Valletta Cruise Port announced its cruise traffic results for the full 2025 season, reporting continued growth in both passenger numbers and ship calls. The year's performance underscores the port's importance as a key global cruise destination and reflects strong demand from international cruise lines and travelers.
Highlights of 2025
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Total cruise ship calls: 385 ships called at Valletta Cruise Port in 2025, an 8% increase compared to the 357 calls in 2024.
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Total passenger movements: A record 962,966 passengers passed through the port in 2025, exceeding the 940,915 of the previous year, representing a year-on-year increase of 2.3%.
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Transit vs. embarkation/disembarkation: Of the total passenger movements, 772,664 were transit visitors enjoying day trips ashore, while 190,302 were embarkation or disembarkation passengers who began or ended their cruise in Malta. This reinforces Valletta's continued appeal as a vibrant port of call.
These figures demonstrate the growing appeal of the port, keeping passenger traffic close to the record highs reached in recent years and consolidating Valletta's position in the global cruise industry.
Valletta Cruise Port's performance in 2025 is based on the momentum achieved in 2024, when the port recorded more than 940,000 cruise passengers, a record year that surpassed even the pre-pandemic peak reached in 2019.
“The sustained growth recorded in 2025 reflects Valletta’s strong position within the Mediterranean cruise market. Malta’s unique combination of rich cultural heritage and proximity to other key destinations continues to make Valletta an attractive and highly sought-after cruise port. This performance is further supported by ongoing investments in port infrastructure and passenger services, as well as close collaboration with our industry partners, which together have strengthened Malta’s appeal to cruise lines and passengers,” commented Stephen Xuereb, Chief Operating Officer of Global Ports Holding and CEO of Valletta Cruise Port.
“Our port has also been recognized as ‘The World’s Most Beautiful Port’ in a study conducted by All Clear Insurance. This is something frequently highlighted by captains, crews, and passengers. In this case, the company scientifically examined how visually appealing various cruise ports are, and Valletta Cruise Port ranked first as the most beautiful port, receiving a perfect score of 100%,” Mr. Xuereb added.
Looking ahead, Valletta Cruise Port expects to maintain ongoing collaboration with major international cruise lines and anticipates further enhancements to its cruise offerings in 2026. The port remains focused on sustainable growth, providing high-quality services, and delivering memorable experiences to visitors from around the world.
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