Oriana's stormy voyages

The luxury liner can carry almost 2,000 passengers

It has been far from plain sailing for the British superliner Oriana, since it took to the seas in 1995.

P&O's £200m flagship has been plagued by problems from the recent freak wave which destroyed cabin windows to propeller failure minutes after setting off on its maiden voyage.

Repairs to correct the propeller problem resulted in the Oriana vibrating excessively at high speeds and within less than a month of hitting the oceans, it twice broke down completely.

Problems struck shortly after the liner was named by the Queen

On the second occasion, as it headed from Ibiza to the Israeli port of Haifa, the 69,000-tonne ship drifted for almost half an hour with its engines stopped.

Passengers, who had paid up to £6,000 for their cruise, later told how they were trapped in lifts and left in blacked-out cabins as power failed.

Modern cruiser

But the German built liner is still promoted by owners P&O as the "the modern face of traditional cruising at its very best".

Passengers looking for a luxurious ocean cruise, despite the hiccups, are spoiled for choice.

Oriana factfile

Cruises at 24 knots

Uses 88.9 gallons of fuel per mile

Hull protected by electronic force field

Hangs more works of art than the National Gallery

Has 47,840 square yards of carpet

Produces 264,000 gallons of fresh water a day

They can busy themselves in two restaurants, a casino, gymnasium, theatre, children's facilities, three outside swimming pools or even the self-service laundry.

There are 10 decks, with 2.5 acres outdoors, for the 1,975 passengers to lose themselves in.

The Oriana, the name chosen by the 16th Century courtiers to honour Queen Elizabeth I, is one of a class of cruise ships.

But its sea-going sister, the £200m Aurora superliner has had its own share of troubled waters.

Earlier this year, in May, the Aurora had to be returned to Southampton just two days into its maiden voyage.

Again, it was a propeller at fault as a shaft bearing failed, severely reducing the vessel's power.