Itajaí will introduce a new temporary cruise terminal for its homeporting operations on Brazil’s southern coast, in time for the 2026-27 season.
Currently under construction, the new facility is scheduled to welcome its first guests this November, according to the city’s Tourism and Events Secretary Gabriela Kelm.
Speaking at the eighth CLIA Brasil Forum in Brasilia in late August, Kelm said the provisional cruise terminal will be able to handle more than 4,500 passengers per day.
“We want to position ourselves as an important homeport for cruise ships, and that is why we are making an investment of $4 million (R$20 million) in this project,” she said.
The new terminal expected to streamline cruise operations in Itajaí, with purpose-built infrastructure that will include 16 check-in counters.
Itajaí currently handles cruise operations at the city’s convention center, with guests bused to the building for embarking, disembarking and transit operations.
Located outside Itajaí Port, the temporaryl terminal will also rely on buses to move passengers to and from ships. However, transfer times should be much shorter than in past seasons, since the building sits closer to the berths.
Kelm explained that the new facility will operate on a temporary basis while a larger cruise terminal with dedicated berths is developed.
The project carries an investment of nearly $60 million (R$300 million), which will be tied to a container terminal concession. A definitive timeline for construction and opening is expected to be released in early 2027.
A traditional cargo port on Brazil’s southern coast, Itajaí has been serving as a homeport for Costa and MSC ships.
In 2025-26, passengers were able to board the Costa Diadema and the MSC Sinfonia at the port for cruises to destinations in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.
The Costa Diadema will be joined by the MSC Musica for the 2026-27 season in Itajaí, with the vessels offering three- to seven-night cruises to similar destinations, including Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
