Some of the most experienced and respected ships' captains have been appointed as masters of Oceana and Adonia.

In command of Oceana is Captain Steve Burgoine, who joined P&O as a deck cadet in 1966 and sailed on the vessels Soudan, Ballarat and Chusan. Three years later he was promoted to Fourth and then Third Officer serving on Orcadea, Strathconon and various other cargo ships.

After taking time away from the sea to successful study for a degree in Maritime Studies at the University of Wales, Captain Burgoine returned to P&O Cruises as Second Officer on board the original Oriana and Canberra.

From 1977 onwards, Captain Burgoine served in positions ranking from First Officer up to Chief Officer on various vessels, including Island Princess, the original Sun Princess, Pacific Princess, the former Oriana, Canberra, Royal Princess, Sky Princess and the original Golden Princess, until 1991 when he was promoted to Deputy Captain.

In this role, he served mainly on Canberra and in 1996 he rose to the position of Captain and his first command was on board Pacific Princess. He has since been master on board Victoria, Island Princess and today's Oriana.

He was selected as Captain of Aurora and was in command on her maiden voyage in 2000.

Having been captain on Ocean Princess, he is now master of the ship as it is renamed Oceana.

On the bridge of Adonia is Captain Rory Smith who, together with his wife Jean, lives in a small village on the edge of the New Forest.

Captain Smith started his sea-going career at HMS Worcester before taking up a cadetship with P&O Cruises.

He joined in 1962 and was promoted to Fourth Oofficer three years later and then served in a number of cargo and passenger ships.

In more recent times he has served as Chief Officer on both Canberra and Oriana and was promoted to deputy captain in 1983.

He assumed his full command as master of Island Princess in February, 1992. Since then he has been Captain of Canberra, Arcadia and Oriana. A member of the Honourable Order of Master Mariners, Captain Smith is a Younger Brother of Trinity House.

Relief master of Oceana is Captain Alistair Clark, who joined P&O in 1974 as a cadet, serving on cargo ships and the old Arcadia.

Between 1981 and 1990 he worked his way up the ranks to the position of First Officer, serving mainly on the old Island Princess, Sun Princess and Pacific Princess and then Royal Princess.

He moved to Canberra and was promoted to Chief Officer in 1992, and then to Staff Captain in 1995. In this role he served on Victoria, Arcadia and Aurora.

Captain Clark was promoted to master on Victoria and was in command during her final voyage last year.

With his wife Eileen, a former Deputy Purser for P&O Cruises, whom he met while they were both working on board Canberra, Captain Clark lives near Warsash.

Adonia's relief master is Captain Richard Fennelow, who started his cadetship serving on board Somali, Strathconon and Oronsay before moving on to Canberra as Fourth Officer.

During his career he has also served on Himalaya, Island Princess, the original Oriana, Uganda and Island Princess, Sun Princess, Sea Princess, Royal Princess, Pacific Princess and Sky Princess.

He was promoted to Captain in 1996 to take command on Victoria. Since then he has been on board Oriana, Arcadia and Aurora.