MSC Cruises celebrated the start of its 2022-2023 Brazilian cruise season with a special event onboard the MSC Fantasia recently.

Opening the company’s six-ship local program, the 2008-built vessel arrived in Santos, its seasonal homeport, on November 2.

“We are very happy to be here opening this season, which will be the biggest ever,” said Adrian Ursilli, MSC Cruises Brazil country manager, during the ceremony.

Starting in December, the MSC Fantasia will be joined by the MSC Seashore – which, according to MSC, is set to become the largest and most modern cruise ship to ever operate in the country.

Four additional vessels, the MSC Seaview, the MSC Preziosa, the MSC Musica and the MSC Armonia are also slated to operate regularly in the region through April.

According to Ursilli, the program comprises 132 sailings – which represents a 68 percent capacity increase compared to the 2019-2020 season.

“Despite the pandemic impacting the sector, MSC hasn’t stopped growing,” he noted, highlighting the company’s global fleet expansion plans.

In the presence of local authorities and other industry players, Ursilli also highlighted the 2023-2024 season,  announced during the event.

“It’s a clear proof that MSC Cruises continues to invest and believe in Brazil, generating jobs and economic impact. Working together with you all, we’ll continue to grow our presence in Brazil to generate more opportunities to all the cruise industry in the country,” he said.

“That’s our goal, to work together with the assurance that we can keep on investing in the country and generating each time more employment and gains, multiplying the benefits that the cruise sector brings,” he completed. 

Plans for the 2023-2024 program include the MSC Grandiosa, the MSC Preziosa, the MSC Armonia, the MSC Seaview and the MSC Lirica homeporting in Brazil, with an additional ship, the MSC Musica, homeporting in Argentina.

Bookings for the new season are set to open on Dec. 1.