SS Oriana (1959)

Oriana in Vava'u, Tonga
History
Name	Oriana: 1960–2005
Owner	Orient Steam Navigation Company: 1960–1966 Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company: 1966–1986
Operator	1960–1966, P&O-Orient Lines. 1966–1973, P&O Line, 1973–1986 P&O Cruises
Port of registry	London  United Kingdom
Route	Southampton-Sydney via Suez, transpacific to US West Coast, occasional return via Panama Canal (1973 Cruising)
Ordered	1956
Builder	Vickers-Armstrong
Cost	£12.5 million (1956)
Yard number	1061
Laid down	18 September 1957[1]
Launched	3 November 1959
Completed	1960
Maiden voyage	3 December 1960
In service	1960–1986
Out of service	27 March 1986
Identification	Call sign: GVSN IMO number: 5264742
Fate	Converted into a hotel ship in 1986. Service ended after ship sank at her berth after a storm in 2004 and was scrapped post refloating.
General characteristics
Tonnage	41,910 gross register tons
Length	804ft (245.1m)
Beam	(moulded) 97.1ft (30.5m)
Draught	32ft
Installed power	80,000 horsepower
Propulsion	Two sets of Pametrada steam turbines each consisting of a high pressure, intermediate pressure and low pressure turbine; double reduction gearing; twin propellers Auxiliary Power: Four auxiliary steam turbines, each driving a 1,750 kW, 220 V DC Generator
Speed	Trials: 30.64 kn (56.75 km/h; 35.26 mph) Service: 27.5 kn (50.9 km/h; 31.6 mph)
Capacity	As built, 638 1st class, 1,496 tourist class (1973, 1,750 one class)
Crew	As built, 980. (1973, 780)

SS Oriana was the last of the Orient Steam Navigation Company's ocean liners. She was built at Vickers-Armstrongs, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England and launched on 3 November 1959 by Princess Alexandra. Oriana first appeared as an Orient Line ship, with a corn-coloured hull, until 1966, when that company was fully absorbed into the P&O group. Faced with unprofitable around-the-world passenger routes, the P&O white hulled Oriana was operated as a full-time cruise ship from 1973. Between 1981 and her retirement from service five years later, Oriana was based at Sydney, Australia, operating to Pacific Ocean and South-East Asian ports. Deemed surplus to P&O's requirements in early 1986, the vessel was sold to become a floating hotel and tourist attraction, first in Japan and later in China. As a result of damage sustained from a severe storm whilst in the port of Dalian in 2004, SS Oriana was finally sold to local breakers in 2005.