P & O Cruises is a British cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & Plc.
On Thursday 2nd May, 2019 morning two Passenger Liners OCEANA and AURORA met each other whilst berthed at Valletta Cruise Port. In fact first to enter was the Fincantieri built liner OCEANA coming from Gazenica, Croatia with pilot boarding at 0503 hrs and entering Valletta at 0516 hrs berthing at Pinto 1 and 2 wharves at Valletta Cruise Port.
She was built in Italy by Fincantieri at their shipyard in Monfalcone as Yard Number 6044 bearing the name of OCEAN PRINCESS for P&O Princess Cruises and homeported at Monrovia, Liberia for some months and then to London, GBR from 2000 to 2005. She was named by HRH the Princess Royal Anne. During 2002 she was renamed to her present name as OCEANA and changed flag again to Bermuda homeported at Hamilton from 2005 to present. She’s the sister ship to ADONIA (Formerly SEA PRINCESS), SUN PRINCESS and PACIFIC EXPLORER.
At 0716 hrs the German built liner AURORA coming from Messina, Sicily entered Valletta berthing at Pinto 4 and 5 wharves at Valletta Cruise Port with a lovely turn saluting OCEANA with fog horns.
She was built in Germany by Meyer Weft at their shipyard in Papenburg as Yard Number 640 and homeported at London, GBR from 2000 to 2007. She was named by HRH the Princess Royal Anne and the sixth largest of seven ships currently in the fleet for P&O Cruises. During 2007 she changed flag again to Bermuda homeported at Hamilton to present. She was the first P&O ship to emerge with the British Union Flag on her bow and her funnel repainted blue from buff after her last refit in 2014.
Both vessels were represented in Malta by Malta Cruise Services, a division of Mifsud Brothers Ltd – www.mbl.com.mt
Photos by Capt. Lawrence Dalli. Do not use these images without my permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
