Tag Archives: Santos

Posted on by
Reply

One of three Costa Cruises ships in South America this season, the Costa Diadema recently offered its first-ever cruise to Argentina and Uruguay.

The 3,700-guest ship debuted in the two countries as part of a seven-night itinerary that includes visits to Buenos Aires and Montevideo, as well as the Brazilian ports of Santos and Itajaí.

Sailing from multiple homeports, the cruise will be offered through early April and also includes three days at sea.

“We had great demand for this itinerary in the 2023-24 season, so we decided to increase our offering in this region,” said Renê Hermann, Costa’s Brazil president.

The Costa Diadema takes over the itinerary from the smaller Costa Favolosa, which had been sailing to Argentina and Uruguay for the past two summer seasons.

While most of the ship’s capacity will be allocated to the Brazilian market, passengers will also be able to embark in Argentina.

“We’ve also seen significant demand in the country, and we’ll have guests embarking there too,” Hermann told Cruise Industry News.

In addition to the Costa Diadema, Costa’s 2024-25 deployment in South America also includes the Costa Favolosa and the Costa Pacifica.

The Costa Pacifica opened the company’s season in South America after arriving in Brazil in late November.

Sailing from Santos and Rio de Janeiro, the 2009-built vessel will be fully dedicated to the Brazilian market through late March.

Offering longer itineraries in the region, the Costa Favolosa is also offering cruises to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

The vessel’s eight- to nine-night itineraries sail from Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Montevideo and visit destinations that include Punta del Este, Balneário Camboriú and Ilhabela.

After completing its schedule of seven-night cruises in the region, the Costa Diadema is scheduled to offer short cruises from Santos before returning to Europe in late April.

Costa Pacifica Becomes First Ship to Watch Santos’ Firework Display

Posted on by
Reply

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 by
Reply

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.