A final farewell

[Kapitan]

The Final farewell

August the 1st 2007 saw what was to be the last voyage of the grand old lady Oriana.

At 1000 on the morning of the 1st oriana slipped her moorings and slowly slipped away from her home of more than four years, the grand old liner aided by her escorting tug was to make her one final voyage, but things wouldn’t go all her own way.

In response to thousands of requests to allow the vessel to make the voyage under her own steam, and to be sent off in a blaze of glory, The Chinese officials banned any vessel or person coming within 500 meters of the vessel.

The BBC reporter Alan Wood enquired as to why such action was needed and why should this fine vessel be allowed to be towed away in a total shadow, the Chinese have released a statement saying the following.

“The vessel in which we have full right over is dangerous, we have put the safety of our people first, and the people who will be towing the vessel, it would be absurd to allow the vessel which is not seaworthy to sail under her own steam with guests on board.”

The Liner which so proudly cruised the seas for over three decades is now a rusting relic being towed to Alang for scrapping; she has already arrived at Alang and is now awaiting her final place on the beach where she will be dismantled.