Oriana to leave P&O fleet in August 2019
P&O Cruises’ Oriana will leave the fleet in August 2019.
The cruise line said details of a special final sailing will be announced shortly
Senior vice president Paul Ludlow said: "Oriana is an original and a much loved P&O Cruises ship. Whilst we will miss her, her departure will allow us to focus on our remaining mid-sized and larger ships as the fleet expands with Iona and her sister ship in 2020 and 2022 respectively.
"Oriana will be with us until August next year so there will be plenty of opportunity to celebrate her time with us. Those guests who have sailed on Oriana will then be able to enjoy holidays on Aurora and Arcadia, both of which are exclusively for adults and have a very similar on board feel, and experience the re-vitalisation taking place over the next year."
P&O confirmed it will be investing in shore excursions, dining and entertainment across mid-sized ships Arcadia and Aurora and Oceana as well as the larger ships Britannia, Azura and Ventura.
Aurora will be refitted next spring, prior to her re-launch as a ship exclusively for adults.
She will have new cabins, fixtures, fittings, soft furnishings and enhancements to public spaces throughout the ship.
"With the introduction of Iona in 2020 followed by a similar ship two years later, it is also imperative that we continue to elevate the standards of the rest of the fleet," said Ludlow.
"Our research with current and prospective guests shows that their holidays need to give them a vital boost to their everyday lives – they tell us that they want ‘to live life at ‘100%’.
"Cruising today is perceived as a contemporary and aspirational holiday yet it is still one which has very small penetration in the holiday market as a whole. Our vision is to break these barriers by listening to feedback from our loyal guests whilst expanding the audience of new cruisers.
"The additions will include new excursions across our itineraries, new dazzling theatre shows and daytime activities which reflect today’s trends. We will be investing in Aurora’s refit next year; Food Hero Eric Lanlard has devised an entirely new afternoon tea for all the ships, which will be very special, as well as refreshed menus and cocktails across the fleet."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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