As Malta reopens to Americans, Viking prepares to launch ‘Welcome Back’ voyages from Valletta

Viking’s preparations to homeport three vessels from Valletta for three different roundtrip 11-day itineraries exploring the Mediterranean are in full swing, the company said.

On its part, Malta has added 40 US states to its Amber List, meaning travellers will require a negative PCR COVID-19 test within 72 hours of arrival.

Additionally, on Thursday, the EU recommended that Member States begin to lift restrictions on American travellers, with a formal announcement expected on Friday (today).

Viking cruises will aid Malta’s ailing cruiseliner sector, a major source of tourism pre-COVID. Viking’s ‘Welcome Back’ voyages will see the Viking Star, the Viking Sea and the newer Viking Venus grace Valletta’s cruise port from July 2021.

“Now that we have successfully restarted operations, welcoming guests back on board in England and in Bermuda, we look forward to launching our new voyages from Malta,” said Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen.

Viking also confirmed that it has partnered with Lufthansa “to offer non-stop flights” from Newark Liberty International Airport to Malta, exclusively for Viking cruise guests.

“We applaud the Government of Malta for being such a supportive destination partner and for making the arrival and embarkation process even easier for our guests,” said Mr Hagen.

“With its rich history and stunning natural beauty, Malta is truly a gem in the Mediterranean that many American travellers have yet to discover. With our new Welcome Back voyages, combined with Lufthansa flights from Newark exclusively for Viking guests, there has never been a better opportunity to explore the Mediterranean from Malta,” he added.

List of 40 US states added to Malta’s Amber List

As per an official announcement, the full list of US states added are as follows:

Washington, Oregon, Louisiana, Arizona, West Virginia, Colorado, North Dakota, Indiana, Georgia, Texas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Tennessee, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, South Carolina, New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, Maine, South Dakota, Michigan, Illinois, Delaware, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, New Jersey, Minnesota, Connecticut, Alaska, New Hampshire, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Vermont, and California.