MSC Musica is crossing to Brazil with no passengers on board, a repositioning voyage that follows a long stretch out of service. The 2,550-guest ship, built in 2006, paused regular cruising in late September and spent 45 days in drydock at the Palumbo Shipyard in Malta. After leaving Valletta it made a technical stop in Las Palmas, in the Canary Islands, to refuel and load provisions before heading across the Atlantic to its new base at Santos.
The ship’s South American season is due to start on November 16, 2026. It will sail from four Brazilian ports, Santos, Rio de Janeiro, Itajaí and Paranaguá, giving travelers in several regions a home port within reach. The opening itineraries are short three- and four-night trips to Búzios, the beach town east of Rio, and Ilha Grande, the car-free island known for its rainforest trails and quiet coves.
The drydock was more than routine maintenance. MSC Musica now has a Yacht Club, the line’s ship-within-a-ship enclave with its own suites, lounge and dining, along with new restaurants including the Butcher’s Cut steakhouse and Kaito Sushi Bar. Adding the Yacht Club to an older vessel is a way for MSC to sell premium cabins on routes where it has traditionally competed mostly on price.
Musica joins a sizable MSC presence in the region for the 2026-27 season, with MSC Virtuosa, MSC Seaview, MSC Divina and MSC Splendida also sailing to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. For travelers, short Brazilian cruises are an inexpensive way to sample the coast during the southern summer, though holiday sailings around Christmas and Carnival usually sell out early.
Sources: Cruise Industry News
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