By
Rebecca Gibson |
Costa Cruises is to increase its capacity in the Asian region by 74% when Costa Serena homeports in Shanghai, China, from April 2015.
Homeporting in Shanghai, the 114,500 gt Costa Serena will offer a range of five- and six-day cruises to various destinations in Asia, such as Japan and Korea. Joining Costa Victoria and Costa Atlantica, which already operate in China, the vessel’s deployment will make Costa the first international cruise company to base three ships year-round in mainland China
“Costa Serena’s arrival in China is in line with Costa Cruises’ strategy to strengthen its leadership in the fast growing Chinese market,” said Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group. “Costa Cruises was the first international cruise line to operate in China and has already experienced eight years of successful operations. The deployment of Costa Serena in 2015 will allow our company to expand its offerings and services in the region.”
Christened as the ‘Ship of Gods’, Costa Serena’s interior design is inspired by classical mythology and will offer Chinese guests an experience of ‘Italy at Sea’ through the Italian art and traditional Italian restaurants. The 3,780-guest vessel also features a 6,000 sq m Samsara spa, a 4D cinema, Grand Prix Simulator, a water slide, theatres, casinos and a disco.
“Costa Serena is going to offer our valued Asian passengers the absolute finest and most enjoyable cruising holiday and our guests will fall in love with this product,” said Buhdy Bok, senior vice president, Pacific Asia and China, Costa.
Costa Serena’s 2015 deployment will also make the line’s parent company Carnival Corporation the first global cruise company to base four ships in China.
Capitalising on the growing consumer demand that is expected to make China the second largest cruise market in the world by 2017, Carnival will also deploy Princess Cruises’ Princess Sapphire in Shanghai from 21 May to 3 September 2014.
Expected to carry 65,000 passengers on roundtrip cruises over the fourth-month period, Sapphire Princess will offer guests the chance to enjoy onboard activities such as the World Leaders’ Dinner, English Afternoon Tea, the only 24-hour buffet at sea in China, Tai Chi and Zumba at sea. Debuting the line’s premium class experience – Princess Class – the ship will also offer enrichment activities such as Social Etiquette classes and a Sommelier Wine Excursion.
“Carnival Corporation has for years recognised that Chinese travellers would love the cruising experience and that is why Costa Cruises was the first global cruise line to commit to sailing from China back in 2006,” said Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald. “We have never been more committed to China as a market of great strategic importance for our company, and with today’s news we will be the only global cruise company to have four ships operating out of China. More than that, as the world’s largest cruise company with a portfolio of ten of the world’s most celebrated cruise lines, we are very well positioned to continue working with government officials in China to help the country meet its goal of becoming one of the most important cruise markets in the world.”
In addition to investments in China, Carnival aims to maintain and extend its growth in Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Korea. Carnival has seven of its ten brands sailing in Asia including Costa, Princess, AIDA Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises and Seabourn. In total, 23 ships across the seven brands expected to make an estimated 1,439 port calls to 90 Asian ports in 2014, including 220 port visits from five brands in China. Carnival also operates ten offices in Asia including five locations in China – Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Chengdu.