MMA seeking funding for Xlendi cruise ship mooring facility
The Maritime Authority has agreed in principle to lay a buoy at the mouth of Xlendi Bay to enable cruise liners to moor there, but it still has to source the funding for the Lm80,000 project, Communications Minister Censu Galea has confirmed.The MMA...
The Maritime Authority has agreed in principle to lay a buoy at the mouth of Xlendi Bay to enable cruise liners to moor there, but it still has to source the funding for the Lm80,000 project, Communications Minister Censu Galea has confirmed.
The MMA last year laid a bollard in the bay to enable medium sized cruise liners to berth off the bay but it was not enough to enable the ships to moor without shutting off their engines.
Mr Galea said that while cruise operators preferred taking their ships to Grand Harbour, because of the beauty of the port and its proximity to Valletta, Xlendi also offered a unique experience because of the towering cliffs all around it.
The Times Business on May 17 quoted port agents Mifsud Brothers who said that passengers on the Seabourn Pride which moored off Xlendi in April last year had been vocal in their praise.
"Our guests loved Xlendi. Although small, they thought it cute and endowed with a very special atmosphere. Some guests even mentioned that the harbour made them think of Portofino, only less touristy and more natural with a genuine charm," Peter Cox, director of itinerary services of Seabourn cruises said.
Mr Galea said the MMA was also going ahead with plans to build up to four dolphins just outside Mgarr Harbour against which cruise ships could berth. Initial studies have been launched into ways how there could be a direct link between the ships and the breakwater, to avoid the need for passengers to be transferred by boat.
"Various factors have to be considered, such as whether to have a permanent structure or one which can be extended when required, its suitability in adverse weather conditions and its impact on the environment," the minister said.
Mr Galea said that with studies on the actual building of the dolphins nearing completion, he expected a call for tenders to be issued in the coming months and, if all went well, work would be taken in hand in the Spring of 2009.
The facilities in Gozo are needed not only to attract more tourism to the sister island, but also to handle spillover should demand for berths exceed available space in Grand Harbour.
Valletta is expected to attract between 380-400 cruise ships this year. Most will come between April and October mostly on Mondays and, particularly on Fridays.
Having three or four ships in harbour on those days has become a frequent occurrence but the berths under the responsibility of cruise terminal operator Viset can only handle two, possibly three large ships. Not infrequently, cruise ships have also had to use Deepwater Quay, which is managed by Valletta Gateway, the cargo handling company, but since the latter is also attracting greater business, on some occasions that berth has not been available and liners have had to berth across the fairway in Corradino. Another problem is that Deepwater Quay, which is built on piles, cannot handle ships above 24,000 tons, Mr Galea said.
He said it was estimated that €8 million would be needed to upgrade Deepwater Quay and the MMA was trying to access such funding from the EU.
The possibility then existed that this quay would be used more by cruise ships, provided that other quays were made available to the cargo operator, he said. No formal discussions have been held, however.
Mr Galea said studies into the possibility of building a finger pier in Grand Harbour to accommodate up to two cruise liners were continuing.
The MMA last year laid a bollard in the bay to enable medium sized cruise liners to berth off the bay but it was not enough to enable the ships to moor without shutting off their engines.
Mr Galea said that while cruise operators preferred taking their ships to Grand Harbour, because of the beauty of the port and its proximity to Valletta, Xlendi also offered a unique experience because of the towering cliffs all around it.
The Times Business on May 17 quoted port agents Mifsud Brothers who said that passengers on the Seabourn Pride which moored off Xlendi in April last year had been vocal in their praise.
"Our guests loved Xlendi. Although small, they thought it cute and endowed with a very special atmosphere. Some guests even mentioned that the harbour made them think of Portofino, only less touristy and more natural with a genuine charm," Peter Cox, director of itinerary services of Seabourn cruises said.
Mr Galea said the MMA was also going ahead with plans to build up to four dolphins just outside Mgarr Harbour against which cruise ships could berth. Initial studies have been launched into ways how there could be a direct link between the ships and the breakwater, to avoid the need for passengers to be transferred by boat.
"Various factors have to be considered, such as whether to have a permanent structure or one which can be extended when required, its suitability in adverse weather conditions and its impact on the environment," the minister said.
Mr Galea said that with studies on the actual building of the dolphins nearing completion, he expected a call for tenders to be issued in the coming months and, if all went well, work would be taken in hand in the Spring of 2009.
The facilities in Gozo are needed not only to attract more tourism to the sister island, but also to handle spillover should demand for berths exceed available space in Grand Harbour.
Valletta is expected to attract between 380-400 cruise ships this year. Most will come between April and October mostly on Mondays and, particularly on Fridays.
Having three or four ships in harbour on those days has become a frequent occurrence but the berths under the responsibility of cruise terminal operator Viset can only handle two, possibly three large ships. Not infrequently, cruise ships have also had to use Deepwater Quay, which is managed by Valletta Gateway, the cargo handling company, but since the latter is also attracting greater business, on some occasions that berth has not been available and liners have had to berth across the fairway in Corradino. Another problem is that Deepwater Quay, which is built on piles, cannot handle ships above 24,000 tons, Mr Galea said.
He said it was estimated that €8 million would be needed to upgrade Deepwater Quay and the MMA was trying to access such funding from the EU.
The possibility then existed that this quay would be used more by cruise ships, provided that other quays were made available to the cargo operator, he said. No formal discussions have been held, however.
Mr Galea said studies into the possibility of building a finger pier in Grand Harbour to accommodate up to two cruise liners were continuing.