The cruise liner industry could prove to be the tourism boost Malta seeks in the face of an uncertain climate this year, the chief executive officer of MSC Cruises, Pierfrancesco Vago thinks.
"In the face of the global economic disaster, we believe the cruise industry is providing a positive message of enthusiasm," he said during the recent lavish launch of the company's latest flagship, the MSC Fantasia, in Naples.
"We are optimistic. In a moment of crisis, families will still travel but they will look at the budget. They will seek a value-for-money holiday. People who ignored cruises before will look at what we have to offer and discover it's worth their while," Mr Vago added.
Citing figures from the European Cruise Council Statistics, Mr Vago said it would cost a holidaymaker €367 per day to stay in a resort or hotel when taking into consideration the flight, accommodation and the entire cost of the trip. Compared to the €164 per day rate, based on a category four, external cabin on board an MSC cruise, people could judge for themselves which affordable holiday they should embark on, he said.
MSC Cruises, the third largest cruise operator in the world, is so optimistic in the present economic scenario that it is forging ahead with plans to launch MSC Splendida, the sister ship of MSC Fantasia, in July, and the MSC Magnifica next year.
Its plans are to follow up with the MSC Meraviglia in 2011 and MSC Favolosa the year after. By the end of 2012, MSC Cruises is predicting it will have the most modern fleet in the world with a total of 14 vessels.
Mr Vago said Malta could look forward to receiving the 133,500-tonne, 333-metre-long MSC Splendida this summer because, right after its launch in Barcelona in July, it will make its maiden voyage to Malta, allowing Maltese to embark on a cruise every week.
"The MSC Splendida will generate a lot of economic spin offs for Malta, bringing with it hundreds of newcomers," he said, pointing out that, on average, each passenger spends €50 at each port of call and €100 at the port of embarkation.
Hamilton Travel managing director Norman Hamilton confirmed that the MSC Splendida alone will bring about 80,000 tourists this year. People can start and end their holiday in Malta onboard the new liner, which will sail in every Wednesday between July 15 and November 11, Mr Hamilton said.
"I believe the cruise liner industry will be the saving grace of tourism in 2009 as Europe grapples with the economic crises. We're quite hopeful," Mr Hamilton commented.
The remarks by Mr Vago and Mr Hamilton echo what the Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Mario de Marco said last month, when he noted that bookings for Mediterranean cruises this year matched last year's, "a positive sign that the industry could weather the international economic crisis".
In 2008, a record 500,000 cruise passengers visited Malta and this was projected to rise to 540,000 passengers by the end of the year, representing a 12 per cent growth.
Viset is investing €2 million to improve existing quays, enabling it to accommodate larger cruise liners calling in this year, among them the MSC Splendida, the largest ship to be commissioned by a European company.
A fantasy floating island
The MSC Fantasia, dubbed "the most beautiful ship in the world", by MSC Cruises is the largest ship in the company's fleet and the most eco-friendly.
The 140,000 tonne ship was conferred with the prestigious award, known as the Six Golden Pearls, by the international classification society Bureau Veritas, becoming the first ship in the world to achieve this coveted title.
The Six Golden Pearls is an integrated voluntary scheme that certifies corporate compliance with the three highest international standards in the areas of environment (ISO 14001), health and safety (OHSAS 18001) and food safety (ISO 22000). It includes an extra notation Cleanship 2 AWT, for the three domains of potential pollution: air, water, waste.
The vessel is fully equipped with high incineration capacities, advanced water treatment systems, the newest oily water separators and has vast storage capacities for two days in full operation, allowing the ship to cruise with environmental safety and responsibility for longer distances.
Factbox about the MSC Fantasia
• With a gross tonnage of 133,500, it can take nearly 4,000 passengers.
• With 17 decks, the majority of its cabins, 80 per cent, have balconies.
• The ship can cruise at a maximum speed of 23 knots.
• The common areas cover 290,000 square feet and include five swimming pools, including an indoor one with a retractable roof, five restaurants and 19 bars.
• The MSC Aurea luxurious spa measures 17,384 square feet.
• For the first time, guests will find the new MSC Yacht Club: 99 suites, between 247 and 570 square feet, furnished like a private yacht, with a personal butler, in-suite dining and access to a choice of cigars, liquors and champagne.
• The theatre has 1,650 seats, the casino, the disco, a Formula 1 simulator and a 4D cinema.