Legal certainty is the recipe for attracting more cruise lines to Brazil

Ambiente estável pode atrair mais navio (Sílvio Luiz/AT)

Expanding the presence of other cruise lines (owners of fleets of ships) in Brazil, in addition to the traditional MSC and Costa, depends on factors that go far beyond demand. Port consultant Ivam Jardim, from Agência Porto, believes it is a matter of business environment and commercial strategy.

“A cruise line’s decision to enter a new market is normally accompanied by a long-term business plan, rather than a short-term one. Therefore, I attribute this caution much more to an international perception of insecurity and complexity in the Brazilian business environment than to any limitation of the cruise market itself”, he says.

Jardim points out that MSC and Costa have been operating in Brazil for many years and have an in-depth knowledge of the Brazilian market. “There is no doubt that they remain here because they have successful operations”, he adds.

Tourism specialist and expert in strategic tourism planning Selma Cabral explains that cruise lines assess operating costs, port fees, fuel, legal certainty, infrastructure availability and the attractiveness of itineraries, making it clear that the decision does not depend solely on demand. “In addition, ships compete globally for markets. In other words, the same ship operating in Brazil could operate in the Caribbean, Mediterranean or Asia”, she adds.

Presenting Brazil to the market

Ivam Jardim believes that the main step toward encouraging other cruise lines to operate in the country is to develop strong institutional efforts to present Brazil to the international cruise market. According to him, there is still an external perception that Brazil is a difficult environment in which to operate, and this perception needs to change.

“We need to better present our destinations, our terminals and the quality of our operations and, above all, demonstrate that there is established demand. Today, ships based in Santos deliver good results season after season. In addition, there is room for the expansion of themed cruises and new experiences in the country”, he argues.

The consultant says it is essential to provide regulatory predictability and legal certainty for these companies, including with regard to labor legislation and long-term operational planning. “The goal is to make other cruise lines see Brazil as a viable and profitable business unit, as is already the case with MSC and Costa”, he says.

Regulation and infrastructure

Eduardo Silveira, president of the Associação dos Profissionais de Turismo da Baixada Santista (APT), points out that cruise companies prepare their schedules two to three years in advance, which requires predictability.

“In addition to profitability, there are regulatory issues (regulations and rules) that here end up being more costly and bureaucratic for companies, from matters related to tax collection to labor legislation. Not to mention the lack of predictability regarding where the ship will dock. These are the basic issues that we need to address.”

In the case of Santos, Silveira believes the first step is being outlined with the future Giusfredo Santini Passenger Terminal, operated by Concais, being transferred from Outeirinhos to Valongo.

“When the Federal Government, through the Autoridade Portuária de Santos (APS), takes this step, it signals that we are moving toward building a solid foundation for the tourism sector. The next step is for the Ministry of Tourism to work with the Government and Congress regarding the needs of the cruise and tourism segments”, he says.

MSC and Costa are operators that have been active in Brazil for many years and have an in-depth knowledge of the Brazilian market (Sílvio Luiz/AT)

Corazul

The arrival of Spanish company Corazul Cruzeiros for the 2026/2027 season caused a stir. However, the company, which intends to bring forward its debut in the Brazilian season to September, still has the Buenavista ship moored in China. A newcomer to the sector, Corazul canceled its entire European schedule in June, where it was due to begin operations.

The company guarantees that there will be no problems in Brazil and that, if it is unable to bring the arrival forward to September, it will dock here in November.

Despite these developments, tourism specialist Selma Cabral views Corazul’s arrival as a positive sign, showing that there is confidence in the potential of the Brazilian market. “The challenge is to turn isolated cases into a permanent movement. To achieve this, the country needs to offer stability, infrastructure and competitive conditions for new operations”, she recommends.

Ivam Jardim, for his part, believes that other international cruise lines are closely observing this operation. “If it is successful, this will naturally tend to stimulate new market movements and attract other companies to Brazil. Therefore, I consider it essential for the sector and government agencies to act in a coordinated manner to support this initiative, creating a favorable environment for the operation to succeed and helping to further strengthen the Brazilian cruise market”, he argues.

Discounts

In a statement, the Autoridade Portuária de Santos (APS) said it supports cruise lines by applying progressive discounts to ships making more calls and carrying more passengers during the seasons, while other initiatives do not fall under the responsibility of the federal public company.

“Cruise tourism, like any other business, requires a good business environment. APS maintains a constant direct channel with the Associação Brasileira de Cruzeiros Marítimos (Clia Brasil) to support, within its remit, initiatives that foster the growth of this type of tourism”, it adds.

Companies explain expansion difficulties

Despite their long-standing presence in the Brazilian cruise season, MSC and Costa say they face challenges in the country. Dario Rustico, Costa Cruzeiros’ chief executive officer for the Americas, says Brazil has enormous tourism potential and is considered one of the company’s most relevant markets outside Europe, but still faces issues that affect the sector’s competitiveness.

“Operating a ship along the Brazilian coast can be up to 50% more expensive than in competing international markets, such as the Caribbean or the Mediterranean. This high cost, combined with significant structural bottlenecks, excessive bureaucracy and a lack of investment in adequate port infrastructure, severely limits our ability to expand and intensify routes”, he says.

Costa will have two ships during the 2026/2027 season: Costa Diadema and Costa Serena, with embarkation points in Santos, Rio de Janeiro and Itajaí (SC).

Seeking solutions

In a statement, MSC highlights “high operating costs and limited infrastructure” as challenges facing the country in the global cruise market, although it argues that South America remains strategic for the company, with Brazil standing out in particular.

“MSC works together with the Associação Brasileira de Cruzeiros Marítimos (Clia Brasil) and local authorities to seek solutions that promote a more favorable and competitive environment. The goal is to create better conditions for the continuous and sustainable development of the sector in the region. It is essential to make progress in areas such as port infrastructure, competitive costs, regulatory predictability and expanding the range of destinations capable of receiving large ships”, it says.

MSC will have five regular ships in South America during the season. The MSC Virtuosa will make its debut, offering seven-night itineraries departing from Santos and calling at Búzios, Salvador and Maceió, as well as three-night mini-cruises calling at Búzios. The others will be Seaview, Divina, Musica and Splendida – the latter will not depart from Santos.

City governments

The city governments of Santos and Guarujá are seeking to strengthen the tourism infrastructure of their cities in order to consolidate the destinations and attract new cruise lines.

In a statement, the Santos Administration said it “has already been carrying out ongoing destination promotion efforts, participating in the sector’s leading international events, particularly Seatrade Cruise Global, the world’s leading cruise industry event, as well as initiatives carried out in partnership with Clia Brasil and other entities connected to tourism and the maritime sector.”

The most recent edition of Seatrade Cruise Global was held from April 13 to 16 this year in Miami, United States.

The Guarujá City Government, meanwhile, says it can “present strategic planning for attractions, reducing time and costs for better use of the destination.” Regarding the existing tourism offering, the municipality adds that it has two resorts, as well as an extensive international dining network.

Concais

In a statement, Concais says it has the infrastructure, operational experience and qualified teams to serve new cruise lines at its current facilities. For the terminal, the availability of suitable areas to receive ships of different sizes, with safety and operational efficiency, is essential to increasing the destination’s attractiveness.

“The fact that ships are not always able to dock directly in front of the terminal is one of the factors assessed by cruise lines.”

Series

This is the fourth report in a series of five articles published on Sundays about ways to attract more cruises to Brazil. Last Sunday, the topic was the increase in passenger numbers with the future Guarujá airport.

On August 9, the focus was on mobility problems in reaching Concais. The first report, published on August 2, addressed ways to facilitate the docking of cruise ships. Next Sunday, the final report will cover future projects aimed at attracting more cruise passengers.