MSC Cruises announced a record-setting achievement for the 2023-2024 season, witnessing more than 670,000 passengers on its cruises embarking from and visiting Brazil. The company also unveiled plans for an even more ambitious 2024-2025 season in the region, featuring the return of MSC Grandiosa.
Celebrating a Historic MSC Season
In an impressive end-of-season celebration, MSC Cruises revealed it enjoyed remarkable success over the 2023-2024 season, hosting more than 670,000 guests on its voyages in Brazil. The announcement was made during a special awards event aboard MSC Seaview, which took place March 25 to 27, 2024.
Adrian Ursilli, general director of MSC Cruises in Brazil, shared his enthusiasm over the growth of MSC Cruises in South America’s largest nation, saying, “This was a period of remarkable growth and, above all, of strengthening our work and our partnerships in Brazil.”
The 2023-2024 season featured the deployment of seven MSC ships, including the 6,334-passenger MSC Grandiosa, the largest cruise ship to navigate Brazilian waters. Five of the ships embarked in Brazil, while two visited Brazil from embarkations in Argentina and Uruguay.
The ships embarking from Brazil departed from Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Salvador, Maceió, and Itajaí, as well as a first embarkation from Paranaguá. MSC Cruises also made inaugural stops in Belém, Manaus, and Alter do Chão, enriching the MSC World Cruise 2024 with unique Brazilian destinations.
The season also witnessed 15 full-ship charters, 669 MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) and affinity groups, and celebrated 69 weddings.
During the season-ending celebration, MSC Cruises held its 15th annual TOP MSC awards program, which honored the best travel agencies of the season. Four hundred people were in attendance, including presenters Andre Coutinho, a seasoned journalist from Grupo Bandeirantes, and Flávia Cavalcante, a journalist and former Miss Brazil.
Expanding Horizons in Brazil
As MSC celebrated the end of its most successful Brazilian season yet, it revealed plans for an exciting 2024-2025 season, remaining the exclusive provider of cruises to the northeast of Brazil. The cruise line is bringing back the 181,541-goss-ton MSC Grandiosa and 153,516-gross-ton MSC Seaview. Joining them are the smaller 92,409-gross-ton MSC Orchestra and the 58,600-gross-ton MSC Armonia.
MSC Grandiosa will offer 6- and 7-night itineraries departing from Santos, which can be found on the coast of São Paulo. Heading northeast, the 6-night journey will visit Búzios, Salvador, and Ilha Grande, while the 7-night voyage will call in Búzios, Salvador, and Maceió.
Shorter cruises will also embark from Santos aboard MSC Seaview, which can accommodate more than 5,100 passengers. The 3- and 4-night journeys will alternate visits to Búzios, Ilha Grande, Balneário Camboriú, and Porto Belo.
Two 7-night itineraries will also be available. The first will stay in Brazil to call on Salvador, Ilhéus, and Rio de Janeiro while the second will travel abroad to visit Montevideo, Uruguay, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as Balneário Camboriú.
Read Also: MSC Cruises Makes Inaugural Stops at Brazilian Destinations
MSC will also feature cruises from Rio de Janeiro through voyages on the 2,550-passenger MSC Orchestra. Alternating between Ilhabela, Ilha Grande, Ilhéus, and Salvador for 3 to 5 nights, the ship will also provide longer 6- to 8-day journeys.
These will also alternate to provide stops in Salvador, Ilhéus, Búzios, and Ilha Grande, with the longer cruise extending to Buenos Aires, and Montevideo and Punta Del Este, Uruguay.
After the success of embarkation from Paranaguá, MSC Cruises will return with MSC Armonia, setting off from the Parana port on journeys to Punta Del Este and Buenos Aires. The cruise line will also feature Paranaguá as a port of call on the 2,579-passenger MSC Armonia’s 4-night cruises embarking from Itajaí.
