What are the problems with Oriana?

Hey all,

I'm seeing a lot about Oriana being shamed badly and coming across as a faulty towers cruise ship?

Without going on about scratches in the plastics and chips in the paint what honestly seems the problem with her? I can't see how one ship out of the others could be 'so bad'

Also we are planning a cruise on her next year I shall be 23 and my sister 19, will we fit in or is the age profile of the ship more than double our own?

Hi Jollysailor.

I was on her last October and did not have any significant concerns. She is 20 years old now so not easy to keep pristine. She is more of a classic-style ocean liner. I found food, entertainment and staff to be absolutely fine.

In general she does tend to attract an older set of pax so it is quite possible that the majority of other pax will be 2 to 3 times your age (depending on the itinerary).

I was on her last March and she looked just fine to me. I will be on again in Sept and next year if possible. Yes she is old, but she is an elegant lady, not like the new glitzy brash ships. It all depends what you want from a cruise but for me she is perfect.

I loved Oriana. Been on her a couple of times, the last time being just last year.

Yes the age of the majority of passengers will be 2 - 3 times older than you, but we had a young couple on board and they said how much they were enjoying the company. People were going out of their way to include them and they really enjoyed their trip.. even though they were perhaps out of their comfort zone for the first day or so.

I was on board her on the same cruise as Britboys. We had the odd problem with the loo in our cabin, but it was fixed. We also didn't find the food as good as usual, but it was minor. We love the ship and are back on her this September.

Apparently she has yet another outbreak of norovirus on board. It's not the first time and you can bet it won't be the last!!!:eek:

I was on the Oriana in January (Christmas and New Year Cruise). I should add the only other ship I have sailed on is the Arcadia, so I don't have much to compare it to.

I was in cabin A323. We had no hot water in the cabin for over a week. When that problem was resolved we had ONLY hot water for 6 days. As we had a bath we could fill it with hot water, and then let it cool down over a couple of hours; That was a bonus. We were offered the use of another cabin 3 decks below for washing and showering. They would not allow us to move as about 10 other cabins on A deck had the same problem and those occupants also needed use of the alternative washing facicilities.

I also know that some people on B deck with balcony cabins had leaking doors, and ended up with soaking carpets.

Aside from this, I have to say I still like the ship. Décor was good, loved the tiered aft section, food was good and the staff were good. I would sail on her again, I think we were just unlucky.

Apparently she has yet another outbreak of norovirus on board. It's not the first time and you can bet it won't be the last!!!:eek:

...and nor will she be the last ship to have Norovirus. Its brought on board by passengers, and it is passengers who spread it by not washing their hands frequently enough.:mad:

Norovirus is rife during the winter months in schools, hospitals and elsewhere, and is not confined to the UK..

Yes agree, wards closed down here in Devon in Plymouth hospital - same reason.

We took our first P and O cruise on Oriana last year, having previously sailed mainly on Celebrity Eclipse, we were tempted by the itinerary and being able to sail from Southampton in the winter.

I was a bit worried after reading reviews that we would be on an ageing rust bucket! No problems to worry about. The ship is much older than the Eclipse but was clean and comfortable, has a lovely promenade deck for bracing walks, lots of bars lounges and seating areas. We loved the open decks at the aft of the ship, the cinema and the coffee bar. Found the lack of seating in the buffet in the evenings very annoying, and the antiquated bathrooms not much fun,but despite the occasional negatives, we would definitely cruise on her again.

As for the age differences, ok, I'm three times your age, however in my head, I feel about half that! Always a surprise when I catch sight of myself in a mirror! So no one will be tut-tutting at your youthful antics because we will probably be doing the same!

Im 30, oriana a lovely ship, feels more friendlier than the bigger ones and also doesnt feel overcrowded. Regarding age you may find maybe not alot to do at times as people under 50 on alot of cruises you can count with your fingers. But the cruise is what you make of it. Entertainment and shows were fantastic and I would cruise on her again.

I was on her last March and she looked just fine to me. I will be on again in Sept and next year if possible. Yes she is old, but she is an elegant lady, not like the new glitzy brash ships. It all depends what you want from a cruise but for me she is perfect.

We were also on the same cruise and didnt look through rose coloured specs having public toilets constantly out of order throughout the ships, buckets catching water coming through ceiling while drinking coffee in Tiffany's, industrial drier in photo gallery for days trying to dry out carpet after a water leak and a serious water leak on A deck warranting walls and carpet being ciovered in plastic tp prevent damage. Also water in tap in cabin not fit for human consumption and mucky yellow water from shower for whole cruise and inconsistent flushing of toilet which in its own right is unhealthy. Will never set foot on Oriana again whatever the price or itinerary.

We were also on the same cruise and didnt look through rose coloured specs having public toilets constantly out of order throughout the ships, buckets catching water coming through ceiling while drinking coffee in Tiffany's, industrial drier in photo gallery for days trying to dry out carpet after a water leak and a serious water leak on A deck warranting walls and carpet being ciovered in plastic tp prevent damage. Also water in tap in cabin not fit for human consumption and mucky yellow water from shower for whole cruise and inconsistent flushing of toilet which in its own right is unhealthy. Will never set foot on Oriana again whatever the price or itinerary.

I am not looking through rose-coloured glasses - I just never experienced any of those problems and since I had a coffee with the captain in Tiffany's I think I would have seen buckets catching water then. I was in one of the newer cabins where the children's area used to be though and never use public toilets on any ship if possible. Each to their own - can't wait to be back on board in Sept.

We were also on the same cruise and didnt look through rose coloured specs having public toilets constantly out of order throughout the ships, buckets catching water coming through ceiling while drinking coffee in Tiffany's, industrial drier in photo gallery for days trying to dry out carpet after a water leak and a serious water leak on A deck warranting walls and carpet being ciovered in plastic tp prevent damage. Also water in tap in cabin not fit for human consumption and mucky yellow water from shower for whole cruise and inconsistent flushing of toilet which in its own right is unhealthy. Will never set foot on Oriana again whatever the price or itinerary.

I would obviously not doubt what you experienced but can say that A deck was fine in October and my shower water was perfectly clear. I had a problem initially on D deck in the cabin area that Host Sharon's cabin was in, in that I could not cool the hot water. Didn't have any flushing problems I am pleased to say :)

Just got off the ship yesterday. Decks 8,9,and 10 were without water on two occasions. One of those times was between 10.00am and 2pm when we were in Bergen, but not sure about the other time. Also the 'hot' food in the self service was often quite cold and on one occasion I put a knife through a meatball that was clearly uncooked (looked quite red). No wonder we had norvirus, (if it was norvirus), onboard by the time we disembarked.

Overall, I would not say I thought the ship was tatty, (except for some quite wrotten lower beams and many damaged double glazed panes of glass at the front of the crow's nest), though, but that would not have bothered me anything like as much as the health risks I have just mentioned. I did have to have a cold shower on the first day and one with vaguely tepid water for the next four or five days though. After that we did get hot water in our cabin shower.

Just got off the ship yesterday. Decks 8,9,and 10 were without water on two occasions. One of those times was between 10.00am and 2pm when we were in Bergen, but not sure about the other time. Also the 'hot' food in the self service was often quite cold and on one occasion I put a knife through a meatball that was clearly uncooked (looked quite red). No wonder we had norvirus, (if it was norvirus), onboard by the time we disembarked.

 

Overall, I would not say I thought the ship was tatty, (except for some quite wrotten lower beams and many damaged double glazed panes of glass at the front of the crow's nest), though, but that would not have bothered me anything like as much as the health risks I have just mentioned. I did have to have a cold shower on the first day and one with vaguely tepid water for the next four or five days though. After that we did get hot water in our cabin shower.

I have never been on Oriana so neither like nor dislike her. However, cold or partially cooked food will not give anybody norovirus. It is caused by poor hygiene practices, spreading a virus which may have been brought onboard by passengers. This admittedly could have been made worse by shortages of water. Fortunately, I guess most people had left the ship in Bergen and used the anti virus / anti bacterial gel when they returned. If you don't know when the other water shortage was, it probably did not affect many if any. Tepid water can happen on any ship. We experienced it for two days on Britannia last week before it was sorted.

I have never been on Oriana so neither like nor dislike her. However, cold or partially cooked food will not give anybody norovirus. It is caused by poor hygiene practices, spreading a virus which may have been brought onboard by passengers. This admittedly could have been made worse by shortages of water. Fortunately, I guess most people had left the ship in Bergen and used the anti virus / anti bacterial gel when they returned. If you don't know when the other water shortage was, it probably did not affect many if any. Tepid water can happen on any ship. We experienced it for two days on Britannia last week before it was sorted.

As I said the water losses affected decks 8,9,and 10 completely. We were on deck six, so I am not sure when the second water loss was to those decks. I did say 'if it was norovirus', which I seriously dispute. The anti bacterial hand gel used onboard ships is purely that, i.e. anti bacterial and is an alcohol gel will have no effect whatsoever on virions. Even the captain had announced that the hand gel is not a substitute for hand washing, but then just mentioned that is is being used. I think the use of hand gel by cruise shops is actually more of a problem as some people think it is OK to use that rather than wash their hands. You can buy anti virus spray, but it is not what is provided onboard.

Food kept lukewarm and undercookd food will definately make people ill and that is what was being served onboard Oriana at times during the last cruise. That is totally inexcusable in any food outlet.

I also do not know what happened to people who were ill when their cabins were without water.

I'm sure that's why I never wanted to eat steak tartare. Raw meat - yuk. But only undercooked chicken will normally cause a problem and maybe pork. Loads of people eat steak and lamb hardly cooked at all. Not to my taste but others love it.

As I said the water losses affected decks 8,9,and 10 completely. We were on deck six, so I am not sure when the second water loss was to those decks. I did say 'if it was norovirus', which I seriously dispute. The anti bacterial hand gel used onboard ships is purely that, i.e. anti bacterial and is an alcohol gel will have no effect whatsoever on virions. Even the captain had announced that the hand gel is not a substitute for hand washing, but then just mentioned that is is being used. I think the use of hand gel by cruise shops is actually more of a problem as some people think it is OK to use that rather than wash their hands. You can buy anti virus spray, but it is not what is provided onboard.

 

Food kept lukewarm and undercookd food will definately make people ill and that is what was being served onboard Oriana at times during the last cruise. That is totally inexcusable in any food outlet.

 

I also do not know what happened to people who were ill when their cabins were without water.

As I understand it, some of the gels used onboard are both anti bacterial and anti virus. Others are not. They should all be in my opinion. I do accept that for some people they are seen as a substitute for proper hand washing. The pity is that they are jeopardising the health of others as well as themselves.

Some undercooked food is clearly a health risk but I have never been ill from eating rare beef. Similarly, if the lukewarm food has been cooked properly and allowed to cool down, I don't see how it can be a health risk unless it has been sitting around unrefrigerated and uncovered for a few hours. However, food that is supposed to be hot should not be lukewarm and if food was served like this in an onboard restaurant, I would consider eating elsewhere.

I was not talking about rare beef, which is quite different to meatballs, which are mixed fron mincemeat and other things (with a liberal amount of bacteria no doubt). Hence a lot of germs can easily be, and will be introduced. There are always bacteria around, even in the air and on any surface that is not sterile and kept under sterile conditions - so air sealed for instance. Conditions where food is kept lukewarm for a period of time are ideal conditions for those germs to multiply and is why food should not be kept vaguely warm at any time. Most school children will be aware of that so you do not have to be a microbiologist, (as I am), or have a food handling certificate to understand that. Incidentally norovirus can be transmitted by food if the food has been contaminated by norovirus - perhaps by touch or someone coughing on the food for instance.

The captain on Oriana used the term 'anti bacterial' hand gels and I have never known anything else onboard a ship, so I do not know where you got your information regarding anti viral gels - they were certainly not being used on Oriana.

Eating elsewhere would have been a very appealing option - unfortunately we were stuck on a boat, so eating elsewhere was not an option. If that is how they produced food for the self service, how do we know what is done with the other food?

. However, cold or partially cooked food will not give anybody norovirus.

Food poisoning though, which can be far more serious.

David.

The "hot food" was often cold and some other items such as scones were clearly just out of the freezer not long before meal times. Fresh scones on day one then day two onwards they were gradually getting harder and harder. Attempting to cut the scone in half was near impossible without it breaking into several pieces and rocketing through the air.

As mentioned previously the food which had been laying a while out in the open and cold was simply transferred onto the top of the new hotplate dishes, even the old food was as little as a spoonful. Instead of taking the small amounts of old, cold and laying out food away completely when a fresh batch arrived it was simply spooned into the new batch.

The conservatory also had food laying on the same carpeted area for days which doesn't bode well for health reasons nor make it particularly pleasant to be sitting eating there knowing the place you were eating wasn't being cleaned properly.

It was apparent the norovirus was around the ship on the second day of the cruise as the salt and pepper shakers were taken from the tables in the eating places and the drinks lists were removed from all the tables in the bars, followed by the removal of the jewellery tables on the shop decks which then gradually developed into the wiping down of table tops and seat arms in eating and drinking places but not the edges of the tables and other areas of chairs. The next few days it was handrails on the staircases being wiped and the spraying of the carpet areas of the public routes along the cabin door areas and then the photography area announced that touching of the photographs on display was prohibited.

We were all informed by the Captain through the tannoy announcements of the severity of the norovirus aboard and what to do to keep the spread of the norovirus down on the third last day of the cruise but at night the pub quizzes were still handing out the same pencils which other people had been using on the previous nights quiz rounds and the casino was still in full operation with the fruit machine games that had been used previous, pens were still being handed out in the bars to sign the receipts for drinks and weren't being cleaned in between.

As far as the water being off, we were informed in an issue of the daily cruise paper we received that the water on decks 8,9 and 10 would be off the next day between 10am-2pm but a few days later it was off once again with no communication of it being turned off.

Using your cabin toilet only to try and flush afterwards finding it not operating at all and then leaving you with no way to wash your hands after using that same cabin toilet certainly wouldn't have helped contain the norovirus bug which was going around at the same time.

Also with the ongoing problems of trying to contain the norovirus by constantly informing us how to wash our hands it would have been a good idea to have followed up that advice up by attempting to refill the soap and the paper-towels in the public toilets once the hand-dryers had been switched off. Hot water in the public toilet areas would have been pretty helpful too as there were times during the day and the evenings when the water was cold and wouldn't come through the taps hot despite it running for a while.

I have since learnt that the previous two cruises on the Oriana had the norovirus running rampant throughout the ship to add to the cruise we were on. Let's hope that the current passengers on this current cruise don't suffer the same rampant norovirus as there would have been no time to clean the ship between us disembarking at Southampton on Wednesday and those passengers embarking the same day.

I have just returned from the Oriana today and had a fab time even though our cruise was shortened by a day. Lovely outside cabin on A deck with no problems whatsoever. I was really impressed by the generosity of P and O and all the staff with the compensation we have had and booking us into a hotel overnight. Well done P and O.:cool:

I suppose it begs the question. How many of us have suffered food poisoning on a cruise. I have been on 9 and never had any problem at all, so if food was being kept unhygienically then some of us must have suffered? Anyone else?

I've just come off today too! It was our first P&O having only used Cunard before. I was impressed with the precautions taken to avoid norovirus. They can seem OTT but very necessary. However, as far as the ship was concerned I found it to be tatty and tired. There was dust in our cabin - unacceptable and there were a lot of scratches. Water etc was great and the shower (over a bath) was excellent. The furniture is quite dated but there was a lot of storage. The bedding cushions were faded, as was the valance. I'm not keen on the bed being under the window but that's a personal preference but it did mean clambering on the bed to close them! I think that the 'twin' layout would work better. There was a running joke about the public toilets not working causing queues.

What did surprise me was that the linen for the next cruise was left in our room last night. I really didn't like that.

I thought the entertainment was excellent - John Evans (comedian) was fabulous, the Brit Tones (4 piece singers) were brilliant and the onboard singers/dancers were very good. The entertainment director was superb and really added to the atmosphere.

All in all we've had a great few days and were very, very impressed with P&O's customer service and communication. We are glad we did it - Guernsey and Brugges were wonderful but shan't be on Oriana again.

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