On a Malta sea trip, the headline price and the final bill can differ. A €50 Comino cruise with Hera may need a €10 transport charge and a separate Blue Lagoon landing pass. A €45 guided shore dive in Gozo does not include the €20-a-day equipment set. A self-drive boat from Hondoq Bay quotes fuel on top. Below, operator by operator: transport, landing passes, equipment hire, fuel, food and supplements.
Transport charges on cruises
On a cruise, the first thing to check is how you get to the quay.
Hera Cruises charges €10 per adult or child and €5 per infant for transport on every cruise — the Round Malta Cruise (€65 per adult), the 3-Bay & Blue Lagoon Cruise (€65 per adult), the Comino Direct Cruise (€50 per adult), the Coastal Highlights & Grand Harbour Cruise (€55 per adult), and the Fireworks Festival Cruise (€70 per adult). The transport charge is the same across all five routes. All Hera cruise prices include VAT.
Luzzu Cruises departs from Sliema Ferries. Plan your own way to the quay. The 2 Harbours Cruise is €20 per adult and €15 per child (4–11 years); the Gozo, Comino & The Blue Lagoon cruise is €45 per adult and €30 per child (4–11 years); the Comino & Blue Lagoon Day Cruise is €40 per adult and €30 per child. All prices include VAT.
Comino Ferries runs the ferry from Marfa or Ċirkewwa to Comino's Blue Lagoon at €15 per adult round trip and €7 per child under 10. That ticket includes a free trip to the caves and Blue Lagoon landing access — no separate QR code or time-slot booking is needed. The trip takes approximately 20 minutes each way. A €5 charge per bulky item may apply (bicycles, inflated mattresses, camping equipment); wheelchairs and similar necessary items are exempt.
| Operator | Transport charge (adult/child) | Transport charge (infant) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hera Cruises | €10 | €5 | Same on all five routes |
| Luzzu Cruises | — | — | Departs Sliema ferries |
| Comino Ferries (ferry) | — | — | €5 per bulky item may apply |
Blue Lagoon landing pass
Hera Cruises cites a new Government of Malta directive: everyone who wants to go ashore at the Blue Lagoon must obtain an access pass in advance, and daily passes are limited.
This affects some operators but not others:
- Comino Ferries — the round-trip ferry ticket already includes Blue Lagoon landing access. No separate QR code or time-slot booking is required.
- Luzzu Cruises — you register separately for a Blue Lagoon pass (QR code). For the Comino & Blue Lagoon Day Cruise and the Gozo, Comino & The Blue Lagoon cruise, choose the afternoon slot (13:30–17:30). For the 5.5-hour Comino Crystal Lagoon cruise departing at 09:00, choose the morning slot; for the 14:30 departure, choose the evening slot.
- Hera Cruises — the pass is obtained in advance. Hera asks Comino Direct Cruise passengers to choose the morning slot, and Round Malta and 3-Bay passengers the afternoon slot.
Important
None of these cruise tickets includes the pass itself. Hera says daily passes are limited, so register as soon as your cruise date is fixed.
What cruise prices include — and what they do not
Hera Cruises and Luzzu Cruises look similar on paper but differ in what is inside the price.
| Item | Hera Cruises (day cruises) | Luzzu Cruises |
|---|---|---|
| Cold buffet lunch | Included (adults get beer & wine too) | — |
| Open bar (soft drinks, water) | Included throughout the day | Bar facilities on board |
| Maltese Ftira in the morning | Included | — |
| Snorkelling gear | Available for rent (not included) | — |
| Cave tours | Not included | Comino sea caves visit included on Comino & Blue Lagoon cruise |
| Freshwater showers | Included | — |
| Swimming ladders | Included | — |
| Toilet facilities | Included | Included |
| VAT | Included | Included |
Hera's day cruises aboard the Hera, a Turkish gulet, include lunch and drinks in the ticket. Luzzu's tickets are cheaper and list bar facilities on board rather than a meal. Hera rents snorkelling equipment on board.
Private boat charter extras
Comino Ferries private charters include skipper, fuel, water, snorkelling gear, all taxes and port fees, and life jackets. They do not include pickup service, hotel transfer, or food and drinks. The 2-hour private charter starts at €200 per boat for up to 6 people (€10 for each extra person). The 4-hour charter is €290 (€20 per extra person), the 6-hour charter €450 (€20 per extra person), and the 8-hour charter €519 (€20 per extra person). After your charter, you can remain at the Blue Lagoon and return to Malta on the regular Comino ferry at your convenience until 7 PM — free of charge.
| Duration | Price (up to 6) | Extra person | Included | Not included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hours | €200 per boat | €10 | Skipper, fuel, water, snorkelling gear, taxes, port fees, life jackets | Pickup, hotel transfer, food & drinks |
| 4 hours | €290 per boat | €20 | Same | Same |
| 6 hours | €450 per boat | €20 | Same | Same |
| 8 hours | €519 per boat | €20 | Same | Same |
Self-drive boat rental: fuel is extra
JoyRide Watersports in Hondoq Bay, Gozo, lists self-drive boats from €100 per boat for a 3-hour half day (40 hp, 13 ft) up to €400 for a full-day 20 ft / 200 hp boat. Every price is marked "+ Fuel". Fuel consumption is measured at the end of your trip and charged separately. A €200 cash security deposit is required and refunded if the boat is returned undamaged and on time. Drivers must be 21 years or older; ages 18–21 may be considered depending on boating experience. No boating licence is needed for most boats, but the larger engine boats (115 hp and 200 hp) require a nautical licence. Alcohol is strictly prohibited on board.
Tip
JoyRide's self-drive prices are per boat, not per person. The operator publishes its own fuel estimates: €15–25 for 3 hours on the 40 hp or 50 hp boat, up to €45–85 for 6 hours on a 115 hp boat.
Diving: equipment rental, supplements and what courses include
At the two dive centres below, courses bundle more, while guided dives add equipment hire and supplements on top.
Blue Waters Dive Cove — Gozo
A single accompanied shore dive is €45 per dive. That includes an instructor as guide, weights and tanks. Transport to and from the dive site is free. It does not include the rest of the equipment. A full rental set (boots, fins, suit, regulator, BCD, mask) costs €20 per day. A dive computer costs an additional €7.
Night dives carry a €7 supplement. A boat dive to Comino adds a €40 per person supplement and includes 2 dives. Packages reduce the per-dive price: a 10-dive package is €300 (€30 per dive).
At Blue Waters Dive Cove, the entry-level courses include full equipment and the advanced ones do not. The PADI Open Water Diver course (€460, 3 days, age 10+) includes tuition, online manual, certification and full equipment. The PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course (€300, 2–3 days, age 12+) includes tuition, online manual, certification, tanks and weights — but not equipment (full set at €20 per day). The same applies to the Rescue Diver course (€350) and to specialties such as Deep, Wreck and Night Diver: tuition, manual, certification, tanks and weights inside; equipment at €20 a day.
| Product | Price | Unit | Included | Extra |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shore dive (single) | €45 | per dive | Guide, tank, weights, transport | Equipment €20/day, computer €7 |
| 10-dive package | €300 | per package | Same as single dive | Same as single dive |
| Night dive supplement | €7 | per dive | — | Added to dive price |
| Comino boat dive | €40 | per person (2 dives) | 2 dives | Added to dive price |
| PADI Open Water | €460 | per person | Tuition, manual, cert, full equipment | — |
| PADI Advanced OW | €300 | per person | Tuition, manual, cert, tanks, weights | Equipment €20/day |
ABC Diving Malta — St Paul's Bay
ABC Diving Malta runs bespoke (private tuition) PADI courses where the price bundles dive equipment and a private transfer from anywhere in Malta. The PADI Open Water course is €1,190 per person for a 4-day course (age 10+), including private tuition, 5 confined and 5 open water dives, multilingual eLearning, certification, equipment and student dive insurance.
For certified divers doing accompanied dives, equipment hire is charged per dive: BCD or Halcyon Infinity Wing €2, regulator set €2, wetsuit €2 — each per dive. Three supplements may apply: a refresher dive supplement of €15 per diver (required if more than 12 months since your last dive), a Gozo trip supplement of €60 per trip, shared by up to 4 divers, and a night dive supplement of €25 per diver (minimum 2 divers), which includes a dive light.
Free pick-up is available in the "BLUE zone" shown on ABC Diving's transport map.
| Item | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BCD / Halcyon Infinity Wing | €2 | per dive | |
| Regulator set | €2 | per dive | |
| Wetsuit | €2 | per dive | |
| Refresher dive | €15 | per diver | If >12 months since last dive |
| Gozo trip | €60 | per trip | Shared by up to 4 divers |
| Night dive | €25 | per diver | Min 2 divers; dive light included |
Jet ski and boat trip extras in Gozo
JoyRide Watersports' direct boat trip to the Blue Lagoon from Hondoq Bay costs €10 per adult and €5 per child, and the Comino & Cave Tour €15 per adult and €7.50 per child. For both, JoyRide asks you to book the Blue Lagoon landing ticket separately. The 3-hour private Around Comino trip costs €300 per boat for up to 8 people.
JoyRide's 20- and 30-minute jet ski rentals include fuel and a life jacket. The 40-Minute Adventure Tour at €90 per jet ski also includes snorkelling masks, complimentary water, a briefing and photos. Participants must be able to swim confidently in open water, and the activity is not suitable for anyone over 160 kg.
General rules to remember
- Transport: Hera charges €10 per adult or child and €5 per infant; with Luzzu, plan your own way to Sliema ferries.
- Blue Lagoon landing passes are obtained in advance; Hera cites a government directive. Comino Ferries' ferry ticket already includes landing access.
- Food and drink: Hera includes lunch and drinks; Luzzu's tickets list a bar on board rather than a meal.
- Dive equipment: at Blue Waters Dive Cove in Gozo, the Open Water course includes full equipment, while advanced courses and guided dives add €20 a day for a full set; ABC Diving charges €2 per item per dive.
- Fuel on JoyRide's self-drive boats is extra; the operator publishes approximate fuel costs by engine size.
- VAT: Hera and Luzzu include VAT in their published cruise prices.
