MSC Cruises gathered travel agents, industry partners and media earlier this month in São Paulo to promote a series of fly-cruise Caribbean packages aimed at the Brazilian market.

According to the company executives, the new product takes advantage of the brand’s expanded operations in the Dominican Republic.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, the MSC Opera will sail from La Romana on a year-round basis starting this November.

In partnership with GOL Linhas Aéreas and Hilton, MSC will offer a new package in Brazil that features flights and transfers, as well as seven-night cruises and two-night resort stays.

Rafael Grosso, commercial manager in the country noted that Brazilian residents do not need any specific visas to board the ship in the Dominican Republic.

“You can book just the cruise and make your own arrangements or opt for the complete package. This brings ease and efficiency, with MSC taking care of the entire process from start to finish,” Grosso explained.

He said that the product was designed to offer passengers a “well-rounded experience,” highlighting the proximity of the included resort to the embarkation port.

“If we had a long transit time from the hotel to the port, we would break up passengers’ experience, so we chose a resort that is less than 20 minutes away from La Romana,” Grosso explained.

“All our partners were hand-picked to ensure we had continuity and an excellent experience,” he continued.

Ignacio Palacios, MSC’s sales and revenue manager in Brazil, highlighted the cruises offered as part of the package.

He said that the MSC Opera will operate a series of different itineraries, allowing guests to embark on back-to-back cruises with little port repetition.

Palacios also noted that the cruises feature visits to Isla Catalina, where MSC is opening a new beach club later this year.

“This destination will serve as an exclusive refuge for our passengers, after the investments we are making in partnership with the local government,” he explained.

The package includes air travel on regular São Paulo – Punta Cana flights operated by GOL Linhas Aéreas.

According to Lígia Auricchio, GOL’s special sales manager, the flights, which are operated by Boeing 787 Max 8 aircraft, were tailored for the product.

“We set the flight time exactly when MSC needed it for the hotel and package check-in and check-out,” she explained.

In addition to packages via the Dominican Republic, MSC also offers a similar product to Brazilian guests for cruises departing from Martinique.