Malta Cruises — page 61

Many travellers count the approach to Valletta among the most beautiful in the Mediterranean: the ship passes into Grand Harbour, ringed by curtain walls and 16th-century bastions. For most people Malta is a port of call — one of the brightest stops on a Mediterranean itinerary — although departures from Valletta exist as well.

Entering Grand Harbour

Grand Harbour is not merely an anchorage but part of the experience. The ship enters between fortifications raised by the knightly order in the 16th century, and from the water a panorama opens of Valletta and the fortified cities on the opposite shore. Many people come out on deck specifically for the approach — the sight is worth it, and it costs nothing.

A call that is not spent travelling

The second great advantage is where the terminal sits. The cruise berth lies practically beside the historic centre: 10–15 minutes on foot, or a few minutes in the Barrakka Lift, and you are in the old city. As a result the call is barely eaten into by transfers — unlike ports where reaching the main city takes an hour or more.

Ships usually stay in Valletta for 8–10 hours; longer calls occur, and sometimes an evening or even overnight one.

What you can fit into a call

The plan depends on whether this is a first visit to the island.

And one caution from practice: do not try to combine Valletta, Gozo and the Blue Grotto in eight hours. It becomes far too dense, and the day leaves you with a sense of rushing rather than of Malta.

Departures from Valletta

Departures from Malta do exist, but there are considerably fewer of them than cruises embarking in Barcelona, Genoa or Civitavecchia. They are offered on selected itineraries by MSC Cruises, Explora Journeys, Viking, Windstar Cruises, SeaDream Yacht Club and other premium lines. If you are specifically after a start from Valletta the choice will be narrower, though embarkation itself is convenient: the airport and the port lie close together by Mediterranean standards.

Which itineraries include Malta

Valletta appears on the itineraries of most major lines: MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Viking, Explora Journeys and others. Malta most often features on Western Mediterranean cruises and on Italy — Sicily — Malta routings. It also appears on Eastern Mediterranean programmes and those calling in Greece, and on selected itineraries taking in Tunisia and other North African countries.

Season and wind: an honest caveat

Cruises calling at Malta operate almost year-round, with the main season from April to November. Winter itineraries exist too, but honesty is needed here: there is no absolute guarantee of the call. The port is windy, and in winter the itinerary may change — the ship may not enter Valletta. It is not a frequent scenario, but anyone planning a winter cruise specifically for Malta should keep it in mind.

Prices

Guides for 7–8-day cruises calling at Malta:

The lowest fare in the category at the snapshot date starts from €229: short programmes fall in here too. The ranges above apply to classic 7–8-day itineraries.

Malta before or after the cruise

There is steady demand for the pattern of three to five days on Malta plus a cruise, particularly in spring and autumn. The island is small, but a few days give you what a port call cannot: Gozo without hurry, Mdina in the evening, the coast. A call shows you Valletta; separate days show you Malta.

Visas and practicalities

Malta is in the Schengen area, so Ukrainian citizens with a biometric passport need no visa: visa-free travel applies for short stays, subject to the rules of stay. Medical insurance with cover from €30,000 is mandatory. Polish citizens need no visa as EU citizens. If the itinerary leaves the Schengen area — with a call in Tunisia, for instance — entry conditions should be checked against the specific programme.

Conclusion

Malta is among the most beautiful and most convenient cruise stops in the Mediterranean: the historic centre of Valletta lies beside the port, so even a single day is enough to see the essentials.

Most travellers reach Malta as part of a Mediterranean cruise, but the island also works as a stage of the journey in its own right — three to five days before or after.