Rio de Janeiro – Food Tours, the Roxy Dinner Show, Tile Hunting, and a Gatsby Night at Sea

We’ve visited Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain on previous trips, so this time we skipped the major tourist attractions and leaned into what we enjoy most – food, neighborhoods, and one spectacular night out at the famous Roxy Dinner Show.

Day 1 – Arrival, Copacabana Food Crawl & The Roxy Show

The bow opened around 6:00 a.m. for the scenic sail-in. Clear skies, calm water, and postcard views greeted us as we slipped into Guanabara Bay. Christ the Redeemer stood high above the city, arms open, as if welcoming us back.

We sailed by Copacabana with Christ the Redeemer looking on in the background

The crew passed around warm “Rio Rolls” – Holland America’s soft, custard-filled pastries that get renamed for whatever port we’re visiting. Same roll, new passport stamp. Breakfast and dessert rolled into one. (You can find the recipe here.)

Rio Rolls – aka Panama Canal Rolls are a feature during any scenic arrival

We docked port side at Pier Mauá (Warehouse 4 (Armazém 4)), along Orla Prefeito Luiz Paulo Conde. While your exact docking location may differ, we moored directly across from the cruise terminal building. There is an interactive map at the bottom of this post that lets you drill down to see the precise locations of the various docking locations.

There is a single entrance to the terminal at the end of the terminal building. Once inside, you will find various shops, tour operators, and snack bars. The exit to the terminal is at the other end of the building from where you enter.

The port’s shore-side does security screening as you return.

Note – HERE is the link to the Rio Port Vessel Schedule, where you can find your exact berth.

Note – You will need a Brazil E-Visa to visit Brazil if you are a USA citizen.   It’s still a little tricky to get the visa, but check out my How to Get a Brazil Visa GUIDE HERE for tips and tricks to make it easier.

Just outside is Rio’s sleek light rail, the VLT Carioca, which connects downtown sights and the metro. On the other side of the VLT Carioca tracks is a large parking garage where you will find the excursion buses and possibly private tour operators who have permits to enter.

These murals were painted for the 2016 Olympics – originally in vibrant color – now faded to almost black and white. They are on the building next to the Cruise Terminal, where many buses pick up tour guests

NOTE: You can learn more about getting around on the VLT Carioca HERE and HERE. You need to get a Jae card or download the APP in advance. The Jae app is only available from the Brazilian App Store, and I couldn’t download it while researching this post.

But for today, we had bigger plans: food.

Getting to Copacabana

We booked a Secret Food Tour in Copacabana and pre-arranged transfers with Rio Airport Transfer.

Rio Airport Transfers were reasonably priced, responsive, and – most importantly – easy to communicate with on WhatsApp. If you’re organizing private tours in Brazil, WhatsApp is essential. Every driver and operator uses it.

Our driver was able to access the same parking garage as the Holland America Tours, though there was minor confusion at first as they initially thought they wouldn’t be able to get in. After a few quick WhatsApp messages, we coordinated our meeting location.

Thirty minutes later, we were rolling into Copacabana, passing morning walkers, beach kiosks setting up for the day, and that iconic black-and-white wave-pattern promenade.

We met our guide, Yuri, near the statue of Ayrton Senna (a Legendary Brazilian Formula One driver), grabbed fresh coconut water from a street vendor, and began our relaxed neighborhood food crawl. Joining our group were Michelle and Anthony, two Americans working in Rio who added a fun non-cruise perspective to the day.

We walked about 1.25 miles on the tour – slow pace, lots of stops.  See the map below for our exact route

Copacabana Food Stops

Along the way, Yuri explained more about life in Rio and the area’s history. Here are the 6 places we visited, along with the food we enjoyed.

• Best Açaí Shop – Just a small portion, but rich and smooth, like frozen yogurt. I went with banana açaí. Açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-EE) is a nutrient-dense, dark purple, grape-like berry originating from the Amazon palm tree.

This was our first stop

• Parada de Copa – A massive sanduíche de pernil (roast pork sandwich) on crusty bread, paired with a cold beer.

• Bonde Boca Copacabana – Creamy bobó de camarão, shrimp stew with manioc and coconut milk. Comfort food at its best.

• Galeto Sat’s – Garlicky grilled young chicken with their famous house sauce – a true Rio institution. On busy days, locals line up around the block. Galeto means “Young Chicken.”

• Bar do David (Copacabana location) – Crispy pastel de tropeiro, similar to an empanada stuffed with hearty fillings.

• Bar Tínez – Creme de papaia for dessert and a tropical Chapéu Mangueira cocktail to finish.

By the end, we weren’t sightseeing – we were grazing. Food tours are always a favorite of ours because you interact with a local host, hear real neighborhood stories, and often meet travelers who aren’t from your ship.

The Little Club was one of the clubs on Bottle Street where Bossa Nova originated

Our driver met us at the final stop and brought us back to the ship to reset for the evening.

Big night ahead.

Evening – The Roxy Dinner Show

I had never heard of the Roxy until it appeared as a Holland America shore excursion. A little research changed everything. Time Magazine called it one of the World’s Greatest Places in 2025.

The Roxy is a restored Art Deco movie palace turned glamorous cabaret theater in Copacabana. Velvet seating, gold trim, chandeliers, sweeping staircases – it feels like stepping into old-school Rio nightlife.

Packages

• Aquele Abraço Package – Show only with light snack ($75)
• Copacabana Package – Show plus 3-course meal ($129)
• Rio de Janeiro Package – Expanded menu and half bottle of wine ($162)

The ship offered the show-only package with transportation for $189 per person. Instead, we booked the Rio de Janeiro Package directly through the Roxy website (HERE), selected front-section seating, and chartered our own 26-passenger bus (Rio Airport Transfers) for our group of 17.

Total cost: about $189 per person – including the premium dinner package and private transportation.

Timing Tip

Do not arrive too early.

We left the ship at 6:00 p.m., arrived at the Roxy around 6:45 p.m., and then waited outside until the doors opened at 7:00 p.m., which allowed us to enjoy cocktails in the lobby until the doors to the seating area opened at 7:30. If I were doing it again, I would leave the ship at 6:30 and arrive around 7:15.

Dinner runs from 7:30-9:30 p.m.

The show begins at 9:30 p.m. and ends at 11:00 p.m.

During dinner, two vocalists (male and female), backed by a small band, provide live background music: bass, guitar, drums, and keyboard. It sets the mood without overwhelming conversation.

We enjoyed their singing during dinner

Dinner Highlights

Standouts from the menu:

• Tuna crudo starter
• Shrimp with moqueca rice
• Pork loin à moda mineira
• Filet mignon with cassava mille-feuille
• Chocolate textures dessert

Solid fine-dining experience – not rushed.

The Show – Aquele Abraço

Aquele Abraço is a high-energy musical journey through Brazilian culture and history.

The production travels across Brazil’s regions – Bahia’s Afro-Brazilian rhythms, rural sertão traditions, the Parintins Folk Festival rivalry, urban São Paulo, Rio’s favelas, themes of Amazon preservation, tributes to Carmen Miranda, and the roots of samba and bossa nova.

It culminates in a Sambadrome-style Carnival finale – feathers, sequins, towering headdresses, massive choreography.

Part Broadway.

Part Vegas.

Part Carnival parade.

Completely over the top – in the best possible way.

It was one of the most fun nights we’ve shared on the cruise so far.

We returned to the ship just after midnight.

Day 2 – Selarón Steps & Sailaway

The next morning, we Ubered to the Escadaria Selarón with one mission: find the Holland America tiles.

The steps connect the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods and were created by Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón, who began renovating the staircase in 1990. What started as a personal project became a lifelong obsession. Over time, more than 2,000 tiles from 60+ countries were embedded in the 215-step staircase, stretching roughly 125 meters (about 410 feet).

It’s colorful, chaotic, and constantly evolving.

And yes, we found the Holland America tiles.

If you’re hunting

• About halfway up on the left
• Near the red “7” tile.
• An older Rotterdam tile is near the bottom after the first set of stairs on the lower right.

It becomes a scavenger hunt with built-in photo ops.

Back onboard for SailAway – rain pushed the party into the Lido.

That night, we caught Marty Thomas on the World Stage – big Broadway vocals and huge personality.

Day 3 – Gatsby Night

Tonight was our second Formal night, with The Great Gatsby theme – flapper dresses and flashy suits. A special Prohibition Press issue (HERE) was published that described a mock jewelry theft. At 11 a.m. Cruise Director Erin questioned some of the suspects, and the culprits would be revealed at the Crow’s Nest at 9 p.m.

The Hudson room was converted into a dimly lit speakeasy where piano bar player Grace would perform about every hour. We would need a password to gain entry. Clues were provided in The Daily Program. Various letters were highlighted in the program, and when they were all found and unscrambled, they spelled the password “Giggle Water.”

Vocalist Tenna Torres performed on the World Stage, but most of the action was in the Crow’s Nest for the Chocolate Surprise and the Great Gatsby Party.

This is an interactive map.  Click on the markers for more information.   The ship’s location in Rio de Janeiro is one of the markers.    Our food tour route is highlighted along with the location of each stop.