Seatrade Cruise News is part of the Informa Markets Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

Norwegian Star makes first visit to Valletta, heralding NCL return in 2017

c7e4e779be2228bf3233f6c4970cedbf_XL
A festive welcome for Nowegian Star's maiden call
Valletta Cruise Port welcomed Norwegian Star's maiden call on Friday. The ship was greeted by the lively tunes of a Maltese village band, courtesy of Valletta Cruise Port plc.

In an address aboard the ship, Parliament Minister Michael Farrugia also welcomed Norwegian Cruise Line's return to Malta in 2017 with regular stops throughout the season. He thanked all the stakeholders involved in making this a reality, particularly NCL's Francis Riley, vp international marketing & operations.

Farrugia reaffirmed government’s commitment to continuing efforts to make Malta’s cruise industry a success. He looks forward to 2017 when a record 700,000 cruise passengers are expected.

Meanwhile, Stephen Xuereb, ceo, Valletta Cruise Port, and chief operating officer, Global Ports Holding, noted the 2017 schedule includes 20 NCL calls with more than 45,000 passenger movements on Norwegian Star and Norwegian Spirit.

'Malta is a vibrant destination and this is reflected in our port and ongoing developments in the Maltese islands,' he commented. 'Valletta Cruise Port has created a destination within a destination with the original project. We are currently taking stock of how we can further improve our key infrastructure and services. It is this journey of discovery that will allow us to continue exceling in what we offer, and together with other stakeholders reinvest ourselves to keep abreast of new developments.'

During the Norwegian Star visit, passengers and crew had the opportunity to see a performance of traditional dancing, courtesy of the Malta Tourism Authority.