Passenger Ships – PALOMA I

One of the Polish built ships originally bound for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) was the 1980 built ferry DMITRIY SHOSTAKOVICH from a Class of 7 as Project B492/B493 by Stocznia Szczecinska im Adolfa Warskiego Warskiego in Szczecin, Poland. She was the lead of her class which she was named for the Soviet era Russian composer […]

Virtu Ferries – High Speed Passenger Service Malta – Gozo – June 2021

After last March, 2021 the Hon Minister Ian Borg, and the Hon Minister Clint Camilleri announced the liberalisation of the High Speed Passenger Ferry Service between Gozo and Malta, Virtu Ferries welcomed the news and given the green light by Transport Malta to operate on the new route. Given the short notice between the announcement […]

Local Shipping – HERA II (II)

One of the short sea passenger ships around is the Turkish Gullet HERA II (ii) which replaced the first HERA II (1997 built) which was sold locally and now named as FAITH. She arrived in Malta entering Sliema Creek at Marsamxett Harbour on Thursday 23rd July, 2020 from Turkey. On 28th October 2020 she was […]

Cruise Liners – PALLAS ATHENA

PALLAS ATHENA was an ocean liner that operated for French line as FLANDRE and Costa Crociere as CARLA C from 1992 to 1994. Built in 1951 as FLANDRE she was the French Line’s first new ocean liner following World War II. Her maiden voyage of 23rd July 1952 was considered a complete disaster, as she experienced mechanical difficulties throughout […]

Valletta Cruise Port – MSC GRANDIOSA calling weekly to Malta.

One of the very few cruise liners operating in the world because of the Pandemic Disease COVID-19 is the 2019 built MSC GRANDIOSA, currently the flagship of MSC Cruises. Though sometimes with less than 500 passengers, every Thursday of the week she’s seen entering Grand Harbour, Malta. Above back to 5th November, 2020 with MSC […]

Local Shipping – HANINI

One of the ships that was used as a ferry between Malta and Gozo was the 1926 twin screw steel built yacht HANINI. She was completed by George Brown & Co at Greenock, UK for Sir Richard A. Cooper as ALICE. In 1933 she was sold to Teodoro Morisini at Naples, Italy and in 1937 […]

Passenger Ships – AFRODITE

The first newbuilding passenger ship of Sten A. Olsson now the famous Stena Line was the 1964 built AFRODITE which called at Grand Harbour, Malta on Wednesday 28th April, 2010 for bunkering purposes while underway to new life in Lebanon. She was built in Germany by D.W Kremer & Sohn, at Elmshorn holding a GRT […]

Cruise Liner News – Marella Cruises resuming service from 27th August – 05.07.2020

MARELLA CRUISES will resume service from Thursday 27th August, should it be safe to sail as a result of the global Pandemic disease coronavirus and the uncertainty about when international travel will resume. The cruise line also confirmed MARELLA DISCOVERY will no longer sail the summer season with all itineraries from Palma cancelled up to 31st October 2020. […]

Ferry News – Wightlink resuming ferry service – 03.07.2020

Wightlink will resume services on her Lymington-Yarmouth route on Friday 17 July 2020. This decision reflects increasing demand for Wightlink’s services as Government lockdown restrictions are relaxed and has been taken in consultation with the Isle of Wight Council’s Transport Infrastructure Board. There will be eight round-trip sailings each day, operating roughly every two hours, using […]