Line History

If any company can claim to be the premier UK cruise operator it has to be P&O Cruises. Perhaps still reveling in the glory of the much loved Canberra which left the fleet in 1997, the line attracts many repeat customers. Amongst certain demographic groups in the UK, it is the only way to cruise.

P&O will tell you that they invented cruising and they may be right, but cruising as we know it today perhaps they were, but that has little to do with the business they run today.

To get a realistic picture of the true development of cruising for P&O we have to go back to the death of Australian immigration in the early ‘70’s. The company were running – amongst others – the Canberra and Oriana, both fast, modern ships of approximately 40,000 tonnes – big for their day. Faced with the rapid decline of their business the options available to the company were stark. Either scrap perfectly good, expensive ships, or scrap them. No one was at that point likely to take the pair on for further service.

So P&O opted to employ the ships on cruises. They bought American Princess Cruises who probably brought in the cruising know how and slowly but surely the business developed.

Oriana was sold in 1986 after 26 years of service and was replaced by the former Swedish liner Kungsholm which had been operating for sister company Princess as Sea Princess. Canberra meanwhile continued to operate until withdrawal from service in 1997 after a fantastic 35 year career. Elegant to the end.

The company’s first purpose built ship was the Oriana of 1995. A fast, well built ship, she was an instant success and the company and prompted them to transfer Star Princess over from Princess as a replacement for the aging Canberra.

A sister to the Oriana named Aurora was delivered in 2000. This ship had a troubled start, the champagne failed to break on the bow at her naming ceremony, a symbol of maritime ill fortune and she duly broke down on her maiden voyage. Sea Princess was renamed Victoria in 2000 to distinguish her as a P&O ship.

Further new tonnage appeared from Princess in the form of Ocean Princess and Sea Princess being renamed Oceana and Adonia respectively. Adonia replaced Arcadia which became Ocean Village. Adonia was however transferred back to Princess cruises in 2005 upon delivery of the company’s largest new build to date Arcadia

Arcadia has had a very interesting early life. Ordered by Holland America line as a member of the acclaimed Vista Class, the ship was later assigned and laid down as Queen Victoria for Cunard. But when P&O merged with Carnival, the ship was assigned to them ! She has to date proven to be a very popular ship.

In 2005, Aurora had further troubles when one of her motors broke down and she had to spend 3 months in a German dry dock being repaired.

Later in 2005 another Princess ship made the switch to P&O. Royal Princess, named by Princess Diana in 1984 in Southampton, this elegant ship was brought in to satisfy the smaller ship market built up by Victoria.

In September 2005, the company announced that they had placed an order with Fincantieri for a 116,000 tonne ship for delivery in 2008. By far the largest ship ever built for P&O she is a derivative of the popular Grand Princess delivered in 1998. Although an old design, P&O seem confident that she will be highly popular with UK cruisers.