Oriana

[stephen flaherty]

Hi, I was on the Oriana in 1964 to the end of 65. I started in the gally as a kitchen porter and then went into tourist as a waiter.....It was beat the clock! dry cleaning, stealing back the side plates from the Goenese. I can remember one night I had been telling a Goenese not to take my side plates from my draw for the fourt time and then I lost it and emptied a jug of water over him.

I had two sittings of four,my tables were right at the end by the doors,I had never worked in catering before and it showed,
I had a great time on the Oriana and finished of by becoming a wine steward.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Stephen.
Welcome to the site although i see you have posted 6 times so I must have missed you before. There are quite a few who have sailed on the Oriana on site. If you click on search on the task bar on the top of the page and type in Oriana, you wuill get the post of people who have sailed on her. Enjoy the tall tales and messroom banter.
Cheers Des

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Stephen
Well mate sounds as though you had it real easy on the Oriana!
Two Sitting of Four! Bleedin picnic mate! haha!
I was introduced to the Asst Stwd side with 2 Sittings of Fourteen!!
Like a bleedin Circus! What with all the Bloods wanting nearly everything on the Menu too! LOL! Great times though,and i would do it all again!
Cheers

[happy daze john in oz]

Vernon mate, aircraft carriers were quite common on some of the older Castle liners. Could you imagine any of todays shore side wingers being able to copw with that?

[Neville Roberts]

the last 2 cruises I did as a passenger )the wingers had 3 tables of 8, and a busboy per sitting, I dont know how they did it must have had the food all plated up like banquet service, the only diference was the meal times ,they had more time 2 hours first sitting second at 8 pm not like our days with only 1,1/4 for the first

[Archie Linton]

Joined "Oriana"in Barrow,trials on the "Arran Mile"then to Falmouth to have stabilisers fitted.Up to Southampton for the"shakedown cruise"to Lisbon,Where I lost my cherry.(I still can't abide garlic breath).Then did the maiden voyage,I was catering boy in the 1st Class Saloon,(although we liked to describe ourselves as"Commis Waiters")for some reason I remember there was an unusually high number of"Scousers" aboard,for an Orient Liner,probably due to her crewing in Barrow.They were a great bunch of guys,who may have experienced some "culture shock" doing a four month trip having spent years in Cunard trans-Atlantic.

[Neville Roberts]

I was also on the Oriana as a tourist waiter , there were a lot of scousers on her like me who were very happy too do a 4 month trip on her after the strike . my previous ships were mainly cargo boats before that except for a couple of trips on the ceanarvon castle to SA , and the Orontes wich also went too Aussie ,after the Oriana ,it was mainly the atlantic run cunard and cpr. you must have had 2 four tops by the entrance like me a long way too the galley EH. but we had no goanese at that time , great ship and great trip.

[paul smith]

Hi Stephen.

Remember it well with the Gooanese pinching your side plates ect,And i remember it from the early 70's.What a great life it was.It's a part of my life i will never forget.I wish i had given my whole life to the M.N. but life takes different directions and i wont ever regret how my life panned out.Hope life has been good to you.

Paul Smith.

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Paul Smith
Would just like to give you a warm Welcome to this very good site!
Here you will find lots of info,good Crew and with luck also find a few old Shipmates!
So sit back,relax and just enjoy the trip!
Hope we will have you here for a long time!
A site truly worthy of the British Merchant Navy!
Cheers

If this applies to you then please do send in your details!
Note Well

If you would like to join in and have your Full name R Number and First Ship
Included in the Flag project then please pass it on to Mike Hall who is doing a Main Flag for all
to be displayed some time in one of the UK Museums!
We need your names to get the New Flag full,so please do respond!
Thank you
Vernon (castleman)

Please go to following Link

http://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/s...ead.php?t=1974

Or reply to me in person! Via Private Message Link above below I will pass on the info!


http://www.merchant-navy.net/forum/p...?do=newpm&u=18

If any new Members or old ones too want a bit of info on the Flag Projects please
Go to the following Links where you can see Pics and Write ups on this subject!
Thanks

http://www.merchant-navy.net/gallery...ry.php?cat=558



If you have already done this then please accept my apologies!

[happy daze john in oz]

G'day Paul and welcome tot he site. Do you have a list of your ships and maybe somedates you could post on site. Never know someone out there may remember you. So sit back with a cold one and enjoy the voyage.