Location, history, culture, warm hospitality and efficient support services are helping Malta’s cruise industry grow, says Stephen Xuereb, CEO, Valletta Cruise Port.
The Grand Harbour has maintained a strategic importance for centuries. What are the elements that have helped it maintain this status?
The Grand Harbour is centrally located in the Mediterranean, making it a melting pot of major civilisations and the point where Africa meets Europe and where Eastern and Western cultures converge. This marriage of multiple civilisations translates into a warm and genuine hospitality.
As a multilingual country, this international diversity sets Malta apart and is reflected in its human element. Today Valletta Cruise Port is a renowned port of call and a growing homeport. Its central location makes it ideal for diverse east and west Mediterranean cruise itineraries.
Cruise lines and their passengers benefit from 24/7 support services. These include bunkering, ship chandelling and ship repair. In terms of facilities and passenger support services the country enjoys an excellent reputation for its accommodation facilities, multilingual guides and tourism activities as well as wide-ranging multimodal transport services, all within a two-hour radius from Valletta Cruise Port.
For the fourth consecutive year, Valletta Cruise Port has been named as the Best Turnaround Port Operator 2014 by Cruise Insight. This award recognises the impeccable service delivered by the port, its responsiveness, and the continued development of its facilities in the last years.
The cruise industry in Malta can only grow if we continue to provide a consistently superior level of service and create added value through collaboration with all local partners. Valletta is already rated very highly in terms of service delivery. However we are not happy to just sit back. We strive to continue to improve further and always try to exceed expectations.
With its military past behind it, the Grand Harbour is now a port of call for merchant and cruise ships. What makes the Grand Harbour an ideal port of call?
Malta offers visitors a fun-filled, unique Mediterranean experience. Throughout history the Phoenicians, Arabs, French, Italians, British and others used Valletta as a stepping-stone for their maritime and military activity. This is paralleled in modern times where Valletta’s geographical location is an added bonus for cruise line itineraries.
Does the fact that Malta has the sixth largest merchant ship register in the world and the largest in Europe create a spillover effect on Valletta Cruise Port?
Valletta Cruise Port is the gateway to Malta’s rich historic and cultural experience
The Malta maritime flag is that of a well-established yet dynamic maritime centre. A well-run international maritime register with high service and safety standards has helped propel Malta to the top of the European leaderboard. A number of cruise ships are indeed flagged under the Maltese flag.
In meetings with cruise lines and in international trade fairs, Valletta Cruise Port together with Transport Malta promotes the Maltese ship register. Ship registration enhances Valletta’s visibility on an international level and increases the loyalty of vessels and lines which feel an affinity with the island when the ship is registered locally.
An aerial view of Valletta Cruise Port.
Stephen Xuereb, CEO, Valletta Cruise Port.What kind of vessels can the quays handle?
Valletta’s quays are compliant with all security standards and can handle most of the large vessels. However improving the infrastructure on Quays 4 and 5 and towards Lascaris Wharf is critical to the continued growth of the industry in Valletta. Looking to the future, Valletta Cruise Port is currently working on these plans.
Apart from being a port of call, Valletta Cruise Port is also an entertainment destination. How critical is this to attracting cruise ships as well as locals?
Valletta Waterfront is a key element of Valletta Cruise Port with various shops, cafes, restaurants and other amenities in beautifully restored 18th century warehouses stretching along the water’s edge. This destination provides a warm welcome to all visitors and its late baroque architecture and vibrancy introduces passengers to the historic islands.
The area has undergone a massive makeover since Valletta Cruise Port signed its 65-year lease with government in 2001, part of an investment by the company of more than €37m.
Valletta Cruise Port is also a gateway to Malta’s capital. What connections do you offer for cruise ship tourists wanting to visit Valletta as well as other parts of the island?
Valletta Cruise Port is the gateway to Malta’s rich historic and cultural experience. The preferred destination remains Valletta, with St John’s Co-Cathedral and the Grandmaster’s Palace being the preferred sites to visit.
Valletta will be the European City of Culture in 2018 and thus there is a strong build-up of projects and events that cruise guests can also enjoy.
Passengers also visit other localities including Mdina and Rabat, Marsaxlokk, the Three Cities and even Gozo. In Malta you find the oldest temples in the world, UNESCO heritage sites and a vibrant Mediterranean lifestyle, all in a concentrated area.
This enables cruise passengers to enjoy culture, boating, diving, shopping and dining and experience the 7,000-year history of mankind, from the prehistoric to modern times all on one island of 316sq km. All these factors combine to render a call in Malta a memorable experience.