LIVES OF THE LINERS: LINERS, LINERS EVERYWHERE! - It took 2 years to plan the 7-liner departure and, despite the coming & going of English rain, it was a huge success. 15,000 passengers disembarked that morning & then 15,000 boarded that same afternoon ... with an estimated combined 60,000 suitcases being handled in the process. Of the 7 P&O liners, 5 had actual berths at Southampton and two, including me being aboard the smallish Adonia, were relegated to temporary "terminals" -- a tented dockside affair for us, in fact. Our 700 passengers actually did disembarkation at a soccer stadium outside Southampton, checked our bags & then we were bussed to the ship itself.
With the additional likes of all-day provisioning, refueling and the quick movements of tugs & line handlers, the 7 liners sailed from their respective berths at 10 min intervals and then formed a procession in Southampton Water and along the Solent before "breaking ranks" off Portsmouth. Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, reviewed the fleet from the decks of the lighthouse tender Patricia and often while sheltered herself under a large umbrella. Forget the erratic rain, it was indeed an exciting & special day. Never before have 7 large liners departed in such prompt & orderly progression.
Grand memories of the ships such as the Rawalpindi, Viceroy of India, Stratheden, Himalaya, Chusan, Arcadia, Iberia & of course the Canberra. And after the full merger with the Orient Line in 1960, added great liners such as the Orcades, Oronsay, Orsova & Oriana. Happy 175th birthday (in July 2012) to P&O. Texto e imagens /Text and images copyright Bill Miller. Favor não piratear. Respeite o meu trabalho / No piracy, please. For other posts and images, check our archive at the right column of the main page. Click on the photos to see them enlarged. Thanks for your visit and comments. Luís Miguel Correia
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