With eight cruise ships set to serve the local market, Brazil is expecting its biggest cruise season in the last ten years.

Starting in early October, the 2022-2023 season is also poised to become one of the longest, with an estimated duration of six months.

Serving the domestic market, three ships from Costa Cruises and five ships from MSC Cruises will offer a total of 160 departures, with over 485 calls in 17 destinations in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

The local fleet includes the Costa Firenze, which debuts in the country in December, and the MSC Seashore, which will become the biggest ship to ever sail in the region.

In addition to traditional homeports, such as Santos and Rio de Janeiro, the vessels are also set to offer departures from other ports, including Maceió, Itajaí and Salvador.

According to CLIA Brazil, the ships will offer just short of 675,000 berths in the local market – a number that exceeds the offer of the 2019-2020 season, the last one carried out before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through mid-May, the country is also expected to receive 35 additional cruise ships, which will visit several local ports during long-haul, international itineraries.

Operated by cruise lines such as Holland America Line, Celebrity Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and Regent Seven Seas, the vessels will make 309 calls in 45 destinations across 15 Brazilian states.  

“The expectation for the next cruise season is more good news for us who are experiencing the resumption of tourist activities across the country,” said Brazil’s Minister of Tourism, Carlos Brito.

“We are a government that believes in Nautical Tourism as a driving force for the economy and that is why we have developed a series of actions to strengthen it,” he added.

“Expectations could not be better for this season, which will be the biggest in the last decade. The scenario that we currently see in the Northern Hemisphere is encouraging, both in terms of the success and safety of travel, as well as the pent-up demand converting into sales, and this reflects positively in Brazil,” said Marco Ferraz, president of CLIA Brazil.

“For our industry, the health and safety of guests, crew and the cities visited, environmental protection and compliance will always come first, and this contributes to people being confident in living cruise experiences, enjoying the attractions that ship trips offer for all profiles.”