Two days after boarding in Rome, our brand spanking new, sleek, and ultra-smooth ship arrived in historic Valletta, Malta for its formal christening. Full of anticipation, our Direct Travel team was met by Oceania’s sales team under Tricia Wolf’s leadership for an outdoor reception on the Spa Terracce on deck 15.
As festivities were scheduled for the evening, programming afforded guests a free morning/afternoon to discover this magnificent city on foot. Valletta lies at the cultural crossroads of the Arab and European worlds and has acted as a trade center and defensive bastion for millennia. This is reflected in its architecture of western “colonial style” sandstone buildings which incorporate the Arabian mashrabiya balconies to provide both, light and privacy to residents. It’s a mixing of cultures you don’t see often.
Cobble stone streets and pedestrian walkways abound in this hilltop city, provide visitors magnificent views and hidden gems. Valletta is a city well worth visiting for longer as our short stop did not allow us to taste the unique local cuisine and it’s amazing museums and exhibitions.
Day touring completed, it was time for all 1100 guests and crew to get ready for the main function – The christening of Oceania Vista 🎆
As the weather was predicted to be somewhat iffy late in the day, the events team had prepped a large tent for all guests to stay dry in case the heavens wanted to bless us with rain. It was a fortuitous act as heavy showers made an appearance on command (one could surmise) right after the bottle was dropped by godmother Giada De Laurentis. As they say in the seafarer tradition, drops can follow drops as a good luck symbol.
It was indeed a night to remember as the christening also represented the last official act of NCLH CEO Frank Del Rio Sr. The entire evening was a celebration of 20 years for Oceania Cruises from its humble beginnings in 2003 with one leased ship (Regatta) to today’s fleet of 7 outright owned vessels. Beloved by guests around the world for its “best cuisine at sea,” the line has become renowned for its contemporary premium experiences in country club casual atmosphere. Stay tuned for more of this magnificent ship in my next blog.
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