Cruise 360 ​​Brazil: Àlex Busquets, Vice President of Sales at Corazul Cruceros, reveals a Mediterranean cruise proposal adapted to the Brazilian market

During Cruise 360 ​​Brasil, held in Santos, Àlex Busquets presented the plans of Corazul Cruceros, a company debuting in the market with international itineraries and a strategy designed to serve Brazilian and European passengers.

Created to fill gaps in the market, Corazul Cruceros is a newly established company, but its development began years before its official market debut. The idea stemmed from the perception that there was demand for a specific type of cruise, especially among Spanish and Brazilian passengers.

“It’s a completely new company,” Busquets explained during the event held at the Santos Convention Center. “The company started marketing itself in January, but all the preparation comes from three years of work.”

The project originated from an initiative by the company's CEO, Dutchman Oliver Sassen, who led the creation of the brand concept. According to Busquets, the team realized there was an audience interested in a style of cruise that had existed in the past with Spanish companies, but which was no longer offered.

"We wanted a product for customers who had used those Spanish airlines that existed a few years ago and no longer do, but which still have a lot of demand," he explained.

The strategy was to develop a proposal that would simultaneously cater to the European and Brazilian markets, while respecting the cultural characteristics of each audience.

Buenavista ship and international operation

The company's first ship will be the Buenavista, a vessel acquired as part of the process of creating the new brand. Its operational debut will take place in Europe before its arrival in Brazil.

"We secured a ship in December, and that's why we started sales in January," Busquets reported.

Operations will begin on July 4th, departing from Barcelona. By the time the ship arrives in Brazil, it will have already been operating in the European market for about five months.

The ship that will now be known as the Buenavista began its history as the Oriana, an elegant British ocean liner.

It was officially christened in 1995 by Queen Elizabeth II, who broke the traditional champagne bottle on its cask during the ceremony in Southampton.

Decades later, the ship changed its name and owners, but it still bears the curious distinction of having been personally inaugurated by the British monarch.

Mediterranean itineraries with a variety of ports.

In Europe, Buenavista will offer seven-night Mediterranean cruises with five different itineraries that alternate weekly. The idea is to allow passengers to combine consecutive trips without repeating the same itinerary.

Among the destinations mentioned are popular European tourist ports such as Mallorca, Civitavecchia, Porto Torres, Ajaccio, and La Goulette in Tunisia.

"The itineraries are weekly, each week has a seven-night itinerary, with different ports of call," Busquets explained.

The possibility of combining itineraries also expands the potential of the experience for travelers who wish to spend more time on board.

Cultural adaptation and onboard experience

One of the central characteristics of Corazul's proposal is to adapt the product to the cultural profile of the audience in each region where it operates. In Brazil, for example, the company intends to offer an experience more aligned with the habits of the local traveler.

Busquets highlighted that the idea is to offer a more relaxed environment, with gastronomy, entertainment, and schedules compatible with the lifestyle of Brazilian passengers.

"It's a Mediterranean product, and when it's in Brazil, it will be adapted to the Brazilian market," he explained.

He further emphasized that seemingly simple details, such as meal times, make a difference to the passenger.

"The timing is very important; you don't need to have dinner at six in the afternoon. It can be at eight or ten, with times more adapted to the public," he said.

Shore excursions will also be planned taking passengers' preferences into account.

According to the executive, the proposal caters to different types of travelers, from families and groups of friends to younger passengers.

Operating in Brazil with an all-inclusive system.

When it begins operations in Latin America, Corazul intends to operate with a significant competitive advantage in the Brazilian cruise market.

"When it arrives in Brazil, it will operate on an all-inclusive basis, so drinks will be included in the price," Busquets explained.

This model aims to offer passengers more predictability and add value to the package, making the experience more complete.

Training for travel agents at Cruise 360 ​​Brazil

During Cruise 360 ​​Brasil, an event organized by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) on March 14th and 15th at the Santos Convention Center, the company officially presented its proposal to the tourism industry.

Part of the strategy was to conduct training sessions for travel agents, which were essential for promoting the new product in the market.

According to Busquets, the main objective of the training was to explain the company's concept and highlight its differentiating factors.

"What we are trying to do with this training is first to introduce the company, because nobody knew anything about it," he stated.

The action was carried out in partnership with R11, the company's representative in Brazil.

"We are conducting this training together with our partner here in Brazil, which is R11," the executive explained.

The training also focused on showing the differences between Corazul's model and other offers already available in the cruise market.

Brazilian itineraries in the final stages of definition.

The company's arrival in Brazil will have operational details announced in the coming weeks. According to Busquets, the domestic routes are in the final stages of definition.

Shipments are expected to originate from major ports along the Brazilian coast, including Santos and Rio de Janeiro.

"The itineraries will be announced within a week or two," the executive said.

The goal is to offer short and medium-duration trips to cater to different passenger profiles.

"We will have departures of three and four nights, and also some of seven nights," said Busquets.

A career path built across different areas of tourism.

Alex Busquets' career in tourism began long before the creation of Corazul Cruceros. The executive accumulated experience in various areas of the industry, which gave him a broad understanding of traveler behavior and how the sector works.

According to Busquets, his professional journey began in aviation. “Before joining Corazul, I worked in many other sectors of tourism. I started at a Brazilian airline, VASP, in the Barcelona store and at the airport,” he said.

After that experience, he worked for a tour operator and also in a consortium of travel agencies. Later, he joined the Norwegian Cruise Line team for five years, consolidating his experience in the cruise industry.

Another significant step was his time at the Viajes El Corte Inglés travel group, one of the largest tourism networks in Europe. "I was there for 12 years as director of cruise contracting," said Busquets, adding that he also held positions as store manager in other companies throughout his career.

Today, the executive holds the position of commercial director at Corazul Cruceros, directly participating in the expansion strategy of the new company.

Reporting and photo: Mary de Aquino.