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MSC Grandiosa calls at Port of Valletta

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MSC Grandiosa on an earlier call to Valletta
MSC Cruises’ Grandiosa arrived at Valletta Cruise Port on Friday morning as the first of the line's ships to operate since the pandemic.

Emre Sayin, CEO, Global Ports Holding, called Grandiosa’s visit a 'milestone’ and ‘the first international cruise call to one of the 19 cruise ports we operate since the whole world locked down.’ 

Accredited with the ‘Safe Travels’ stamp by the World Travel and Tourism Council, Valletta Cruise Port has been open since July 1 but has not received cruise ships since March. Other GPH ports that carry the safety recognition include Barcelona, Málaga, Antigua, Kusadasi, Bodrum and Zadar.

Return to cruising

MSC restarted operations earlier this week with Grandiosa sailing from Genoa on a seven-night Western Mediterranean cruise. 

The ship's safety measures include a maximum occupancy rate of 70%, COVID-19 swab testing for all prior to embarkation and passengers allowed ashore only on excursions organised directly by the cruise line.