Day 615-618: June 7-10, 2026 – Manila, Philippines

We had a total of 4 days in Manila, and they were filled with unforgettable moments.

On Sunday, Villa Vie arranged for 200 family and friends of our crew members (many of whom are Filipino) to join their loved ones on the Odyssey for the day. It was a moving day of reunions and joy. Our beloved Captain Val Giuglea described the event beautifully on his Facebook page. (I couldn’t figure out how to link directly to his Facebook post so I’m showing it as a screenshot from his Facebook post.)

The next day, the Odyssey was designated as the first UNESCO Global Flagship for Peace, a vision spearheaded by our very own resident Barbara Violetta. It was especially appropriate because Barbara herself is a former Nobel Peace Prize winner. (And she’s extra special to me, because she’s the other Polish Basia on board!) As part of the ceremony, the Odyssey rang its bell at the same time as bells rang for peace in 41 different countries.

An angelic choir performed as part of the ceremony.

The last time we docked in Manila, in September 2025, we got emergency notifications to get back to the ship in a hurry to stay ahead of a cyclone headed our way. This time, Manila’s unforgettable moments more than made up for that.