Christening Voyage Cruise
Seven Nights - Rome return
by Kylie Crouch & Michelle Halliday
On May 8th 2023 we were lucky enough to participate in a glittering christening ceremony in the harbour of Valletta, Malta for Oceania's new ship Vista. The celebration was headlined by the ship’s godmother, Giada De Laurentiis, an Italian-American chef, author, restaurateur and Emmy Award-winning food personality.
After the iconic ceremonial Champagne bottle-breaking, guests were treated to a 60-minute performance by award-winning musician Harry Connick Jr followed by a spectacular firework display over Valletta’s historic harbour.
An absolutely fitting ceremony for a stunning addition to the Oceania Cruises fleet! Below are some of the highlights of this voyage and the beautiful Vista.
INTRODUCING VISTA
Vista is the first of Oceania Cruise Line's Allura Class vessels. The stunning 1200-guest, all-veranda ship offers a market-leading staffing ratio with two crew members for every three guests. They boast the most spacious standard staterooms at sea, plus new Concierge Level Veranda Staterooms for solo travellers. With a residential-style luxury design, it sets a new standard for luxury cruising.
This christening cruise was full, however, you would not have known this as many times we found ourselves enjoying our own space in one of the many cleverly designed areas where we seemed like the only passengers onboard. The staff were extremely accommodating and attentive without being intrusive when they could see you clearly were relaxing.
Another fabulous feature onboard is the guest laundry. If a cruise is just part of your amazing journey it is so nice to have the option to do a load of washing yourself without the hefty cost of having it done for you. Also unpacking and ironing the much-needed folded garments so that you are ready to explore as soon as you dock at the next destination is an excellent touch. We used the guest laundry a couple of times and did not have to wait even with a full ship. You still have the option to use the ship laundry service too, this is at a cost though.
DISCOVERING THE STATEROOMS
Oceania went all-out when designing the staterooms aboard Vista, most offer private balconies (the exception is the French balcony cabins). In fact, even the smallest room still has a generously sized balcony at 14.95 square metres, and the bulk of staterooms onboard are around 27 square metres, leaving plenty of space to relax & unwind in your own piece of paradise.
We were staying in a veranda stateroom with a balcony. This was extremely spacious with ample storage allowing us to unpack once and enjoy the journey. With a fresh, modern contemporary design with incredible amenities including a refillable water bottle. The luxurious marble bathroom was equally as beautiful with a large glass shower and Bvlgari toiletries. The linen was extremely luxurious so much so that it was the talk of the ship for some time with many wanting to know where they could purchase the towels!
FINEST CUISINE AT SEA
For a ship of its size, Oceania's Vista offers an astonishing 11 different dining options onboard, including three all-new venues for the cruise line. With the consistently high level of quality in the cuisine onboard, passengers are spoilt for choice with the culinary delights -- whether it's simpler options like pizza, or a multi-course dining extravaganza.
Toscana had to be one of our favourites although this is a hard decision to make. Toscana delivers the flavours of Tuscany with many of the recipes originating from mothers and grandmothers of Oceania's own Italian culinary staff... You can definitely taste the passion in this cuisine!
Another of our go-to places was Aquamar Kitchen, a breakfast regular, where we would struggle to choose from energising cold press raw juices or superfood smoothies to accompany either the avocado toast or energy bowl. So fresh and tasty!
JUST LIKE BEING IN A RESORT
Outdoor pleasures aboard Oceania Vista include dedicated courts for pickleball, croquet/bocce and shuffleboard with a generously sized mini-golf course forward on Deck 15. There are plenty of resort-style secluded chaise lounges scattered on the central Pool Deck on Deck 12, sheltered from the wind via faux-slatted wood panels, a great place to relax with a good book. This was one of our favourite places to catch up with fellow cruises or just to sit and relax on our own.
SHORE EXCURSIONS - SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE
Oceania has a plethora of shore excursions to choose from, and the high calibre of offers can make the decision process difficult. If you want something that is a little bit more special then we suggest you choose one of the Oceania Select options for a one-of-a-kind experience. If a small group experience is something you are after the Oceania Exclusive option may be for you. With their Simply MORE offering, you do get a Shore Excursion credit as part of your cruise fare so why not put that to good use and pre-book one of the many amazing options available? You will not be disappointed.
We were definitely spoilt for choice, the shore excursions we selected ticked all the boxes and allowed us to immerse ourselves in the cultures and surroundings of the destinations we travelled to. Malta & Capri were a couple of our favourites and the guides and drivers were superb!
REMISS NOT TO MENTION
We hope this has inspired you to choose Oceania for your next cruise adventure. If would like more information on Oceania Vista please get in touch with your local YOU Travel Cruise specialist here.