The MSC Armonia opened the 2024-25 cruise season in the Brazilian port of Paranaguá on December 17, 2024.

After repositioning from Europe, the MSC Cruises vessel began a homeporting season that will feature eight calls over the coming months.

“This was the first visit, but we will continue receiving the ship until the end of January. We had an excellent experience last season with job and income generation, and we are confident this season will be no different,” said the Mayor of Paranaguá Marcelo Roque.

Sailing from Paranaguá, the MSC Armonia will offer seven-night cruises to Argentina and Uruguay through the end of January 2025.

Interporting in Itajaí and Buenos Aires, the vessel is also set to bring transit passengers to Paranaguá during most of its visits.

“We expect this cruising season to generate about 2,000 direct and indirect jobs in our town, in addition to boosting local commerce,” said Paranaguá’s Municipal Secretary of Culture and Tourism, Maria Plahtyn.

Last season, a variety of businesses, including retailers and service providers, experienced a notable surge in demand, contributing to the growth of the local economy, she noted.This is the second consecutive homeporting cruise season in Paranaguá. In 2023-24, the city hosted the MSC Lirica for a four-month program that reportedly injected R$25 million into the town’s economy.

According to local authorities, the 2024-25 cruise season is expected to bring over 15,000 visitors to the port.

For this operation, a special setup was prepared at the Mega Rocio convention center, where guests can complete the check-in procedure for their cruises.

A reception area was also established at a nearby square, featuring representatives from coastal towns who will present the region’s tourist attractions to transit guests and crew members.

As part of MSC’s six-ship season in South America, the MSC Armonia is set to reposition to Santos after completing its homeporting season in Paranaguá.