On The Sea Again, I Just Can't Wait To Get On The Sea Again: Two Incredible Days in Malta

Before I get to Malta, let's talk about the day at sea after leaving Civitavecchia. It was a day of smooth sailing that started with an amazing Sunday brunch. We've had Sunday brunch before on Oceania and they've always been good and beautifully presented. This brunch took it to a new level. If nothing else, the seafood array was a highlight of its own.

Along the way, we passed Stromboli Island. Last year, while we were in Covid quarantine on Riviera, we passed Stromboli with its active volcano at night. It looked different in the daylight.

Of course Monday was the big day, the day of the christening. We arrived in Valetta, Malta in the morning and could see the preparations for the gala event underway on the pier.

In the morning, we took an excursion - Rabat, Mdina & Dingli Cliffs. Oceania has set uncharacteristically low prices for excursions on this special cruise - a whopping $23 each for the 4 hour excursion. The first stop was the Dingli Cliffs for the views.

Next was a visit to Rabat and the St. Paul's church and catacombs. The catacombs thankfully did not have any remains remaining!

After the church visit, we walked through Rabat to Mdina. The places we visited have Arabic names because Malta was under Arab domination for about 300 years starting in 870 CE.

Mdina was a walled city surrounded by a dry moat.

We visited the cathedral with its dramatic interior and beautiful inlays over the crypts.

Our final stop was to get an overview of the area.

Returning to the ship, we had time to rest and prepare for the gala christening (or, if you prefer, the bristening as the rabbi who gave one of the blessings called it!). We did our best to dress appropriately.

The event was held in the dramatically lit structure on the pier. Here we are with the cruise director, Paul Baya.

The event was emceed by Leslie Jon, the senior Oceania cruise director. There was also a performance by the ship's cast which was fantastic. (As an aside, the 2 shows that we have seen on board have been great, particularly the dancing.)

After several speeches including those by Frank Del Rio and Frank, Jr. (it was a very emotional night for both of them), Giada did the actual christening.

Then Harry Connick, Jr. and his band came on and put on a great show. At FDR's request, he sang 2 songs that he has never performed in public before (and said he probably never will again). One was "My Way". The other was "Volare" which was FDR's father's favorite song. He had FDR and FDR, Jr. join him on the stage to sing that one, and he asked the audience to sing along as well.

After Harry Connick's show, there were fireworks. It was the end to an amazing night, one we were thrilled to be a small part of. I know that I keep throwing out many superlatives to describe our experiences and I apologize for that. But, the fact is, they have been superlative!

Tuesday morning we did another excursion in Malta. This was one that Neli Arias, who is head of the loyalty program, organized for the Oceania Club members on board. And she has organized excursions in the next 2 ports as well. Our first stop was in Attard, a suburb of Valetta, where we visited the San Anton Gardens.

Next up was Mosta, where we visited the cathedral with its huge dome.

Then we were treated to a wine tasting. I would say that the wines were good but not outstanding. We didn't buy any! Have I mentioned that all drinks are free on the ship for this cruise?

And here we are with our incredible host, Neli:

Our last stop on the tour was at a glass factory where we bought our first souvenir on this trip.

In the afternoon, we sailed out of Valletta where the city provided fire boats spraying and a cannon salute as we departed. It was a fitting end to the gala 2 days.