Dubai to Valletta: Two days on the Mediterranean Sea after the Suez Canal

Our last two sea days, of the seven from Salalah, were across the Mediterranean to Valletta in Malta.

After all the excitement of the Arabian Gulf, the Red Sea, Jeddah and the Suez Canal we now had two days to really relax.

Our cruise through the Suez Canal started in Dubai and took us to Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Salalah, then the transit of the Suez Canal, Valletta, Dubrovnik, Hvar, Venice, Split and finally back to Valletta.

Day 16 Tuesday 2nd April: The Mediterranean Sea

The ship had slowed from its previous 19+ knots and from our balcony I took this picture of the blue sky.

Morning on the Mediterranean

The Ligurian was very busy and after a short wait we joined a full table. Everyone had enjoyed the transit through the canal but after a while most had given the watching the passing desert.

We added more layers before venturing out on the Promenade Deck for our 2 mile walk. The side of the ship in the shade was empty as the cool wind dropped the temperature there significantly. After our walk we went into the Atrium and had coffee and muffins as a reward from our efforts outside.

We chatted with some of our dinner companions who commented on P&O not sending passengers a certificate for the recent transit of the Suez Canal. For evidence we needed to have had a picture taken enjoying the transit and then buy a copy with a map of the canal tacked on the side.

Afternoon

After lunch we went to the theatre to wait for the talk on the Kray brothers. The place was packed as a screening of Bohemian Rhapsody was just finishing. I arrived just as the Live Aid concert scene was starting. Watching the film on the big screen confirmed what a great performance this was in the film (and was as I remembered when I had watched the original on TV.)

The talk on the Krays was fascinating as it took us through their early life and how they courted the rich and famous in their West End nightclub. The documented violence that followed after one of the brother’s wife committed suicide was quite staggering.

Evening

The Captain in his 6 pm briefing warned about the forecast high winds on the day that Oceana was scheduled to dock in Valetta. If this forecast continued then ship would dock much earlier than planned.

It was another formal night and we tried again to have a portrait photographs taken. A visit to the photo gallery later would confirm my worst fears of another poor photography shoot.

The choices in the bars were now significantly reduced as Oceana needed restocking urgently. This particular beer did not have a great taste and this was probably the reason why it was still available!

For dinner, I started with a warm cheese in breadcrumbs, a sorbet, then steak again and finally a version of a baked Alaska. All in all not a great menu.

The ship’s Headliners were performing their tribute to Queen in the theatre. The scheduling of the Queen movie in the afternoon and the show in the evening was perhaps not a good idea. The Headliners’ performance only emphasising just how good the film was.

In our room we had a note telling us to collect our passports at the Yacht & Compass bar between 8:30 am and 9:30 am on our first day in Valletta.