Costa Cruises makes Malta its homeport

Costa Cruises has chosen Malta as its homeport for four different itineraries next year that promise to increase tourist arrivals to the island both by sea and air.

The Italian cruise liner will be increasing its calls to Malta from 24 this year to 37 next year, Parliamentary Sectary for Tourism Mario de Marco said this morning during the launch of next year’s itineraries.

Whereas 50,000 cruise passengers landed in Malta this year, the number was expected to increase to 70,000 in 2010.

Costa’s decision to use Malta as a homeport was very significant to the Maltese economy since this meant that tourist would have to catch a flight to Malta to board the cruise liner.

Chances were they would also spend a few days in Malta, Dr de Marco said, adding that the outlook for 2010 looked good.

“Next year is expected to be in line with 2008 when, as we know, Malta experienced a record in terms of cruise liner passengers,” he said.

The Costa Allegra, that is 187-metres long, would operate three back-to-back itineraries from Valletta between June 29 and July 18 next year.

The first cruise, from June 29 to July 6, would take passengers around the Adriatic through Sarande (Albania), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Koper (Slovenia), Venice (Italy), Kotor (Montenegro) and Brindisi (Italy).

Between July 6 and 12 the liner would cruise around the Greek islands through Olympia, Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Crete and Kefalonia. Next, the Allegra would sail around Greece between July 12 and 18 through Olympia, Mykonos and Delos, Meteora, Santorini and Kefalonia.

In a separate itinerary, the larger Costa Pacifica, that is 290 metres long, would be operating Mediterranean tours from Valletta between March and November. The Pacifica would sail through Taormina (Catania), Citavecchia (Rome), Savona (Porofino), Barcelona (Spain), Palma De Mallorca and Tunis.