Melbourne to Marsaxlokk shipping route.

Ships leaving Melbourne for Marsaxlokk head west and cover a sea distance of 8,822 nautical miles (16,339 km), via Suez Canal. The straight line between the ports is 15,648 km; coastlines and shipping lanes add the rest. On the way the vessel passes Suez Canal and Bab-el-Mandeb, so canal transit fees and waiting time at the canal are part of every voyage.

Pure steaming time is 26.3 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 30.6 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 20.4. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Melbourne and Marsaxlokk to plan the full ocean transit time.

The shortest route goes through the Red Sea. Since attacks on shipping began there in late 2023, many carriers send ships via Cape of Good Hope instead. That route is 12,091 nautical miles, 3,268 more, and adds about 9.7 days at 14 knots. Longer voyages burn more fuel and tie up more ships, which is why freight rates on Red Sea lanes jumped when the diversions started.

952 nm of the route, 11% of it, lies inside Mediterranean Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.

Container freight rates on Melbourne to Marsaxlokk move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Marsaxlokk (MTMAR) carriers give about 6 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Melbourne in this directory, Marsaxlokk is the 47th shortest. Closer destinations include Lagos (Apapa) (8,616 nm), Cartagena (8,470 nm) and Piraeus (8,467 nm).