Pullmantur Cruises Return to Malta

A press conference on board the Malta-flagged TSS Sky Wonder, that is presently berthed at Grand Harbor Pinto Quay, was held to mark the return to Malta of Pullmantur Cruises, whose TSS Sky Wonder will be making weekly calls to Valletta until 31 October.

The press conference was addressed by Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech and Competitiveness and Communications Minister Censu Galea, Pullmantur’s director of port operations and excursions Gianluca Suprani, the ship’s captain Ivo Botica and Mondial’s general manager Michael Abele.

Pullmantur has started operations with one of its larger vessels, TSS Sky Wonder, which carries 1,550 passengers and which will bring more than 25,000 tourists to Malta this year. For 2008, Pullmantur is already planning to increase its presence as it will start operations in May and is expected to have over 30 calls during the year.

Since its inception, Pullmantur Cruises wanted to create a new Spanish-Mediterranean style of cruising, stressing a relaxed yet colorful cruise experience at competitive prices. Today Pullmantur has a fleet of seven vessels that offer cruises in the Mediterranean, the Baltic and the Caribbean.

In 2006, the world’s second largest cruise liner group, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL) bought Pullmantur Cruises. RCCL plans to invest heavily in Pullmantur in the coming years and this will see further growth of the fleet and of the product range of cruises on offer.

RCCL owns and operates 36 ships under the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Pullmantur Cruises brands. All Pullmantur’s ships are registered in Valletta and thus fly the Maltese flag.

Pullmantur is the first major cruise liner whose ships are registered in Malta and it was revealed by Minister Galea that efforts are being made to attract more such prestigious registrations to our country.