SS Orsova (1953)

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Orsova in 1966
History
United Kingdom
Name	SS Orsova
Namesake	Orșova
Owner	Orient Steam Navigation Company (1954–1966) Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (1966–1974)
Operator	1954–1960: Orient Line 1960–1966: P&O-Orient Lines 1966–1974: P&O Line
Port of registry	London,  UK
Route	(Typically) Tilbury-Naples-Port Said-Aden-Colombo-Fremantle-Melbourne-Sydney (from 1955, occasional return Sydney-US West Coast-Panama-Tilbury)
Builder	Vickers Armstrongs, Barrow in Furness, England
Cost	£6,500,000
Yard number	1021
Launched	14 May 1953[1]
Sponsored by	Lady Anderson
Christened	14 May 1953
Completed	March 1954
Maiden voyage	17 March 1954
Out of service	1973
Identification	Call sign: GNDL Official number: 186017 IMO number: 5265772
Fate	Scrapped in 1974
General characteristics
Type	Ocean liner
Tonnage	As built 28,790 GRT (1969, 29,091 GRT) 15,878 NRT 11,940 DWT
Length	220.24 m (722.6 ft)
Beam	27.60 m (90.6 ft)
Draft	9.433 m (30.95 ft)
Depth	12.19 m (40.0 ft)
Installed power	42,500shp
Propulsion	reduction-geared turbine, twin screws
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph) (service) 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph) (max. trials)
Capacity	681 1st class, 813 tourist class
Crew	620

SS Orsova, was a British ocean liner, built by Vickers Armstrong in Barrow-in-Furness, England, for the Orient Steam Navigation Company (Orient Line) for their Great Britain-to-Australia services via the Suez Canal. She was the final development of the 28,000 ton class which began with the SS Orcades of 1948 and continued with the SS Oronsay of 1951. In 1960, in conjunction with the introduction of the new larger and faster Oriana and Canberra, the fleets of Orient (which was majority owned by P&O) and P&O were combined as P&O-Orient Lines, although the Orient ships retained their corn-coloured hulls and sailed under their own house flag. In 1966, P&O acquired the balance of the Orient shares and the Orient Line was discontinued, with Orsova and her fleet mates being transferred to the ownership of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), painted white and under the P&O houseflag.