Costa Cruises is strengthening its position in the Brazilian market with its biggest local program in a decade.

Set to start in November, the 2022-2023 season will feature three ships, including the 2020-built Costa Firenze.

The 4,232-guest vessel will be joined by the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fortuna, sailing a five-month domestic program in Brazil.

According to Dario Rustico, Costa’s Executive President for South and Central America, the deployment will see the double of the capacity of the 2019-2020 season the last pre-pandemic season in the region.

The milestone is part of a long-term strategic plan for the country, he told Cruise Industry News.

“Costa has been promoting gradual capacity growth in Brazil since 2016. Initially, we added more days to the local deployment, growing the season every year,” he said.

In just three years, the seasons gained three additional months in duration, Rustico explained, becoming  a five-month program.

Then, in 2019, the company announced a new phase of growth, with plans to add a ship and new itineraries for the next domestic program.

Before the pandemic cancelled the entire operation, Rustico said, the 2020-2021 season was set to feature three ships and four homeports, including Itajaí, a first for the company.

“Now we want to make up for the lost time. Even with all the difficulties and complications of the pandemic, we decided to bring the Costa Diadema, the biggest ship to sail in the region in our 74-year history,” he added.

The 2014-built vessel debuted in the country for the 2021-2022 season, offering local cruises in December, March and April.

In addition to the company’s plans for the 2022-2023 local program, the Costa Luminosa and the Costa Deliziosa are also set to offer departures from Brazilian ports during global programs.