P&O-Orient Lines
The Last Ocean Liners
At the time of their 1960 merger, the combined P&O (Peninsular and Oriental) and Orient Lines had the largest fleet of passenger ships on earth. Most notable were the ocean liners built following World War II. Orient Line contributed the Orcades, Oronsay and Orsova, some of the most modern looking liners of their day. P&O followed the design of their popular Strath class ships with few modifications in the Himalaya, Chusan, Arcadia and Iberia.
Air travel was making its impact on the ocean liner, and so new ideas were needed to attract passengers to travel by sea. Accordingly, the seven newer 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 reached 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, and the last P&O-Orient ocean liners.
The interior layouts of Arcadia and her near sister Iberia were typical of the P&O-Orient liners. First class occupied the forward and midship areas, including an observation lounge on Boat Deck and the library, writing rooms, main lounge, cinema ballroom, verandah cafe and pool bar on Promenade Deck. First class staterooms were on A, B, C and D-Decks, 
almost all with private bathrooms and many with two lower beds. Tourist class was located aft, with a gallery on A-Deck, dance space and verandah cafe on B-Deck and a lounge and smoking room on C-Deck. Cabins were 2, 4 and 6-berth without facilities on D, E and F-Decks. Each class had its own swimming pool on Promenade Deck and a restaurant on D-Deck.
In 1961, to replace their older ships, 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.
In 1963 Himalaya and Orcades were reconfigured as all tourist class, allowing the last of the pre-World War II ocean liners to be retired and leaving P&O-Orient Lines with an all modern fleet.
P&O-Orient Lines had created the greatest passenger ship network and schedule ever seen, calling at over 100 ports. Their main service linked Europe with Australia and New Zealand, with many sailings calling in India and the Far East as well. New routes sent P&O-Orient liners to the West Coast of North America (1954), Panama Canal and the Caribbean (1959) and Florida (1963). Their extensive cruise operation covered almost anyplace else the liner services missed. The Orient Line brand was phased out in 1966.
"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!"
In the early 1970s, with the inevitable decline in point-to-point sea travel and a dramatic increase in fuel prices, P&O ceased most of its line voyages. First, the Cathay and Chitral were sold. Then they quickly retired and scrapped Iberia, Orcades, Chusan, Orsova, Himalaya and Oronsay. The Arcadia was used for both cruising and line voyages until 1979. That left only the Canberra and Oriana, which were deployed permanently as cruise ships.
Sample minimum one-way fares from Southampton to Sydney: First class $840; Tourist class $518; from Southampton to Yokohama: First class $934; Tourist class $583; from San Francisco to Sydney: First class $504; Tourist class $405; from San Francisco to Southampton: First class $560; Tourist class $439; Fares are per person in U.S. dollars as of spring 1969.
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