By
Laura Hyde |
Ports of Madeira is to launch a new Quay Reservation Management Platform for cruise ship calls.
The Administration of the Ports of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM) will use the platform to improve efficiency, transparency, communication and data security. The platform, which represents an investment totalling €41,250 ($47,685), will provide a single channel to enable cruise ships to request quay reservations. It will also offer additional functionalities to allow APRAM to share reservation and operational planning information with cruise lines.
During the peak cruise season, the Ports of Madeira often receives more quay reservation requests than available spaces. The introduction of the platform aims to enhance transparency and communication with shipping agents who have praised the platform as a “facilitating tool” for their work.
“Currently, we are manually managing 977 quay reservations for cruise ships, extending through the end of 2029, without any digital tool,” said Paula Cabaço, chair of the board of directors of the Ports of Madeira, who presented the new system during the XI Congress of AGEPOR – Portuguese Shipping Agents Association, held in Portugal on 27 October. “With this new tool, APRAM aims to streamline a process that until now was handled manually and on paper. Every step of the quay reservation process will now be traceable and auditable, from the initial request to the final decision.”