P & O 1963 Arcadia......

[LibraLass41]

P & O Arcadia 1963 and previous.... I purchased a couple of nautical collectables on ebay last week to decorate my study, wonder if anyone has seen one of the things before...

 

I have a ARCADIA 1963 lifebelt about 6'' in diameter it has a P & O flag (yellow,white,blue and red) and a blue flag with union jack in left corner on it. and 4 ports - Maderia, Azores, Teneriffe (sic) and Corunna ??? wheres that??

 

Does anyone have any ideas on what it was for - probably a cruise ship gift of some sort.??

 

It has rope running through it and it now hangs in my study, quite nice and as Arcadia (2005) was my first ship I thought it would be nice to have...

 

The other thing I bought was a p&o Advert from a 1930's book for a couple of pounds...

 

A cruise then cost 'from £12 for thirteen days' !!!!

 

first class / tourist class.....Heading says.....

 

'WE'LL LOOK AFTER YOU ON A P & O CRUISE !!!

 

May frame it, both items under £5 - all good fun

 

Sue

[Druke I]

Corunna is in Spain. There is one is Michigan also, as well as Ontario, Canada.

 

The one in Spain, according to "google", was the site of a large battle during the Napoleonic Wars.

 

I remember the Arcadia calling in San Francisco. She was a pretty ship, in her day.

[LibraLass41]

Thanks, I think its near Vigo too , which is now used as a port stop-off on cruises.

 

So it looks authentic, 1963 there was a ARCADIA afloat?

 

Sue

[The Monocled Mutineer]

Arcadia 1963 - Yes - Built in the 50s, srapped in the 70s.

 

The next Arcadia was a fomer Star Princess that is now Ocean Village I.

 

The current Arcadia was originally going to be a HAL new build, then the Cunard QV but then it was decided to turn her to P&O as a new build for the ex.UK market.

[tom_uk]

So it looks authentic, 1963 there was a ARCADIA afloat?

 

Have a look here for brief history:

http://archive.hampshirechronicle.co.uk/2002/3/26/66255.html

 

and here:

http://www.simplonpc.co.uk/PO_Arcadia_1954.html

for pictures, illustrations, etc, of the 1954 Arcadia. (And many other ships as well - excellent site!)

[Wilba]

Yes the lifebelts were gifts to first class paxs & I'm fairly sure these were for the children only, as I had a few on my bedroom wall. They were blue & white or red & white & were constructed & painted by the Goanese crew members. If I recall the adults had a P&O compact or cigarette case as gifts at the time, this being 1958.

[The Monocled Mutineer]

The crew from a particular part of India are known as Goans, not Goanese.

[LibraLass41]

Yes the lifebelts were gifts to first class paxs & I'm fairly sure these were for the children only, as I had a few on my bedroom wall. They were blue & white or red & white & were constructed & painted by the Goanese crew members. If I recall the adults had a P&O compact or cigarette case as gifts at the time, this being 1958.

 

 

Thanks for that. I am copying and pasting the snippets of info and putting on a piece of A4...

 

Mine is red and white and definatly hand painted. On ebay last night saw one for sale in Australia that had a compass in the middle.

[trfccruiser]

These were definitely given out as souvenirs but not just to first class -we always went steerage and I was given one whilst sailing on the Chusan, when I was about 6.They are a lovely souvenir with the dates and ports of call-wish they still did them!!I wish also I could find it!It's in my mother's house somewhere along with lots of other cruise memorabilia.Cunard used to do something similar a bonbon dish with the dates and ports of call on it.

[jack the lad]

seem to remember when I worked on arcadia and chusan these lifebelts were made by pakistani crew not by the goanese. regards Ivan.