Portimão Port has set a new annual record for cruise passengers, surpassing the previous high recorded in 2011, the Administration of the Ports of Sines and the Algarve (APS) has announced.
The 46,264th passenger, edging past the previous record of 46,263, arrived in Portimão aboard the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship, which called at the Algarve port yesterday. In a symbolic gesture, the passenger was presented with a commemorative certificate from the APS upon disembarking.
Portimão Port has so far recorded 48 cruise ship calls, and a total of 48,669 passengers in 2026. The figures confirm a strong growth trajectory, following 56 calls and 23,996 passengers in 2025.
Around 90 cruise ship calls are expected at the port in 2026, with that figure forecast to rise to 117 in 2027, according to the APS.
The weekend also saw the inaugural call of the Explora III, a ship operated by Explora Journeys, the luxury cruise brand owned by MSC Group, as announced by the authority managing the Algarve’s commercial ports.
The Explora III’s first visit to Portimão, as part of its inaugural voyage between Barcelona and Lisbon, highlights what has been described as many as the Algarve’s potential to flourish within a high-value segment of the cruise market, the APS said.
The new annual record for passengers disembarking in Portimão “reinforces the growth trajectory that Portimão Port has been consolidating in the cruise sector”, reflecting the confidence of cruise operators that regard Portimão as a high-quality port of call, the authority added.
The APS also highlighted the role of Norwegian Cruise Line, represented in Portugal by Pinto Basto, saying its operations had made a significant contribution thus far to the port’s 2026 results.
The performance is in line with the objectives set out in the national ‘Portos 5+ strategy’, which was formulated to increase passenger traffic at Portugal’s mainland commercial ports. As part of this strategy, the APS has been strengthening Portimão Port’s operational capacity and competitiveness over recent years.
Among the measures highlighted by the authority is the early completion of maintenance dredging, which restored sufficient depths in the access channel and turning basin, as well as the installation of new berths for tender boats.
Further improvements are also planned, including the rehabilitation of the roll-on/roll-off ramp, upgrades to road access to the Maritime Terminal, and the future installation of an onshore power supply system, allowing ships to connect to the electricity grid while in port.
The APS said the projects would strengthen Portimão Port’s ability to meet the cruise industry’s requirements, with high standards of safety, quality and sustainability, to support the expected growth of the sector in the coming years.
Source: APS
Photo credit: Medcruise
