MSC Scraps Lirica Brazil Cruises for 2026-27 Season

MSC Cruises has cancelled its scheduled 2026-27 South America sailings aboard MSC Lirica, notifying booked guests that the change is tied to “operational reasons” affecting the ship’s deployment.

MSC Lirica cancellations remove a planned Brazil program

Guests booked on MSC Lirica departures from Rio de Janeiro received cancellation notices this week. In a message sent to passengers, MSC Cruises wrote: “We regret to inform you that we have had to cancel the cruise due to operational reasons affecting MSC Lirica’s deployment.”

MSC did not provide additional detail on what operational factors drove the decision. The cancelled bookings include sailings such as a December 9, 2026, departure from Rio de Janeiro, and the cancellations affect itineraries from December 2026 through early 2027.

Following the change, the 2,679-passenger MSC Lirica no longer appears in the cruise line’s South America offerings for the 2026-27 season, and its repositioning voyage to the region has also been removed from the booking system. The ship’s last currently listed sailing ends in Venice on November 15, 2026, and an updated 2026-27 schedule has not been released. MSC Lirica has also been redeployed to the Eastern Mediterranean, shifting it away from Brazil for the season.

What MSC is offering affected passengers

MSC’s notice outlined three paths for passengers holding reservations on the cancelled sailings, ranging from rebooking within South America to switching to other MSC itineraries or taking a refund. The message did not specify deadlines for guests to select an option or provide a timeframe for processing refunds or rebookings.

• Rebook in South America: Guests can move to another South America sailing of the same length in the 2026-27 season, in the same cabin category, with the cruise fare adjusted to the most convenient fare between the original and replacement sailing. MSC noted this applies to cruise fare only and excludes add-ons such as flights, hotels, and excursions.
• Switch to another MSC sailing: Passengers can move the booking to any other MSC Cruises sailing currently on sale without a change fee, with the new cruise priced at the current fare. Guests pay the difference if the new sailing costs more, or receive a refund if it costs less.
• Full refund: Guests can cancel for a full refund.

Rio de Janeiro remains in the plan through other ships

Even as MSC Lirica is withdrawn from Brazil, MSC is maintaining Rio de Janeiro as a homeport through other deployments in the 2026-27 season.

MSC Splendida will offer select departures from Rio after originally being planned to sail only from Argentina. MSC said the ship’s eight- and nine-night itineraries will cover ports in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, creating interporting opportunities between Buenos Aires and Rio. Current schedules show MSC Splendida departing from Buenos Aires and also calling in Rio de Janeiro on select dates between December and March.

MSC Musica is also slated to sail from Rio de Janeiro during the season. While Santos remains its primary base for much of the winter, MSC Musica is scheduled to offer five cruises departing from Rio between January and February.

A four-ship South America lineup for winter 2026-27

With MSC Lirica removed, MSC is marketing South America itineraries built around MSC Musica, MSC Splendida, MSC Virtuosa, and MSC Divina. MSC has said it will offer cruises departing from seven ports in South America, including Balneário Camboriú, which became a homeport for the brand in the 2025-26 season.

MSC Splendida’s added Rio calls are part of a broader set of deployment adjustments designed to broaden coverage across major homeports. MSC Divina is also slated to operate in the region, returning to South America after more than a decade, with cruises sailing from ports that include Santos, Balneário Camboriú, and Buenos Aires.

MSC Virtuosa set for a South America debut

MSC Virtuosa, which is currently cruising in the Southern Caribbean, is scheduled to make its South America debut during the 2026-27 winter season. The Meraviglia-class ship, delivered to MSC Cruises in 2021, will offer itineraries sailing from Santos, Maceió, and Salvador.

MSC Virtuosa measures 181,541 gross tons and carries up to 4,888 passengers. Its debut adds capacity to the region and expands access to the MSC Yacht Club product, which MSC is increasingly highlighting in its South America positioning.

MSC Musica expands homeports and undergoes modernization

MSC Musica’s role in Brazil is also being broadened through additional homeports. During January and February of the 2026-27 season, the ship is scheduled to sail from Paranaguá and Itajaí, alongside Rio de Janeiro, in a deployment that replaces itineraries that had been assigned to MSC Lirica before its South America season was removed.

From these ports, MSC Musica will offer six seven-night sailings calling at destinations such as Búzios, Ilha Grande, and Ilhabela. MSC has also said MSC Musica will introduce the MSC Yacht Club experience to passengers departing from Paranaguá for the first time.

The changes follow plans for MSC Musica to undergo refurbishment later this year, including the addition of the MSC Yacht Club concept as well as refreshed public spaces and new dining venues. The 2,550-guest ship entered service in 2006 and was built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in France.

MSC points to Yacht Club-equipped ships as a seasonal priority

In a statement tied to the updated Rio de Janeiro deployment, Adrian Ursilli, Managing Director of MSC Cruises in Brazil, said: “We will have a strong 2026/2027 season, featuring modern ships that will offer complete, world-class experiences, all featuring the MSC Yacht Club.”

MSC’s broader modernization efforts have included upgrades on other ships, and the refurbishment planned for MSC Musica aligns with that wider push as the company reshapes its South America mix for the 2026-27 winter season.

MSC Lirica’s Brazil planning had already changed once

The 2026-27 cancellation is not the first recent shift involving MSC Lirica and Brazil. MSC previously adjusted its South America planning in 2025, swapping MSC Lirica with MSC Sinfonia for the 2025-26 season.

For now, MSC’s updated South America schedules show Rio de Janeiro supported by sailings on MSC Musica and select dates for MSC Splendida, while MSC Virtuosa and MSC Divina expand the overall regional mix. Passengers impacted by MSC Lirica’s cancellation will need to choose between rebooking options or refunds as MSC finalizes the ship’s post-November 2026 deployment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why were MSC Lirica cruises from Rio de Janeiro cancelled for 2026-27?

MSC Cruises told booked guests the sailings were cancelled for “operational reasons” connected to changes in MSC Lirica’s deployment, without providing additional detail.

What choices do passengers have after an MSC Lirica cancellation?

MSC offered three options: rebook to another same-length South America sailing in the 2026-27 season in the same cabin category (with cruise fare adjusted between the original and replacement sailing, and excluding add-ons such as flights, hotels, and excursions), move to any other MSC cruise currently on sale without a change fee with repricing at current fares, or cancel for a full refund.

Which MSC ships will sail in South America during the 2026-27 winter season?

MSC is marketing South America itineraries on MSC Musica, MSC Splendida, MSC Virtuosa, and MSC Divina for the 2026-27 season.

What upgrades can passengers expect onboard MSC Musica after refurbishment?

MSC Musica’s planned modernization includes adding the MSC Yacht Club concept, along with refreshed public spaces and new dining venues, as the ship expands sailings from Brazilian homeports including Rio de Janeiro, Paranaguá, and Itajaí.

Will MSC Splendida sail from Rio de Janeiro in 2026-27?

Yes. MSC Splendida is scheduled to include select Rio de Janeiro dates between December and March, alongside its sailings from Buenos Aires, as part of eight- and nine-night itineraries calling in Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay.