SS Orsova (1954)
Orsova in 1966
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| History | |
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| Namesake: | Orșova |
| Owner: |
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| Operator: | 1954-1960, Orient Line. 1960-1966, P&O-Orient Lines. 1966-1974, P&O Line |
| Port of registry: | London,  UK
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| Route: | (Typically) Tilbury-Naples-Port Said-Aden-Colombo-Fremantle-Melbourne-Sydney (from 1955, occasional return Sydney-US West Coast-Panama-Tilbury) |
| Builder: | Vickers Armstrongs (Shipbuilders) Ltd, Barrow in Furness, England |
| Cost: | £6,500,000 |
| Yard number: | 1021 |
| Launched: | 14 May 1953 |
| Sponsored by: | Lady Anderson |
| Completed: | March 1954 |
| Maiden voyage: | 17 March 1954 |
| Out of service: | 1973 |
| Identification: |
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| Fate: | Scrapped 1974 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Ocean liner |
| Tonnage: | |
| Length: | 220.24 m (722.6 ft) |
| Beam: | 27.60 m (90.6 ft) |
| Draft: | 9.433 m (30.95 ft) |
| Depth: | 12.19 m (40.0 ft) |
| Installed power: | 42,500shp |
| Propulsion: | reduction-geared turbine, twin screws |
| Speed: |
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| Capacity: | 681 1st class, 813 tourist class |
| Crew: | 620 |
SS Orsova, was a British ocean liner, built by Vickers Armstrong Shipbuilders Ltd. of Barrow-in-Furness, England for the Orient Steam Navigation Company (Orient Line) for their Great Britain-to-Australia services via the Suez Canal. She was the final development of the 28,000 ton class which began with the SS Orcades of 1948 and continued with the SS Oronsay of 1951. In 1960, in conjunction with the introduction of the new larger and faster Oriana and Canberra, the fleets of Orient (which was majority owned by P&O) and P&O were combined as P&O-Orient Lines, although the Orient ships retained their corn-coloured hulls and sailed under their own house flag. In 1966, P&O acquired the balance of the Orient shares and the Orient Line was discontinued, with Orsova and her fleet mates being transferred to the ownership of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), painted white and under the P&O houseflag.
The ship was named after Orșova, which is a port city on the Danube in southwestern Romania's Mehedinți County. It is situated just above the Iron Gates, at the point where the Cerna River meets the Danube. Orsova's bow featured the Iron Gates as a figurehead. This section of the bow opened inwards to reveal a powerful searchlight, used for navigating the Suez Canal. The Iron Gate symbol also featured on the forward bulkhead of the First Class Midships Arena Games deck.
She had a gross register tonnage of 28,790 GRT and a 30-foot (9.1 m) draft. Length: 220 metres (720 ft). Breadth: 28 metres (92 ft). Cruising speed: 22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph). Maximum speed: 26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph). Propulsion: twin screw, double reduction turbine. Orsova had no masts. Her funnel was capped with a distinctive 'Welsh bonnet' flue extension. She was built with an all-welded hull, the first passenger liner to be so constructed, and her bulkhead and wall linings were plastic-clad.
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