Luzzu Cruises

Luzzu Cruises sells seats on day trips by boat from Sliema, on the northern shore of Marsamxett Harbour. There are four main choices: a harbour cruise that threads through ten creeks around Valletta and the Three Cities, a day at Comino and the Blue Lagoon, a shorter 5.5 hour Comino cruise in summer, and a full day combining Gozo sightseeing with a swim at the Blue Lagoon.

On VisitMalta.co.uk the company appears in our directories of boat charter companies in Malta and tour operators in Malta. Each cruise leaves from the Sliema ferry landing, Ferries 4, so there is one meeting point to remember.

A family company with traditional boats

Luzzu Cruises is a family-run company that has operated day cruises around Malta, Gozo and Comino for 20 years. Its boats follow the traditional Maltese design, and the family designed and supervised the building of every vessel itself, with comfort, safety and security in mind. The fleet includes MV Lady Shelley, MV Kataleya, MV Helena G, MV Antonia, MV Sansone, MV Taksi and MV Princess Jahzara.

Alongside the scheduled cruises, the company organises private charters for groups. These suit parties and celebrations of all kinds, and prices and details come on request, so mention your date and group size when you enquire.

The two harbours cruise

The harbour cruise is the quickest way to see how Valletta fits together. The boat leaves Sliema, glides round Manoel Island to Lazzaretto Creek, which is the yacht marina, then passes Ta' Xbiex towards Msida and Pietà creeks. It then follows the battlements and fortifications of Valletta and Floriana into the Grand Harbour.

From there the route reaches Menqa and Marsa creeks and the inner basin, where the Malta shipbuilding yard stands, continues to French Creek and the dockyard area, circles the three cities of Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa, and passes Kalkara Creek and Rinella Bay before returning to Sliema. In all you cruise inside ten creeks. Commentary on the history of the two harbours is in English only.

Boats leave daily at 10:30, 12:30, 14:30 and 16:00 all year round. An adult ticket costs €20 including VAT and a child aged 4 to 11 pays €15. Our Valletta guide, Three Cities guide and Vittoriosa guide give background to the places you pass, and from the water you can see the dome of St John's Co-Cathedral and the bastion below the Upper Barrakka Gardens.

Comino and the Blue Lagoon

Comino lies between Malta and Gozo and is a favourite with swimmers, snorkellers, divers and walkers. The day cruise leaves Sliema at 10:00 and sails north past Sliema promenade, St Julian's Bay, St George's Bay, Qawra, St Paul's Bay and St Paul's Island and Mellieħa Bay before reaching the island. In summer, from May to October, it stops for 45 minutes at the Crystal Lagoon area, also called St Nicholas Bay, weather permitting, then for three and a half hours at the Blue Lagoon, returning at 17:30. In winter, from November to April, it leaves at 10:00, spends four hours at the Blue Lagoon and returns at 17:00. On the way back the boat visits Comino's sea caves. Toilet and bar facilities are on board.

The fare is €40 for adults and €30 for children aged 4 to 11, including VAT. To step ashore at the Blue Lagoon you need a landing pass with a QR code, which you register for on the Blue Lagoon operator's own booking page, choosing the afternoon slot from 13:30 to 17:30. Our Blue Lagoon guide explains the lagoon and what to bring.

There is also a 5.5 hour Comino cruise from June to September, leaving Sliema at 09:00 and 14:30. It stops about 45 minutes at the Crystal Lagoon, where you can swim from the boat and use the water slide, and about two hours at the Blue Lagoon, where you can either go ashore with a landing pass or use the boat as your base. Choose the morning pass slot for the 09:00 departure and the evening slot for the 14:30 one. Adults pay €40 and children aged 4 to 11 pay €25, including VAT.

Gozo, Comino and the Blue Lagoon in a day

This full-day option combines two islands. The boat sails north from Sliema to Mgarr, Gozo's main harbour, where you transfer to one of the company's buses for a photo stop at Qala Belvedere and a visit to Victoria, the island's capital, with time to see the Citadel, the old fortified city. In the afternoon you rejoin the boat for Comino, with roughly an hour and a half at the Blue Lagoon for swimming, sunbathing and snorkelling, followed by a visit to the Crystal Caves of Comino and the cruise home.

From April to October the day starts at 10:00 and returns at 17:30; from November to March it starts at 10:00 and returns at 17:00. The listing shows €45 for adults and €30 for children aged 4 to 11, including VAT. The same Blue Lagoon landing pass rule applies, and the afternoon slot is the one to choose. Our Gozo guide covers what else the island offers.

Which cruise suits you

If you have an hour or two to spare, or are staying in Sliema and want to understand the geography of the capital, the harbour cruise is the natural pick. It runs four times a day all year, so it fits around other plans and works in any season, and it is the cheapest option at €20 for adults.

If swimming is the priority, choose between the two Comino cruises. The day cruise gives the longest time at the Blue Lagoon, three and a half hours in summer and four hours in winter, which suits families who want to settle on the shore. The 5.5 hour cruise is shorter and runs only from June to September, with a morning and an afternoon departure, and adds time in the Crystal Lagoon area where you can swim straight from the boat and use the slide. Children aged 4 to 11 pay less on every cruise.

If you would rather mix sightseeing with swimming, the Gozo day includes a coach visit to Qala Belvedere and Victoria with its Citadel before the Blue Lagoon stop. It is a full day out, so it suits visitors with only one day to spare for both islands. The Gozo day is the only option that puts you ashore in the island's capital.

What you see from the water

Part of the appeal of these trips is the view. On the harbour cruise you pass the bastions and fortifications that surround Valletta and Floriana, the old dockyard area, and the three fortified towns of Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa, a perspective that is hard to get from the streets. The Comino cruises follow the northern coastline past the bays of Sliema, St Julian's, St George's, Qawra and St Paul's, and visit sea caves on the return.

The Gozo day adds a different landscape: Mgarr harbour, the viewpoint at Qala, and Victoria with its walled Citadel. Every route spends several hours at sea, so ask about what to bring when you enquire.

Weather, planning and getting to Sliema

The company reserves the right to alter or cancel any excursion or cruise because of the weather, which matters for the open-sea routes to Comino and Gozo. Check our Malta weather guide when picking a month, and our guide to things to do in Malta for ideas on other days. If you are arriving from the UK, the flights to Malta guide is the place to start.

To ask about a cruise, a family booking or a private group charter, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page, and we will pass your message to Luzzu Cruises.