History of P&O Oriana

 The Oriana was the first cruise liner purpose built for the British cruise market. She is specifically designed to operate world voyages and embodies the classic lines, comfort and ambiance of the traditional ocean liners of yesteryear. She was the fastest cruise liner built for 25 years and has an operating speed of 24 knots.

Like her predecessor, Oriana celebrates in her name the two great Elizabethan eras. The first Oriana in the P&O fleet entered service in 1960, for Orient Steam Navigation Company, her name connecting Queen Elizabeth I with our own Elizabethan era with Queen Elizabeth II. Early references to the name Oriana appear in 16th century romances where she was a British princess, heroine and poetic huntress. So virtuous was this literary figure that contemporary courtiers chose 'Oriana' as a title to honour Queen Elizabeth I. Today's Oriana honours her namesake predecessor (Oriana built in 1960) and continues to honour in her name the two great Elizabethan eras.

Design and Construction (1995):

She was built by Meyer Werft Ltd, Papenburg, Germany in 1995.
After a lengthy campaign, P&O Cruises were permitted to allocate the new Oriana with the call sign 'GVSN', which is the same call sign as her predecessor namesake (the Oriana built in 1960). One of her main designers, Robert Tillberg, spent a lot of the time onboard Canberra investigating the needs of British passengers and including as many features of Canberra possible into Oriana's design. The Oriana's single funnel is designed to have a resemblance to Canberra's twin funnels. She also has a single deck of balconies reserved for Suites, Mini-suites and Staterooms to cater for the growing desire for balconies onboard.

When she entered service Oriana was one of the largest cruise ships in the world, and also the largest ship built in Germany since 1914. Since then tonnages have boomed as the economies of scale dictate that a larger ships generates more profit. Nowadays most new cruise ships have a GRT of around 100,000 tonnes or higher.

The Oriana was named in a lavish ceremony in Southampton on the 6th April 1995 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

P&O Cruises era (1995 – Present): She then set sail on her maiden voyage on the 9th April 1995 which was a cruise from Southampton to Scandinavia. Since then she has enjoyed a successful career with P&O Cruises and throughout the spring, summer and autumn, Oriana sails to the Mediterranean, Baltic, Scandinavia and the Caribbean. January to March each year sees her undertaking her annual World Cruise, calling at nearly 30 ports of call and taking 90 days to complete.

The Oriana currently holds the Golden Cockerel trophy for the fastest ship in the P&O Cruises fleet. Previously held by the S.S. Oriana (1960) it passed to S.S. Canberra after that Oriana's retirement in 1986. On Canberra's final cruise in 1997 the Golden Cockerel was handed over to the new Oriana when both ships were anchored off Cannes and sent boats out to perform the handover.
In December 2006 a £12 million refit was undertaken on the Oriana in Bremerhaven, Germany. During the refit she was reflagged from the British Red Ensign to the Bermuda flag in order to enable Weddings at Sea to be held on board. Also a new Oriana Rhodes restaurant, designed by celebrity chef Gary Rhodes was introduced. Created in what was formerly 'The Curzon Room', the 96 seater restaurant has been introduced due to the success of the Arcadian Rhodes restaurant on fleetmate Arcadia. Other modifications included the extension of the popular Lord's Tavern bar, festooned with cricket memorabilia and refurbishment of the children's play areas. In addition all of her cabins have been restyled to include one of four new colour schemes, new curtains, carpets, beds, linen and duvets.

Today she continues to sail for P&O Cruises and remains a firm favourite with the British cruise market.

History of P&O's SS Himalaya

SS Himalaya in Manila 1962

Back in 1945 P&O had ordered its first new passenger liner of the postwar period. The Himalaya finally emerged in 1949 and was a splendid ship and the fastest and largest ship P&O had ever owned until that time. She had a top speed of 25 knots.

Design & Construction (1945 - 1949):

She had been ordered in March 1945 and she was built by Vickers Armstrong Ltd, Barrow in Furness. Her keel was laid on the 26th February 1946 and she underwent sea trials in August 1949. She was delivered to P&O on the 1st September 1949. She was the first liner equipped with a Weir evaporating plant for distilling water. She was named after the Himalaya mountains.

P&O Himalaya under the Sydney Harbour Bridge

P&O Years (1949 - 1970):

She sailed on her maiden voyage on the 6th October 1949 from London (Tilbury) to Bombay via Suez. The Himalaya was a contemporary of Orient Line's Orcades and these ships marked a gradual coming together of the new liners of each company in the postwar era. She was a record breaker and cut the UK to Bombay passage by 5 days and reduced the overall voyage to Australia from 38 days to just 28 days. Indeed the six ships worked closely together on their Australian service with their sailing schedules organised so that sailings alternated between P&O and Orient. Thus they formed a Southern Dominions "Big Six" fleet.

On the 30th August 1956 an explosion occured in a domestic refrigeration chamber when she was in the Mediterranean bound for Australia. Four crew were killed and 12 injured.

In January 1958 P&O and Orient services to Australia were extended across the Pacific in a joint service marketed as Orient & Pacific Line. The Himalaya inaugurated the operation and sailings continued from Sydney to Auckland, Suva, Honolulu, Vancouver and San Francisco. On the 12th January 1959 she departed London on a round trip of 79,000 km (49,250 miles) to Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Japan and Singapore, which in the process opened the Orient & Pacific Lines US / Japan service. In winter 1959 / 1960 she was refitted and air conditioned in the Netherlands.

In May 1960 her management and operation was transferred to P&O-Orient Lines. In October 1960 Stephen Bradley, who had abducted and killed an 8 year old son of the first Sydney Opera House lottery winner, was taken off the London bound ship at Colombo and flown back to Sydney by Comet airliner to face trial.

In 1963 she was refitted by R & H Green and Silley Weir Ltd in Tilbury for one class operation with 1,416 passengers. On the 21st November 1963 she set sail from London bound on her first one-class voyage to Australia. In 1966 her management and operation transferred to P&O Lines.

The Final Years (1970 - 1974): 

Official P&O postcard

In the 1970s she was primarily occupied on a long programme of cruises from Australia and New Zealand with a shorter period cruising from Southampton in the Spring, the two linked by "positioning" voyages. On the 27th March 1973, she arrived in Southampton with 1,400 passengers of whom no less than 950 were women on a World Discovery tour organised by the Australian magazine "Women's Weekly". In October 1971 her management and operation were transferred to the P&O Passenger Division. 

On the 30th October 1974, she arrived in Sydney at the end of her final commercial voyage. She was retired from service and sold to Mitsui & Co. who in turn sold her to Tong Cheng Steel Manufacturing Co. Ltd for scrapping. She arrived at Kaoshiung, Taiwan on the 28th November 1974 and demolition commenced in January 1975. A sad end to a fine ship.

Silversea Cruises in Indonesia

EXPLORE INDONESIA WITH SILVERSEA

Experience the cultures, customs and cuisines of Indonesia on this nine day voyage on board Silversea's Silver Wind.

Commencing in Benoa, Bali on 15 January 2015, Silver Wind will spend a night in port, to allow guests time to explore the tropical island's beaches, terraced rice fields and surrounding volcanoes.  Guests can also experience the unique Balinese traditions, celebrated widely among villagers.  Silver Wind will then continue her journey to Lombok, an island rich in temples and beautiful landscapes.

Continuing her journey through Indonesia, Silver Wind will also stop at Probolinggo, a city on the coast of East Java, and Surabaya, Indonesia's second-largest city where the battle for independence began.  Guests will then overnight in Semarang, a bustling city in Java, serving as a gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Borobudur and the mountainous interior of Central Java.  Semarang is built on tradition, and is filled with colonial architecture and a lively Chinese quarter, providing guests with many hidden corners to explore.  Silver Wind will spend her final night in Singapore, where guests can explore the vibrant cultures and experience Singapore's mouthwatering food, before disembarking on 24 January 2015.

Prices are per person starting from AU$4,750 in a Vista Suite double occupancy.  Silversea fares include: all-suite accommodation with butler service; gourmet meals with menus inspired by Relais & Châteaux; complimentary wines, Champagne and spirits served throughout the ships; and all gratuities.

This voyage is subject to availability.  Terms and conditions apply.  For more information, contact your travel professional or Silversea Cruises on +61 2 9255 0600 or 1300 306 872 or visit www.silversea.com

Singapore Sling for FREE* with Portuscale Cruises

Portuscale Cruises continues to celebrate the return of M/V Funchal to Australian waters next summer by releasing a special FLY FREE* to Singapore offer on their 17 Day Singapore to Newcastle or 20 Day Singapore to Geelong cruise when booked by 30 September 2014. In addition, guests will receive the Advantage Saver Fares of up to 15% savings per person* on top of the Fly FREE offer! Click here, to download a copy of the Portuscale Cruises Fly Free to Singapore flyer.



Flying from either Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide or Perth to Singapore for FREE*, guests will board M/V Funchal for a journey of cultural discovery taking in the sights and sounds of Semarang and Komodo Island in Indonesia to the welcoming smiles of the people of Dili (Timor Leste), and Port Moresby in PNG before disembarking in Newcastle or Geelong.

Days at sea will be relaxing and sociable with many facilities including five bar lounges, classic onboard activities, engaging lectures and after dinner entertainment or guests can simply read a book by the outdoor pool whilst enjoying a cocktail or two. Dining will be a highlight where no dinner menu is repeated and the bread will arrive at your table freshly baked from the oven.

At the end of the day, retreat to a choice of nine cabin categories, which include an ensuite bathroom, hairdryer, bar fridge, safe, flat screen TV and depending on the category chosen, it may also include a sofa and coffee table.



“Portuscale Cruises offers unforgettable cruises aboard its classic ship, the M/V Funchal, and unique destination focused itineraries, a variety of shore excursions taking in the history and culture of the destination”, says Discover General Manager Sales and Product Roger Condon. “A voyage with M/V Funchal is unlike any other,” continues Condon, “as she offers classic accommodation and modern conveniences, whilst retaining her old world charm, and gives passengers the opportunity to explore ports rarely visited by mainstream cruise ships”.

*Conditions apply. Please contact Discover the World for full terms and conditions.

The 17 Day Singapore to Newcastle cruise starts from $3,610 per person twin share or the 20 day Singapore to Geelong cruise from $4,155 per person twin share based on Cat 1 inside cabin. Fares are inclusive of the Advantage saver discount, onboard gratuities, full port charges and all government taxes. Enquire for additional cabin categories.

For bookings, to request brochures or for more information, please contact Discover the World on 1800 221 625 or email portuscalecruises@discovertheworld.com.au

For more information or images on Portuscale Cruises, please contact Olga Korobko, General Manager Marketing on 02 9959 3696 or email marketing@discovertheworld.com.au

Source: Portuscale Cruises

Azamara Club Cruises “Buy One get One Half Price” promotion

 

ONLINE cruise specialists ecruising.travel are utilising the current Azamara Club Cruises "Buy One get One Half Price" promotion to package up some fantastic cruise holidays with return airfares and pre-cruise accommodation included.

The sale applies to a selection of popular Azamara Club Cruise voyages, including the 14-night cruise aboard Azamara Quest from Singapore to Bali, now costing from just $4989 per person twin share, which includes a 25 percent cruise discount per person.

Fly to Singapore on February 1, 2015 for two nights at the five-star Mandarin Oriental Hotel conveniently located in Marina Square close to shopping malls, restaurants and the vibrant Marina Bay area.

You will join Azamara Quest on February 3 and sail towards Thailand with a stop at the popular beach destination of Koh Samui and a two night stay in bustling Bangkok. From there you will travel to Indonesia with port stops in Semarang in Java, Celukan on the north side of Bali and the sleepy beach island of Lombok before your final destination of Bali.

The package includes return economy airfares from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, two nights hotel accommodation, 14 nights cruise accommodation with all main meals and standard beverages, one complimentary AZAmazing Evening Event on the cruise, entry to Singapore Flyer, transfers in Singapore  and port charges and government taxes.

The package from Adelaide costs from $4679 and from Perth starts from $4979 per person twin share.

Available for sale until September 30, prices may vary due to the airfare component, for more details contact ecruising.travel on 1300-369-848 or visit www.ecruising.travel

More Northwest Passage News – Other Cruise News: Prestige Cruise Holdings’ Vancouver-Montreal Cruises – Titanic II An Unlikely Prospect

by Kevin Griffin
Last week Crystal Cruises surprised the market with news that it would sail its 68,870-ton Crystal Serenity through the Northwest Passage from Seward to New York in 2016. This week, we bring you a reminder that the World of Residensea’s 43,524-ton residential ship The World has already done this, having transitted from Nome to Nuuk in 2012 without the publicity a cruise ship generates. And speaking of passages from west to east, two Prestige Cruise Holdings ships, the 30,277-ton Regatta and 28,803-ton Seven Seas Navigator, will be cruising from Vancouver to Montreal this autumn via Alaska and the Panama Canal. And finally, as Clive Palmer’s companies run into more legal problems in Australia, completion of his Titanic II becomes an even less likely prospect.
More Northwest Passage News
Last week we brought the news that Crystal Cruises was planning to send its 1,090-berth Crystal Serenity through the Northwest Passage from Seward to New York in 2016.

Le Soleal – Compagnie du Ponant

At the time we said that Canada’s Northwest Passage had seen many new operators come into play in recent years, but until 2013 with small ships of below 10,000 tons.
The largest cruise ship to have done this so far was Compagnie du Ponant’s 10,944-ton Le Soléal in 2013.
However, Christopher Wright of Mariport Group in Canada brought to our attention the fact that the 165-residence condominium ship The World had already done the passage in 2012, with about 200 passengers plus her crew of 260.
So here is a revised list of the largest ships to have transitted the Northwest Passage, or which are planning to do so:

The World, which bills itself as “the largest privately owned residential yacht on earth,” stopped at either end of the Northwest Passage, in Cambridge Bay August 30 and in Pond Inlet on September 5.

The World at Cambridge Bay (Photo courtesy of Nunatsiaq Online)

As we said last week, while the first commercial cargo ship did not transit the Northwest Passage until 2013, passenger ships have been doing it for thirty years now. Of these, The World is definitely the largest to date.
Meanwhile, from the other end of the world, Gerd Wilmer of Landmark Travel, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ agent in Australia, reminded us that Hapag-Lloyd’s Bremen and Hanseatic are classed German Ice Class E4, which equates to Ice Class 1A Super rather than just 1A as we indicated last week.
OTHER CRUISE NEWS
Prestige Cruise Holdings’ Vancouver-Montreal Cruises
This autumn sees two cruise lines owned by Prestige Cruise Holdings offering interesting extended cruises from Vancouver to Montreal by way of Alaska and the Panama Canal.
Oceania Cruises’ 684-berth Regatta leaves Vancouver on August 19 for a 39-night cruise that takes her to Ketchikan, Juneau, Sitka, Victoria, Astoria, San Francisco, Cabo San Lucas, Acapulco, Huatulco, Chiapas, Puntarenas, Cartagena, Norfolk, New York, Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney, Corner Brook, Quebec and Montreal, where she arrives on September 27.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Navigator

A couple of weeks later, Regent’s all-inclusive 490-berth Seven Seas Navigator leaves Vancouver, on September 1 in her case, for a shorter 31-night cruise that takes her to Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau, Sitka, Victoria, Astoria, San Francisco, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Huatulco, Chiapas, Puntarenas, Cartagena, Grand Cayman, Fort Lauderdale, Port Canaveral, Norfolk and New York, Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney, Saguenay, Quebec and Montreal, where she arrives on October 2.
The similarities in port calls stem from the fact that the two lines share a common itinerary design group.
Both ships will again be offering similar cruises in 2015, so guests are able to plan well in advance.
Titanic II An Unlikely Prospect
In April 2012, a century after the loss of the 46,328-ton Titanic on April 15, 1912, Australian billionaire Clive Palmer announced that he would be building a replica of that long-lamented ship, which had hit an iceberg at speed and sank in the course of her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.
Last week came news from Australia that Citic Pacific and Sino Iron, Palmer’s partners in two iron ore mining projects near Cape Preston, Western Australia, were suing him in Queensland Supreme Court for what they allege is wrongful use of Citic funds.

This comes after Palmer’s May victory in the West Australian Supreme Court that saw him win a claim for about $400 million in royalties from Citic.
Citic Pacific have now accused Palmer of paying cheque 2046, for $10 million on the Cape Preston port administrative account at National Australia Bank, to Cosmo Development Pty Ltd, and cheque 2073 for $2.167 million to Media Circus Network Pty Ltd, neither of which companies have anything to do with the running of the associated port at Port Palmer.
Palmer denies illegal use of the funds, claiming that he had the right to use them for whatever use he wanted as they were paid in return for service provided by his subsidiary Queensland Nickel at Townsville. Palmer had purchased Queensland Nickel in 2009. It had been agreed however that the account itself could only be used for “the day-to-day expenses of operating, maintaining and repairing” the port.
The $10 million cheque was paid on August 8 and the smaller one on September 2, just before the last Australian election, when Palmer formed the Palmer United Party, himself won a seat as a member of parliament and three of his followers won seats in the Australian senate.
All this brings to mind the Australian billionaire Sir Alan Bond, who won the America’s Cup for Australia back in 1983, the first time in 132 years it had been won by anyone other than the New York Yacht Club. Bond had also been an owner of Queensland Nickel. At his peak, he paid $53.9 million for the Van Gogh painting “Sunflowers.” In 1992, Bond’s empire collapsed and he ended up spending four years in jail for the wrongful use of an astonishing $1.2 billion of funds that were siphoned of from 53%-owned Bell Resources into Bond Corporation before the latter went bankrupt.
Although Palmer’s Blue Star Line signed a memorandum of understanding with CSC Jinling in May 2012 to build the Titanic II in Nanjing, no order has ever been placed. Two months later, however, in July 2012, Palmer’s Asia Pacific Shipping Enterprises contracted with CSC Jinling for four 64,000-ton bulk carriers to carry nickel ore from New Caledonia, Indonesia and the Philippines to Queensland Nickel’s refinery in Townsville.
All four ships were for delivery this year.
In May, Blue Star Line announced that delivery of the Titanic II would be delayed from 2016 to 2018. The company was forced to use the name Blue Star, as Cunard still owns the right to use and does use the White Star Line name. White Star was the operator of the original Titanic.

While some money has been spent o this project and Deltamarin has been paid to come up with a concept for the 21st century, present events make it seem less likely that this unlikely project in the first place will ever be completed.
(Kevin Griffin is managing director of specialist cruise agency The Cruise People Ltd in London, England. For further information concerning cruises mentioned in this article readers can visit his blog)

Quick Getaway Asia Cruise with Voyager of the Seas

THOSE looking for a quick overseas getaway close to home should check out the latest package from cruise specialists ecruising.travel.  Save more than $1000 per person on a seven-night  Asian fly/cruise package,  including a five night cruise on board Voyager of the Seas.

Spend two nights in Hong Kong staying at the centrally located Marco Polo Hong Kong hotel, where you have the chance to visit the many attractions Hong Kong has to offer using the complimentary 24-hour MRT pass and a 360 Cable Car experience ticket. Your Hong Kong visit also includes a return Airport Express ticket, the most convenient way to get to the airport in only 21 minutes.

The round-trip cruise departs Hong Kong from the recently opened Kai Tak cruise terminal on September 17 and includes visits to Okinawa in Japan and Taipei (Keelung) in Taiwan.

Now priced from $1999 (was $3349) per person twin share, it also includes return economy airfares from Australia,  two nights hotel accommodation, five nights cruise accommodation in a promenade stateroom with all main meals, port charges and government taxes.

Available for sale until September 10 but pricing is subject  to change due to airfare component. For more details contact ecruising.travel on 1300-369-848 or visit www.ecruising.travel