Madeira Ports took part, last week in the 68th General Assembly of MedCruise, held in Palermo, Italy.
The event brought together more than 20 cruise lines, shipping agents and over fifty port authorities from the Mediterranean and neighbouring Atlantic regions. Marking the 30th anniversary of MedCruise, the gathering provided an important platform for Madeira to strengthen relationships with existing cruise partners while showcasing the destination to potential new clients.
“We held a series of highly positive meetings, focusing not only on cruise lines already operating in the Port of Funchal but also on potential new customers,” said Patrícia Bairrada, Commercial Director of the Administration of the Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM, SA), when assessing the outcome of the event.
“One new cruise line, Aman at Sea, operating within the premium luxury segment, expressed interest in including Madeira in its itineraries, with a first call currently projected for 2028,” she revealed. “Our meetings with cruise lines already visiting Madeira were equally encouraging. They provided excellent feedback on the destination and expressed their intention to further expand their offering of new and diversified shore excursions.”
Founded in June 1996 by a group of 16 Spanish, Greek and Italian ports, MedCruise aims to promote the cruise industry and foster cooperation among its members. Today, the association represents more than 160 ports across 22 countries and, according to 2025 figures, accounts for 39.75 million cruise passengers and 17,780 cruise calls annually.
Madeira has been a member of MedCruise since 2012. Cruise Atlantic Islands (CAI), the cruise promotion alliance comprising Madeira, the Canary Islands, the Azores and Cape Verde, is responsible for approximately 11% of all cruise traffic within the MedCruise network.
