Oriana survives- but not for long

[Phil English]

Tradewinds reports that the damaged former P&O liner Oriana is to be towed to Alang (India) for scrap from the Chinese breaking yard where she now lies.

Chinese steel prices are so weak that the Chinese breaker cannot make any money by scrapping the ship himself, so the vessel has been resold to Indian scrappers.

Phil

[Glenn Towler]

First we saw the Canberra go to India and never returned.

Fortuanatley the Rotterdam was saved.

The Norway/France has an uncertian future and it is no secret that if NCL had had their way she would have gone the nearest breakers yard.

Now it appears the Oriana is headed for the breakers yard and no doubt with all the hush hush the norway might be joining her on that beach.

I may only be 34 years old and these ships were built long before I was born, but surely all someone has to do is look at the Queen Mary set up in Long Beach in the USA why do these compaine insist on leaving these ships in the water as the boatatel or what ever they like to call them.  Surely docking the ship in to a permanet position like the Queen Mary where mother nature can throw at it what she likes and do no harm.  This might cost a bit to set up but it is surely going to save money in the long run and also preserve some of the worlds classic liners before all we have to remember them by is photos and people memorys.

[Phil English]

When it comes down to it, there is not enough cash and too many obstacles to make projects similar to the QUEEN MARY viable.

Phil