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Oriana (1960)

 

Page 1 - Postcards

 

 

The first Oriana was built in 1960 by Vickers-Armstrong's, Barrow. Ordered by, and registered to  the Orient Steam Navigation Co, she was delivered to P&O Orient Lines with the distinctive Orient Line corn-coloured hull. She served on the route to Australia from Southampton (unlike earlier Orient Liners which sailed from London). In 1962 she collided with the carrier USS Kearsarge between San Francisco and Los Angeles in fog. Her hull was repainted white in 1965, when she was transferred to full P&O registry. As time past, she spent more and more time cruising, so that during the late 70s she cruised from Southampton in the summer, and Sydney in the winter, with positioning trips in each direction via the Panama Canal. Her final Southampton season was 1981, after which she stayed in Australia until sold for stationary use in Japan in 1986.

 

Oriana (1) was sold in 2001 to China, were she was bought by the Hangzhou Songcheng Group, a company in east China's ZheJiang Province, who invested nearly 300 million yuan (375,000 US dollars) to purchase and refit her. The refurbished ship was berthed at Dalian Xinghai Bay a year later, and opened to public on July 18th 2002. The intention was that she would be permanently berthed at Xinghai Bay in Dalian as a unique deluxe liner theme park. As a theme park, visitors were able to view the ship's original bridge, VIP hall, post office, hospital and museums and enjoy films and artistic performances there. Oriana (1) caught fire just after her opening to the public but the damage was sleight.

 

However, as a local tourist destination, the ship failed to attract enough visitors due to relatively higher tickets price of 80 RMB yuan. Her problems continued, when at about 2am on June 18th, 2004 a strong gale caused Oriana (1) to heel over at a sharp degree of list to port. This damage occurred just after the local administration had decided to remodel her into a free public park. Domestic and foreign salvage teams worked for a year to repair her but all attempts failed - Oriana (1) still leaned to the side. She was towed from Xinghai Bay on May 12th 2005. Her reported destination is Zhangjiagang Port, Jiangsu Province in East China. Her new owner is a shipbuilding company in Jiangsu. According to reports by Dalian News on May 12th, she will be scrapped.

 

Page 2 shows a selection of photos of the 1960 Oriana.

 

Oriana details: 41915 Gross Tons, Length: 804ft, 638 1st & 1496 Tourist Passengers (later 1677 in one class for cruising),  Speed 27.5 knots (30.64 knots on trials), Engines: six turbines, total 80000shp, single reduction geared to twin screws.

 

 

Oriana (1960) Pages:-

Oriana (1960) - Page 1 - Company official and commercialPostcards - this page!

Oriana (1960) - Page 2 - Photographs

Oriana (1960) - Page 3 - Company Official Interior Postcards

 

P&O-Orient Line Pages:-

Orient Line - Page 1 - 1866-1899

Orient Line - Page 2 - 1900-1914

Orient Line - Page 3 - 1915-1939

Orient Line - Page 4 - 1940-1965

P&O Liners - Page 1 - 1837-1899

P&O Liners - Page 2 - 1900-1914

P&O Liners - Page 3 - 1915-1939

P&O Liners - Page 4 - 1940-1961

 

P&O Princess Cruises Pages:-

Oriana (1995) - Postcards - the new Oriana

P&O and Princess Cruises - Page 1

P&O and Princess Cruises - Page 2

Swan Hellenic P&O Cruises - Page 3

P&O and Princess Cruises Photographs

Simplon P&O and Princess Cruises Cards

 

Associated Pages:-

Cruise Ship Postcards

Ocean Liner Postcards

Simplon Postcards Home Page

 

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Oriana of 1960

 

 

P&O Orient Lines official Maiden Voyage card of Oriana.

Printed by D.G.Lusty - Scan: Michael Sutcliffe

Click to open larger image in new window

 

 

P&O Orient Lines official card of Oriana.

Printed by D.G.Lusty

  

 

 

P&O Orient Lines official card of Oriana.

 

 

P&O Orient Lines official card of Oriana. (Printed by D.G.Lusty)

Variation on image above.

 

 

Dearden & Wade (Bournemouth) aerial view card 2834 of Oriana.

 

 

Salmon card 1-58-03-03/5548 of Oriana.

 

 

A Mobil Oil advertising card of Oriana at Sydney.

 

 

J.Arthur Dixon card SS.117 of Oriana.

This serial number was retained for all subsequent Oriana cards, all of which used photos by Beken & Son, Cowes.

From the messages on these cards, they were available on the ship.

 

 

J.Arthur Dixon card SS.117 of Oriana.

This is the card above, modified to show the later white hull.

 

 

J.Arthur Dixon card SS.117 of Oriana. A later variation of the card.

 

 

J.Arthur Dixon card SS.117 of Oriana. The final variation of the card.

The card was posted from Barbados, and the message reads: First stop after 3500 miles across the Atlantic.

Weather is very good, as is the food & wine etc. This photo was also released as 'After the Battle' card P138 after the ship's withdrawal.

 

 

The same J.Arthur Dixon card SS.117 of Oriana (1) shown above,

with a First Day of Issue postmark for a Solomon Islands stamp showing the Oriana (1).

 

 

Mike Roberts (California) card FF13-010 showing Oriana in the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal.

This card was also issued with the P&O Cruises logo.

 

 

Simplon Postcards sc2027 of Oriana released March 1993.

Photo by Peter C.Kohler, Padang Bay, Bali in November 1984.

 

 

Simplon Postcards sc2071 of Oriana, released May 1995.

Photo by David Pennock, Grand Harbour, Valletta, Malta.

This is the only bordered Simplon release - at the time of release the printers could not adjust the size of images.

  

 

Simplon Postcards sc2107 of Oriana released June 1997.

Photo by Rhoderick Jones, Vavau, Tonga in November 1985.

 

 

Postcard of Oriana, at Sydney.

Scan: John E Hoskin.

 

 

Enlarged view from the postcard above of Oriana.

Scan: John E Hoskin.

 

 

Postcard of Oriana, at Sydney.

 

 

A late P&O Lines official card of Oriana, issued after her move to Australia.

Scan: Ken Murayama.

 

 

Postcard of Oriana, in Australia.

 

 

A Japanese card (13-02007) of Oriana, after she was moved to that country.

 

 

A Japanese travel card showing the Oriana at Beppu.

Scan: Ken Murayama.

 

 

 

 

 

Oriana (1960) - Page 1 - Oriana (1960) - Page 2 - Oriana (1960) - Page 3

Orient Line - Page 1 - Orient Line - Page 2 - Orient Line - Page 3 - Orient Line - Page 4

P&O Liners - Page 1 - P&O Liners - Page 2 - P&O Liners - Page 3 - P&O Liners - Page 4

P&O and Princess Cruises - Page 1 - P&O and Princess Cruises - Page 2 - Swan Hellenic - P&O Cruises Page 3

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