The Ports of Madeira are taking a significant step towards full digitalization. The Ports Administration of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM, SA), overseen by the Regional Secretariat for the Economy, is in the final stages of launching a new Dock Reservation Management Platform for cruise ship calls.
This fully digital solution brings significant benefits in efficiency, transparency, communication and data security, both for APRAM and for maritime agents, who will now have a single channel to request cruise ship berth reservations.
“With this new tool, APRAM aims to optimize a process that until now has been managed manually and on paper,” said Paula Cabaço, president of the Board of Directors of the Ports of Madeira. She highlighted “greater transparency” as one of the platform’s main advantages.
“Every step of the berth booking process will now be traceable and auditable, from the initial request to the final decision,” she added. Paula Cabaço presented the new system during the 11th AGEPOR Congress – the Portuguese Association of Shipping Agents – held earlier this week in Almancil.
Shipping agents praised the platform as an “enabling tool” for their work, and it has also sparked interest from other ports attending the event. “Currently, we manually manage 977 cruise ship berth reservations, extending until the end of 2029, without any digital tools,” explained the president of APRAM. The new platform will offer additional functionalities to the entire port community through the synchronized exchange of information on reservations and operational planning.
During peak cruise season, the Ports of Madeira typically receive more berth reservation requests than available spaces. This platform will improve transparency and communication with cruise lines. “We don’t like to, and don’t want to, reject reservations, but sometimes we have to due to space limitations. This system will help us communicate more effectively with cruise companies,” stated Paula Cabaço, emphasizing the platform’s role in consolidating the port’s digital transformation.
The total investment in the new platform amounts to €41,250 and is part of Project P4.14 – Creation of the Community Port System, Sub-investment C19-i05.01 – Digital Transition of the Public Administration of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (RAM-DRI), within the framework of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).
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