the UK market, P&O diverged its Australian operations in 1988, acquiring Sitmar Cruises, which already operated a ship in Australia. This led to the formation of P&O Cruises Australia, which would oversee Australian operations, while P&O Cruises continued to oversee UK operations. 1995–2008: First newbuilds and changes of ownership In the 1990s, P&O Cruises commissioned its first newbuild, the second Oriana, which entered service in April 1995. Unlike the older ocean liners the company had inherited from P&O, which had been designed to transport passengers from one place to another, the new Oriana was a cruise ship, built purely for pleasure cruising. At 69,153 gross tons, she was one of the largest in the world. Sea Princess also returned to the fleet in 1995, under the new name Victoria. Canberra departed the fleet in 1997 and was replaced the same year by a second Arcadia, which had previously been Star Princess for Princess Cruises. In 2000, Aurora, a newbuild of similar design to Oriana, entered service for P&O Cruises. However, her service suffered an inauspicious start when she was forced to abandon her maiden voyage due to mechanical problems. The same year, P&O divested all its cruise operations and formed the independent company P&O Princess Cruises, which now owned P&O Cruises. In 2002, Victoria departed the fleet and Oceana joined, having previously been Ocean Princess for Princess Cruises. In 2003, the ownership of P&O Cruises changed once again when P&O Princess Cruises merged with Carnival Corporation to form Carnival Corporation & plc. Thereafter, Arcadia transferred to the new Ocean Village brand. Adonia, previously Sea Princess and a sister to Oceana, replaced Arcadia but returned to Princess Cruises in 2005. Adonia was replaced the same year by a newbuild Arcadia, which was allocated to P&O Cruises after having originally been intended for Holland America Line and thereafter Cunard Line. Arcadia was joined by Artemis, previously Royal Princess for Princess Cruises. 2008–present: Expansion, modernisation, and COVID-19 The fleet expanded and modernised with the addition of the 116,017-ton newbuild Ventura in 2008, and her sister Azura in 2010. Artemis departed the fleet in 2011 and was replaced by a second Adonia, which like Artemis had previously been Royal Princess for Princess Cruises. In 2012, P&O Cruises celebrated the 175th anniversary of the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company by staging a 'Grand Event', in which the entire fleet was assembled in Southampton. In 2014, the