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.
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