The Brazilian city of Balneário Camboriú will serve as a homeport for MSC Cruises starting in the 2025-26 season.

Guests will be able to board the MSC Preziosa at the town’s Atracadouro Barra Sul for a series of nine weeklong cruises between January and March.

According to the terminal’s Operations Manager, Gustavo Bauer, the operation is part of a strategic plan that was developed seven years ago.

Work is currently underway to allow Atracadouro’s structure to handle check-in and boarding processes, he noted during an industry gathering earlier this month.

“We are making a large investment; we are going to double the size of our structure because we have this challenge ahead for the next season,” Bauer explained.

Balneário Camboriú is well-suited for homeporting operations, making it easier for Santa Catarina residents to cruise, he continued.

“We want to capture a market that we believe is dormant in our region,” Bauer said. “This is a job we have been doing for seven years; it has been our goal since the very beginning.”

Located on Brazil’s south coast, Balneário Camboriú welcomed its first cruise ship calls in 2017, soon becoming a regular port of call for national cruise itineraries.

Bauer noted that homeport operations will begin on a smaller scale, with about 100 cabins per sailing, and that the terminal’s primary focus will remain on transit calls.

While the town offers a dedicated cruise terminal, it still lacks a pier for cruise ships, which anchor off a marina during calls.

In addition to Balneário Camboriú, guests will also be able to embark on the MSC Preziosa in Santos and Buenos Aires.

The vessel’s seven-night cruises to Argentina and Uruguay also feature visits to Punta del Este, as well as three days at sea.

Balneário Camboriú joins Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Itajaí, Salvador and Maceió as homeports for MSC Cruises in Brazil in 2025-26.

Elsewhere in South America, the company also offers cruises departing from Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay.