Cruise passenger arrivals to May up 54 per cent on 2009
Cruise passenger arrivals reached 155,000 in the first five months of this year, an increase of 54 per cent when compared to the same period last year, Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco said yesterday. 
Dr de Marco, who was speaking during a visit on the Silver Spirit, a cruise ship calling here on its maiden voyage, said that this year even registered an increase of 26,000 passengers on 2008, a record year for cruise passengers.
Moreover 34 cruise ships have visited Valletta so far this year, an increase of nine when compared to the same period last year. Dr de Marco commented that Grand Harbour was voted the best port in the Mediterranean, in a survey of passengers about a month ago.
Malta was the six-month-old cruise ship’s first port of call, after it set off from Greece, and its next stop will be in Italy. The ship can take over 500 passengers, which is almost a one-to-one service, since there are 400 crew members.
Captain Angelo Corsaro said the Silver Spirit is a unique dining experience, with six restaurants on board. It also has one of the highest space-to-guest ratios at sea. Its clientele is a sophisticated and well-travelled one, he said, which automatically expects the finest and best service.
Capt. Corsaro said their ships have a worldwide itinerary, but at the moment they are going around the Mediterranean, although other ships in their fleet are in different spots around the world.
They do not follow the standard seven-day itinerary, he said, but call at ports of particular interest. Capt Corsaro said that Malta is the most beautiful place in the Mediterranean and it was wonderful to be here.
Peter Sullivan, director of Mediterranean Trading Shipping, said that it was prestigious to have Malta, such a small island which had a lot to offer, included in this itinerary.
Dr de Marco said that it was not only important because it was a maiden voyage but because this was a particularly critical time for the tourism industry. However one can confidently say that this year’s figures are quite encouraging.
Efforts were underway to increase the concept of home porting, he said, which basically meant that cruises would depart from and return to Malta. Dr de Marco said he believed that Malta was strategically placed to promote this.
He told Captain Corsaro that “visits such as yours, with new cruise ships, encourage Malta to move forward in what are still difficult times”. He said that economies remain turbulent and some are still predicting a double recession.
Amerigo Porasso, Silversea president and CEO, said that “the delivery of Silver Spirit is an important milestone for our company and represents our commitment to the development of the Silversea brand
