By
Rebecca Gibson |
Carnival Cruise Line made its inaugural visit to Malta when its newly launched ship, Carnival Vista, called at Valletta Cruise Port on 9 May.
Greeted by a Maltese village band, Carnival Vista remained in port for several hours and departed after a historic Inguardia re-enactment of events during the time of the Knights of St. John, courtesy of the Malta Tourism Authority. As the vessel exited the historic Grand Harbour, guests were treated to a traditional gun salute, which was given from the Upper Barrakka Gardens.
Carnival Vista will make a further seven visits in 2016, bringing a total of more than 27,000 passengers. Ships from Carnival Corporation & plc’s other brands, including Costa Cruises and AIDA Cruises, will make 67 additional calls to Valletta. This will bring around 150,000 tourists to the island.
“Valletta Cruise Port has just invested €1.5 million in Forni Terminal to accommodate the increasing flows of passengers onboard the larger ships,” said Stephen Xuereb, Valletta Cruise Port’s CEO. “Improving the infrastructure on Quays 4/5 and towards Lascaris Wharf is critical to the continued growth of the industry in Valletta. We are currently working on these plans looking to the future. Special thanks go to all the personnel of Valletta Cruise Port, who together with local stakeholders relentlessly work to ensure that Malta is professional, efficient, reliable and flexible in meeting expectations on all fronts.”
Valletta welcomed 17 cruise ships and nearly 40,000 passengers in the first quarter of 2016, a rise of eight vessels and 90% more people than in the same period of 2015. Last year, the port handled a record 307 cruise ships and more than 670,000 passengers, up 30% from 2014.
“The results attained reflect the drive by all stakeholders to develop our product and promote Malta’s increasing attractiveness and popularity as a leading cruise destination in the Mediterranean, in what is a highly competitive market,” said Edward Zammit Lewis, Malta’s Minister for Tourism.