Mein Schiff to home port in Malta in 2011

Michael Caruana

Feb 1st 2010, 11:18

Major credit is due to those people behind the scene; who work relentlessly to bring new business to our dear Malta and through which more new business is created. Credit is also to be given to the Government Ministry and authorities who lend their support to these people behind the scene. Well done and strive for more.
Mr. Grima why on earth did you pen down your second sentence "The Maltese tourism industry does not live off ...". The Mein Schiff's cruise calls are not cruising of few hours but cruise hubbing. This is what makes it great news. Cruise hubbing may involve hoteliers, restaurants, places of entertainment, museums, and other touristic related events and places. It also gives us Maltese a good opportunity to start a cruise from Malta instead of travelling by air to commence a cruise at a foreign port. This is why Viset and MedCruise were created.....to attract cruise hubbing. Even if it was a normal cruise call, we should always be happy to receive cruise passengers who can savour our country's attractions, culture, hospitality, etc. and perhaps decide on a future holiday in Malta.

J Caruana

Dec 4th 2009, 19:55

This is good news and i agree with M Psaila arguments that this doesn't come by sheer coincidence as S Mifsud of Mr Grima implied but by hard work by all involved including the Government and yes including Dr Demarco who is doing a very good job. The effects of the international economic crises would have had a devastating effect on the tourism sector if it was not for the sound and serious policies of this government. Dear S Mifsud and Mr Grima i'm sure you acknowledge that if we didnt have committment and good policy this cruise liner wouldnt have come to Malta and neither would SR Technics and Esyjet which in three years time will create 500 new jobs. So please acknowledge what is positive and don't do like Muscat does ie doom and gloom!

Joe Grima

Dec 4th 2009, 17:38

It's surprising to see adults living in a fool's paradise and believing it. "Substance" "Fruit of hard work". Baloney! The Maltese tourism industry does not live off cruise liners which bring people to Malta for a few hours but by real tourists filling up hotels and patronising restraurants and places of entertainment. Hoteliers live in the real world and they are badly served. It has been a very bad year for them and the prospects for the next are not good. Bad prospects for places of entertainment were compunded by government imposed restrictions by none other than Dr Demarco himself. The tourism industry today is a case of the blind leading the blind, without any direction and without any experience whatsoever. Unless severe changes are made at the very top where the disastrous decisions are being taken, the tourism industry will not weather the next four years until a change of government. How many more hotels are we going to turn into old people's homes?

S. Mifsud

Dec 4th 2009, 16:58

@MPsaila Your arguments are so childish and pro government it is such a pitiful sight.

Why mention the government when the government has no say in this?? Do you think that Dr Demarco was aware of this before a press release was deposited on his desk?? You should give credit to those people who break their back by negotiating for long hours with these cruise liner companies. Usually these people work in the shadows and a never seen! Ara vera fdan il-pajjiz ma nikbru qatt.

Alfred Farrugia

Dec 4th 2009, 16:51

I wish to congratulate Hon. Dr. Mario de Marco and MTA, Mr. John Portelli and VISET, and all those concerned for this good news. This is another breakthrough as a result of which more German and other tourists are likely to spend a night or more in Malta before the cruise departure from and/or after its arrival back in Valletta.

Perhaps Dr. de Marco and Mr. Portelli could suggest to TUI cruises to persuade Hapag-Lloyd Kreuzfahrten to do the same with one or more of their fleet MS Europa, MS Hanseatic, MS Bremen and MS Columbus.

Let us hope that some U.S.-based cruise line company decides to follow suit and schedule one of their liners to start and finish their cruises from Valletta.

As a result of this agreement Malta is already gaining some publicity.

http://www.tuicruises.com/fileadmin/content/images/presse/Presseinformationen/03.12.09_TUI_Cruises_Basishafen_Malta.pdf

http://maritime-executive.com/pressrelease/valletta-malta-mein-schiffs-base-port-summer-2011/

M Psaila

Dec 4th 2009, 14:56

THAT'S SUBSTANCE AND THATS THE FRUIT OF HARD WORK AND COMMITTMENT BY THE PN IN GOVERNMENT. I WORK IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY AND SUCH NEWS GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE!

WELL DONE TO PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY MARIO DE MARCO FOR THIS GOOD NEWS!

THIS IS WHAT OUR COUNTRY NEEDS; WORK, NEW JOBS, MORE COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY NOT SUPERFICIAL POLITICS, EMPTHY RHETORIC, CHEAP SHOTS AND GIMMICKS!

META XXAMMAR IL-KMIEM U TAHDEM, KIF QED JAGHMEL DR DE MARCO U DR GONZI JIGU R-RIZULTATI ....IR-RIZULTATI MA JIGUX BILLI TMUR FIL-PARLAMENT U TOQGHOD TAQRA L-GAZZETTA KIF GHAMLU MUSCAT & CO JEW TMUR IL-PARLAMENT U MINFLOK TITKELLEM DWAR L-EDUKAZZJONI TINHELA TITKELLEM DWAR IL-PBS U XXEBBHU MAZ-ZIMBABWE KIF GHAMEL EVARIST BARTOLO DIN IL-GIMGHA!

WELL DONE DR DE MARCO AND WELL DONE DR GONZI!