 1945, the tolls had been catastrophic. In terms of human lives, millions had perished, either in battle or through the cruelties of concentration camps. Materially, both sides had suffered immensely. Entire nations in Europe had been furiously bombed, and were by now severely crippled.

On the maritime side, things were not much better. A great number of merchant ships had been lost in the war, falling victims to torpedoes, bombs, mines or even scuttled by their own crews. Now that the world was ready to rebuild, ships were needed to get the commerce up and running again. But with resources close to depleted and a massive labour shortage, building new tonnage was easier said than done.

Fortunately, there was help available. During the second half of the decade, with the aid of the Marshall-plan, Europe was able to turn destruction into recuperation and rise to its feet again. With prospects of better times to come, the shipping companies now started looking into the possibility of commissioning new ships. One of these companies was Britain’s Orient Line, which was one of the dominants on the Australasian run. Starting in 1948, Orient Line put three new 28,000-ton ships into service over a period of six years. The Orcades came first, followed by Oronsay in 1951 and the trio was completed with the Orsova in 1954. These ships were clearly built for the post-war world, since their passenger accommodation was divided into two classes only; First and Tourist. They also sported a very modern appearance, with a single funnel perched atop a stepped-up superstructure. The novelties were taken one step further with the third ship – Orsova– which became the first major liner to dispense with the traditional mast entirely. All necessary rigging was instead attached to the funnel.

So, in the 1950s, this trio headed the Orient Line fleet, which also included some older World War II survivors like the Orontes of 1929 and the Orion, which had entered service back in 1935. And the future looked promising, indeed. While the more glamorous North Atlantic service was being subjected to the grim aeroplane competition, the Australasian route was booming. The reason to this was emigration, just as it once had been on the transatlantic run.

While things had certainly improved in Europe since the armistice, there were still millions of Europeans who were tired of the post-war austerity. So, just like many of their countrymen before them, they were now seeking a new life in a new country. But the United States were no longer the most common destination. Now, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand became the popular destination. Australia, which saw the opportunity to increase its population, even went as far as to introducing a unique government-assisted passage scheme. For just £10, one could purchase a ticket to a new life and a fresh start. But to get there, you had to travel halfway around the world.

And so, in the mid-1950s, with these prospects in mind, the Orient Line began planning for a new ship for their Britain-Australia run. However, there were many questions to be answered about the specifications of the future liner. The main issue was if they should go for a fourth sister of the Orcades-class, or set out to build something larger and faster.

It was not an easy decision to make. Orient Line approached the Barrow shipbuilding yards of Vickers-Armstrongs and asked them to investigate the matter, and after having gone over the aspects of fuel consumption, maintenance, staff costs etc, it became apparent that a large and fast ship was the best option. By offering a faster round trip, the ship would in it self make up for the higher costs of operating such a large and fast vessel.  With the decision made, a contract was signed with the Barrow yard to build the new liner. A further two years was spent pondering and refining the blueprints, until the first keel plate on the yard’s number 1061 was laid on September 18th 1957. With work now underway, it would still take more than two years before the new liner could be launched.

Then, on November 3rd 1959, the day of launch had finally arrived. It was a festive occasion, since this was the yard’s largest ship ever and, at the time, the largest yet built in England. Her Royal Highness Princess Alexandra had agreed to christen the new liner, and by pulling a handle she released the bottle of champagne which then crashed onto the ship’s bows. The name she gave the new liner – Oriana – was a name with many meanings. For one thing, it was a reference to the Elizabethan name used for Queen Elizabeth I who was in poetry called ‘Gloriana’. There was also the derivation of the name, which in ancient Greek means ‘East’ and in Latin ‘Dawn’. Then of course, it began with ‘O’ – conforming to the Orient Line’s traditional nomenclature.

When the classic ceremony had been performed, the massive hull started moving and slid down the ways into her proper element. The Orient Line house flag hoisted on her superstructure fluttered in the wind, and the powerful moment was accompanied by ‘Fanfare for Oriana’, specially composed for the occasion by Sir Benjamin Britten himself. Once the massive hull had been brought to a halt, it was then berthed at the fitting-out quay in Buccleuch Dock. Here, the still uncompleted Oriana would go through her metamorphosis to become a grand Orient liner.

As work progressed, Oriana came nearer to completion by the day. But as the ship’s appearance changed, so did circumstances around her. On May 2nd 1960, P&O and Orient Line went together and pooled their passenger ships in the same subsidiary company, which became known as the P&O-Orient Lines. It was however agreed that the two companies would retain their separate house flags and liveries. Indeed, P&O already owned a large share of the Orient Line, which it had obtained already in 1919.

Six months later, on November 13th 1960, the Oriana had been completed and was now to go through her sea trials. These were carried out on the Clyde, and were most satisfactory. Oriana had been built for speed, and her two sets of Pametrada geared turbines did not fail to deliver. In adverse weather conditions, the ship managed to reach a top speed of 30.64 knots. Since she had been designed for a service speed of 27.5 knots, these results were indeed pleasing to the company board.  So, some five years after the original decision, Oriana was now finally ready to enter service as the new Orient Line flagship. After having taken on provisions, she left Southampton on her maiden voyage on December 3rd 1960, bound for Australia. This was a divergence for the Orient Line, whose ships had earlier sailed from London. The tradition was partially maintained though, as London was Oriana’s official port of registry, as could be read on her stern.

The port of Southampton had witnessed many maiden departures in its days, but surely none of such a peculiar-looking ship. Oriana had come out of the shipyard with a most unusual profile, and there were in fact a number of people who looked upon her as plain unattractive. Following the Orient Line trend set by the Orsova in 1954, she had no conventional mast but only a short radar mast. The bridge was situated almost amidships, crowning the welded aluminium superstructure’s series of terraced decks and the long, graceful bow. Her lifeboats were carried in special lifeboat bays in the hull, with several full-width decks above them. But the most odd feature must have been the two funnels. According to some, they looked like flowerpots stood upside-down. Differing slightly in design, the aft funnel was a dummy and was situated in a lower position than its forward counterpart. Oriana had also been built with bow and stern thrusters, making her more easy to manoeuvre.

But although there were many novelties that might have been hard to embrace at first, there were also many appealing features. Being an Orient liner, Oriana sported the wonderful corn-coloured hull of the company. The bow was adorned by a special bow decoration, consisting of two entwined ‘E’s’, representing two Elizabethan eras – the Tudor one after which she was named, and the Windsor one in which she was built. The ship’s name was spelled out in what must be some of the largest letters ever put on a ship and internally, she had been designed both for the Australian run as well as the growing cruise market. Her accommodation was divided into a First and a Tourist Class, with many comfortable public rooms at their disposal. The restaurants, the Princess Lounge, the Red Carpet Room and the Silver Grill to mention a few, they were all done in a typical 1950s style – elegant and functional, as opposed to gaudy and glitzy. In addition, every cabin was equipped with a radio – grand luxury in 1960!

Sailing via Suez, Oriana arrived at Melbourne for the first time on December 27th and in Sydney three days later, on the 30th. There she celebrated the New Year’s, and departed on January 5th 1961 from the new International Terminal at Circular Quay on a pleasure cruise to Auckland, Vancouver, some American West Coast ports and back to Southampton. During these premiere voyages, Oriana was warmly appreciated in spite of her unconventional looks. Upon her first visit to San Francisco on February 5th, the city council announced that the day henceforth would be known as Oriana Day.

She then set course back to Sydney, and was back in Southampton on March 25th 1961. Her owners could now summarise the successful maiden voyage. Not only was she the largest Orient liner ever, but she was also the largest ship operating in the Pacific Ocean. In addition, Oriana’s speed had certainly not disappointed. The passage from Southampton to Sydney via the Suez Canal had earlier been measured in about a month, but Oriana had completed the stretch in 21 days flat. The following June, she again set a new speed record when she sailed from Auckland to Sydney with an average speed of 27 knots – the fastest trans-Tasmanian sailing so far. In the month that followed, on July 31st 1961, she passed through the Panama Canal for the very first time on a return voyage to Southampton and again setting a record of sorts – she was the largest liner to transit the canal since Norddeutscher Lloyd’s Bremen in 1938.

However, in the midst of all this success, Oriana soon suffered her share of misfortune. On December 3rd 1962, while sailing in dense fog just off Long Beach, California, she collided with the veteran USS aircraft carrier Kearsarge. The Kearsarge’s aft starboard side was penetrated, resulting in a 25-foot gash. Oriana on the other hand, also received damages. A 20-foot hole was torn up near the bow, and a small fire broke out in her boiler room. This was quickly extinguished however, and luckily the incident did not result in any fatalities. When the damages had been assessed, Oriana was taken into Los Angeles for repairs.

The years that followed were much happier for the Oriana. On September 17th 1963, Sydney’s Mayor Henry Frederick Jensen presented the keys of the city to Oriana’s master during a ceremony held at Circular Quay. And being the speed queen that she was, Oriana set yet another speed record in 1964 when she completed the passage between Auckland and Sydney in 45 hours and 24 minutes at an average speed of 27.76 knots.  But there were great changes waiting in the future. In 1965, P&O acquired the remaining shares of the Orient Line, and all the Orient ships were transferred to P&O registry. With this, Oriana lost her lovely corn colour, as she was repainted in P&O white. In October of 1966, the name P&O-Orient Lines was dropped, and restyled to just P&O. With that, the Orient Line passed into history.

Nevertheless, Oriana steamed on, still being a very stately lady. But in 1969, she again suffered bad luck when she was transiting the Panama Canal. While manoeuvring the ship through the tight locks of the canal, the ship struck the side of the basin and severely damaged one of her two propellers. Although repairs were carried out, it has been said that one of the ship’s drive shafts was so badly misaligned in the accident that she never again was able to reach her top speed of 30 knots.

The misfortunes seemed to continue into the next decade. In August of 1970, Oriana left Southampton on yet another routine voyage to Australia and New Zealand. But shortly afterwards, while the ship was still in Southampton waters, a fire broke out in the boiler room switchboard. The damage caused Oriana to lose all power, and had to be towed back into port. She now had to spend two weeks out of service while repairs were carried out, but at least the company could happily report that no one had been seriously injured in the fire.

When Oriana returned to service, her future deployment was not at all certain. As on the North Atlantic in the ‘50s and ‘60s, air traffic was now becoming a serious competitor on the Australasian route. It soon became apparent that Oriana, which had been built with occasional cruising in mind, soon would have to earn her living by doing pleasure cruises full-time. In 1973, her passenger accommodation was altered to cater for 1,677 passengers in one single class. From now on, Oriana’s deployment would be cruising, nine months out of Southampton and for three months from November based at Sydney, with positioning voyages via Panama in each direction.

Luckily, this did not mean bad times for Oriana. Since she was very much suitable for doing cruises, she continued to turn a profit in spite the fact that line voyages had been more or less abandoned. The task of cruising did not hinder the ship from seeing further dramatic events, though. In May of 1978, while Oriana was on a Caribbean cruise, the P&O headquarters received an anonymous letter when the ship was three days out of Southampton. The letter was an ominous one, warning that a bomb had been placed on board the ship. A bomb disposal squad was flown out to rendezvous with the ship, but upon their arrival a thorough search of the ship had revealed nothing. The whole thing was obviously just a hoax, and the bomb squad was never required to parachute on board.

A few years later, the Oriana’s long-time acquaintance with the port of Southampton ended in 1981, when she became permanently based at Sydney for South Pacific cruising. However, this service was only to last for another few years. In 1985, P&O announced that Oriana would be taken out of service and sold out of the fleet the following year. On March 27th 1986, she completed her final cruise for P&O and was then laid up at Sydney, awaiting her future. As a working ship, she had steamed 3,430,902 nautical miles and she had visited 108 ports over her illustrious career.

Two months later, on May 21st, the ship was sold to the Japanese company Daiwa House Sales. Their intention was to transform Oriana for use as a hotel, museum and leisure centre. One week after the sale, Oriana left Sydney bound for the Hitachi Zosen shipyard where she was to go through the conversion. Since she was to be used in a static role, the ship’s rudder and propellers were removed and placed on the fore deck by the old crew’s swimming pool. On August 1st 1986, Oriana was moored at Oita, near Beppu, a resort on the Japanese island of Kyushu. By now, her funnels had been painted pink and the ship had been secured to the wharf by means of welding. She would stay there for another nine years.

By mid-1995, the Daiwa House venture had collapsed, and the ship was sold to the Hangzhou Jiebai Group Co. Ltd., a Chinese department store operator. Oriana was loosened from her welded moorings and towed to Qinhuangdao in north China, where she was put to use as an accommodation centre and hotel. Sadly, she was not maintained very well, and soon fell into deep disrepair. In November of 1998, she was again sold, this time to the Hangzhou West Lake International Tourism Culture Development Co. Ltd., for the price of US$6,000,000. On November 15th, five tugboats towed Oriana from the port of Qinhuangdao to Shanghai.

As the ship was now in very poor condition, she was given an extensive overhaul, which included alarm systems, new elevators and climate control. It was announced that the ship would maintain “the traditional British style and elegance of its earlier years”.  On February 16th 1999, the ship was once again opened to the public. After a US$3,630,000 refit, the ship included features such as hotel accommodation, a swimming pool, a miniature golf course, a 20,000 m2 exhibition hall and a wedding altar on the ship’s bow, inspired from the famous ‘bow-scene’ from James Cameron’s movie ‘Titanic’. At first, the project was highly successful, with a daily average of 3,000 visitors. Starting on December 24th, a nine-day millennium celebration was held on board, including theme dinners, symphony concerts, fashion shows, auctions, garden parties and buffets.

But this giant party turned out to be the peak just before a downhill. In July of 2000, it was reported that the liner had failed to generate the expected profits and she was shut down the following August. Once again, new owners were sought, and a public auction was held on September 28th. This time, the Song Dynasty Town Groups managed to acquire an 85% share of the ship for the price of US$7,250,000. They announced that the ship would once again be refurbished for static use, but many were, quite rightly, sceptical to those plans.

So from then on, Oriana sat in Shanghai, moored on the Huangpu River. During her time there, she was touted as the ‘Titanic of Huangpu River’, ‘the sister ship of Queen Elizabeth’, ‘a British Imperial Cruiser’ and ‘one of the four most famous luxury boats of the contemporary world’. Not much was recognisable from her glory days with the Orient Line and P&O, except for the bridge, which had not been altered much from its original layout. In many deck areas, the Asian climate had been hard on the old girl, where plywood planks have warped and crumbled. The ship’s library still remained more or less untouched, but unused and left to decay. The Lido Pool had been plated over, after having been utilised as a carp pond for a period of time.

But amazingly, her owners lived up to their promises, and showed that the thought of a refurbished Oriana was not just a pipe dream! Having been towed to the Chinese port of Dalian in the summer of 2002, the old ship went through a massive refit that transformed her into the main attraction of the Dalian Theme Park & Entertainment Center. Now boasting for instance a maritime museum and an 800-seat banquet hall & showroom, the Oriana quickly became a popular venue. Tours of the ship were offered, so that visitors could experience the engine room and the bridge first-hand. Things had really taken a turn for the better, but sadly, it was not to last. On June 16th, 2004, the Oriana was struck by a severe storm and was badly damaged. She took on a great deal of water due to her being holed at the bow, and as a result her lower decks were flooded, and the ship quickly took on a dangerous list to port. Attempts were made to right her and the owners even considered restoring her, but naturally the cost proved to be too great. And so, on May 13th 2005, the old Oriana departed and was towed to the Wayou scrap yard in Zhangiagang, China to be scrapped. Time had finally caught up with her, and just like so many other great ladies of the sea, she ended her days under the cutting-torch of the breakers, a sad shadow of what once was a magnificent vessel.

Specifications

• 804 feet (245.6 m) long
• 97.1 feet (29.7 m) wide
• 41,915 gross tons
• Six Pametrada geared turbines turning two propellers
• 27.5 knot service speed
• Passenger capacity of 2,134 people

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6 thoughts on “ Oriana ”

• 6 Comments

I am trying to find a record of a trip I did on Oriana for Christmas 2018/jan 2019 from Sydney, Australia around the Indian Ocean. We had NYE in Singapore. Thank you

Wrong Oriana , I’m afraid. If your voyage took place in 2018/2019, it must have been on the successor, MV Oriana , built in 1995. You seem to have sailed on her towards the very last stretch of her service with P&O. Soon after that, she was sold to a Chinese operator and renamed Piano Land . More info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Piano_Land

My dad crashed the Oriana in 1962

I was a cadet on Oriana back then. Peter Ballantyne

I have such fond memories of working there as a photog from 1974 on. It really was a very happy ship. both for crew and pax.

are there any pictures of the damage done to her starboard prop i was one of the two fitters that work on her in the dry dock in southampton the tail shaft and prop was pulled out about 14ft and bent upwards we worked 21days none stop to do the repairs

• CruiseMapper
• Small Cruise Lines

Former name: P&O Oriana

Cruise line Astro Ocean Cruises China (Small Cruise Lines)

Piano Land current position

Piano Land current location is at China Coast (coordinates 29.78405 N / 122.09460 E) cruising en route to ZOS>CN. The AIS position was reported 6 minutes ago.

Specifications of Piano Land

•   Review
•   Wiki

Piano Land Review

Review of piano land.

MS Piano Land cruise ship was launched in 1995 as P&O Oriana - the oldest liner in the P&O UK's fleet . Oriana was also one of the company's "adult ships" - together with the fleetmates Arcadia and Aurora .

MS Oriana (MMSI 310529000, Bermuda- flagged , registered in Hamilton ) left the P&O fleet in August 2019. The farewell event was held onboard on August 9th, while the liner was docked in Southampton England after completing its last voyage for P&O UK. Oriana left England on August 16th. The new shipowner officially took over the vessel on August 17th.

The arrival in Hong Kong China was scheduled for late-September. For October-November (2019) were scheduled short-breaks from Shenzhen (Shekou) before the homeporting in Xiamen (December).

History - construction and ownership

P&O Cruises is a subsidiary company and two brands owned by Carnival Corporation - P&O UK and P&O Australia. In 2000, P&O Cruises became subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises, which merged with Carnival Corporation in 2003. PandO is the world's oldest cruise company, starting passenger shipping operations in 1822 on the routes connecting England with Iberia.

The 69,840-ton, 1,882-passenger cruise ship Oriana was the oldest but the fastest cruise ship in the P&O fleet. At the time of its debut, the vessel was among the biggest cruise liners in the world and the biggest ever built in Germany. MV Oriana was christened by HM The Queen of the UK and Commonwealth on April 6, 1995. The ship underwent a couple of major drydock refurbishments . The first one, in December 2006, was for GBP 12 million. P&O Oriana was re-registered from Britain to Bermuda to allow onboard weddings. The second drydock was in late 2011 when the vessel received 27 new staterooms and two new venues for dining. P&O Cruises ' Oriana cruise ship will undergo a 3-week refurbishment at Blohm+Voss Shipyard ( Hamburg ) at the end of November 2016. The refit resulted in a complete renovation of all restaurants, bars, passenger staterooms, public spaces, outdoor decks.

The current shipowner is Astro Ocean Cruises - travel brand and joint venture company of CTS (China National Travel Service Group Corporation Ltd) and COSCO (China Ocean Shipping Group). COSCO is currently ranked as China's largest and world's 6th- largest container shipping line . The other large Chinese joint venture travel company is CSSC-Carnival Cruise Shipping/Adora Cruises (2019-founded).

During the ship's refurbishment in September 2019 were added new shops at the 2-level shopping mall (decks 6-7) with premium international brands specializing in leather goods, designer bags, fashion clothing and accessories, perfumes, skincare products, sunglasses, watches, tobacco, alcohol. Onboard payments can be made in cash, with credit cards and via WeChat Pay and AliPay.

Cruise itinerary program

MS Oriana itinerary program was based on cruises from Southampton , including Caribbean Islands voyages, annual “World Cruise” (roundtrip from the UK), roundtrip from Southampton to the Canary Islands, British Isles, Norway Fjords, Iceland, Baltic, Mediterranean, also Transatlantic repositioning crossings. Next is listed ship's last PandO cruise, before the transfer to the new Chinese owner.

18-day "Norway and North Cape"

The Chinese cruise liner Piano Land is homeported in Xiamen (China) , starting operations in mid-October 2019. In 2020, Astro Ocean Cruises introduced a new roundtrip itinerary from Shanghai that visits Naha-Okinawa (Japan) and Ningbo-Zhoushan (China) . From homeport Zhoushan were scheduled 4 departures (in March 2020) on roundtrips to Japan and China.

After a nearly 4.5-year hiatus, Astro Ocean Cruises restarted/resumed revenue operations with the Piano Land ship on July 25th, 2024, out of Shanghai (4-night roundtrip to Jeju and Shimonoseki). The roundtrips are with lengths 4-night/5-day and 5-night/6-day and visit destinations in Japan (Shimonoseki, Naha, Sasebo, Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Kochi) and Korea (Jeju).

Oriana has a total of 941 cabins (of which 24 Suite, 106 Balcony, 331 Inside rooms) in 20 grades. Most Oriana staterooms are 150-sq.foot Oceanview rooms (480). The largest aboard Oriana is the Suite (415 ft2).

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Oriana emerged from a month-long dry dock in late 2011, during which a pair of new dining venues were added. The first new restaurant, Marco Pierre White's Ocean Grill, provides cuisine described as new British; menu options include choices like Thai fishcakes, cheese souffle, grilled lobster and wild boar burgers. The 2nd, Sorrento, is an Italian restaurant which is offering pizza, pasta, and seafood. Versions of both dining venues are found on Adonia (now Azamara Pursuit) and Arcadia (kids-free vessel). Cover charges fluctuate by the length of the cruise. For the Ocean Grill, it's 12.95 pounds per person on a route of 8 or more days, 17.95 pounds for 3 to 7 days and 22.95 pounds for 1 to 2 days. Supplements do apply for some items, but in actuality, pretty well everything on the menu is engaged. Sorrento costs 5 pounds (route of 8 or more days), 7.50 pounds (route of 3 to 7 days) or 10 pounds (routes of 1 to 2 days) and also has supplements for some items.

Follows the complete list of Oriana restaurants and food bars.

• Peninsular Restaurant (498-seat forward Dining Room; club dining venue with large windows; offers Breakfast 8:00 - 9:30 a.m., Lunch 12:00 - 1:30 p.m., Afternoon Tea 4:00 - 4:45 p.m., two fixed seatings for Dinner at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.)
• Oriental Restaurant (500-seat aft Dining Room; club dining venue, with large windows, dinners only, with two fixed seatings at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. The menu is the same as at the Peninsular’s)
• Ocean Grill Restaurant and Bar (speciality dining by celebrity chef Marco Pierre-White; dinner only 6:00 - 10:00 p.m., reservation-only; also serving Suite guests Breakfast)
• Tiffany Court (complimentary restaurant; serves lite Breakfast and Lunch)
• Tiffany’s Lounge and Bar (patisserie with speciality coffee bar by “Costa Coffee”; serves light snacks for breakfast and lunch)
• Sorrento Restaurant and Bar (Italian; speciality dining; Sorrento Bar)
• The Conservatory Restaurant and Bar (buffet-style; provides indoor/outdoor seating; open for Breakfast 6:30 - 7:00 a.m., Lunch 12:00 - 3 p.m., Afternoon Tea and snacks 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., and Dinner 6:30 - 9 p.m.; features themed buffets and self service, complimentary Pizzeria; Conservatory Bar)
• Al Fresco Pizzeria (complimentary indoor/outdoor restaurant).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Evening entertainment starts at 6 p.m. with options like pianists tickling the ivories in the Crow's Nest and Tiffany Lounge and more live music in Lord's Tavern sports pub. The Crow's Nest is the perfect spot to watch passing scenery at sunset over a reasonably priced cocktail of the day (around £3.75). The nightly shows in ship's Theatre Royal, at 8.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m., are excellent and well supported. The resident Headliners Theatre Company stages a variety of well-choreographed performances. Oriana's Pacific Lounge is more intimate and generally hosts solo singers. The Harlequins venue alternates between ballroom dancing and disco music. The casino with gaming tables and slot machines open at 7 p.m. Additional amenities include Complimentary 24-hour Room-Service, Internet/WiFi access, laundry/self-serve laundromats.

Follows the complete list of Oriana lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens, and adults.

• Oriana Atrium (4-decks central open floor area and social hub)
• Knightsbridge (duty-free boutique shop);
• Emporium (general store for candies, chocolate, sweets, books, etc.);
• Florist Desk (special occasions flower shop);
• “Duty-Free” shop (alcohol, cigarettes, tobaccos)
• Anderson’s Bar (named after the P&O’s founder); Lord’s Tavern (sports bar)
• Harlequins Disco and Nightclub; Pacific Lounge and Dance Club
• Theatre Royal (650-seat, featuring large scale shows by “Headliners Theatre Company”)
• Chaplin’s Cinema; Wedding Venue (vow renewals; weddings)
• Monte Carlo Casino; Art Gallery; Photo Gallery and Shop; The Library (with Internet computers); Cyb@Study Online Centre; Medina Room (chapel); Thackeray Room; Crichton’s Card Room
• Terrace Pool; Crystal Pool; Riviera Pool; 4 jacuzzis
• Oasis Spa complex (Treatment Rooms, Steam Rooms, Sauna, Beauty Salon)
• Gymnasium (complimentary equipment, Fitness classes; Yoga and Pilates at surcharge)
• The Crow’s Nest Lounge (dance floor, a stage for live music; with floor-ceiling windows for panoramic views; hosts art classes, quiz games, cooking demos during the day)
• Jogging Track; Traditional deck games area (Deck Chess, Deck Quoits, Shuffleboard); Sports Court (football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, cricket); Table Tennis; four Golf Net cages.

Piano Land - user reviews and comments

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Piano Land Wiki

In June 2018, P&O UK sold the vessel to the new Chinese (state-owned) passenger shipping company "Well Star Travel Cruise" - a joint venture of CTS (China Travel Services International) and COSCO Group . The new cruise line planned short-break roundtrips from homeports in China to ports in Japan and Southeast Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippines, Indonesia). The liner (renamed "Piano Land") is homeported in Xiamen China . As of 2019, China's other two 1-ship brands are "Bohai Ferry" and "Diamond Cruise".

As current shipowner is listed ORIENTAL FLEET CRUISE 01 LTD while the ship management company is V-SHIPS LEISURE SAM.

The vessel (hull/yard number 636) was constructed by Meyer Werft in Papenburg (Germany) .

MS Piano Land refurbishments review

During drydock refurbishment 2020 (at COSCO Zhoushan Shipyard) the Piano Land ship received major interior and technical upgrades.

New suite categories were grouped in an exclusive (suite-only) complex with its own restaurant and pool deck. New suites' perks include priority boarding-tendering-debarkation, VIP shopping (private experiences), free WiFi, discount-priced Spa treatments. Many existing staterooms were upgraded to "family cabins" (with triple occupancy) by adding a 3rd bed. The 2-deck high duty-free shopping area (decks 6-7) was expanded (tripled in size) and now represents 100+ different brands.

The liner was also upgraded with a new and more powerful marine HVAC (heat-ventilation-air conditioning) system.

Piano Land's April-May 2022 drydock (by Astro Ocean Cruise Line) was conducted in China, at Zthi Zhoushan Zhongtian Heavy Industry Co Ltd's shipyard. The 45-day drydocking project included cleaning and repainting of the hull and superstructure (new anti-rust hull coating), technical upgrades (hardware and software, equipment overhauls), regularly scheduled classification works, hotel upgrades (renovation of public areas), replacement of the ballast water tanks, installation of shore power capabilities .

MS Oriana refurbishment 2016 review

The ship's last drydock refurbishment by P&O UK was in 2016, with refurbishment contractor Richmond International (luxury hotel design firm). The 3-week long project (November 25 - December 15) was done at Blohm+Voss Shipyard ( Hamburg Germany ) and resulted in the following deckplan changes:

• Refurbishment works included a renovation of all staterooms, lounges, restaurants and all indoor and outdoor public spaces.
• All passenger cabins and suites received new soft furnishings, furniture was refreshed (repaired or replaced), bathrooms upgraded, cabin balconies were renovated.
• Among the upgraded venues were Lord's Tavern (sports bar on Promenade Deck 7), Riviera Bar (poolside bar on Lido Deck 12), The Conservatory restaurant (Deck 12), Anderson's Bar (Deck 7), Oasis Spa & Fitness (wellness complex on Lido Deck), also the ship's main lounge "Theatre Royal" (Promenade Deck 7).
• The Conservatory and The Beach House (both located aft on Lido Deck 12) were upgraded with new service counters, redesigned (increased seating, more 2-seat tables).
• Anderson's Bar (midship on Deck 7) received new furniture (bar stools, sofas, tables, chairs, lamps), also new carpets and rugs.
• The Oasis wellness complex received new tiling in the thermal area (sauna, steam room, spa whirlpool, changing rooms), as well as new modern furniture, washbasins, treatment beds. The beauty salon's and gym's equipment were upgraded. Luxurious heated loungers and a living plant wall were added in the spa area.
• Theatre Royal was updated (seating upholstery was refreshed). New sound and lighting equipment was installed.
• The ship's two main dining rooms (Peninsular, Oriental) were updated with new carpets, curtains, lighting (incl new designs), colour schemes.

In January 2018, the Oriana ship entered into 3-week drydock for technical maintenance.

MS Piano Land was officially named in Port Xiamen on September 26, 2019. The christening ceremony was held at Xiamen International Cruise Terminal (dockside) and followed by the maiden voyage (for Well Star Travel Cruise Line) which started in the evening on the same day.

MS Oriana was P&O's first newbuild vessel designed specifically for the UK market. Currently, the ship is P&O UK fleet's oldest. It was named after "SS Oriana" (1959-launched ocean liner operated between 1960-1986 by the "P&O Cruises" predecessors - "P&O Orient Lines", and later by "P&O Line".

Ship's christening ceremony was held on April 6, 1995, and featured HM The Queen of the UK (Elizabeth II/1926-2022) as Godmother. Other PandO cruise ships named by British Royals are Britannia (March 10, 2015, by HM The Queen), Aurora (April 27, 2000, by HRH Princess Royal) and the ships Oceana and Adonia (now Azamara Pursuit) - both were named on May 21, 2003, by HRH Princess Royal and her daughter Zara Phillips.

PandO Oriana proudly holds the "Golden Cockerel" trophy (since 1997) for being fleet's fastest ship . The trophy was previously held by SS Oriana, then passed to SS Canberra (until 1997) when was handed over to Oriana. Both liners were anchored near Cannes France and each sent a tender boat out for the handover ceremony.

In 2006, the ship's flag state/registry was changed from UK (London) to Bermuda (Hamilton) , as the Bermuda flag state allows onboard weddings. Oriana is one of P&O's adults-only vessels - together with Arcadia .

Next tables show the ports sequences of MV Oriana's last cruises for P&O UK (2019) - all roundtrips from homeport Southampton England .

19-day Mediterranean and Adriatic (themed "Italy and Croatia")

16-day "Azores, Canary Islands and Portugal"

13-day "Scotland, Ireland and Guernsey"

7-day "France, Spain and Guernsey"

14-day "Ireland, Iceland and Faroe Islands"

3-day mini-cruise (Guernsey)

P&O Oriana's last Captain was Sarah Bretton, while her first Captain was Ian Gibb. During the inaugural cruise season (1995) the liner had scheduled a total of 17 itineraries (between 12- and 23 nights). The program continued with the 90-night "World Cruise" 2016 (January departure) visiting 28 seaports, including 24 maiden for P&O UK ports.

What Happened to the Cruise Ship Oriana?

By Alice Nichols

The Oriana was a cruise ship owned by the P&O Cruises Line. It was launched in 1995, and operated on popular routes in Europe, the Caribbean, and South America.

The Oriana was a beautiful ship, with a length of 880 feet and a width of 106 feet. It had 14 decks, and could accommodate up to 1,800 passengers. The Oriana boasted three restaurants, six bars, five swimming pools and two show lounges.

The Final Voyage of the Oriana

In August 2019, the Oriana set sail from Southampton on its final voyage. The ship made stops in Liverpool, Dublin and Cork before heading to La Coruña in Spain for its final port of call before heading back to Southampton.

On the return journey from La Coruña to Southampton, disaster struck when a fire broke out in one of the engine rooms. The fire quickly spread throughout the lower decks and caused extensive damage to the ship’s infrastructure.

The crew managed to contain the blaze with help from local fire services but not before it had caused serious damage to both the interior and exterior of the vessel. In total it took almost three days for firefighters to contain the blaze completely; by this time much of the lower decks were destroyed or badly damaged by smoke and water damage.

What Happened To The Oriana?

Due to extensive damage caused by the fire onboard, P&O Cruises announced that they would be retiring the once glorious liner from service with immediate effect; it would never sail again. After assessing the damages sustained during her final voyage, P&O decided that it would be too costly for them to repair her and so she was officially taken out of service in September 2019 after 24 years at sea.

Conclusion:

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New owners revealed for P&O’s former Oriana cruise ship

P&O Cruises announced back in June last year that it was selling its oldest and smallest ship, the 1995-built Oriana, out of the fleet, but the buyer was never revealed, until now.

It turns out that Oriana was sold to Star Travel Ocean Cruise, a cruise brand fully owned by the Chinese state.

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The company held a press conference in Xiamen on Thursday to officially launch its cruise product, during which it was revealed that Oriana has been renamed Piano Land.

She will begin cruising roundtrip from Xiamen later this year following a refit and refurbishment to kit her out for Chinese tastes.

Star Ocean Cruises will now begin a series of road shows to educate travel partners about the new brand, with a cruise schedule set to start shortly.

Company officials called the new cruise brand the first truly state-owned international cruise company in China.

It joins other semi-state-owned domestic cruise brands such as CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping , a joint venture between Carnival Corporation, China Investment Corporation, and Chinese shipbuilder China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC).

Star Travel Ocean Cruise, for its part, is a joint venture between China Travel Group and COSCO Shipping.

The former Oriana in P&O colours

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The 70,000-ton Piano Land is part of an effort to build a strong national cruise brand, presenting the fast-growing domestic market with a high-quality, resort-like experience at sea.

The 1,822-guest ship will compete against brand new cruise ships from Costa and Royal Caribbean, such as Costa Venezia and Spectrum of the Seas , both of which were launched this year and immediately repositioned to Shanghai.

As a P&O cruise ship, Oriana represented a low-key, traditional cruise experience, with no bells and whistles or highly active on-board activities. She was very much a floating country house hotel, and was loved for it within the fleet.

The ship has 11 bars and cafes and six restaurants while in service with P&O, but it is unclear how many she will offer as Piano Land, or whether some public spaces might be given over to offering the ‘resort’ experience touted by Star Travel Ocean Cruise.

China joins India in seeking to develop its homegrown cruise tourism market. Two new cruise lines have been launched in India in the last year ( Angriya Cruises and Jalesh Cruises ).

While Angriya has used a second-hand converted ferry, Jalesh bought and thoroughly refurbished P&O Australia’s Pacific Jewel, and will send it to the UAE for a series of roundtrip cruises later this year.

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Categories: News

Tagged as: China , Oriana , P&O Cruises , Piano Land , Star Travel Ocean Cruise

Published by Shaun Ebelthite

Founder and editor of Cruise Arabia & Africa. I try to create the best news and information specifically for cruise passengers taking cruises to and from Dubai (where I live) and South Africa (where I was born). You can contact me at shaun(at)cruisearabiaonline.com. View all posts by Shaun Ebelthite

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