Oriana

[crompton21]

I notice that there are still cabins available on a number (most) of Oriana's sailings up until her leaving the P&O fleet.  

In 1995 Oriana was brand new and I was in the Southampton docks area when Oriana was awaiting her first departure.  Different days, I walked up and sat on a mooring bollard (at the bow) that was holding her fast and just looked at her size and gleaming paintwork.

Having been lucky enough to do a school cruise on Uganda, Oriana in comparison just looked so huge and amazing.  I think mentally I made a note of what I wanted to do at some stage in the future.

It was not until 2005 that I managed a first cruise and now have approx. 50 nights on Oriana (obviously not much when compared to others).  I have not been on her since 2010, although I enjoyed every cruise on her.

So, excuse the rambling.  A special ship that set the rules for a lot of what has followed (including how not to make a dining room vibrate itself to pieces on regular occasions I guess).  But a special ship that can't sell out it's farewell voyages.

 

Deepdown, I am surprised by that.

 

However, I didn't book either.

 

 

[galeforce9]

She was the ship that inspired us to start cruising in 1997.   It was our honeymoon.  We were gifted two liberty dressing gowns and some photos.  Fond memories.  We’ve now done 40ish cruises so we were clearly impressed! 

[Britboys]

The problem for many (me certainly) is that the decision to retire her was made public after the current booking period had been open for some time.  I would have loved to sail on my favourite ship again but with an expensive cruisetour to Alaska in July, couldn't afford to jump back on the lovely old ship again sadly.  I really will miss her.

[Presto2]

We have friends on her at the moment and they have said that it is just a travesty that she is going.

 

Have never sailed on her, but remember seeing her in Istanbul when we were on our first cruise on Ocean Village 2 in 2009. She looked amazing and I remember thinking that we could never afford to book a cruise on something so amazing ….

 

Hope whoever she goes to looks after her ...

[majortom10]

Of all the cruises we have done with P&O nearly 30 on all current ships they have in the fleet the 2 worst regarding the ship were both on Oriana. Our last cruise on her in 2014 Northern Lights was a fantastic cruise port wise and the experience we had but we said we would never sail on her again, which we havent, and that she was past her sell by date. Will not be missed by us. 

[DamianG]

52 nights onboard for us, our favourite ship by far but we haven’t been able to sail on her since becoming parents nearly 7 years ago.

Sad to see her go but we’ll always remember sitting out on the tiered decks aft as we sailed out of Venice and many other memorable ports.

[CarlaMarie]

That is surprising, I would have thought they would be sold out as she was the most popular ship in the fleet.

 

There are some new rumours going around about where she will actually end up. Whether they are true or not is anyone's guess. She will be a big loss to the fleet though. 

[Dorset cruise fan]

We're going on her! Will be our 3rd time and as we are still relative newbies that will be the most on any ship (2 each for Arcadia, Aurora and Oceana). Should be a lovely cruise on a lovely ship but hope it doesn't get too emotional - there are going to be some farewell parties apparantly.

[Britboys]

13 hours ago, majortom10 said:

Of all the cruises we have done with P&O nearly 30 on all current ships they have in the fleet the 2 worst regarding the ship were both on Oriana. Our last cruise on her in 2014 Northern Lights was a fantastic cruise port wise and the experience we had but we said we would never sail on her again, which we havent, and that she was past her sell by date. Will not be missed by us. 

 

Sorry to hear that you had poor experiences on her.  I've sailed on her more than any other ship in the fleet and always had a good time - most recently in 2017. She looked in fine fettle then.

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, CarlaMarie said:

That is surprising, I would have thought they would be sold out as she was the most popular ship in the fleet.

 

There are some new rumours going around about where she will actually end up. Whether they are true or not is anyone's guess. She will be a big loss to the fleet though. 

 

Oh go on - spill the beans on the new rumours 😁.  I'd love her to go somewhere other than China, where I suspect half of her public spaces would become gambling rooms.

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, Dorset cruise fan said:

We're going on her! Will be our 3rd time and as we are still relative newbies that will be the most on any ship (2 each for Arcadia, Aurora and Oceana). Should be a lovely cruise on a lovely ship but hope it doesn't get too emotional - there are going to be some farewell parties apparantly.

 

Its probably best that I am not on her.  I had a tear in my eye recently whilst in Southampton when I waved her goodbye as she sailed out.  I'm sure you will have a great time.

Edited April 16, 2019 by Britboys
addition

[CarlaMarie]

40 minutes ago, Britboys said:

 

Oh go on - spill the beans on the new rumours 😁.  I'd love her to go somewhere other than China, where I suspect half of her public spaces would become gambling rooms.

 

The rumour is that China no longer want her and the back up plan is to lease her to another cruise company...

[terrierjohn]

1 minute ago, CarlaMarie said:

 

The rumour is that China no longer want her and the back up plan is to lease her to another cruise company...

Ocean Village retirees cruise line?

[CarlaMarie]

2 minutes ago, terrierjohn said:

Ocean Village retirees cruise line?

 

I haven't heard who they would lease her to. I expect it is just another false rumour!

[Britboys]

Yes, as you say probably a false rumour.  If there is any truth in it, unless P&O/Carnival have no say in the matter, I can't see it being a British Cruise line.  Maybe someone like Phoenix Reisen from Germany - they have a fleet of older ships.

[jeanlyon]

our upcoming cruise on Aurora has been sold out, not sold out, sold out.  Been going on for a few months.  I suspect it's the same for Oriana.

[Sarah1974]

My one and only P&O cruise was on Oriana in 2016 in search of the Northern Lights.  It's the smallest cruise ship I've been on but had all the facilities you could want.  I'm not sure that an adults only ship is the thing for me.

 

My next P&O cruise is on Britannia in June - I'm sure this will be a very different experience.

[Dermotsgirl]

I've been on Oriana twice, on a Round Britain cruise in 2016, and an 18 night cruise in 2007, which visited some more unusual ports such as Port Said, Limassol and Rhodes.  The latter cruise remains ones of my favourites, as it was the first longer cruise that we had a chance to do (it was in November, so we were able to get time off work, being out of season), and we enjoyed the chance to see many new places.  

 

I liked Oriana, but she doesn't have the emotional pull that Aurora does.  Aurora was our first cruise ship and we've spent 126 nights onboard her.  When it's Aurora's time to go, we'd definitely have a farewell cruise, even if we have already booked other cruises.

 

I harbour a hope that Oriana will turn up one day under the CMV flag, sailing from Tilbury. That'd be very convenient! 

[Selbourne]

8 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I harbour a hope that Oriana will turn up one day under the CMV flag, sailing from Tilbury. That'd be very convenient! 

 

Given that CMV have the previous P&O Arcadia, anything is possible!

[Britboys]

Its been a long time since Columbus was Arcadia though...

[crompton21]

6 hours ago, Sarah1974 said:

My one and only P&O cruise was on Oriana in 2016 in search of the Northern Lights.  It's the smallest cruise ship I've been on but had all the facilities you could want.  I'm not sure that an adults only ship is the thing for me.

 

My next P&O cruise is on Britannia in June - I'm sure this will be a very different experience.

 

"When she entered service Oriana was one of the largest cruise ships in the world, and the largest ship built in Germany since 1914"

 

Amazing how quickly things have changed.....

[Selbourne]

25 minutes ago, crompton21 said:

 

"When she entered service Oriana was one of the largest cruise ships in the world, and the largest ship built in Germany since 1914"

 

Amazing how quickly things have changed.....

 

Very true. We did our first cruise on Oriana in 1996 when she was a year old. The ship was full of then P&O traditionalists complaining that she was way too big and wasn’t a patch on Canberra. We never cruised on Canberra but having looked at photos and descriptions of accommodation and facilities on her I don’t think that we would have wanted to. Like most people, we caught the cruising bug with our first cruise and have a soft spot for Oriana as a result. I think her downfall has been the lack of balcony cabins which a far greater proportion of cruisers insist on these days. Great shame that she’s going but at least we still have Aurora. 

[DamianG]

3 hours ago, Dermotsgirl said:

I've been on Oriana twice, on a Round Britain cruise in 2016, and an 18 night cruise in 2007, which visited some more unusual ports such as Port Said, Limassol and Rhodes.  The latter cruise remains ones of my favourites, as it was the first longer cruise that we had a chance to do (it was in November, so we were able to get time off work, being out of season), and we enjoyed the chance to see many new places.  

 

I liked Oriana, but she doesn't have the emotional pull that Aurora does.  Aurora was our first cruise ship and we've spent 126 nights onboard her.  When it's Aurora's time to go, we'd definitely have a farewell cruise, even if we have already booked other cruises.

 

I harbour a hope that Oriana will turn up one day under the CMV flag, sailing from Tilbury. That'd be very convenient! 

We were on that 2007 18 nighter too and it was one of the friendliest cruises we have ever been on. The entertainment team were superb and we joined in with more quizzes and activities than we usually would. We got to know quite a few passengers and being a smaller ship we would see them a lot more regularly than we would have had it been one of the larger ships in service these days.

[Bennybluehat]

I liked Oriana as a ship, what I didn’t like was that it was an “adults only” ship which in reality means adults over the age of 65. Fine, if the most modern music you like is  from the 50s and you enjoy listening to people snore whilst in the theatre. I’ve had many cruises on Aurora which always had a good mix of ages, now I fear the worst.

[galeforce9]

13 minutes ago, Bennybluehat said:

I liked Oriana as a ship, what I didn’t like was that it was an “adults only” ship which in reality means adults over the age of 65. Fine, if the most modern music you like is  from the 50s and you enjoy listening to people snore whilst in the theatre. I’ve had many cruises on Aurora which always had a good mix of ages, now I fear the worst.

Why does it?  There are plenty of people without children of younger ages and people whose children go their own way at 18 or whatever and may only be in their 40s.