Brazil Prepares for 2024-25 Cruise Season with New Upgrades

As the Brazilian cruise market gears up for the 2024-25 season with nine ships set to operate along its coast, key ports are making significant enhancements to welcome passengers.

In Rio de Janeiro, one of Brazil’s main homeports, the cruise terminal has undergone upgrades, including a new air-conditioned luggage area. Additionally, a food center featuring restaurants with views of Guanabara Bay is being added, as announced by Bruno Matos, the town’s undersecretary of tourism, during the recent 5th CLIA Brazil Forum held in Brasília.

Matos highlighted that multiple local authorities are working together to prepare for cruise visitors, saying, “We coordinate with various authorities. The cruise terminal informs us of the ship docking dates, and we implement a special operation to improve flow and reception on those days.”

Meanwhile, in Ilhabela, a popular destination for ships departing from Santos and Rio de Janeiro, a new school has been established to train tourism professionals. The town is also enhancing language skills among its guides and staff, according to tourism secretary Ricardo Cretella. 

“Besides English and Spanish, we have personnel who speak other languages, with enough guides and a fully prepared team ready to serve guests,” he said. Ilhabela has also performed maintenance on its nature trails and waterfalls to further promote ecotourism.

On Brazil's southern coast, Porto Belo is adding new tourist attractions and tours. Tourism Secretary Zene Drodowski revealed that a new lookout point and a scenic walkway connecting two beaches are being developed just in time for the cruise season. “Our town takes this matter very seriously, focusing on providing infrastructure and quality attractions,” she stated.

In Angra dos Reis, a new eco-friendly pier has been built using over 220,000 plastic bottles to welcome cruise guests. The new facility has received positive feedback from cruise lines that inspected it, according to Tourism Secretary Marc Olichon. The city is also enhancing its hospitality services by training staff proficient in English and Spanish.

With these upgrades, Brazilian ports are set to enhance the travel experience for the influx of cruise passengers arriving for the upcoming season.