History
The Orsova departed on its maiden voyage from Tilbury 17 March 1954, with Sydney as its main destination. The following month, on its return voyage from Sydney to Tilbury, it became stuck against the bank in the Suez Canal. This was attributed to the combination of a strong crosswind and a pilot unfamiliar with the vessel. Sixty or so local males were recruited on the windward bank of the canal to pull the ship off the leeward bank, using one of the ship's mooring lines, so that it could once again make way. This operation took several hours. Meanwhile, a group of passengers who had disembarked at Port Suez to take a bus tour, and who were on their way to Port Said to rejoin the ship, were left stranded when it was decided, in order to stay on schedule, not to dock at Port Said. They were subsequently flown to Naples, Orsova's next port of call.[3]
On 24 May 1956, Orsova ran aground off Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne, for twelve hours. In the 1960s, Orsova carried many thousands of emigrants from Greece and Italy to Australia.
Orsova was transferred to sister company P&O in 1966. It then started service on a new but relatively short-lived round-the-world route based at Southampton. The normal outward leg included Bermuda, Port Everglades, Panama, Acapulco, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Hawaii, Fiji, Auckland, and Sydney. Then it would either cruise from Sydney for six weeks or round-the-Pacific Sydney-Singapore-Hong Kong-Kobe-Yokohama-Hawaii-Vancouver-San Francisco-Los Angeles-Hawaii-Fiji-Auckland-Sydney. The home leg operated Sydney-Brisbane-Singapore-Penang-Colombo (with Goan crew change) Durban-Port Elizabeth-Cape Town-Madeira-Southampton.
Meanwhile, also in 1966, the Gulf Oil Corporation had identified Whiddy Island in Bantry Bay, Ireland, as the most suitable site for its new oil terminal. Construction started in 1967 and the terminal was completed in 1969. With the end of its round-the-world service, Orsova was chartered by Gulf Oil in the spring of 1969 to act as a floating hospitality and accommodation ship for the formal opening of the Bantry Bay Oil Terminal. Leaving Southampton she called at Cobh in Ireland to collect the many guests to be taken to the Bay for the ceremony. These included the then Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, together with many ambassadors to the Republic. They were then returned to Cobh and Orsova returned to Southampton for spring cruising.
In the early 1970s, she was primarily involved in cruises. In 1973 P&O announced that their flagship, Canberra, was to be withdrawn from service, largely because her deep draught prevented her from berthing at many popular cruise ports. Orsova was to be rebuilt as a cruise ship and sail in tandem with Oriana. Many P&O directors were appalled that their flagship might be scrapped (P&O never sold ships for further service) and that the fleet would consist of ex Orient ships. After a boardroom battle, the decision was reversed and Orsova was instead withdrawn from service at the end of 1973. She was sold to shipbreakers in Taiwan and arrived at Kaohsiung on 14 February 1974 to be broken up.[4]
