Contract for Gozo cruise ship buoy awarded - but no ship visits planned

A buoy to enable cruise liners to safely moor off Xlendi Bay is to be set in place in the second quarter of this year, Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt said today. The necessary contract has been awarded. There are no other plans for new cruise liner facilities in Gozo.

The minister said five cruise ships stopped off Gozo last year but the authorities have not been notified of any such visits for this year.

Transport Malta has, however been informed that 274 cruise liners will call at Grand Harbour this year. 260 called last year.

The laying of a buoy off Xlendi has been on the cards since 2006, when the cruise ship Seabourne Pride anchored off the bay. Although a small number of other ships followed, their masters had complained that engines could not be switched off because the ships dragged anchor.

In September 2007, then Transport Minister Censu Galea had said the government was developing plans to build a cruise liner quay on the outer part of the Mgarr breakwater to provide berthing facilities for 200-metre long liners. A pending application had been submitted to Mepa in 2003 but no decision had been taken about it.

MEPA granted the necessary permits for the buoy off Xlendi in August 2008 and Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono had said at the time that the facilities were expected to be in place within a few months although no specific date was given.