Five ways into this guide
Go straight to the question you came with. Each card jumps to its answer.
Lines that start here
MSC, Costa, Corazul and Silversea departures in the 2026–27 season.
Jump to lines →Brazil, the River Plate, Europe
Búzios and Ilhabela, Buenos Aires and Punta del Este, and one crossing to Savona.
Jump to destinations →Pier Mauá and the documents
The address, the VLT stops, and the ID rule: originals only.
Jump to the terminal →Galeão or Santos Dumont
The published counter-taxi fares, the bus and the VLT.
Jump to getting here →Twelve hotels, ranked
From the port district to Copacabana and the airport, scored on what each one publishes.
See the hotels →In brief
Rio’s cruise terminal is Pier Mauá, at Av. Rodrigues Alves 10, where the old port meets Centro. The Pier Mauá company holds a 50-year concession on it, and its car park is on the Boulevard Olímpico — beside the terminal, per Pier Mauá.
Pier Mauá’s 2025–26 season began on October 11, 2025, and the MSC and Costa sailings we found run December to March. In 2024–25 the terminal handled about 88,700 passengers embarking and 90,000 getting off, per Pier Mauá — alongside far more in transit.
One thing changed for Americans. The US State Department says you need a visa to enter Brazil, approved before you travel, and sends you to Brazil’s Foreign Ministry for the details. Apply before you book flights, not the week before.
Lines starting cruises here
Deployments change every season, so this roster is dated and sourced.
Checked on October 12, 2026. MSC Cruises sends MSC Splendida on 8- and 9-night Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay sailings from Rio on select dates between December and March, and MSC Musica on five 7-night cruises from Rio in January and February, per Cruise Industry News and Mercado & Eventos. Costa sells Costa Serena with Rio embarkations on 8- and 9-night River Plate cruises from January to March 2027, and a 19-night crossing from Rio to Savona on April 8, 2027, per Panrotas; Mercado & Eventos also names Rio as Serena’s home port. Corazul bases its new ship Buenavista in Santos and Rio from November 2026, on 3- to 7-night cruises, per Cruise Industry News in March 2026. Silversea sails Silver Nova from Rio to Buenos Aires on February 7, 2027, per Silversea. Pier Mauá’s online calendar, read October 12 and checked again October 13, 2026, also lists Corazul Buenavista (October 24, 27 and 31), Seabourn Venture (October 29) and Swan Hellenic Vega (October 31). It doesn’t say whether those calls start or end here.
Sources, read October 12, 2026: silversea.com; Cruise Industry News (MSC, February 2026; Costa, December 2025; Corazul, March 2026); Mercado & Eventos; Panrotas (Costa, December 2025); and Pier Mauá’s ship schedule. Sources disagree on which Costa ship boards in Rio: Estado de Minas names Costa Diadema, while Panrotas, Cruise Industry News and Mercado & Eventos name Costa Serena, which we follow. MSC’s and Costa’s own sites didn’t give us dated Rio departures — check your ship and date with the line.
Where you can go
Most Rio departures stay on the Brazilian coast or head south to Uruguay and Argentina. The ports below are named in the 2026–27 itineraries we found — any one sailing calls at only some of them.
Destinations
Eighteen ports on Rio itineraries
Ports named on 2026–27 sailings from Rio. Ones we cover link through.
Showing all 18
The Brazilian coast
7Short cruises and the first days of the longer ones.
Búzios
Brazil
On MSC Musica and MSC Splendida itineraries.
Ilha Grande
Brazil
On MSC and Costa itineraries.
Ilhabela
Brazil
On MSC, Costa and Silversea itineraries.
Balneário Camboriú
Brazil
On MSC Splendida and Costa Serena itineraries.
Itajaí
Brazil
On MSC Musica’s itinerary.
Paranaguá
Brazil
On MSC Musica’s itinerary.
Porto Belo
Brazil
On Silver Nova’s Rio to Buenos Aires voyage.
Uruguay and Argentina
3The longer MSC and Silversea sailings, and Costa’s River Plate cruises.
Punta del Este
Uruguay
On MSC Splendida and Silversea itineraries.
Montevideo
Uruguay
On Silver Nova’s Rio to Buenos Aires voyage.
Buenos Aires
Argentina
Where Silver Nova ends, and a call on MSC and Costa sailings.
Across the Atlantic
8Costa Serena’s 19-night crossing from Rio to Savona, April 2027.
Recife
Brazil
The last Brazilian call on the crossing.
Mindelo
Cape Verde
On the Atlantic crossing.
Las Palmas
Spain
Gran Canaria, on the crossing.
Funchal
Portugal
Madeira, on the crossing.
Cádiz
Spain
On the crossing, per Panrotas.
Málaga
Spain
On the crossing, per Panrotas.
No destination matches that. Clear the filter to see all 18 again.
Heading for Antarctica? We didn’t find an Antarctic voyage starting in Rio this season. Our Antarctica guide covers the routes and where they start.
Entry rules: the US State Department says you need a visa to enter Brazil, approved before you travel, and a passport valid for one month at entry, with at least one blank page per stamp — Brazil stamps you in and out. Its Brazil page rates the country Level 2, exercise increased caution, in an advisory issued August 31, 2026, with the travel guidance issued August 6, 2026. Check Brazil’s own consulate pages before you apply.
Pier Mauá, and how you reach it
The terminal is the Terminal Internacional de Cruzeiros do Rio de Janeiro, run by the Pier Mauá concession at Avenida Rodrigues Alves 10, Praça Mauá. It lists check-in counters, X-ray for checked and hand baggage, and prepaid taxis, but no luggage storage — so settle where your bags wait before you arrive.
The VLT light rail stops twice along the terminal: Parada dos Museus serves the Touring building to Armazém 2, and Parada dos Navios serves Armazéns 3 to 5, per Pier Mauá. It doesn’t allow large items on board — treat it as a light-luggage option, not a plan for big cases.
Bring originals. Pier Mauá says you need an original ID in good condition with a current-looking photo, and copies aren’t accepted, even certified ones — so leave the photocopies at home. Unaccompanied minors need a written authorization under Brazilian law, and check-in times come from your line, not the terminal.
| Quay | Where | What we know |
|---|---|---|
| Pier Mauá terminal | Av. Rodrigues Alves 10, Praça Mauá | The international cruise terminal; check-in counters, baggage X-ray, prepaid taxis; +55 21 3195 8000 |
| Touring building to Armazém 2 | The Praça Mauá end | VLT Parada dos Museus, per Pier Mauá |
| Armazéns 3 to 5 | Along Av. Rodrigues Alves | VLT Parada dos Navios; the VMS car park’s footpath comes out here |
Send us your ship and sail date and we’ll tell you which quay and which night. Ask us ↓
Sources: piermaua.rio, read October 12, 2026. Pier Mauá doesn’t publish which armazém each ship uses. Confirm with your line — the quay can change with the ship.
Parking, in short
Pier Mauá lists one car park: a 24-hour lot on the Boulevard Olímpico, run by its partner VMS, entered from Av. Barão de Tefé. No price is published — and nothing says it takes cars for a full cruise.
Email estacionamentoparadadosnavios@gmail.com or call 21 97570-9047 for a rate. None of the twelve hotels we ranked publishes a rate or policy for leaving a car during a cruise week, so we’d fly in.
Getting here
Galeão (GIG) is the international airport, 16 km from the terminal and about 25 minutes without traffic, per Pier Mauá. Santos Dumont (SDU), the city airport, is about 2 km away on a direct VLT line. RIOgaleão publishes a counter-taxi fare table: R$ 87 to Praça Mauá at Tariff 1, and R$ 104 at Tariff 2, which covers nights, Sundays and holidays. The table is undated — confirm at the booth.
| From | Taxi | Public transport |
|---|---|---|
| GIG — Galeão to the terminal | Counter taxi, door A: R$ 87 (Tariff 1) or R$ 104 (Tariff 2) to Praça Mauá, per RIOgaleão. About 25 minutes without traffic, per Pier Mauá. | Special bus to Terminal Gentileza, R$ 15, then VLT Line 1 to Parada dos Navios, R$ 5 per VLT Carioca. The VLT bars large items. |
| SDU — Santos Dumont to the terminal | No fare published. About 2 km, per Pier Mauá. | VLT Line 1, Santos Dumont to Parada dos Navios, R$ 5 a trip with a Jaé card or app QR code. Light bags only. |
| Copacabana or Ipanema — to the terminal | No fare published for this ride. Leave time for traffic. | Metro to Carioca or Uruguaiana, then the VLT, per Pier Mauá. The metro is R$ 7.90, per Diário do Transporte. |
Landing the day before? Booking.com lists airport taxis you can book ahead. See airport taxis on Booking.com →
Booking.com links are affiliate links: Seabound Journeys may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate disclosure.
Tariff 2 runs Monday to Saturday 21:00 to 06:00 and all day Sundays and holidays. The executive taxis at door B cost more: R$ 155 to Centro. Galeão to the ship has the rest.
The night before, ranked: we’ve scored twelve hotels for the night before a Rio sailing, from the port district to Copacabana and the airport, on what each one publishes, not on reviews — and none publishes a ride to the ship. Four worth knowing:
| Hotel | Where | One thing to know |
|---|---|---|
| Windsor Guanabara | Av. Presidente Vargas, Centro | No. 1: about 900 m from the terminal by our estimate, with a rooftop pool, sauna and gym. |
| Gamboa Rio | Rua Alexandre MacKenzie, Porto Maravilha | No. 5: a plain port-district hotel with rates from R$ 214.40 a night on its booking page — our pin is an estimate, and Hotels.com lists it 1.3 km from the Museu do Amanhã. |
| Santa Teresa MGallery | Rua Almirante Alexandrino, Santa Teresa | The splurge on the Santa Teresa hill: 43 rooms, a spa and a pool bar. |
| Linx Galeão | Av. 20 de Janeiro, at Galeão | The airport bed, with a free 24-hour shuttle to Galeão. |
Planning a Rio de Janeiro cruise?
Tell us your ship and date, and we’ll line up the morning.
Most Rio questions come down to the visa, the flight and the ride across town. Send the line and the date and we’ll sort the flight, the hotel and the transfer.
We check each answer against the line’s or hotel’s own page and date it.
Rio de Janeiro FAQ
Where do cruise ships leave from in Rio de Janeiro?
From the Pier Mauá international cruise terminal, Avenida Rodrigues Alves 10, Praça Mauá, run by the Pier Mauá concession.
Do US citizens need a visa for a cruise from Rio?
Yes. The US State Department says you need a visa to enter Brazil, and that you must be approved before you travel. Apply well before you fly.
How much is a taxi from Galeão to Pier Mauá?
RIOgaleão’s counter-taxi table prints R$ 87 to Praça Mauá at Tariff 1 and R$ 104 at Tariff 2 (nights, Sundays and holidays).
Can I take the VLT to the cruise terminal?
Yes, to Parada dos Museus or Parada dos Navios, per Pier Mauá, for R$ 5 per VLT Carioca. But the VLT doesn’t allow large items, so it suits light bags only.
Is there parking at the Rio cruise terminal?
Pier Mauá lists a 24-hour VMS lot on the Boulevard Olímpico. No price is published, so contact the operator first.
Is there luggage storage at Pier Mauá?
Not that Pier Mauá lists. Ask your hotel; Windsor Guanabara holds bags at reception when there’s space.
What ID do I need at Pier Mauá?
The original document, in good condition, with a photo that looks like you now. Pier Mauá says copies aren’t accepted, even certified. Your line sets the passport and visa rules for your itinerary.
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