Spanish cruise operators see red over berth allocation

Pullmantur Cruises, of Spain, are "angry" at a decision taken by the port authorities which allocated a "disastrous" berth to its cruise ship, the Oceanic, Wednesday coming, the liner's port agents said.

Martin Degiorgio, managing director of Mondial Ship Agency, Valletta, said that in both 2002 and 2003 the Oceanic was the vessel that brought to Malta the highest number of sea passengers - about 54,000 passengers over 45 calls a year. As a result of Malta joining the EU, which made the island less fiscally attractive as a port, Pullmantur had shifted their vessels from Valletta to Tunis as from the beginning of this season, he said.

"Many other cruise vessels have in fact left Malta in favour of the North African port and this has resulted in a very sharp fall of cruise passengers for Malta but record figures for Tunis," Mr Degiorgio explained.

He said the heavy demand for the port of Tunis caused huge congestion and logistic problems to that harbour and for this reason the Oceanic cannot be given a berth for its next call scheduled for September 22. Thus, he went on, Pullmantur decided it would call at Valletta. Mr Degiorgio said there was the possibility that the liner could start calling here on a regular basis once again.

However, rather than being berthed at the purposely-built Pinto Wharves, the Oceanic has been offered a berth at Laboratory Wharf, located across the Grand Harbour, near Kordin, Mr Degiorgio said.

"This is a shabby and out-of-the way quay that is solely used for cargo ships. There is no way passengers can get to Valletta from Laboratory Wharf unless they take a bus or a taxi ride of 20 - 30 minutes. To add insult to injury, Pinto Wharves, which can normally take up to three large cruise liners, will be occupied by another cruise liner and two or three warships," he said.