Malta Targets Smaller Luxury Cruise Ships for Valletta Homeporting

Malta is targeting more smaller luxury cruise ships and additional homeporting in Valletta after receiving 870,560 cruise passengers on 387 calls in 2025. Arthur Grima, director of marketing for the Malta Tourism Authority, said the strategy is built around higher-value calls, more overnight stays and stronger air links.

Cruise passenger volume rose 2.5 percent from 2024, but the average number of guests per ship fell from 2,339 to 2,250. Overnight cruise passengers increased more sharply, from about 30,000 in 2024 to nearly 46,000 in 2025, giving Malta a larger base for shore spending, hotel stays and pre- and post-cruise activity.

Smaller ships and longer stays shape the strategy

Grima said Malta is seeing more activity from brands including Ponant, Four Seasons, Orient Express and Aman.

“These are the types of brands and vessels that we are prioritizing because they help us mitigate the crowds,” Grima said. He added that a single large-ship arrival can put thousands of people into the capital at once, creating pressure on the visitor experience.

Malta’s wider tourism sector drew 4 million tourists in 2025. Grima said cruise passengers are attractive because many return for longer land-based visits after an initial call, while overnight cruise stays add more time for restaurants, tours and hotel-linked spending.

Air access supports Valletta homeporting

North America is central to the homeporting push. U.S. and Canadian guests account for 21 percent of Malta’s cruise arrivals, making the region the destination’s largest cruise source market.

Malta expects a new Delta Air Lines service from New York JFK, scheduled to start in June 2026, to support that effort by improving long-haul access for turnaround passengers. “Homeporting is important for us because it works hand in hand with our aviation strategy,” Grima said.

The homeporting base already includes fly-cruise programs from Valletta. P&O Cruises is selling seven-night roundtrip Mediterranean fly-cruises from the port aboard Azura, with flights, transfers and itineraries to Malta, Italy, Greece and Croatia packaged into the product.

Grima cited airport expansion and additional hotel inventory, including a planned Hard Rock property, as part of the wider tourism capacity needed to support more turnarounds and extended stays.

Valletta adds capacity while spreading passenger flow

Valletta Cruise Port can handle as many as six cruise ships at the same time, including four large vessels and two smaller ships. The port is operated by Valletta Cruise Port plc, a Global Ports Holding subsidiary, and includes the cruise and ferry terminal facilities at the Valletta Waterfront.

The €49.9 million high-voltage shore connection project, completed in 2024, serves the five main cruise quays in Grand Harbour and allows equipped ships to use grid power instead of running diesel generators while berthed.

Malta is also trying to move more cruise visitors beyond Valletta. Grima pointed to Gozo as a relief valve for excursion traffic, with a 60-minute catamaran link from Valletta and a dedicated cruise buoy that lets smaller ships tender passengers directly to the island.

Grima also cited the country’s 9,000-year history, the Hypogeum underground megalithic temple, Mdina and the mix of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences in Maltese language and food as reasons the destination can support longer stays.

Upcoming calls keep the port in mainstream itineraries

The port has received maiden calls from Norwegian Pearl and MSC Euribia, while Norwegian Pearl is scheduled for another Valletta visit in November during its Mediterranean program.

MSC Cruises is also keeping Malta in its deployment plans through 2027. MSC World Asia is scheduled to begin weekly Valletta calls during its inaugural season from December 2026.