Cruise Passengers: Q2/2026
There were 126 cruise liner calls during the second quarter of 2026, an increase of 3 when compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year. Transit passengers accounted for the absolute majority of total traffic, reaching 208,068 (81.2 per cent). On average, every vessel that berthed in Malta carried 2,035 passengers, 49 fewer than the previous year (Table 1).
Passengers from EU Member States comprised 43.5 per cent of total traffic. The major markets were Italy, accounting for 11.0 per cent of the total passengers, followed by Germany, with 7.7 per cent. The total number of passengers from non-EU countries stood at 144,795, where the United Kingdom accounted for 24.8 per cent of the total passengers and 15.0 per cent came from the United States (Table 1).
On a gender basis, female passengers made up 55.1 per cent of the total. The largest share of passengers fell within the 60-79 age bracket (43.3 per cent) and were followed by those aged between 40 and 59 years (27.1 per cent) (Table1).
January-June 2026
During the first half of 2026, total cruise passengers stood at 321,616. Of these, 44.1 per cent came from EU Member States (Table 2).
The majority of the passengers were females, amounting to 175,798 or 54.7 per cent of the total. Most passengers were between 60 and 79 years old, totalling 134,098 (41.7 per cent). These were followed by passengers aged 40-59 years, reaching 87,152 (27.1 per cent) (Table 2).
There were 159 cruise liner calls during the first two quarters of the year, with an average of 2,023 passengers per vessel, compared to 154 calls and an average of 2,214 passengers per vessel in the comparative period of 2025 (Table 2).
Methodological Notes
| Embarkations | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| April–June | 50,271 | 45,762 | 46,944 |
| January–June | 53,443 | 49,435 | 48,029 |
- Cruise passenger traffic: comprises transit passengers and passengers who land in Malta.
- Embarkations: comprise all cruise passengers who are either Maltese or who are foreigners who arrive in Malta by other means of transport.
- Transit passengers: comprise all cruise passengers who arrive in and leave Malta on the same cruise ship.
- Landed passengers: comprise all cruise passengers who arrive in Malta on a cruise ship and leave by other means of transport, or alternatively, stay in Malta.
- Passengers staying overnight: comprise passengers who spend at least one night in the Maltese Islands, either onboard the cruise ship or on land.
- Average number of passengers per vessel: computed by dividing total cruise passenger traffic by the number of cruise liner calls.
6. A detailed news release calendar is available online.
7. References to this news release are to be cited appropriately. For guidance on access and re-use of data please visit our dedicated webpage.
8. For further assistance send your request through our online request form.
Cruise Passengers: Q2/2026
- Total cruise passenger traffic during the second quarter of 2026 amounted to 256,369, at par with the same quarter of the previous year.
- There were 126 cruise liner calls during the second quarter of 2026, an increase of 3 when compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.
- The United Kingdom, the United States and Italy were the top three markets for the second quarter of 2026.
- Total cruise passenger traffic during the first half of 2026 amounted to 321,616, a decrease of 5.7 per cent over the same period last year.
- There were 159 cruise liner calls during the first two quarters of 2026, an increase of 5 when compared to the same period in the previous year.
