Himmalaya...my first Australian P&O Cruise

My first P&O cruise was on the Himmalaya in 1972...can you better this?

Hi Painter - yes, I can beat that! :p

My very first cruise EVER was on P&O Himalaya in 1966!

Travelled from Sydney to Perth by train - 5 days & 5 train changes (this was before the Indian Pacific, folks). Joined "Himalaya" in Fremantle and cruised (?) across the Great Australian Bight (did that ship have stabilisers? - no wonder I don't get seasick any more) back to Sydney.

Considering that it is now some 39 :eek: years since, and I've barely been on a train, but have been on many cruises since - no doubt you can work out what was the more pleasurable experience! :)

Ummmm...my next cruising experience and my first OVERSEAS trip was Sydney to Southampton on "Orcades" in 1969...does that qualify me for an extra prize?

By the way Painter - if I win, what is the prize? :D (just kidding!)

I can beat Painter but not robynp. My first P&O cruise was a voyage from Hong Kong to Yokohama (I think - it was certainly a Japanese port) in December 1969, on the Orsova. But my first cruise ever was on the Queen Elizabeth in February 1968, from Southampton to New York - not that I remember very much about that one at the tender age of 3½.

Wow Globaliser - that's great - now I feel reeeallly old! But I'm not - was only a slip of a girl (really, truly, cross my heart ;) ) in 1966, ummmm....but old enough to travel across Australia by myself (and back) :D

Should I mention I have also travelled over the years on Orsova, Oronsay, Oriana, Canberra ?...oh no...that means I've been on all of them :eek:...so no wonder I moved on to Aurora in later years. It was somewhat like Disneyland - a bathroom to yourself, balcony etc...heaven forbid :D

Well, how about Oriana, 1964 (just a quickie down the Left Coast, Vancouver to San Francisco)?

Didn't sail again until Christmas, 1970, again on Oriana, on a Mexican Riviera roundtrip out of San Francisco.

I do remember Himalaya (pronounced the British way, not the US). She used to regularly call at San Francisco, along with Oronsay, Orcades, and others.

I do remember Himalaya (pronounced the British way, not the US).

Sorry for the thread creep.

Many of the Brits I knew pronounced it to rhyme with Somalia.

My dad was from Kent England (Sidcup), and that is the way he and his "comrades" usually pronounced it.

On this side of the pond, it almost rhymes with Australia!

Sorry, phonetics is not my strong suit.

Well, I think that it's the way we do it here too, now. The "old" way was that which I believe is authentic - but I think I really need to get myself out there to find out for sure. :)

(Actually, I do have a long range plan to go to Bhutan but stuff always seems to get in the way of actually booking the trip.)

This will probably come as a surprise to my daughter (ladikara) but my first (of 20 +/- ) P&O cruises was on the older Arcadia from Hong Kong to SFO in 1964.:) . Many P&O ships used to call in SF and it was always our summer adventure to guess which one our parents would take us on next. Names like Chusan, Orcades, Iberia, Orsova, ad nawuem filled the air. Each and every trip was better than the one before. THE ONLY BAD EXPERIENCE was on P&O's Fair Star on a two week cruise out of Sydney in 1994. Food fights in the dining room:mad: .

Presently booked on the Sapphire in 5-7 days;)

My first P&O cruise was on the Himmalaya in 1972...can you better this?

And you are supposed to be working:confused:

So interesting to hear about your "first" cruisers with P&O.

I think we gave away our ages...we are not spring chickens *G*

I can remember we didn't have to pay for anything extra (except alcohol)

The cruise in 1972 was one of the last for the Himalaya...

I was just having a little reminise, and I was on the ss Himalaya (rhyming with Australia!!!) in 1972!!! I was 3 years old!!!!

I was with my parents and my younger brother, who was just a baby at the time. We didnt go to Australia, I think it might have been departing Southampton, but dont recall the itinerary.

We later sailed on the ss Arcadia - I remember that one - we saw a ship on fire and Arcadia went to its rescue - but wasnt the first one there, as I recall.

In 1986, we went on the ss Canberra - that's what really gave me the cruising bug!!! I was a teenager, and totally blown away by the whole thing!!! We visited Madeira, Lisbon and Vigo on Canberra, and in 7 days time, my husband and I are boarding the RCI Independence of the Seas, and for me at least, re-visiting these places, along with Tenerife, G Canaria, & Lanzarote.

Lovely memories, and great excitement for a return to cruising!!!

Judi x

Lots of oldies on here. ;)

Actually my first cruise on P&O was my second sea voyage.

My first was in Army days in 1971 when my wife and I came home from Singapore on the Blue Funnel RMS Centaur which plied the Singapore-Fremantle run, occasionally stopping at Broome in far north W.A. during the cattle season.

It was an interesting vessel of only 8,000 tons, and carried 200 passengers in absolute 1st class conditions, plus a large amount of cargo in the forward area.

During the Broome cattle season it would pick up several hundred head of cattle for transhipment to Perth.

Stopping at Broome was an experience not seen in many places in the world. With a tidal range from a low around 2 to a high around11 metres, when the Centaur was in port during low water it actually sat on the bottom.

On to the P&O cruise - you guessd it - on the good old Himalaya in Novermber '72.

What a beautiful old vessel - in the tradional class of the great P&O ship.

You would all remember that those were the days when a ships officer sat at most tables for dinner. We had the First Engineer on our voyage and he was an absoulte character - well informed, amusing and entertaining, and an absolute gentleman.

We had a long break away and the returned to the cruising scene on the trouble plagued Pacifc Sky voyage of Mar 06 which broke down in the Malacca Straits on its first night out from Singapore.

That in itself was an adventure, which we followed up with a Christmas Cruise last year on the Pacific Dawn [formerly Regal Princess].

We are now looking forward to our next - the Oriana from Brisbane to Singapore via Hong Kong and a couple of other places.

Roll on February. :D

My first (and 2nd) cruise was on P&O's Oriana (the first, not the current ship of same name).

You mention Pacific Sky. We sailed on her twice, as Princess' Sky Princess. She was the last passenger steam turbine ship built.

First time, 4-97, Osaka Japan to Vancouver BC, via Vladivostock Siberia and the Aleutian Islands. Very cold trip, with outside decks closed due to snow and ice build-up.

Second trip, Sky Princess' last trip as a Princess ship, 9-00, San Francisco to Sydney. A wonderful trip, sold as a WW2 South Pacific Battlegrounds Memory cruise. Great guest lecturers and great ports of call.

My first cruise was on SS Arcadia in 1972.

Loved that ship, and had a fabulous time in our 6 berth cabin!!

yup....those were the days when the cabins were below the water, and the showers and washrooms were down the hall.

and, we had to pay for nothing but the booze. Met some great roomys on that cruise, and in fact, I'm meeting up with one of my ole room mates from 1972 and we are cruising on Dec. 6th for ole times sake. Caribbean here we come!

How about July 1970 on P&O's IBERIA..cruising South Pacific, met my future wife on that one !

How about NEVASA..1956, Southampton to Hong Kong and return 2 yrs later ! Now that is a big cruise. Only it was a troopship, but OK !

How about Sitmar's CASTEL FELICE, Southampton to Sydney, 1966, another big cruise, whence I emigrated to the colonies ! That was pricey..10 quid !

Yes..and still cruising...as we all know its in the blood !:p

We sailed to Australia on P&O Oriana in 1964. I have my certificate for Crossing the Equator framed above my computer desk and it was signed by the captain of the day: Captain Edgecombe.

Hi I traveled here on the ss Himalaya in feb 1966 from England to Australia I turned 7 on the ship, trying to find information on any other passengers or lists. If anyone can help that would be great.

thanks

First cruise was in 1956 on the old Orontes, she was an Orient Line ship at the time, later to merge with P&O in 1959. Second was the Himalaya in 1959 was 15 at the time and loved it. Nothing then until 1982 which was the Sea Princess, P&O not Princess, later to become Victoria .. totally hooked. Interestingly that cruise in 1982 cost £1600 each for a porthole cabin .. times have changed somewhat, with inflation that come out at a whooping £6796 in todays money. In '82 mealtimes were strict, miss breakfast you had to wait for lunch, mis lunch then it was afternoon tea and missing that you had to wait for dinner. No snacking available in-between. Love it though and continue cruising with P&O. Off on our next adventure on Ventura this Thursday and can't wait.

My first cruise was on the Canberra in 1970 from Hong Kong to Southampton and was about 3 months long. I never forgot it.

My next cruise was several decades later and I haven't stopped since. My next cruise is the day after tomorrow!

Cheers,

BR

I was just having a little reminise, and I was on the ss Himalaya (rhyming with Australia!!!) in 1972!!! I was 3 years old!!!!

 

I was with my parents and my younger brother, who was just a baby at the time. We didnt go to Australia, I think it might have been departing Southampton, but dont recall the itinerary.

 

We later sailed on the ss Arcadia - I remember that one - we saw a ship on fire and Arcadia went to its rescue - but wasnt the first one there, as I recall.

 

In 1986, we went on the ss Canberra - that's what really gave me the cruising bug!!! I was a teenager, and totally blown away by the whole thing!!! We visited Madeira, Lisbon and Vigo on Canberra, and in 7 days time, my husband and I are boarding the RCI Independence of the Seas, and for me at least, re-visiting these places, along with Tenerife, G Canaria, & Lanzarote.

 

Lovely memories, and great excitement for a return to cruising!!!

 

Judi x

The 1986 Canberra cruise wouldn't have been in June by any chance. The cruise where the themes were highland dancing and a bridge tournament that was filmed for television, BBC2 I think?

If so I was also on that cruise along with some friends. I met my wife on that cruise and also landed up with a dose of norovirus, but it wasn't all bad as I enjoyed the cruise otherwise.:D

Hi I traveled here on the ss Himalaya in feb 1966 from England to Australia I turned 7 on the ship, trying to find information on any other passengers or lists. If anyone can help that would be great.

thanks

Have you done a search on the Australian Government website - immigration/ships passenger lists?