A new name has entered South American cruising. Spanish startup Corazul Cruceros kicked off Brazil's 2026-27 cruise season on October 30, sending its ship Buenavista out of Santos on a preview sailing that called at Búzios and Rio de Janeiro. The vessel arrived in the country after a 45-day repositioning voyage, and its launch doubles as the company's own debut in the region.
The Buenavista is no spring chicken — it was built in 1995 and originally served P&O Cruises. Corazul picked it up in late September via a charter arrangement with Astro Ocean Cruises, and it now carries around 1,800 guests. The company is pitching a relaxed, Mediterranean-flavoured onboard vibe, with wellbeing and comfort front and centre, according to COO Camille Appeldoorn.
The itinerary mix is built for quick getaways: three- to seven-night cruises from Santos, with Rio de Janeiro also available as an embarkation port on every departure. Short sailings hit Búzios, Balneário Camboriú, Ilhabela and Cabo Frio — a tidy tour of Brazil's most likeable coastline — while the longer option includes an overnight stay in Salvador, the Afro-Brazilian heart of Bahia.
Corazul won't be sailing alone for long. MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises both arrive in mid-November: the MSC Musica and MSC Divina are first in, followed by Costa Diadema and MSC Splendida in late November and MSC Virtuosa in early December. In January 2027, the Costa Serena wraps up a world cruise that began in Japan and settles into Rio de Janeiro departures. All told, ships sail from multiple ports around the country until early April.
Why should this matter to travellers? Brazil's cruise season is one of the Southern Hemisphere's biggest, and fresh competition usually means sharper prices and more itinerary choice — especially on short coastal hops that work well as a holiday add-on. If you've been putting off a Brazilian trip, a four-night cruise pairing Rio with Búzios or Ilhabela is a low-effort way to see several highlights in one go, and the overnight in Salvador gives longer sailings a proper cultural anchor.
