MSC Cruises may use Malta as home port

The Italian company MSC Cruises is studying the possibility of using Malta as a home port for passengers from other countries, a concept that could have a ripple effect on the economy.

MSC Cruises managing director Domenico Pellegrino said the company was looking to use Malta as a home port, with cruises starting and ending at the Grand Harbour, for British, Dutch, Scandinavian and Belgian passengers.

The company, exclusively represented in Malta by Hamilton Travel, will bring 63,000 passengers to Malta on three of its liners next year, fuelling the expected revival of the cruise liner industry.

Viset chairman Joe Grioli said the industry was definitely expecting a better year ahead with an anticipated jump of 20 per cent in bookings.

"The bookings for next year are strong, and we are also getting bookings for 2007. As Viset we are proud that we have decided to invest in quality and the growth is a clear sign that our investment is paying off," he said.

This is encouraging news, because although the number of cruise liner passengers who visited the island during the first nine months of this year was up by 10.5 per cent, to 224,480, over the same period last year, according to official statistics, figures dipped by 11.7 per cent in September. Mr Grioli and Dr Pellegrino, together with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and Hamilton Travel managing director Norman Hamilton were yesterday addressing a press conference on board the MSC Opera, which was making its debut visit to Malta.

Mr Hamilton said that MSC Cruises was also exploring the options of "cruise and stay" and "fly and cruise". This would entail bringing tourists, sailing aboard the luxurious liners, to Malta for a week's vacation.

"MSC Cruises is discussing this new concept with Air Malta with the possibility of being introduced in 2007," Mr Hamilton said.

Dr Gonzi welcomed this news and said it fit in perfectly with the government's strategy of how Malta could excel in the cruise liner business.

MSC Cruises has already accepted to feature three of Malta's hotels - the Corinthia Marina, the Corinthia San Gorg and the Westin Dragonara Resort - in a brochure that will be distributed to two million people in 23 countries.

The company is also planning to launch three other liners over the next three years - the 90,000-ton MSC Musica and the MSC Fantasia and MSC Serenata, both of which weigh a colossal 133,500 tons and can carry 4,000 guests.

The brand new MSC Opera, which can take up to 2,055 guests, will be operating 26 weekly cruises to and from Malta next year.