Cruise ships will make a return to Malta on Friday, with the MSC Grandiosa becoming the first to be welcomed at the Valletta Waterfront.

Cruise ships had been banned from Malta since March, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. With similar action having been taken elsewhere, cruise operators had cancelled all trips for several months.

Valletta Cruise Port said cruise ships are now operating under a strict and comprehensive health and safety protocol that applies both on land and at
sea.

It said MSC’s new operating protocol goes beyond guidelines provided by key international and regional regulatory and technical bodies. It includes testing for all passengers and crew prior to embarkation. Passengers come from EU Schengen-area countries only.

MSC restarted its operations earlier this week with MSC Grandiosa sailing from Genoa on a 7-night Western Mediterranean Cruise. The ship is sailing with a maximum occupancy rate of 70 per cent, allowing for 10 square meters of space per passenger. 

Passengers will not be allowed on the island independently but only on guided excursions, to protecting the communities they visit. 

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