Rio de Janeiro Sets New Record Highs in Cruise Arrivals: 85 Liners and 135,000 Tourists

Rio de Janeiro´s cruise season is in full swing and breaking records as the Brazilian city has so far welcomed 85 vessels and 135,000 passengers who have spent $55 million.

According to official stats, the ongoing cruise season kicked off on October 30 with the docking of a couple of deluxe ships to Brazilian ports that brought in 724 sea trekkers.

Compared to last year´s cruise season, there´s been a 9 percent spike, from 78 liners in 2004 to 85 cruises this time around.

Tourism authorities in Brazil say their main focus right now is on efforts to keep ships coming in and out of Rio de Janeiro all year round, chiefly during the spring and the summer.