ORCADES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 216, 12 August 1937, Page 4

ORCADES

NEW ORIENT LINER. The liner Orcades, 23,400 tons, the new sister to the Orion has completed her trials, which are reported from London as highly successful in every way The ship’s first voyage will he a cruise to the Mediterranean, starting from London on August 21. On her maiden voyage to Australia, for which country’s service she is built, the big vessel will arrive in Sydney on November 18.

With the same modern streamlined appearance as the Orion, the new ship has only one funnel, buff, and one mast, and will be corn-coloured with white superstructure and blue-green boot-topping. The funnel has been made 9 feet higher than in the Orion, with the object of further ensuring the carriage of waste gases clear of the important big tourist sun deck and swimming pool. Throughout the ship there are important constructional and engineering innovations of great importance to shipbuilders the world over; but these will not be so noticeable to the travelling public as will the architectural and decorative treatment and the provision for comfort in the public rooms and all the passenger accommodation. The whole of the interior treatment has been under the control of the same New Zealand architect, Mr Brian O’Rorke, as in the first of the two 23,400-tonners; and it is said that the eyes of the shipbuilding world are on this architect because of the effect of beauty he has achieved by employing all the most modern trends of decoration while retaining a striking simplicity. Design has been stripped of unnecessary frills and each piece of furnishing and fitting is exactly suited to its purpose—which is for the utmost comfort on a long. voyage and to be “easy to live with.” From the reports, the Orcades, in her colour schemes, panelling, metallic decoration, lighting, furnishing and fittings, is of absorbing interest to those concerned with interior decoration. One of the most important innovations is the air-conditioning of many cabins and, in addition to the dining saloon, of the library. The deck-spaces in both classes, first saloon, and tourist, have been extended and cleared of obstruction in every possible way, and the result is most impressive, even by comparison with the Orion. Each class has its own built-in swimming pool and adjacent dressing rooms. The ‘‘air-conditioned flats” are a landmark in the development of sea-comfort. Each has its own bath-room, entrance hall, box room, living room, and pantry. Striking provision has been made for children in decks, play-nurseries (under the charge of a nursery hostess) and dining room. It is of interest that ,the new r ship is called after the ancient name of the Orkney Islands, off Scotland.