State Visit – Pope Francis at Gozo – 02.04.2022

Malta welcomed His Holiness Pope Francis during his Apostolic visit to the country from Saturday 2nd April to Sunday 3rd April of which on Saturday 2nd April he visited the sister island of Gozo. The island of Gozo was wearing Holy Week dress and Vatican City Flags mounted on road roundabouts, balconies, roof flagpoles etc […]
Virtu Ferries – MARIA DOLORES at Mgarr Harbour, Gozo – 22.03.2022.

Two years after the largest catamaran operating in the Mediterranean and the second largest in the world SAINT JOHN PAUL II entered Mgarr Harbour, Gozo last Monday 2nd March, 2020 it was the turn for the Austal built 68.4 metres long High Speed Craft MARIA DOLORES to enter Mgarr Harbour, preparations for the Pope Francis Apostolic Visit […]
Virtu Ferries – Spend your Public Holidays in Sicily – December 2021
During November/December 2021 Virtu Ferries announced a robust schedule and special fares for Easter and Summer 2022 operating with 2 High Speed Craft – JEAN DE LA VALETTE and SAINT JOHN PAUL II . Infact JEAN DE LA VALETTE did an engine refit worth Euro 8 million by the German Engine Manufacturers MTU. Sea Trials […]
AFM – Live GUNEX – November 2021
Between Monday 15th and Friday 19th November 2021 the Maritime Squadron conducted a live gunnery firing practice involving maritime assets from Pembroke Ranges (LMD-1). The Ports & Yachting Directorate issued Notice to Mariners – NtM 38 dated 5th November, 2021. On Monday 15th November the Emer Class OPV P 62 was seen in the area […]
Malta Naval Visits – USNS TRENTON T-EPF 5 – 12 to 18th Nov 2021
On Friday 12th November, 2021 the Spearhead Class Expeditionary Fast Transport Vessel USNS TRENTON T-EPF 5 called at Grand Harbour, Malta during her maiden call and the first of the Class to enter Grand Harbour passing breakwaters at 1423 hrs. The Spearhead class ships is a United States Navy led shipbuilding program to provide “a platform […]
Delivery – CARMEN ERNESTINA for Venezuela – 16.07.1999
One of the 7 Austal built High Speed Craft Auto Express 86 that called at Grand Harbour, Malta during her delivery voyage was the 1999 built CARMEN ERNESTINA calling on Friday 16th July, 1999 berthing at Pinto 1 wharf, VISET (Now Valletta Cruise Port) on her way to Venezuela. Built as Hull 95 with 86.6 […]
Virtu Ferries – JEAN DE LA VALETTE joining SAINT JOHN PAUL II on Malta-Pozzallo Route from May 2021.

Due to social distance and safety measures of the Pandemic Disease COVID-19, lately the Austal built High Speed Craft JEAN DE LA VALETTE has joined the Incat built High Speed Craft SAINT JOHN PAUL II in Valletta – Pozzallo route. This service was started on Friday 14th May, 2021 when SAINT JOHN PAUL II left […]
Virtu Ferries – JEAN DE LA VALETTE returned back to Malta after 18 months of service in Trinidad & Tobago – 13.03.2021
After 18 months of service in Trinidad & Tobago, the 2010 built High Speed Craft (HSC) JEAN DE LA VALETTE returned back to the Maltese islands after she was chartered to National Infrastructure Development Company of T&T (NIDCO) for service in Trinidad and Tobago, a dual island Caribbean nation near Venezuela. See also our 4th April 2019 issued […]
Delivery – Austal Philippines built catamaran – FJORD FSTR – 03.04.2021
On Saturday 3rd April, 2021 at 0804 hrs the 109 metre High Speed Craft FJORD FSTR ( Hull 419 ) entered Grand Harbour, Malta during her delivery voyage which started on Friday 5th March, 2021. In fact on Friday 5th March, 2021 FJORD FSTR started her journey to Hirtshals, Denmark from the shipyard in Balamban, […]
Virtu Ferries – JEAN DE LA VALETTE to operate to Catania from March 2021 – 17.12.2020

Earlier this month an effective handshake between Virtu Ferries and the South East Sicily Chamber of Commerce was done to plan the restart of tourism and related businesses, starting from the activation of a high-speed transport service, able to connect Catania to Malta on a daily basis, returning to Catania. Malta which is already daily […]