To add a comment about the open decks at the stern. They were quite a unique feature of the Orient Line and P&O line passenger ships of the time. If see Arcadia and Iberia especially the open desks merged into open decks all along the supperstructure.
I do think that Oriana did not look as elegant as say Canberra, but she was very advanced for her time, and fast !
Douglas.

Well, i love this magnificent liner, one of the better designed passenger ships ever built. She was unique and a very proud liner, looking modern and very attractive. Better than CANBERRA and I knew well both... She was the final liner designed for the Orient Line I only regret I do not remember her in original colours...

Well Boomvang, all I can say is I sailed on the Oriana and I thought she was "awesome"..... Having said that I must agree with you on the Queens being graceful, on the few times I was lucky enough to see them, always came away impressed.

Bang on indeed Clive & Tony, if you squint, the four could almost be sisters. 15 years apart! I was referring to the graceful Queens, SS U.S. et al.. The Canberra too had gorgeous lines, if not the speed of the Oriana. Cheers, John.

"you only have to look at her predecessors, Orcades, Oronsay and Orsova to see how Oriana is a logical development of those designs" bang on Clive.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcYZlRWWxO0
pfffff
Tomas

Boomvang, whilst I don't really want to prolong this discussion I could not ignore your comments regarding Oriana's design having more in common with the large cruise ships of today than with her predecessors.
I can accept that you may not like the design of Oriana (life would be pretty dull if we all liked the same things) but you only have to look at her predecessors, Orcades, Oronsay and Orsova to see how Oriana is a logical development of those designs. She was designed and built as a fast, two-class ocean liner and whilst she ended her days as a highly popular cruise ship she had very little in common with the mega floating resort-type ships of today.
Oriana is a 'Marmite-type' ship, there are no half measures, you either love or you hate it. As everyone on this site knows, I love it. I remember her coming into service, remember, she was designed in the 1950s (check out what other ships were being built at that time). Oriana was dramatic, modern, exciting and. as I said, very fast. She was also built in England and was proof that our shipyards were at that time at the forefront of modern ship design and construction.

I believe Mr. DOT, she is at the summit of that slippery slope that led to those monstrosities, the missing link, as she has more in common with them than her predecessors.

To those that think this was a 'messed up design' have you cast your eyes on the epec monstrocities of the present! mrdot.

There are lots of beautiful ships on this site Shaun, I'm sure you will find one that will please you.

And beauty is not present in this beholder's eyes.

Steady on boys! 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' as they say.

Awful Looking vessel, Looks half finished

I don't like any aspect of this mess of a ship and I am done with it.

Umm, why not just say "I don't like any aspect of this ship" and be done with it?

Yes, she would look more elegant without the Swiss cheese stern, the bridge amidships, the two misshapen funnel-ish things and all the unnecessary, unflattering angles and sticky-ouy bits.

She would look so elegant with a sealed up stern.

I like this shot Clive. This is how I remember her sailing out of port.CG

Clive, Very nice photo departing her home port. Don't believe any plates were missing, her open deck stern was typical of other orient line liners.

Thanks Mr DOT, good to know there are those who appreciate these lovely old ladies.

Just fabulous classic shots! mrdot.

Trygve
that could be that it has to do with tonnage calculation,but not because of the Pancan or Suez,,because for that GT calculation they use their own (in their favour of course) calculation. Whereas ports in general use the same standard for the GT calculation. However port costs are sometimes by length and not tonnage

Can Denis or anyone else tell me if this "construction" as You mention, Denis, has something to do with how to measure Gross Tonnage, or perhaps charge for passing the Suez-Canal og Panama???? Or other purposes? Or to reduce the number of cabins in that section, because of disturbance (noise/vibrations) from propellers???

Some steel plates are missing on the stern...