Piano Land

MS Piano Land cruise ship was launched in 1995 as P&O Oriana, the oldest liner in the P&O UK fleet. Oriana was also one of the company’s adults-only ships, together with fleetmates Arcadia and Aurora.

In January 2026, Astro Ocean International Cruise and Adora Cruises merged into the new travel brand China Cruises.

Twinkle Travel Cruise International Co is also listed as a ship operator, operating via Well Star Travel Cruise Line China.

History - construction and ownership

MS Oriana (MMSI 310529000, Bermuda-flagged, registered in Hamilton) left the P&O fleet in August 2019. The farewell event was held onboard on August 9, while the liner was docked in Southampton after completing her final voyage for P&O UK. Oriana departed England on August 16, and the new shipowner officially took over the vessel on August 17.

The arrival in Hong Kong was scheduled for late September. For October–November 2019, short-break cruises were scheduled from Shenzhen (Shekou), followed by homeporting in Xiamen in December.

NEWS: According to unofficial sources, the vessel is scheduled to start operations (as “MS Buenavista”) in July 2026 for the new Spanish travel brand Corazul Cruceros. The 5-day inaugural cruise departs on July 4 from homeport Barcelona, to be followed by a 3-day christening cruise. Buenavista’s inaugural summer program is largely based on 8-day Mediterranean itineraries. In October, the ship is scheduled to reposition to the Caribbean, starting homeporting in La Romana (Dominican Republic). The winter deployment is planned for South America.

The 69,840-ton, 1,900-passenger Oriana was the oldest but also the fastest cruise ship in the P&O UK fleet. At the time of her debut, the vessel was among the world’s largest cruise ships and the biggest ever built in Germany.

MV Oriana was christened by HM The Queen of the UK and Commonwealth on April 6, 1995.

The ship underwent two major drydock refurbishments. The first, in December 2006, was a GBP 12 million project, during which Oriana was re-registered from the UK to Bermuda to allow onboard weddings. The second drydock took place in late 2011, when the vessel received 27 new staterooms and two new dining venues. P&O UK’s Oriana later underwent a three-week refurbishment at Blohm+Voss (Hamburg) in late November 2016, resulting in a complete renovation of all restaurants, bars, passenger staterooms, public spaces, and outdoor decks.

During P&O Oriana’s refurbishment in September 2019, new shops were added to the two-level shopping mall (Decks 6–7), featuring premium international brands specializing in leather goods, designer bags, fashion apparel and accessories, perfumes, skincare products, sunglasses, watches, tobacco, and alcohol. Shipboard payments can be made in cash, by credit cards, and via WeChat Pay and AliPay.

The current shipowner is ORIENTAL FLEET CRUISE 01 LTD, representing Astro Ocean International Cruise, a travel brand and joint venture of CTS (China National Travel Service Group Corporation Ltd) and COSCO (China Ocean Shipping Group). COSCO is currently ranked as China’s largest and the world’s sixth-largest container shipping line.

Astro Ocean Cruises itineraries

Astro Ocean Cruises first homeported Piano Land in Xiamen (China), starting operations in mid-October 2019.

In 2020, Astro Ocean introduced a new roundtrip itinerary from Shanghai, visiting Naha-Okinawa (Japan) and Ningbo-Zhoushan (China). From homeport Zhoushan, four roundtrips (departures in March 2020) were scheduled to Japan and China.

After a nearly 4.5-year hiatus, Astro Ocean Cruises resumed revenue operations with MV Piano Land on July 25, 2024, sailing from Shanghai on a 4-night roundtrip to Jeju and Shimonoseki. These roundtrips (4-night/5-day and 5-night/6-day) visited destinations in Japan (Shimonoseki, Naha, Sasebo, Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Kochi) and South Korea (Jeju).

Piano Land’s 2025 cruise schedule listed itineraries to popular destinations in China (including Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, with the first departure on April 15, and Sanya’s Phoenix Island Cruise Terminal), Japan (Naha, Ishigaki, Miyakojima), and Vietnam (Ha Long Bay, Da Nang).

MS Oriana’s itinerary program was based on cruises from Southampton, including Caribbean voyages, an annual “World Cruise” (roundtrip from the UK), and roundtrips to the Canary Islands, British Isles, Norwegian Fjords, Iceland, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, as well as Transatlantic repositioning crossings.

The following was the ship’s final P&O cruise before her transfer to the new Chinese owner.

18-day “Norway and North Cape”

Decks and Cabins

Oriana has a total of 941 cabins, including 24 suites, 106 balcony cabins, and 331 inside cabins, across 20 grades. Most staterooms are 150-sq-ft Oceanview cabins (480 total). The largest accommodation onboard is the Suite, measuring 415 sq ft.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Oriana emerged from a month-long drydock in late 2011, during which two new dining venues were added.

The first, Marco Pierre White’s Ocean Grill, offers cuisine described as modern British, with menu highlights including Thai fishcakes, cheese soufflé, grilled lobster, and wild boar burgers.

The second, Sorrento, is an Italian restaurant offering pizza, pasta, and seafood. Versions of both venues are also found on Adonia (now Azamara Pursuit) and Arcadia (adults-only vessel). Cover charges vary by cruise length. Ocean Grill costs GBP 12.95 per person on itineraries of 8 or more days, GBP 17.95 for 3–7 days, and GBP 22.95 for 1–2 days. Supplements apply for some items. Sorrento costs GBP 5.00 (8+ days), GBP 7.50 (3–7 days), or GBP 10.00 (1–2 days), with supplements for select menu items.

Below is the complete list of Oriana’s restaurants and food venues.

• Peninsular Restaurant (498-seat forward main dining room; club dining venue with large windows; breakfast 8:00–9:30 a.m., lunch 12:00–1:30 p.m., afternoon tea 4:00–4:45 p.m., dinner with two fixed seatings at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.)
• Oriental Restaurant (500-seat aft main dining room; club dining venue; dinners only, with two fixed seatings at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m.; menu identical to Peninsular)
• Ocean Grill Restaurant and Bar (specialty dining by celebrity chef Marco Pierre White; dinner only 6:00–10:00 p.m., reservation required; also serves breakfast for Suite guests)
• Tiffany Court (complimentary venue serving light breakfast and lunch)
• Tiffany’s Lounge and Bar (patisserie with specialty coffee by “Costa Coffee”; light snacks for breakfast and lunch)
• Sorrento Restaurant and Bar (Italian specialty dining; Sorrento Bar)
• The Conservatory Restaurant and Bar (buffet-style with indoor and outdoor seating; breakfast 6:30–7:00 a.m., lunch 12:00–3:00 p.m., afternoon tea and snacks 3:00–5:00 p.m., dinner 6:30–9:00 p.m.; themed buffets, self-service stations, complimentary pizzeria; Conservatory Bar)
• Al Fresco Pizzeria (complimentary indoor/outdoor venue)

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Evening entertainment typically begins at 6:00 p.m., with pianists performing in the Crow’s Nest and Tiffany Lounge, followed by additional live music in Lord’s Tavern sports pub.

The Crow’s Nest is a popular spot to watch sunset scenery with a reasonably priced cocktail of the day (around GBP 3.75). Nightly shows in the Theatre Royal at 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. are well attended and feature productions by the resident Headliners Theatre Company. Oriana’s Pacific Lounge offers a more intimate atmosphere and usually hosts solo singers.

The Harlequins venue alternates between ballroom dancing and disco nights. The casino, with gaming tables and slot machines, opens at 7:00 p.m. Additional amenities include complimentary 24-hour room service, Internet/WiFi access, and self-service laundromats.

Below is the complete list of Oriana’s lounges, clubs, and other entertainment venues.

• Oriana Atrium (four-deck-high central open space and social hub)
• Knightsbridge (duty-free boutique)
• Emporium (general store for confectionery, books, and sundries)
• Florist Desk (flower shop for special occasions)
• Duty-Free Shop (alcohol, cigarettes, tobacco)
• Anderson’s Bar (named after P&O’s founder); Lord’s Tavern (sports bar)
• Harlequins Disco and Nightclub; Pacific Lounge and Dance Club
• Theatre Royal (650-seat venue featuring large-scale productions by the “Headliners Theatre Company”)
• Chaplin’s Cinema; Wedding Venue (weddings and vow renewals)
• Monte Carlo Casino; Art Gallery; Photo Gallery and Shop; Library (with Internet computers); Cyb@Study Online Centre; Medina Room (chapel); Thackeray Room; Crichton’s Card Room
• Terrace Pool; Crystal Pool; Riviera Pool; four whirlpools
• Oasis Spa complex (treatment rooms, steam rooms, sauna, beauty salon)
• Gymnasium (complimentary equipment; fitness classes; yoga and Pilates at surcharge)
• The Crow’s Nest Lounge (dance floor and live music stage; floor-to-ceiling windows with panoramic views; daytime activities include art classes, quiz games, and cooking demonstrations)
• Jogging Track; traditional deck games (deck chess, quoits, shuffleboard); sports court (football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, cricket); table tennis; four golf net cages