P&O-Orient Lines

The Last Ocean Liners

Following their 1960 merger, the combined P&O and Orient Lines had the largest fleet of ocean liners on earth. The Orient Line contributed three of the most modern looking liners of their day, the Orcades, Oronsay and Orsova. P&O followed the pre-war design of their popular Strath-class liners with few modifications, resulting in the Himalaya, Chusan and near-sisters Arcadia and Iberia.

Air travel had made its impact on the ocean liner, and so new ideas were needed to attract passengers to travel by sea. Accordingly, all of the ships were refurbished and refitted with complete air-conditioning. The distinctive corn-colored hulls of the Orient liners were painted tropical white to match the P&O ships. Entertainment became a major feature of the voyage.

Next, the two biggest British ships since the Cunard Queens were placed in service. Oriana was the fastest ship ever built for the Australia run, cutting the sailing time from England from four weeks to three. The slightly larger Canberra achieved nearly the same speed. With aft-mounted engines and nested lifeboats low in the superstructure, she was a trendsetter offering an unusual amount of prime space for passenger facilities. They were the largest ships yet built for a service other than the North Atlantic.

In 1961, to replace their older ships being retired, P&O-Orient Lines purchased two Belgian combination liners for the First class six-week run from Britain to Japan via Suez, naming them Cathay and Chitral.

The company consolidated their ocean liners into an all post-World War II air-conditioned fleet. They created the greatest passenger ship network and schedule ever seen.

Europe to Australia remained their basic trade, but variations and extensions placed P&O-Orient liners in the Far East, the Caribbean and Panama, the West Coast of North America (1954) and Florida (1963). Their extensive cruise operation covered almost anyplace else the liner services missed.

"You stretch out, relaxed, on a warm deck and suddenly, nothing on earth matters. You see the sun like you've never seen it before - dazzling across the smooth sapphire of the sea. And you discover how carefree life can be, surrounded by people who are actually eager to please you. You're in the world of P&O. And it's like nothing on earth!"

P&O-Orient Lines Interchange Sailing Schedules