Corazul to refund passengers following problems during cruise at the Port of Santos

Visible signs of rust on the ship's hull caught attention (Sílvio Luiz/AT)

Corazul Cruzeiros will issue full refunds to passengers who boarded the Buenavista for the inaugural cruise of the Spanish cruise line, which took place from October 30 through last Monday, departing from and returning to the Port of Santos. The company has also promised a 25% credit toward another trip later this year.

The measure aims to compensate passengers for maintenance problems in the cabins, the closure of the swimming pools, the casino's failure to operate, and other inconveniences that prompted complaints. At the invitation of R11 Travel, the cruise line's official distributor in Brazil, A Tribuna took part in the voyage and witnessed the situation firsthand.

The Buenavista's first cruise, with stops in Rio de Janeiro and Búzios (RJ), included journalists, influencers, travel agents and, to a lesser extent, paying customers. Adjustments were the order of the day aboard the ship. The process of adapting services, supplies and the crew's own operations was evident, with staffing levels still insufficient. Nevertheless, everyone appeared to be making an effort to resolve the problems.

“Of course, there were more setbacks and challenges than we would have liked, but our overall assessment is that the necessary adjustments can be made in the short term and that we have significant potential for growth in Brazil”, said Corazul Operations Director Camille Appeldoorn.

Among the positive aspects, he highlighted the passengers' favorable response to the policy of including a beverage package in the cruise fare for all guests, the courtesy and attentiveness of the staff in serving passengers, and the “excellent reception” given to the brand and the company's proposal in Brazil.

“The areas requiring improvement mainly involve operational details to better accommodate local culture, such as 24-hour food service, meal schedules and more detailed communication with guests, as well as opening entertainment and leisure facilities, including the swimming pools, casino and shops”, he said.

Pastel and dark tones predominate throughout the vessel, built in 1995 (Ted Sartori/AT)

Swimming pools

Of the ship's three swimming pools, only one, located on Deck 8 at the stern (rear section), was operational. “The gradual opening of the swimming pools on board is due to strict compliance with Anvisa's health protocols and international maritime guidelines”, Appeldoorn explained. “The pools cannot be filled or have their water renewed while the ship is in port. These procedures depend on sailing in open waters to safely collect clean seawater and carry out the appropriate filtration and chlorination cycles”, he continued.

Corazul's Operations Director explained that, during the inaugural voyage, priority was given to one swimming pool, while the others underwent testing to ensure they would be fully operational on upcoming cruises.

The ship features elegant bars offering a wide variety of beverages (Ted Sartori/AT)

Casino and shops

The casino aboard the Buenavista, named Monte Carlo, was located next to a bar of the same name and featured retro elements, but was not operational. There were a few gaming tables, chips and playing cards. Camille explained that the area was in the final stage of equipment installation and certification.

“Since this is a vessel that previously operated in the Asian market (when it was known as Piano Land and belonged to China's Astro Ocean), where this type of entertainment is not commonly offered, the space is receiving an entirely new design adapted to Western standards. This process is already underway, and the necessary equipment has been purchased. We expect the Buenavista casino to be fully operational in approximately four weeks”, he said.

The onboard shops, meanwhile, were not operating regularly. Only Corazul - and Buenavista - branded merchandise was available, including tote bags, handbags, caps, shirts, stuffed animals and ship replicas. “The shops completed their final setup during the first cruise and operated during sailing hours. Starting with the next departures, we will have new offerings to cater to our guests' varied interests”, the director assured.

The casino had only a few tables and no electronic gaming machines, as commonly found on cruise ships (Ted Sartori/AT)

Rust on the exterior When the Buenavista arrived in Santos in the late afternoon of October 28, visible signs of rust on its hull attracted attention. The marks appeared on the ship's topside, the lateral section of the hull located above the waterline (photo at the beginning of the article).

Corazul Operations Director Camille Appeldoorn explained that the marks were caused by surface oxidation runoff, known in English as rust bleed. This occurs when rust stains penetrate or run down the surface of a structure, indicating that iron or steel beneath the visible layer is undergoing corrosion.

The director said it was an “incident of a strictly cosmetic nature”, caused by severe and continuous exposure to salt spray and harsh ocean weather conditions during the nearly 40-day intercontinental crossing from Asia to Brazil, which included only one technical refueling stop in the Mauritius Islands, in the Indian Ocean.

“During long crossings in open waters, external work on the hull is suspended in accordance with strict international occupational safety and maritime navigation protocols. We reaffirm that the structural integrity and watertightness of the hull have been fully certified through inspections by the classification society and the competent maritime authorities”, he stated.

According to Camille, technical preparation and cosmetic repainting work on the exterior areas began shortly after the ship docked at the Port of Santos “and are following the company's preventive maintenance schedule, in compliance with current environmental regulations”.

Two of the ship's three swimming pools remained closed and covered with nets (Ted Sartori/AT)

Company intends to remain in Brazil Corazul is considering remaining in Brazil year-round, which would make it the first company to operate outside the regular cruise season. The Spanish cruise line also wants Portuguese to become the primary language spoken aboard the vessel. During the inaugural voyage, the crew communicated in Portuguese, Spanish and English.

“We are expanding our crew to provide better service to our guests. As of this Friday (6), we have a considerably larger number of customer service professionals who speak Portuguese and Spanish, and the new crew members will have the same language skills, further increasing this percentage”, said Corazul Operations Director Camille Appeldoorn.

During the cruise, cabin cleaning and housekeeping were consistently up to date. The beds provided the necessary comfort. There were occasional problems with water temperature, which was either too hot or too cold, but the maintenance team resolved them.

Pastel and dark tones predominate throughout the vessel. These are typical of England, where the ship was built in 1995 under the name Oriana.

Food and dining The Lido Buffet, located on Deck 12, offered unlimited food and beverages. Although the variety of options available at breakfast, lunch, dinner and the late-night snack was limited, the food was still tasty. At the à la carte restaurants, Corazón and Azul, passengers faced queues and slow service.

“We are bringing in a Brazilian chef to speed up the adaptation of our menu to Brazilian tastes, in addition to assigning some of our new crew members to reinforce the food service team”, Appeldoorn revealed.

The bars ranged from the casual atmosphere of the Riviera to the comfort of the Star Club. Queues for drinks were longer on the first day but decreased as the cruise progressed.

“Overall, we received good feedback on our selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. One improvement we are considering is offering some additional beverage options directly in the cabins”, the director said.

Theater and cinema facilities are also part of the ship's entertainment offerings.

Industry perspective Javier Carnevale, Port Operations Manager at the Giusfredo Santini Passenger Terminal, operated by Concais, hopes the Buenavista will be successful and remain in Brazil for a longer period.

“At some point, we will stop talking about a cruise season and start talking about high and low seasons. I am certain this will happen in the not-too-distant future”, he said shortly before boarding began for the ship's inaugural voyage.

Javier believes the Buenavista's presence will open the eyes of other cruise lines. “They are certainly keeping an eye on Brazil. This will bring more ships to our region”.

The outlook for passenger traffic at the Santos terminal this season is positive: approximately 900,000 passengers, including embarkations, disembarkations and transit passengers, are expected to pass through the facility.

“That is 10% more than in the previous season (2025/2026), which is very positive and represents a return to growth”, Carnevale concluded.

Departures from Santos The 2026/2027 cruise season began on October 30, with the departure of the Buenavista, operated by Corazul. Its inaugural voyage included stops in Búzios (RJ) and Rio de Janeiro.

The Spanish company, a newcomer to the cruise industry, has scheduled 37 departures throughout the season, comprising three- and four-night mini-cruises and full seven-night itineraries, with capacity for up to 2,140 guests. In November, the vessel will make 10 calls at the Port of Santos.

The Buenavista is launching a season expected to run through April. November's schedule includes 15 departure dates, totaling 26 port calls and five different ships, with capacity for up to 86,720 guests. Five other ships will also embark passengers at the Port of Santos.