Costa Cruises Brings Costa Serena Back to South America, Drops Short Santos Cruises

October 6, 2026 — Costa Cruises will run two ships in South America for 2026–27, bringing Costa Serena back after 15 years while dropping the three- and four-night cruises it sold from Santos last season.

The Carnival Corporation brand pairs Costa Serena with Costa Diadema. Serena replaces Costa Favolosa, which sailed the region in 2025–26. Costa Brazil executive Renê Hermann said the line “unfortunately lost what the Favolosa had” in short cruises.

2026–27 South America deployment

Ship	Homeports	Cruise lengths	Notes
Costa Serena	Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro	7 to 9 nights	Arrives Buenos Aires December 22, 2026, at the end of a world cruise from Tokyo
Costa Diadema	Santos, Itajaí, Buenos Aires	3 to 7 nights	Season start date TBA

What is different this season

Three- and four-night cruises from Santos, run by Costa Favolosa last season, are not offered.
Brazil’s Northeast (Salvador, Ilhéus and Maceió) is left out for a third straight season. Hermann tied a return to lower operating costs.
Costa’s “Sea Destinations” themed events come to Copacabana and Balneário Camboriú.
Jorge Serrano de Vidales becomes Americas president in January 2027, replacing Dario Rustico.

This is separate from yesterday’s story on Costa’s engine-room watch schedule.

What it means for airline travelers

Gateways: Buenos Aires (EZE) and Rio de Janeiro (GIG) for Costa Serena; São Paulo (GRU) is the long-haul airport for Santos.
Peak season for standby. December through February is summer holiday season in South America and long-haul flights run full. Arrive at least a day early, two if you can.
Fewer short options. Without the three- and four-night Santos cruises, a quick add-on cruise now means looking at Costa Diadema’s shortest sailings.
Check entry rules for Brazil and Argentina for your passport before listing.
Interline rates: the report does not mention travel-industry pricing.