Day 18

After a solid night’s sleep, Ted and I got ourselves up and ready for the day. I made a new rule for myself—no more pastry-heavy breakfasts for the rest of the cruise. The first few days were basically a carb parade, and while I have no regrets, I’m not keen on starting every morning like I’ve just pre-gamed for a marathon. So today was the first “healthy breakfast day.” We’ll see how long that lasts.

Stepping off the ship in Valletta, we were met with a warm breeze and blue skies—the kind of weather you hope for when docking in the Mediterranean. Right away, we set our sights on the Upper Barrakka Gardens, perched high above the Grand Harbour. As we were mentally preparing for the uphill trek, we spotted a sign offering a return elevator ride to the top for just €1. It was a no-brainer.

The lift dropped us off just steps away from one of the best views in Malta. The Upper Barrakka Gardens date back to the 17th century, when they were constructed by the Knights of St. John as private gardens for Italian knights. Now open to the public, they offer panoramic views over the Grand Harbour, with sweeping vistas of the Three Cities, the cruise port, and the fortifications. With tree-lined paths, fountains, and a scattering of statues—including one of Winston Churchill—it’s an ideal place to catch your breath or pretend you’re in an old spy movie. We took a few shots of the ship looking postcard-perfect from up there.

From there, we wandered into Valletta’s city centre, walking down Republic Street and Merchant Street, both packed with energy. The streets are flanked by limestone buildings with traditional Maltese balconies—painted in every shade of green and tucked into buildings like architectural earrings. Ted and I passed Auberge de Castille, which serves as the Prime Minister’s office these days, but was originally built for the Spanish knights. The building is peak Baroque swagger, complete with sculpted stone, crests, and a fountain out the front for dramatic effect.

We also passed the Grandmaster’s Palace, once home to the rulers of the Knights of Malta and today the seat of Malta’s President. It’s a chunk of serious history that dates back to the 1500s and still holds some impressive armoury and staterooms behind its façade.

At the edge of the city gates, we stopped by the Triton Fountain, where three bronze figures (that look like muscular mermen) are hoisting up a giant bowl. Completed in the 1950s, the fountain has become one of Valletta’s most recognisable landmarks—and honestly, it kind of steals the show at the main entrance. We grabbed a few photos before the tour groups moved in.

Ted was keen to revisit St. Julian’s, a place we remembered fondly from our last visit years ago. We attempted to install a travel app to help navigate the buses but gave up after a few failed attempts and just hopped on one of the public buses heading that way. The ride took us past Sliema, which has evolved into a sleek, modern neighbourhood—lots of glass-fronted apartments and a pretty harbour full of small boats.

Eventually, we made it to St. Julian’s, and if we’d thought Sliema had changed, St. Julian’s had practically been given a whole new identity. What we remembered about Paceville as a slightly sleepy neighbourhood with local shops and low-key charm has become Malta’s unofficial nightlife district. Glass towers, mega clubs, shopping centres—it was giving more “South Beach” than seaside village. Definitely not how we remembered it.

Trying to avoid the neon-and-beach-club vibe, we found a decent place—Cuba Café—where we sat down for iced coffees, chips, and guacamole. It was a solid pit stop, and the view over the bay, even with the new development, was still worth sitting down for.

Given the slow-moving traffic and questionable air-con on the buses, we decided to grab an Uber back to Valletta. It was a smart move. Once we got back to the capital, we explored a few more side streets before beginning the downhill walk to the cruise port.

Along the way, we stumbled across an old Bedford bus, now painted silver and burgundy and rebranded as a “Souvenir Bus.” When we were here years ago, these retro buses were the actual public transport. Seeing one now parked as a photo prop was a bit odd, but also oddly satisfying. The chrome details and curvy lines made it look like something out of a 1950s road trip movie.

One thing I should mention—I’ve had a bit of a skin reaction from sunscreen earlier in the trip, so today I made the very sensible choice to carry an umbrella. I’m not saying I looked like a Victorian-era widow walking the streets of Valletta, but I probably wasn’t far off. Function over fashion.

The walk down to the ship followed a winding road with some fantastic views of the harbour. The Majestic Princess was gleaming in the sunlight, anchored like some kind of floating fortress. It felt good to climb back aboard, especially knowing a buffet lunch was waiting for us.

The rest of the afternoon was more low-key—we chilled out for a while and then met up with Nick and Kuamane, the two American guys from San Diego. Not long after, we bumped into Troy and Ken again, and the four of us made it into an impromptu happy hour (or two).

Dinner was at the buffet again—not quite haute cuisine, but after a few drinks and a full day of exploring, it hit the spot. We ended the night by watching one of the ship’s interactive game shows, Majority Rules, where the audience votes on answers. Think trivia meets groupthink. It was the right balance of silly and social, and the perfect way to wrap up the day.Lue lisää