The Port of Funchal has announced that there has been an increase in the number of cruise companies choosing the port (Madeira) For provisioning.

Container operations gained importance last year, and have accelerated recently, the port said in a press release.

In late November, the port won the “Best Sustainable Cruise Terminal in the World” award from the World Cruise Awards.

In 2022 and 2023, Madeira won “Europe’s Best Cruise Destination”. These accolades reflect this growth, the port added.

Last year, Madeira welcomed 279 cruise calls and set a record with 624,000 disembarking cruise passengers and 241,000 crew members, a 51 percent increase compared to 2022.

2024 is on pace to surpass these figures, the port said.

“The fact that major companies such as AIDA, TUI, P&O and Marella regularly choose the Port of Funchal for ship supplies demonstrates, on the one hand, our competitiveness as a cruise destination and, on the other, the quality and responsiveness of our human resources,” said Paula Cabaço, president of APRAM, S.A.

Paulo Falé, director of operations and safety, said:” The growing demand for supply operations has implications for various factors,” he said.

All this, said Cabaço, is done with a strong focus on sustainability.

“We aim to make these operations increasingly sustainable, not just for the port but also for the city and the cruise companies themselves, which share our environmental concerns,” Cabaço added.