The Brilliant Oriana

[Brian Probetts (Site Admin)]

Fifty-five years ago, in December 1960, the brilliant Oriana of Britain's P&O-Orient Lines set off on her maiden voyage from the UK to Australia -- Southampton via Gibraltar, Naples, Port Said, the Suez Canal, Aden, Colombo, Fremantle & Melbourne to Sydney.
It was 21 days -- the fastest voyage yet. Businessmen especially loved it! The 41,000-ton ship, carrying up to 2,100 passengers, did an extraordinary 27 knots.

Highly popular, the 804-ft long liner was retired from sea-going service in 1986.
She was later used as a museum in Japan and then hotel in China.
Finally, moored at Dalian, she capsized during a typhoon in 2004, was later raised and then -- beyond repair -- was towed away (shown here, in 2005) to a Chinese scrapyard.

[Malcolm Francis]

I sailed on the Oriana on her maiden voyage and completed another four trips on her before heading to join the Newcastle Star in London KGV docks, great introduction to a life at sea. Malcolm Francis