bye bye oceana

[grapau27]

10 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

Hmm. Why do I suddenly feel old and worthless?

Avril 

You are a valued poster on here imo.

Graham.

[Peanut006]

We were due to sail on Oceana tmoro out of Malta for two weeks. She was the first ship we ever sailed on in 2011 to Norwegian Fjords, I can’t tell you how excited I was when I first saw her!! Sad she is leaving ☹️
 

Michelle 

[woodscruise]

Just checking the P&O cruises website, Oceana is blocked out, which is understandable, but interesting Britannia is also blocked out. I am just doing a general search with no cruise destination or dates. 

 

 

[Adawn47]

10 hours ago, zap99 said:

We have always said we won't do a coach tour. Last year we did a Nova Scotia tour with Globus. It was a little bit dearer than the others, but really enjoyable. We have booked with them for the Rockies next year. Again a bit dearer, but DW can afford it. She will just have to buy a couple less handbags😂

The other unfortunate problem we have is Frank won't fly anymore due to a panic attack on our last one, which is how we discovered the delights of cruising. So basically we're snookered 😕. Mind you, I don't mind flying, so ----- 😆

Avril 

 

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

You are a valued poster on here imo.

Graham.

Thank you. It was meant as a polite  reply to a post from Bazrat who made it sound as though the more mature amongst us who regularly sail P&O are now superfluous to the company.

Avril 

[kalos]

32 minutes ago, Peanut006 said:

We were due to sail on Oceana tmoro out of Malta for two weeks. She was the first ship we ever sailed on in 2011 to Norwegian Fjords, I can’t tell you how excited I was when I first saw her!! Sad she is leaving ☹️
 

Michelle 

You must be gutted    I remember seeing in the New Year of 2011 on board the Thomson Destiny.

We enjoyed it that much that we booked to go back onboard in March as we had heard that she was getting a refurb.

To our delight when back onboard they had started the refurbishment.

We decided to re book yet another cruise onboard but that never happened as the owners wanted her back and 

now she sails as MS Celestyal Olympia around the Greek islands.

The Oceana leaves Southampton tonight and I'm sure she will re-emerge with a new name ,making people 

somewhere as happy,as we was to sail on her. As you have said It's sad to see her go but she sails away leaving 

us with fond memories of our time with her,...Bon Voyage Oceana 

[Adawn47]

I've just seen on Tradewinds that she has been bought by a "Greek shipping owner for  Chinese interests" Curiouser and curiouser 😞

Avril 

[zoe sproodle]

36 minutes ago, woodscruise said:

Just checking the P&O cruises website, Oceana is blocked out, which is understandable, but interesting Britannia is also blocked out. I am just doing a general search with no cruise destination or dates. 

 

 

I've just had a quick look and Britannia is showing up now.  It finally sank in this morning that Oceana is going and I'm annoyed/upset on 2 counts - first I'm sad to see her go and second that's 2 years summer cruises in a row cancelled now - we were booked on her next July and at the moment P & O aren't offering any viable alternatives.  We didn't really like Oceana the first time we sailed on her then had an excellent New Year cruise in 2017 and were on her for the repositioning from Dubai last year.  We chose both those cruises primarily for the itinerary but really warmed to the ship during them - so disappointing that we won't get to sail on her again.  

[zap99]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

The other unfortunate problem we have is Frank won't fly anymore due to a panic attack on our last one, which is how we discovered the delights of cruising. So basically we're snookered 😕. Mind you, I don't mind flying, so ----- 😆

Avril 

 

Some, perhaps many of the European coach tours start in the UK. I can't say any more as I will be accused of being a coach company mole😁

[Eddie99]

Eurostar?

Add TGV & you can easily and swiftly get to the Med in relative comfort

Ridiculously good value too, I think

Look at the website man in seat sixty-one, seat61.com for ideas

[Adawn47]

6 minutes ago, zap99 said:

Some, perhaps many of the European coach tours start in the UK. I can't say any more as I will be accused of being a coach company mole😁

😁 😁 That's okay zap, I understand. I wouldn't want to tarnish your stellar reputation. We had looked at those before we began cruising, so might give them another look. Still looking over my shoulder though,  desperately  trying to cling on to our November cruise 😊

Avril 

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, kalos said:

You must be gutted    I remember seeing in the New Year of 2011 on board the Thomson Destiny.

We enjoyed it that much that we booked to go back onboard in March as we had heard that she was getting a refurb.

To our delight when back onboard they had started the refurbishment.

We decided to re book yet another cruise onboard but that never happened as the owners wanted her back and 

now she sails as MS Celestyal Olympia around the Greek islands.

The Oceana leaves Southampton tonight and I'm sure she will re-emerge with a new name ,making people 

somewhere as happy,as we was to sail on her. As you have said It's sad to see her go but she sails away leaving 

us with fond memories of our time with her,...Bon Voyage Oceana 

Sunbird was our first cruise ship and she was later called Thomson Destiny.

The little crows nest bar accessed from outside was a gem and never full because people didn't realise it was there until later in the cruise.

[Britboys]

2 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

I've just seen on Tradewinds that she has been bought by a "Greek shipping owner for  Chinese interests" Curiouser and curiouser 😞

Avril 

Iirc, that is the same circumstance in which Oriana left the fleet. She went over to Greece, had refit work carried out and then went down to China.

[Solent Richard]

Difficult to understand why I only took one cruise on Oceana, probably just too busy sailing on their other ships.

 

But when I did take the plunge I regretted not sailing on her before, it was a truly outstanding cruise...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2017/02/17/oceana-35-night-caribbean-round-trip/

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2017/02/24/life-on-board-oceanas-35-night-cruise/

 

[ann141]

3 hours ago, Eddie99 said:

Eurostar?

Add TGV & you can easily and swiftly get to the Med in relative comfort

Ridiculously good value too, I think

Look at the website man in seat sixty-one, seat61.com for ideas

I don t like flying but have used Eurostar for train travel for a 2 week holiday to the south of France and overnight train travel to Verona and onto Lake Garda for a fortnight.We have since discovered cruising and it is great to have to only unpack once plus we love the social side but we may go back to a rail holiday(or two) for summer of 2021

[SarahHben]

6 minutes ago, ann141 said:

I don t like flying but have used Eurostar for train travel for a 2 week holiday to the south of France and overnight train travel to Verona and onto Lake Garda for a fortnight.We have since discovered cruising and it is great to have to only unpack once plus we love the social side but we may go back to a rail holiday(or two) for summer of 2021

If you do try using Eurostar I would recommend paying for Standard Premier seats rather than Standard. The carriages are more spacious. We've travelled in both and wouldn't book standard again unless we were just going to Paris for a day trip.

[Adawn47]

3 hours ago, Britboys said:

Iirc, that is the same circumstance in which Oriana left the fleet. She went over to Greece, had refit work carried out and then went down to China.

Anything will be better than scrapping the old lady.

Avril 

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, Solent Richard said:

Difficult to understand why I only took one cruise on Oceana, probably just too busy sailing on their other ships.

 

But when I did take the plunge I regretted not sailing on her before, it was a truly outstanding cruise...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2017/02/17/oceana-35-night-caribbean-round-trip/

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2017/02/24/life-on-board-oceanas-35-night-cruise/

 

We had three wonderful cruises on her,including our Golden Anniversary. I think the majority of negative reviews came when she began doing fly cruises. She wasn't kept in good order and I think the writing was on the wall for her quite a while ago. Sorry to see her go.

Avril 

Edited July 8, 2020 by Adawn47

[ovccruiser]

My second cruise was on Oceana, and we bounced across the Bay Of Biscay, Two windows were smashed by the sea, both on the boat deck, you can see the wooden panel just above P & O, the other window was amidships 😞

[DamianG]

Farewell Oceana, the second P&O ship we sailed on after starting on her sister Adonia. We cruised on her 5 times and she was our son's first in 2013. 

 

We loved Cafe Jardin for breakfast and lunch, and the Pennant Bar or Terrace Bar if it was warm enough to sit outside.

 

In particular, we have a fantastic memory of attending a Portunus Party in the evening outdoors at the Terrace Bar when the officers and crew outnumbered the passengers. The refills were constant and we had a fabulous time socialising with everyone including the waiters who weren't run off their feet for once.

 

Here she is in Puerto Costa Maya then Curacao (prior to a very memorable sailaway) in 2006:

 

Edited July 8, 2020 by DamianG

[Son of Anarchy]

Ventura now leaving Southampton.  Will she give a Oceana a big send off as she goes past?

 

Maybe they'll chug down the river together, line astern.

[molecrochip]

Literally, in last two minutes. Oceana's destination has been confirmed as Piraeus, Greece.

[Presto2]

At least it looks like they are not scrapping her .... we may meet her again one day .... 😞

[AndyMichelle]

Just heard her sounding her horn as she left Southampton Waters into the Solent. 

Quite poignant... 

Andy 

[Presto2]

5 minutes ago, AndyMichelle said:

Just heard her sounding her horn as she left Southampton Waters into the Solent. 

Quite poignant... 

Andy 

I am going to claim for tissues from CC after this week 

Glad I live in Stoke on Trent.