TUI Cruises and VISET Malta signed a formal agreement on Thursday confirming that the cruise liner Mein Schiff will be using Malta as its Mediterranean port of departure for the 2011 season.
From May to November 2011, the seven-day cruises will start and finish in Valletta. On its “butterfly cruise schedule” the Mein Schiff will call at the ports of Piraeus (Athens), Kusadasi in Turkey, Mykonos, Catania (Sicily), as well as Civitavecchia (Rome), Livorno, Monte Carlo and Ajaccio in Corsica.
“Having Valletta as base port gives us the opportunity of drawing up a most interesting schedule,” said Richard J. Vogel, chief executive of TUI Cruises, explaining the choice of the base port. TUI Cruises is the only German cruise company to offer two different routes from Malta, one in the eastern Mediterranean and one in the western. “We are extremely satisfied with this choice. All the local stakeholders pulled together and so made it easy for us to decide on Valletta,” added the CEO.
Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Dr Mario de Marco, commented: “TUI Cruises’ choice in favour of Valletta as the home port for the Mein Schiff is gratifying but at the same time represents a commitment for us. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that the private and public sector will work in unison to fulfil it. We will continue with our endeavours to further expand Valetta and consequently Malta as a competitive cruise ship destination and a convenient base for home porting, given its strategic location.”
VISET Malta plc, the private cruise port operator of the Valletta harbour, is delighted at TUI’s decision. Dr Anton Micallef, chairman of VISET, said that VISET is committed to deliver the highest standards of service in order to ensure that TUI’s decision is a success for all partners in the industry.
TUI Cruises is a joint venture of TUI AG and the global cruise company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. The company, formed in April 2008 and based in Hamburg, has been offering holidays at sea in the German-speaking market since May 2009. The Mein Schiff is the first ship of the fleet and focuses from bow to stern on feel-good aspects and relaxation. The concept is aimed above all at couples and families who value room to move, generous surroundings, high quality and individual service. The many restaurants, the 1,700 square metre spa area, the personal Nespresso coffee machine in each cabin, spacious balconies and relaxation isles on the deck ensure that holidaying with TUI Cruises on Mein Schiff has a beneficial effect on body and soul.