Costa Pacifica Becomes First Ship to Watch Santos’ Firework Display

Posted on 12 January, 2025 by Spacejunkie2

The Costa Pacifica became the first cruise ship to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks display in Santos, Brazil.

The Costa Cruises ship reached the town as part of an eight-night cruise to Brazil.

Before anchoring in Santos Bay for the 14-minute firework display, the Pacifica embarked guests in Santos and Rio de Janeiro.

In addition to its two homeports, the itinerary also included visits to Búzios, Angra dos Reis, Ilhabela, and Balneário Camboriú.

According to Santos Mayor Rogério Santos, the operation highlights the town’s status as a major cruise hub.

“It is an extremely important action to promote Santos not only during New Year’s Eve but throughout the season, in all seasons of the year,” he said.

Continuing its deployment in South America, the Costa Pacifica is set to offer a series of three- to seven-night cruises from Santos and Rio through late March.

Costa’s 2024-25 season in the region also includes the Costa Diadema and the Costa Favolosa, with itineraries departing from different homeports.

A traditional destination for cruise ships during New Year’s Eve, Rio de Janeiro received six ships to ring in 2025.

The lineup included two vessels from Costa Cruises, the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Deliziosa, as well as four ships from MSC Cruises, including the MSC Grandiosa, which is currently the largest vessel sailing in Brazil.

The 4,888-guest ship joined the MSC Seaview, the MSC Orchestra and the MSC Poesia for the 12-minute firework display.

In Portugal’s Madeira Island, 11 cruise ships gathered in Funchal for the port city’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Nine different companies were represented, including AIDA, Cunard, and Fred. Olsen, Hapag-Lloyd, Marella, Phoenix Reisen, Saga and TUI.

The largest ship on the scene was the 3,000-guest Queen Anne, which entered service for Cunard in April 2024.

MSC Grandiosa Completes Drydock Ahead of Winter Season in Brazil

Posted on 26 November, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

The MSC Grandiosa recently set sail from the Palumbo Shipyard Malta after spending three weeks in drydock at the facility.

Set to spend the upcoming winter season in South America, the ship arrived in Genoa, Italy, to kick off a repositioning cruise on Nov. 16, 2024.

Following visits to destinations in France, Spain and Portugal, the trans-Atlantic crossing is set to end at the Brazilian port of Santos in early December.

Among the ports of call set to be visited by the Grandiosa during the 21-night itinerary are Barcelona in Spain’s Catalonia region and Funchal on Portugal’s Madeira Island.

Upon arriving in Santos, the 2019-built vessel is poised to kick off a five-month deployment that features a series of seven-night cruises to Brazilian destinations.

Set to be offered through early April, the ship’s regular itinerary includes visits to Búzios, Santos, Maceió and Salvador.

Except for Búzios, passengers can start the cruise, which also features three days at sea, at any of the ports of call.

Leading a six-ship winter season in the region, the MSC Grandiosa is the largest ship ever to sail in South America.

Before starting its repositioning cruise, the 4,888-guest ship underwent routine maintenance and class work as part of its three-week drydock in Valletta.

The work also included technical updates, as well as the upkeep of public areas and staterooms with the replacement of tiles, carpets, upholstery and more.

After completing its winter season in Brazil, the 177,100-ton vessel is set to kick off a summer deployment in the Western Mediterranean in late April 2025.

The ship continues to operate week-long cruises to Italy, Spain and France through late December, when it’s set to embark on a repositioning cruise to the United States.

Debuting in the country, the MSC Grandiosa offers cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean from Port Canaveral during the 2025-26 winter season.

Brazil’s Santos Port Authority to Offer Reduced Fees for Cruise Ships

Posted on 4 November, 2024 by Spacejunkie2

Santos Port Authority (SPA) is offering reduced operational fees for cruise ships visiting the Port of Santos in Brazil, according to a press release.

As part of a new set of regulations introduced in October, discounted fees will be provided to cruise lines based on the volume of passengers travelling to the port onboard their ships.

The reduction in fees ranges from 10 to 60 per cent, with the maximum benefit offered to operators bringing more than 680,000 passengers.

SPA also provides discounts for various types of vessels that achieve a certain rating on a local index of sustainability and efficiency.

“This is another way to encourage operators who adopt best practices,” said SPA President Anderson Pomini.

The new regulation for discounted fees will be in effect for 12 months and may be extended based on the port authority’s evaluation of its effectiveness.

Operators will provisionally receive the discounts based on their own estimates, the Santos Port Authority explained.

Numbers will later be adjusted at the end of the cruise season based on actual data from SPA’s data system.

The regulation requires operators to inform SPA in advance about their estimated number of passengers and specific schedules.

As the largest homeport in Brazil, Santos is set to seeten cruise ships during the 2024-25 season.

In addition to welcoming transit calls, the port will serve as a base for three ships from MSC Cruises, including the MSC Grandiosa, the MSC Seaview and the MSC Splendida.

A fourth ship from the company, the MSC Armonia, is also scheduled to sail from Santos between February and March.

Costa Cruises is also offering cruises departing from the port onboard two ships: the Costa Diadema and the Costa Pacifica.

Brands visiting the port for transit calls include Princess Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Crystal and Villa Vie Residences.