A Small Atlantic Island Is About to Break Its Own Cruise Record

Madeira’s port authority, APRAM, is forecasting a record cruise year. The island expects 349 ship calls in 2026 and close to 820,000 passengers, which would make it the first year above 800,000 visitors arriving by cruise ship. The numbers were reported on October 9 and are still provisional.

The record would beat a strong 2025. Last year Madeira handled 746,000 passengers on 331 calls, itself a best-ever season. The new forecast works out to roughly 10 percent more passengers and about 5.4 percent more calls, which suggests ships are not only calling more often but also arriving fuller.

The busy season is not over. APRAM says October alone has 33 calls booked, with more than 75,000 passengers expected, so the final months should add meaningfully to the total. The authority cautions that weather or itinerary changes could still shift the figures before the year ends.

For travelers, the takeaway is that this Atlantic stop has become a fixture on transatlantic and Canary Islands itineraries. A busier port can mean crowded streets in Funchal on ship days, so independent visitors may want to check which vessels are in port and plan excursions for the quieter hours.

Sources: Cruise Industry News, CruiseMapper