Cruise season in Santos to feature 161 calls and a ship for more than 6,000 passengers

MSC Virtuosa will be the new addition to the season (MSC Cruzeiros/Disclosure)

The largest ship in terms of passenger capacity scheduled to call at the Port of Santos during the 2026/2027 cruise season, MSC Virtuosa will arrive at the Giusfredo Santini Passenger Maritime Terminal, operated by Concais, on December 2. The MSC Cruzeiros giant is one of ten cruise ships scheduled to dock in Santos. Together, they will make 161 calls in the region over 100 days of operations, through April 4, 2027.

According to Concais, Virtuosa will be one of the season's major highlights. With a capacity of 6,300 passengers and 19 scheduled calls, the ship is among MSC's most modern vessels.

Another new addition will be Buenavista, operated by Spanish company Corazul Cruzeiros. The company confirmed that the vessel will open the season on October 23, when it will make its first port call in the country, marking its entry into the cruise market. In partnership with R11 Travel, the ship will make 39 calls in Santos, offering three-, four-, five- and seven-night itineraries, with embarkations in Santos and Rio de Janeiro. The ship has a capacity of 2,000 passengers.

Vessels

Of the ten ships scheduled, six will operate regular services, with embarkations and disembarkations in Santos. They are MSC Virtuosa, MSC Divina, MSC Musica, MSC Seaview, Costa Diadema and Buenavista. The long-haul vessels, which operate international voyages with foreign passengers, are Zaandam, Queen Anne, Azamara Journey and Insignia. These four cruise ships will arrive in the morning, and passengers will disembark to visit Santos and other destinations in the region, returning to the vessels at the end of the day.

Concais expects to handle 418,000 embarkations and approximately 900,000 passengers, including embarkations, disembarkations and transit passengers.

According to the terminal's concessionaire, MSC Musica will arrive on November 15, with its first commercial departure scheduled for the following day. With a capacity of 3,200 passengers, it will make 17 calls. On November 16, MSC Divina will dock, with 38 scheduled calls and a capacity of 4,300 passengers.

MSC Divina visited Santos in 2014, during the FIFA World Cup. At the time, outside the regular cruise season, it was used as a floating hotel for Mexican fans accompanying their national team across the host cities.

The arrival of Costa Diadema is scheduled for November 23. With a capacity of 5,000 passengers, the ship will make 26 calls at the Port of Santos during its fifth season in South America.

MSC Seaview, the second-largest ship of the season, will dock on November 29. With a capacity of 5,300 passengers, it will make 16 calls.

The MSC Virtuosa features four swimming pools and a water park, as well as bars and restaurants (MSC/Disclosure)

Expectations

For Concais Operations Manager Javier Carnevale, the arrival of a new cruise line strengthens the Brazilian cruise market. “The arrival of cruise line Corazul is very important for the Port of Santos and the cruise market in Brazil. The presence of a new cruise line expands options for passengers, diversifies the range of itineraries and demonstrates the companies' confidence in the potential of the Brazilian market”, he stated.

Carnevale also highlighted the importance of Virtuosa's debut and advised passengers to plan ahead before embarking. “It is important for passengers to seek information from their travel agents to avoid unforeseen issues, such as check-in arrival times and required documentation, including documentation for minors, particularly for departures to Argentina and Uruguay”, he advised.

MSC Virtuosa has a theater for live performances and areas for children (MSC/Disclosure)

Impact

Concais is responsible for approximately 60% of cruise embarkations carried out in Brazil. On September 3, when preparations for the season were announced, Carnevale estimated that the approximately 900,000 cruise passengers expected could generate an impact of “more than R\$1.5 billion on our region's economy, including the creation of more than 40,000 jobs.”

The terminal, which is celebrating 28 years of operations in Santos, also recommends that passengers choosing to travel by car use the Concais parking facility, which is recognized by the Santos Port Authority (APS).