The Costa Firenze arrived in Brazil for its inaugural season in the country earlier this month. To mark the debut of the 2021-built ship, the local office of Costa Cruises organized a special ceremony onboard.

“It is an enormous satisfaction to be able to provide the Brazilian market with a new ship,” said Dario Rustico, the company’s executive vice president for South and Central America.

“The Costa Firenze is a ship that caters to different public profiles, and we are happy to know that the Brazilians are interested in the product, making bookings,” he added.

According to Rustico, the 4,232-guest vessel will receive over 100,000 Brazilians guests through mid-April, when it is set to return to Europe.

Offering regular cruises between Brazil’s Southeast and Northwest regions, the Firenze is set to visit Ilhéus, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro on a weekly basis.

Along with the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Fortuna, the ship is part of Costa’s largest season in South America in the past ten years.

“Costa is ready to continue cooperating to further develop the tourism in the region, moving the economy and generating jobs,” Rustico said, highlighting the company’s manifesto for a “sustainable growth, with the destinations being seen as communities.”

In addition to Costa executives and travel agents, the event was also attended by local authorities and members of the Italian community in Brazil.

Also present at the ceremony, Ezio Di Nunzio, the Captain of the Costa Firenze, highlighted the relationship between Brazil and Italy.

“The Costa Firenze arrived at Santos today as many Italians immigrant did in the past. They came here in search of their dreams, helping to build this enormous nation and making Brazil one of the biggest Italian colonies in the world,” he said.

The master also noted that the Fincantieri-built vessel represents “what’s best in the culture, art, architecture and technology of Italy.”

“We arrive to be part of the history of these two friend nations,” Di Nunzio completed.