Madeira Ports Ready Digital Berth-Booking System to Replace Paper

The Ports of Madeira have been nominated in two categories at the 2025 World Cruise Awards, extending a run of recognition that the region says reflects its push to pair cruise growth with sustainability.

At the same time, the port authority, the Administration of the Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM, SA), says it is close to launching a new digital quay reservation management platform designed to replace a manual, paper-based berth booking process for cruise calls.

Madeira’s 2025 World Cruise Awards nominations and voting timeline

For the fourth year in a row, Madeira has been nominated at the World Cruise Awards, with entries in “World’s Best Cruise Terminal for Sustainability 2025” and “Europe’s Best Cruise Destination 2025.”

José Manuel Rodrigues, the regional secretary for economy, framed the nominations as a shared achievement, saying, “It is a collective success that belongs to all Madeirans and reinforces our confidence in the future of tourism.”

Paula Cabaço, chairwoman of APRAM, also pointed to the role of port staff and local professionals. “These nominations reflect our firm commitment to environmental sustainability and to continuously improving the experience we offer our visitors,” Cabaço said.

Public voting is scheduled to run online from May 7 to November 16, with winners due to be announced on December 6 at the World Cruise Awards Gala in Bahrain.

Moving cruise berth bookings from paper to a single online channel

APRAM says the new quay reservation management platform is intended to give shipping agents and the port authority one digital channel for submitting, tracking, and managing cruise quay reservation requests, replacing a process handled manually and on paper.

“With this new tool, APRAM aims to streamline a process that until now was handled manually and on paper,” Cabaço said.

APRAM has also emphasized traceability as a central feature of the system. “Every step of the quay reservation process will now be traceable and auditable, from the initial request to the final decision,” she said.

Why APRAM says the change is needed now

APRAM has pointed to the scale and long planning horizon of cruise scheduling in Madeira as a key driver for the upgrade. Cabaço said the ports are managing 977 quay reservations manually, with requests extending through the end of 2029. APRAM has separately described the workload as nearly 1,000 reservations, also stretching through 2029.

Capacity constraints during the busiest parts of the cruise season add pressure to the process, APRAM said, when demand can exceed available berth space and the port must make timely decisions and communicate clearly with cruise lines and their representatives.

Cabaço said refusals are sometimes unavoidable when space is limited. “We neither like nor want to refuse reservations, but sometimes we must due to limited space,” she said, adding that the new platform is expected to improve how those decisions are communicated to cruise companies.

What APRAM expects the platform to change in day-to-day operations

• Single point of entry for requests: Shipping agents will submit and manage cruise quay reservation requests through one online channel. APRAM says this is meant to reduce fragmented communications and make the workflow more consistent.
• Faster processing versus paper workflows: By replacing manual handling, APRAM expects the platform to improve efficiency in how requests are received and processed. The goal is to reduce labor-intensive steps that come with paper-based scheduling.
• Traceability and auditability: APRAM says the system will make the reservation process transparent, tracking actions from request through to decision. Cabaço has said the steps will be traceable and auditable end to end.
• Unified system and stronger data handling: APRAM expects better data security by using one managed platform rather than dispersed manual handling. The port authority has also described the system as a fully digital, auditable process.
• Better synchronization for planning: APRAM says the platform will help synchronize shared information on reservations and operational planning across the port community. The aim is to improve coordination between APRAM, shipping agents, and cruise operators calling at Madeira.

Presentation to shipping agents, funding, and rollout status

Cabaço presented the platform at the XI Congress of AGEPOR, the Portuguese Shipping Agents Association, held in Almancil, linking the rollout to the practical needs of agents who coordinate bookings and operational details on behalf of cruise lines.

APRAM has put the investment at 41,250 euros. The spending is tied to Project P4.14, “Creation of Port Community System,” under Sub-investment C19 i05.01, described as part of the digital transition of Madeira’s public administration within the Recovery and Resilience Plan framework.

APRAM has said the platform is in the final stages before launch, but has not announced a specific go-live date.

What to watch next

The next milestones for Madeira’s cruise sector include the close of public voting for the 2025 World Cruise Awards on November 16 and the awards gala on December 6 in Bahrain, while APRAM moves toward deploying the new reservation platform it says will support cruise call planning through 2029.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What awards has Madeira been nominated for at the 2025 World Cruise Awards?

Madeira has been nominated for “World’s Best Cruise Terminal for Sustainability 2025” and “Europe’s Best Cruise Destination 2025.”

When is voting open for the 2025 World Cruise Awards?

Public voting is scheduled to run from May 7 to November 16, 2025, with winners set to be announced on December 6 at a gala in Bahrain.

How many cruise quay reservations are currently being managed in Madeira?

APRAM chair Paula Cabaço said the ports are manually managing 977 quay reservations for cruise ships, with requests scheduled through the end of 2029. APRAM has also described the workload as nearly 1,000 reservations extending through 2029.

How much is APRAM investing in the new quay reservation management platform?

APRAM said the investment totals 41,250 euros, tied to Project P4.14, “Creation of Port Community System,” under Sub-investment C19 i05.01 within the Recovery and Resilience Plan digital transition framework.

When will the platform launch?

APRAM said the system is in the final stages before launch, but it has not provided a specific go-live date.