Aurora

Better late than never; last September P&O's Aurora called into Bergen, and I have finally got round to uploading the photos I took of her departure from Bontelabo.

Aurora entered service in 2000, with her design based closely on that of her slightly older fleetmate Oriana. As such, the two ships share many common features. The larger of the two, Aurora has a tonnage of 76,000 and can accommodate around 1,900 passengers, served by a crew of 850.

Aurora has long been a personal favourite of mine. I remember following her design and construction eagerly as a child, and visiting Southampton to see her sail during her maiden season. I have since cruised on her twice, and although she does seem to experience more than her fair share of issues, she is a very attractive and comfortable ship to sail on.

For me, it's her exterior styling that sets her apart from so many other modern cruise ships. She was built just ahead of the trend for the large, economical series of 'boxy' designs, and still holds in part (though not entirely) the sleek lines of a more traditional passenger ship. Hopefully Aurora still has many years of active and successful service ahead of her.