By Mariane Rossi
Six Brazilian ports will embark and disembark tourists unprecedentedly in the next cruise season, which should occur between November 2023 and April 2024.
The big news is that the Port of Paranaguá, in Paraná, will receive the MSC Lirica and will enter the tourist route of the segment, joining the other ports of call and embarkation: Itajaí, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Maceió.
The announcement about the operation in Paraná was made by MSC’s general manager in Brazil, Adrian Ursilli, aboard the MSC Seashore, which departed from the Port of Santos to Europe.
According to Ursilli, there were months of negotiations with the state authorities to bring the MSC Lirica to Paranaguá Port.
The MSC Lirica has 992 cabins, which hold up to 2,648 guests, spread over 13 floors.
There are five restaurants, seven bars and lounges, two pools, a gym, and a spa.
There are play areas for children, including a water park.
Entertainment options range from theater, casino, and nightclub to virtual reality games.
The ship will offer 7-night itineraries from Itajaí, with stopovers in Punta Del Leste, Buenos Aires, and Paranaguá.
In addition, it will also be possible to embark in Paranaguá.
The expectation, according to him, is that about 10,000 tourists will embark on the new port of call, and another 30,000 will be in transit.
“We foresee with this more than 40 thousand tourists transiting, moving this itinerary, being approximately 50% of Brazilian origin and 50% of foreigners, mainly from the southern cone.”
“These numbers are approximate because who will determine this, in the end, is the demand”, he said.
The Paraná port has already received cruise ships, such as the Viking Octantis and the MSC Armonia, last year.
Now, besides the tourists who will disembark and consume in the city, comes the unprecedented opportunity to embark passengers through the port.
The Secretary of Tourism of Paranaguá, Maria Ângela Torres, said that the city is not used to receiving passenger ships continuously.
Therefore, this moment is a new page for tourism in the city, the entire coastal region, and Paraná.
“We work in many partnerships with the nine cities of the Paraná coast.”
“They are cities with complementary potentialities, with different attractions in each.”
“We believe this will be a new tourism history for the Paraná region.”
Marcio Nunes, Paraná’s Secretary of Tourism, represented Governor Carlos Massa Ratinho Junior at the event.
“To get far, we need to take the first steps. And I am very happy we are taking the first steps with you.”
The operator will expand the number of visited cities to 17 next season, offer 210,000 cabins, and expects a 7% growth over the 2023 season.
“Bringing new destinations, studying, prospecting our itineraries to place our ships and, consequently, our guests and investments in more Brazilian cities, leveraging the regional and national economy,” said Adrian Ursilli.
SHIPS
In addition to MSC Lirica, Brazil will receive four more ships from the operator: MSC Grandiosa, MSC Seaview, MSC Preziosa, and MSC Armonia.
MSC Grandiosa is coming to Brazil for the first time.
It will offer 6- and 7-night itineraries, with departures in Santos.
MSC Preziosa will offer 3 to 5-night mini cruises and 6 to 7-night cruises departing from Santos.
The MSC Seaview, a ship designed to connect guests to the sea with its large outdoor areas, will be based in Rio de Janeiro and offer 3 to 5-night and 6 to 8-night cruises.
The MSC Armonia will offer mini-cruises of 3 to 5 nights and 6 to 7 nights, always departing from Santos.
In addition, the MSC Musica will have dedicated sailings in Argentina and Uruguay and make stopovers in Brazilian cities.
MSC Poesia will visit South American destinations while making its round-the-world cruise.
With information from g1