Brazil: cruise ships to resume activities this weekend

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Brazilian Cruise Ship Association (Clia) announced on March 2 the resumption of the cruise ship season in the country, starting on Saturday, March 5. The season will have 19 itineraries and will run until April 18. The 2022/23 season is scheduled to begin in October of this year.

Cruise ships were suspended until February this year after cases of covid-19 were reported on board several ships. According to Clia, about 1,100 people out of the 130,000 passengers carried this season have tested positive. This number also includes crew members.

The itineraries will pass through cities in three states: Santa Catarina, São Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro.

The travel protocol will require mandatory full vaccination and testing before boarding, among other items.

MSC, one of the companies operating in Brazil, said that among the measures adopted are proof of full vaccination for guests aged 12 and older, a negative test for covid-19, and travel insurance with coverage for the disease before boarding. The company has a frequent testing program on board, reduced occupancy, 100% fresh air without recirculation, high hygienic measures, and compulsory use of masks, among others.

Costa Cruzeiros, which also operates locally, informed that the ship Costa Fascinosa, where cases of covid-19 were reported, will no longer cruise the Brazilian coast in 2022. Customers scheduled to board the ship for scheduled departures after March 7 will be automatically re-accommodated, at no additional cost, on cruises aboard the Costa Diadema ship. Boarding on a date close to the original cruise will be considered, with a similar duration and the same categories and cabins purchased.

Guests booked at the Brazil-Italy crossing cruise on the Costa Fascinosa ship will also be rebooked for the Costa Diadema transatlantic voyage.

REBOOKING AND REFUNDS

The company regretted the inconvenience caused and is already in contact with travel agencies and guests of the Costa Diadema and Costa Fascinosa impacted by the changes. If the client is not available to travel on the rescheduled date, they should request the conversion of the cruise payment into a credit voucher to be used until December 31, 2023, for sailings until June 30 of the following year.

There will also be the possibility of a refund, with no penalty except for the travel agent’s commission deduction. The reimbursement will be made within the period defined by Law 14.046 of 2020, with a deadline of December 31, 2023. The procedures for requesting a refund should be checked directly with Costa Cruzeiros or the travel agent.

Likewise, passengers who had their cruises canceled between January 3 and March 5, 2022, during the suspension period of the 2021/2022 season in Brazil, will be re-accommodated, at no additional cost, on new cruises to take place during the 2022/2023 season in South America, which will take place from December this year to April 2023.

According to the company, the rebooking considers boarding on a date close to the original cruise, with similar duration, same port of embarkation, itinerary, and the same categories and cabins purchased when booking the 2021/2022 season. If the passenger is not available to travel on the rescheduled date, they will be offered conversion of the cruise fare into a credit voucher to be used until December 31, 2023, for departures until June 30, 2024, or a refund, with no penalty, with only the travel agent’s commission deducted.

The credit voucher must be requested by June 1. The reimbursement will be made within the period defined by Law 14.046 of 2020, with completion scheduled for December 31, 2023.

The company assured that strict health and safety protocols established by national authorities for guests, crew members, and communities visited by the vessels are followed on the trips.

With information from Agência Brasil