MV Oriana

MV Oriana, a cruise ship and ocean liner of the P&O Cruises fleet, was built in Papenburg,Germany. It is the smallest of seven ships currently in service with P&O Cruises. It officially entered service with the company in 1995 and though it is the oldest, and longest-serving ship in the fleet, it holds the Golden Cockerel as the fastest one. Oriana’s scheduled appearances in Madeira for 2019 include:

Funchal (Madeira)   7 June 2019     08:00-17:00

Funchal (Madeira)   2 Sept 2019     09:00-15:00

Funchal (Madeira)   13 Oct 2019     08:00-17:00

Funchal (Madeira)   13 Dec 2019           N/A

Aim... Oriana was the first ship to be designed specifically for the British cruise market. It was also designed in the style of an ocean liner to facilitate long distance voyages and world cruises. Despite numerous changes of ownership, Oriana has been operated by P&O Cruises throughout and it is an adult-only ship.

Characteristics...

Oriana is 260 metres (853 ft) long, with a beam of just over 32 metres (105 ft), and a draught of 7.9 metres (26 ft), which varies up to 8.2 m depending on load. There is a 69,153 GT and a maximum passenger capacity of 1,928. Outside passenger deck space is 105,000 square feet (9,800 m²). Power is provided by four MAN B&W Diesels generating a total of 47,750 kW giving the ship a service speed of 24 knots (44 km/h).

Design...

Oriana has a single deck of balconies reserved for suites, mini suites and staterooms to cater for the growing desire for balconies on board.

Oriana’s team of designers were engaged by P&O to bring the British look to the high-revenue generating interiors of the ship, such as Anderson's, Lord's Tavern, the Knightsbridge Shops, the Emporium, Harlequins, the Casino, the Photo Gallery, the Pacific Lounge, and related public spaces, as well as on-board information graphics.

Service...

When Oriana entered service it was one of the largest cruise ships in the world, and the largest ship built in Germany since 1914. Since then tonnages have increased as economies of scale make larger ships more profitable to operate. Oriana normally operates cruises within the Mediterranean, the Canaries, Madeira and the Baltic seas.

Refitting...

In 2006 the Oriana underwent a £12 million refit in  Germany. Due to the success of the 'Arcadian Rhodes' restaurant on board the Arcadia, a new Oriana Rhodes restaurant was introduced, replacing The Curzon Room. Oriana Rhodes was designed by chef Gary Rhodes, and can accommodate 96 passengers. Other modifications included the extension of the popular Lord's Tavern bar, festooned with cricket memorabilia, and refurbishment of the children's play areas, which were converted to cabins.