As the new ducktail on Splendour of the Seas enters the water for the first time today, here are pictures of the similar extension which has been added to P&O’s Oriana. Seems like having a rear end like Beyoncé or J-Lo is the new fashion for cruise ships.
The work is taking place at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg, where the 16-year-old Oriana is being updated and adapted for adult-only use. Out goes the kids clubs and in come some new cabins and restaurants.
As with Splendour the additions, and advancing age, have added weight to the vessel and the sponson will improve its stability. While work in the public areas is being carried out, engineers are also undertaking maintenance including the removal and overhaul of engines and the ship’s stern drive shaft.
Oriana has been joined in Hamburg by Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 which is having its own regularly-scheduled drydock.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean’s Splendour will soon be on its way from Cadiz to Lisbon, where passengers will get their first chance to see the improvements which include new balcony cabins and additional restaurants.
By next February, passengers will be able to take advantage of the newly-installed ship-wide wi-fi with an iPad provided for every cabin, on which they can access daily information about onboard events and activities; personal daily itineraries including shore excursions. They can monitor their onboard account; order room service; view restaurant menus; access the internet; and watch films.
- My thanks to Luis Miguel Correia for permission to use his pictures of the work taking place on Oriana. You can see more at his blog Ships and the Sea and get Google to translate it from Portuguese into English.
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