Corazul Cruceros is moving forward in its plans to launch service with the Buenavista in Brazil later this year.
Speaking to Cruise Industry News, the company’s Chief Operating Officer Cammile Appeldorn said that a bareboat charter agreement with the ship’s current owners was recently signed.
Currently anchored off Hong Kong, the Buenavista was last operated by Astro Ocean Cruises as the Piano Land.
Appeldorn added that the 1995-built ship is expected to enter drydock on Saturday before starting its repositioning voyage to Brazil.
Corazul’s teamswill board the vessel during the shipyard stay, he noted, as preparations onboard start to take place.
“We will start preparing it for our route essentially, because it’s very Chinese-oriented still. So that all needs to be taken out while we are preparing the ship,” Appeldorn said, adding that the company is working with BSM as ship managers.
The Buenavista will then leave Hong Kong on September 20, embarking on a 30-day repositioning voyage to Santos that includes a technical call in Mauritius.
“A lot of work on the ship will be done during the transit, so we don’t want to lose the time staying in the port there. We want to come here (to Brazil) as soon as possible to start our operations,” he added.
“We would have departed earlier if we could have, but the signing and the contract have taken a little bit longer than we expected, which is fine,” Appeldorn continued.
He added that “essentially everything is done now,” noting that the ship may start service in Brazil earlier than scheduled.
Corazul’s official plans call for the Buenavista to arrive in South America in early November, kicking off a series of three- to seven-night cruises departing from Santos and Rio de Janeiro.
With the vessel expected to arrive in its homeport in late October, Appeldorn said that the company may welcome its first guests a little earlier.
The company is currently working with a tentative October 23, 2026, date for its inaugural cruise, which is expected to be a shakedown cruise.
Corazul is also planning an inaugural celebration with a traditional christening ceremony, with details set to be announced at a later date.
Appeldorn said the new product will be highlighted by an authentic onboard experience, with a focus on entertainment and F&B.
“It’s not the hardware; it’s the concept that we’re bringing. We’ve been working very hard and the good thing is we’ve had a lot of time to prepare for this,” he explained.
“There’s so much ready on paper, and now it’s coming to life for us. We’re very enthusiastic about this. It’s really gonna be beautiful.”
