"As with her cherished namesake and her sister the sacred CANBERRA, old acquaintance will be more than enough to ensure that whenever the great ships of Britain are brought to mind, another ORIANA shall now never be forgot."
Oriana
ORIANA berthed in Funchal as the replica of Columbus SANTA MARIA passes by. 8 October 2015
On 26th December, ORIANA was back again in the port of Funchal, while on her 16-day Christmas and New Year's cruise around the Canary Isles.
The call in Madeira's capital, was precisely the first one of this itinerary, and not long after she completed her berthing, she was joined by MARELLA DREAM, of newly renamed Marella Cruises, the former Thomson Cruises.
Curiously the former THOMSON DREAM was, like ORIANA, built in the German shipyards of Meyer Werft in Papenburg, but in the decade before, namely in 1986 as the HOMERIC of now extinct Home Lines. She was actually the last ship there to be launched sideways to the water, and at the time she was quite shorter, having been lenghtened some years later, when cruising for Holland America as the WESTERDAM.
Nevertheless, having both of them together on this occasion in Funchal, provided a nice opportunity to watch the 9 year evolution in shipbuilding, as when ORIANA was launched in 1995 she presented herself as Meyer Werft's prime work and a state of the art ship in terms of design and technology.
Later that afternoon, when ORIANA slipped her moorings and passed by MARELLA DREAM on her way out to sea, the two engaged on a nice and persistent horn salute, ending with ORIANA having the last word! Unlike some past years, she will not welcome the New Year in Funchal, that will be VENTURA's task, instead she will be present in Santa Cruz de Tenerife when 2018 comes into action.
After another call in Lisbon, ORIANA returns to her homeport on the 6th January, and then will prepare herself to return to drydock for the following three weeks, for some last minute and needed maintenance works, as reported here in the blog last month.
ORIANA as seen leaving Funchal bound to Arrecife, in the Canary island of Lanzarote. Image: Peter Gonçalves
We take this opportunity to wish all our readers a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
After nearly seven months after her last call in the port of Funchal, in May, ORIANA returned to this destination she knows very well and vice versa, last Saturday on 16th December 2017, while on a 14-night cruise around the Canary Isles.
Having arrived early morning from the Island of La Gomera, she found the company of a former fleetmate, the ARTANIA. Also in port, but for a brief period of time, was fellow Carnival mate AIDA VITA of AIDA Cruises, whom departed some 20 minutes after ORIANA's arrival, thus ending an overnight call in Funchal.
When ORIANA entered service in 1995, the ARTANIA was cruising for slightly a decade more in Princess Cruises, a P&O subsidiary, as ROYAL PRINCESS, therefore we can refer to both as being mates within the P&O group at that time.
The two even met once in Funchal, on the 25th April 2000, at the occasion of ROYAL PRINCESS' last call with her name in this port. The following images taken by Nuno Jesus depict the meeting:
Five years later, and when P&O and Princess were now sister companies under the ownership of Carnival Corporation, their relationship become even more closer, as ROYAL PRINCESS was transfered to P&O and renamed ARTEMIS. The two became fleetmates, cruising out of Southampton and meeting quite often in their homeport.
Nevertheless, one of the many meetings occured far away from Southampton, in Madeira's capital port, on 31st December 2010, when both met to welcome the new year together, as seen bellow:
It was precisely in 2011, that ARTEMIS left the P&O fleet and started operating for her present owners, the German based Phoenix Reisen and so renamed ARTANIA. Curiously later that year, ORIANA entered dry dock in Hamburg, and after several exterior and interior changes, she re-appeared as an adults only cruise ship, thus replacing that void left in the fleet by ARTEMIS.
However, and after all this time, it seems that ARTANIA didn't forget about the close relation she once had with ORIANA, and at the moment of her departure last Saturday, she was very insisting in having a horn salute with her former mate, after some six long blasts when passing by her side, horns that were of course sent back by ORIANA on a funny fashion to say the least. A great moment witnessed in the port of Funchal!
The video bellow depicts the horn salute:
Another interesting fact that both of them share, is having two Godmothers of the British Monarchy, as the ARTANIA was christened by Princess Diana in 1984, and ORIANA by Queen Elizabeth II eleven years afterwards, both ceremonies held in Southampton.
ORIANA remained in port until the evening, offering her guests a chance to see the Christmas lights around the city, and afterwards she left bound to Lisbon.
But already on the 21st of December, she will depart from Southampton bound to Funchal again, on her Christmas and New Year's cruise, and is scheduled to arrive four days later, on the 26th.
Unlike some past years, she will not welcome the New Year in Funchal, that will be VENTURA's task, instead she will be present in Santa Cruz de Tenerife when 2018 comes into action.
