The Ports of Madeira and Marella Cruises, TUI UKCI’s ocean cruise line, hosted an educational visit onboard Marella Explorer for a group of Tourism and Business Management students from the local university, Instituto Superior de Administração e Línguas (ISAL), to further educate them on the cruise tourism sector and career prospects in the industry.
The visit commenced with a speech on tourism opportunities from the President of the Madeira Ports Administration (APRAM), Paula Cabaço. Cabaço explained that the community engagement activity would showcase to the students the professional opportunities available onboard the cruise ship and display an insight into the operations into how cruise ships work and how they are operated.
“One of our core missions, as the regional port authority, is to promote and facilitate dialogue between the local community and the cruise industry,” stated Paula Cabaço, who also highlighted the potential that this sector holds. “Cruise ships operate as ffoating cities, staffed by a broad array of skilled professionals – from tourism and engineering to entertainment, IT, maritime operations, and healthcare,” she noted.
Olivia Wells, Sustainability Manager at Marella Cruises said: “We’re thrilled to partner with the Ports of Madeira as Marella Explorer invited local university students onboard to learn about the operations and careers in the cruise industry. We look forward to many more engagments like this in Madeira in the future.”
Approximately twenty students toured various areas of the ship, engaged directly with the ship’s captain, visited the engine control room, and enjoyed lunch on board, during Marella Explorer’s call in Madeira.
The visit was supported by Agência Ferraz, which represents the cruise line in the Region and plays a key role in the coordination of the initiative. The Ports of Madeira intend to continue promoting similar activities. “Together with cruise lines, like Marella Cruises, we are already planning future initiatives aimed at strengthening the relationship between the local community and the cruise sector,” concluded the APRAM President.
Marella Cruises:
Marella Cruises is part of TUI UK and Ireland and TUI Group. It is the third largest cruise line in the UK. As of 1 June 2023, there are five ships in the Marella Cruises fleet, Marella Discovery, Marella Discovery 2, Marella Explorer, Marella Explorer 2 and the newest ship to the fleet, Marella Voyager.
Marella Cruises offers its customers all-inclusive as standard with all tips and service charges included, customers enjoy an unrivalled level of service and award-winning entertainment. Marella Cruises has also received accolades at the Wave Awards in 2024 as Best for Entertainment and
Good Housekeeping Reader Recommended for onboard service since 2019.
About APRAM, S.A.
Strategically located in the Atlantic Ocean, Madeira’s ports have long been key stops for transatlantic shipping routes. With a history dating back to the 15th century, Funchal Port has undergone significant transformations over the past 30 years, focusing on tourism.
Since 2005, Funchal Port has been dedicated exclusively to cruise ships, mega yachts, naval training vessels, and warships, as well as hosting major regattas. In 2023, it recorded record- breaking numbers of cruise ship calls and passengers, consistently contributing to Madeira welcoming over half a million maritime tourists annually.
