Uncovering P&O Cruises memorabilia

Yesterday we had our Cruise118 Christmas get-together, which included a day of training and seminars along with an evening out. During the day, with lots going on, we uncovered some fascinating P&O Cruises material from almost 50 years ago, and I wanted to share that with you today.

It was really exciting browsing through all of this, and seeing what cruising was like back in 1966. First up is this Cruising Information booklet, which is packed with all kinds of details on the world of cruising. This was back when P&O Cruises had recently acquired the last stake in Orient Lines, hence the name of P&O-Orient Lines

You can then see one of the opening pages, which includes a great advert on the left for whisky as well as an introduction to cruises.And then I’ve got a copy of a page further inside, so you can take a look. Meal times were more strict, and kids’ clubs were different too. Look at the fines as well for carrying dangerous goods onto the ship – £100 in 1966 is the equivalent of around £1,500 in modern terms – quite the fine to suffer.That was all information you’d have received once you’d booked, but before you set sail. This next double-page is from a P&O Cruises ‘Welcome on board’ leaflet, given to guests as they embarked. Personally I love how Gramophones are first in the list of banned items in cabins. And then there’s the breakfast menu, and the list of drinks prices. This is a really interesting look at how the menus have changed (or how they haven’t), and the variety of drinks offered.

Finally we uncovered one more item when we found this absolute treasure trove of P&O Cruises’ documentation, which isn’t actually anything to do with the cruise line itself. Instead this is a telegram sent to two people who were on their cruise, from a friend who wanted to wish them ‘Bon Voyage’ on their sailing on the SS Orcades. It’s a lovely thing to do, and a very sweet item to see.That’s it for these. What do you think of this window into the lives of cruising in 1966, almost 50 years ago? We’d love to hear from you – especially if you’ve got anything like this tucked away yourself! Whether from P&O Cruises or any other line.

Image credit for SS Orcades – PhillipC (Flickr)