Oriana World Cruise

[Slow Foxtrot]

Testing this site

[Teresa Sims]

Hi slow foxtrot ,how is the cruise ? Have just read a terrible review of the Xmas cruise on the Oriana,believe they have put extra table and chairs on both dance floors making them smaller,, hope not !!! also some other complaints ,, read them on cruise.co.uk ,first review I have read post refit,got our fingers crossed, enjoyed your link to the dancers cheers T

[Slow Foxtrot]

Hi slow foxtrot ,how is the cruise ? Have just read a terrible review of the Xmas cruise on the Oriana,believe they have put extra table and chairs on both dance floors making them smaller,, hope not !!! also some other complaints ,, read them on cruise.co.uk ,first review I have read post refit,got our fingers crossed, enjoyed your link to the dancers cheers T

 

Nothing to worry about. Oriana is still as good as ever, especially for the dancing. There are some good dance bands, good tempos, and ballroom, latin & some sequence dancing every night. The two dance professionals are top class and their daily dancing classes are very popular. So, all going very well so far and will post a proper update when internet conditions are favourable and not so expensive as using the ship's internet connections. Posted from Port Said on a lovely sunny day!

[Teresa Sims]

Many thanks,really getting quite excited now,glad to hear your response ,reading some of the reviews I sometimes have to think there are people who are not happy unless complaining.Really have to laugh about the dance floors anyone would think we knew what we were doing,and not just social dancers,but we really have caught the bug unfortunately just many years to late.Really looking forward to joining the ship cheers Teresa

[Slow Foxtrot]

Oriana is due to arrive at Sharm El Sheikh tomorrow (16th) and the World Cruise is off to a good start with no real problems. As has been mentioned on other threads there have been some minor alterations to Oriana but nothing that detracts from its former attributes. There are some additional cabins at the stern of the ship and the Gary Rhodes Restaurant has been replaced by Marco Pierre White. Incidentally, the cover charge for M.P.W. is £12.95 per person plus various supplements for specialist dishes. Frankly there is no real need to eat there because the food in the Oriental and Peninsula Restaurants is top class and, in my experience, has not been bettered by Cunard.

There are many cosmetic improvements here and there and there is wi-fi internet in all the cabins.

This has been very welcome but the charge of £75 for 250 minutes is quite steep, as it is on most other lines. The answer is to take a laptop/notebook and type everything off-line in a Word document or similar, then log-on and copy and paste the words into e-mails or whatever. This keeps log-on time to an absolute minimum.

 

 

Further to the dancing comments in a former posting, the famous dance-band 'Natural High' has been transformed and only Jessie (trumpet) remains from the original. It's impossible to replace Jonny Baxter (former leader & drummer) but the new personnel are continuing to play some excellent tempos for the various ballroom, latin & sequence dances. Another new (to me) dance trio is the Donny Bennett Trio and these musicians, too, are very conversant with the requirements of British dancers. The professional dance tutors are Roger & Ann Sherfield who do a first class job of teaching the basics of dancing and who also host some of the evening dances.

 

 

Today has seen Oriana transit the Suez Canal and, after Sharm El Sheikh, she is bound for Muscat and Dubai. This is after crossing the Gulf of Aden and adjoining waters. This is the 'pirate area' and passengers have already been subject to a 'Pirate Drill' in case the ship is under threat. This possibility seems remote and the Captain assures us that all necessary precautions are in place!

Let's hope they don't interrupt the Slow Foxtrot!

[Teresa Sims]

Glad to hear everything is going well,we will bring the laptop to use offline then send online. It sounds as though the dancing is going very well,do you know if the Sherfields are on for most of the cruise or if there is swap.It sounds as though there are plenty of dance enthusiasts onboard.Hope you enjoyed your pirate training and looking forward to seeing you swashbuckling your way around the floor.Carry on enjoying yourself regards Teresa

[southwinds]

Glad to hear all is well on Oriana.. can you still get food at lunch time in Tiffany Court... the bar at the top of the atrium.

I have a friend joining in Auckland.... ( she is currently traveling all over NZ )

So glad all is well onboard... We love Oriana she was our first cruise ship.

[DamianG]

Glad to hear all is well on Oriana.. can you still get food at lunch time in Tiffany Court... the bar at the top of the atrium.

I have a friend joining in Auckland.... ( she is currently traveling all over NZ )

So glad all is well onboard... We love Oriana she was our first cruise ship.

 

Hi

This was still the case on Oriana for the recent Christmas/New Year cruise. Sandwiches and cakes were complimentary if you bought a drink and there was also a supplementary cooked menu (e.g. hot sandwich with fries) for a small cover charge (£2.99 if I remember correctly). Al Fresco is also still a lovely place for breakfast and lunch, in fact we didn't use the Conservatory at all whilst on board.

Cheers

Damian

[Slow Foxtrot]

As regards the dance instructors (Roger & Ann Sherfield); they will be with this cruise until Australia. At the moment I am not sure who will be taking over for the return cruise from Australia but if they are as good as Roger and Ann there will be no problems. As mentioned, their dance classes have been very popular and both Roger and Ann are often available to dance with passengers who have no partner.

 

 

As for the query about Tiffany's; yes you can get light meals and snacks there but I understand that there is now a smallish nominal charge. Al Fresco, however, is open until the early hours of the morning and there is no charge for meals taken there. Sorrento is a new Italian-style restaurant which has a cover charge of around £5 per head. The Conservatory is available for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and sandwiches, and specialist dinners each evening. Again, no charge here – and the food and choice is very good.

 

 

At the moment Oriana is cruising down the Red Sea en route to Muscat. There are look-outs on the decks and the anti-pirate apparatus is installed on the Promenade Deck. Last night the Donny Bennett Trio played late night jazz in the Crows' Nest and were joined by several guest musicians from other bands. These included Mark (a former trumpeter on the QM2) and Jessie, the well-known trumpet player and vocalist from Natural High. The result was some late-night jazz that was as good as it gets! Pirates permitting, we should arrive at Muscat on Saturday 21st.

[bazzaw]

Where is the new add-on restaurant SORRENTO located onboard??

 

Thanks

 

Barry

[Slow Foxtrot]

Where is the new add-on restaurant SORRENTO located onboard??

 

Thanks

 

Barry

 

It's situated on Deck 12, aft, on the Port side. It's actually the rear section of the Conservatory which is transformed at night into an Italian restaurant. Accessed from the rear staircase or from outside on Deck 12.

Very good Italian menu and a cover charge of £5 per person. Makes a change once in a while.

[bazzaw]

Slow Foxtrot

 

So I guess they are not doing the evening "Steakhouse Deck grill" in the open deck area rear of the Conservatory any more?? Shame if so - I had the very best "Surf n Turf" meal in my life out there !! :)

 

Tip for you for when you get to Hong Kong (or actually for before then). For us in 2010, Oriana berthed at the Ocean terminal. One night, after we had returned to the ship around 8PM, I discovered that the Grill on that deck was OPEN - and the diners had the BEST dining view ever ( possibly in the whole World :) ))

 

I suggest you try to find out what is happening when you are in Hong Kong - and if they are opening that deck for dining -- DON'T MISS IT!!!

 

 

 

Barry

[Slow Foxtrot]

Slow Foxtrot

 

So I guess they are not doing the evening "Steakhouse Deck grill" in the open deck area rear of the Conservatory any more?? Shame if so - I had the very best "Surf n Turf" meal in my life out there !! :)

 

Tip for you for when you get to Hong Kong (or actually for before then). For us in 2010, Oriana berthed at the Ocean terminal. One night, after we had returned to the ship around 8PM, I discovered that the Grill on that deck was OPEN - and the diners had the BEST dining view ever ( possibly in the whole World :) ))

 

I suggest you try to find out what is happening when you are in Hong Kong - and if they are opening that deck for dining -- DON'T MISS IT!!!

 

 

 

Barry

 

Yes thanks Baz. We are having a week in Hong Kong before flying back to the UK. I know the place very well as I lived there for two years and had a successful importing business (from Hong Kong & China) for many years. I was in China when Chairman Mao was alive. It's a fascinating place and we are always happy to return and meet old friends. And you cannot beat berthing at the Ocean Terminal --- so very handy for everything!

[happytraveller]

Well one more night in our own bed for a few weeks. Fly to Manchester Friday afternoon for an overnight stay prior to our flight to Dubai on Saturday evening. We are so ready for this cruise and cannot wait to join this wonderful ship and visit some amazing places. We are staying in HK three days after disembarkation.

[Pollypops]

Hello Slow Foxtrot, I've just enjoyed reading about your cruise so far. I will be on Oriana again next May for the Strictly Come Dancing cruise to the Atlantic islands - we'd already booked this cruise months ago, long before they announced Craig and the pro dancers will be onboard. The only negative is that it will now attract a lot of keen dancers and the dance floor will be packed!

Interesting to hear about the changes to Oriana, they sound mostly good but I also used to enjoy dining outside at the grill restaurant. Does the new Italian not have any tables outside? On a warm evening in the Med there was nothing nicer.

Roger and Ann were the dance teachers on our last cruise, they were excellent and we have incorporated some of the steps they taught us into our routines. We've been learning for over 4 years now but only one lesson a week so we're not exactly brilliant!

I look forward to reading your future reports.

Polly

[Teresa Sims]

Hi we too saw the advertisement for the strictly cruise,as did our friends,but we advised against it ,as we had been on another dancing cruise and it had far to many dancers for the size of the floors !!!! Not long before we join the ship now,and you are getting us very excited,it was lovely to see the pictures of Hong Kong,we cannot wait. Teresa

[Slow Foxtrot]

As regards the dining-outside query on the Oriana; in hot climes one can dine outside in the evening at the Italian Restaurant 'Sorrento' and, late night and into the early hours, at 'Al Fresco'. And no doubt you may carry your meals outside at the specialist evening buffet-meals at the Conservatory.

 

 

Latest dancing information is that the Donny Bennett Trio will be leaving in Dubai to be replaced by the John James Trio. The latter Trio has been playing for dancing and easy listening on Oriana for many years.

 

 

At one point during Oriana's crossing of the Gulf of Aden we were joined by the anti-pirate naval vessel Sea Knight. Not surprisingly, pirates were nowhere to be seen! Today Oriana has been berthed in Muscat. Muscat is a great surprise to passengers who have not visited this attractive part of Oman before. The Sultan's Palace is a sight to behold with splendid flower gardens which are a riot of colour. The motorways, too, must be seen to be believed, being flanked by colourful flowers for mile after mile. A rather stark contrast to the rubbish-strewn roadways in the U.K. There's no doubt that the oil revenues have been spent wisely in making the environs very attractive indeed.

And for shoppers they have one of the biggest Souks in the Arab world, a veritable warren of colourful passageways and alleys selling everything under the sun.

 

Tomorrow Oriana arrives at Dubai before setting sail for Mumbai (Bombay).

[Slow Foxtrot]

Oriana's circum-navigation of the world continues at a leisurely pace and, as at 27 Jan, the ship has just left Cochin in southern India en route for Port Kelang in Malaysia. On the run between Muscat, Dubai and Mumbai (Bombay), Oriana had some minor engine problems, arriving a few hours late in both Dubai and Mumbai. However, the problem has now been fixed and she is now back on schedule. However, problems with the Indian immigration authorities resulted in yet further delays in Mumbai and Cochin. Indian immigration bureaucracy must be the most complicated in the world and this wasn't helped when they had just two immigration officers meticulously checking the documents of over 2000 passengers and crew who were anxious to disembark. This was particularly annoying to many of the Indian waiters, cabin stewards and crew who had arranged to meet friends and family at both Mumbai and Cochin. It's worth mentioning that some of the Indian staff aboard Oriana are the most pleasant, polite, friendly and hard-working people that one could wish to meet.

 

 

Oriana now has a new Captain, Robert Camby, who took over from David Pembridge in Dubai.

Robert Camby has been deputy Captain on the QM2 and must be one of the youngest Captain's in the fleet. Think John Travolta instead of the traditional Captain Bird'sEye. No doubt he will be a hit with the ladies. As regards the pirate precautions, Oriana is now out of the supposed danger zone and the three special armed guards who have been on board will disembark as the ship nears Sri Lanka.

 

 

There have been some good shows in the Theatre Royal with various artists coming and going and the dancing in Harlequins has been popular, especially when hosted by the two dance professionals Roger & Ann Sherfield. Weather, as expected, has got progressively warmer and passengers who went ashore today at Cochin were wilting in temperatures of over 85 degrees. We now have three days to relax at sea before Oriana berthes at Port Kelang (for Kuala Lumpur) on 31 January. It's a hard life!

[bee-ess]

Today has seen Oriana transit the Suez Canal and, after Sharm El Sheikh, she is bound for Muscat and Dubai. This is after crossing the Gulf of Aden and adjoining waters. This is the 'pirate area' and passengers have already been subject to a 'Pirate Drill' in case the ship is under threat. This possibility seems remote and the Captain assures us that all necessary precautions are in place!

Let's hope they don't interrupt the Slow Foxtrot!

 

We are doing a cruise through the Suez Canal/Red Sea to Dubai with Celebrity later this year and am interested in what Pirate Drill consisted of.

[Gemex]

Hi S.Foxtrot - thanks we appreciate your newsy reports as we will be joining Oriana in Hong Kong. New "young" Captain sounds like he will be popular with the ladies - but, with recent tragic events on the C.Concordia in mind, young or old as long as the Captn does his job professionally and takes command in any crisis that'll suit me;)

Enjoy your cruise and thanks again.

[PRINCESSTHE BEST]

We are doing a cruise through the Suez Canal/Red Sea to Dubai with Celebrity later this year and am interested in what Pirate Drill consisted of.

 

Hi, we came through the Red Sea and the Suez canal last March on the Arcadia World Cruise. We had Royal Navy personnel onboard, barbed wire around the stern with the rear of the promenade deck out of bounds. Staff were armed with high power water hoses on the prom deck to repel boarders. We weren't supposed to go onto our balconies or show lights after dark. The ship maintained full speed of 23knots to deter the sciffs from trying to get alongside. Our drill was to sit on the floor outside our cabins away from the door incase bullets were fired at the cabins.

 

To be fair, there is little or no chance of pirates attacking a cruise ship. But it was fun watching the sciffs being chased by Royal Marines from RFA ship which was on patrol in the area.:)

[bee-ess]

Hi, we came through the Red Sea and the Suez canal last March on the Arcadia World Cruise. We had Royal Navy personnel onboard, barbed wire around the stern with the rear of the promenade deck out of bounds. Staff were armed with high power water hoses on the prom deck to repel boarders. We weren't supposed to go onto our balconies or show lights after dark. The ship maintained full speed of 23knots to deter the sciffs from trying to get alongside. Our drill was to sit on the floor outside our cabins away from the door incase bullets were fired at the cabins.

 

To be fair, there is little or no chance of pirates attacking a cruise ship. But it was fun watching the sciffs being chased by Royal Marines from RFA ship which was on patrol in the area.:)

 

Thanks, thats about what I thought about using the balcony at night.

[Leicester Lass]

So glad that we have found your blog.

We join you in Brisbane and return to Southampton. We've been checking the P & O site for any comments on this cruise without any luck. We were thinking that we were about to join a ghost ship.

We arrive in Brisbane 10th Feb for a holiday with friends on the Sunshine Coast before embarking Oriana.

Looking forward to meeting you all! Not long now.

 

Jean and BT

[bazzaw]

So glad that we have found your blog.

We join you in Brisbane and return to Southampton. We've been checking the P & O site for any comments on this cruise without any luck. We were thinking that we were about to join a ghost ship.

We arrive in Brisbane 10th Feb for a holiday with friends on the Sunshine Coast before embarking Oriana.

Looking forward to meeting you all! Not long now.

 

Jean and BT

 

Jean

 

We were on last year's Oriana cruise - Brisbane to UK, only we also came back home on Arcadia

 

Have a look at my blog below - entries from 5 Nov to 23 Dec are relevant to the Oriana trip. I also have about 17 vids I made for each port of call plus some stuff about the ship

 

Barry

[intel]

As it is getting close for us now to join Oriana the real important questions are arising.

1. Is there an icecream parlour on board or where can you obtain it

2. I have noted on other posts on Azura about duty free liquer shop, is this now available on Oriana, great prices???

For those joining in Brisbane 21 days to go

regards

Brian