Costa Venezia will be the line's first ship built and designed specifically for Chinese guests
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Costa Cruises held a traditional coin ceremony for its new ship Costa Venezia at Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard in Italy on 1 November.
During the ceremony, one newly minted commemorative coin was placed in the ship’s keel to bring good luck for future crew and passengers. The event was attended by government officials, trade partners and senior executives from Costa Cruises.
“Costa Cruises is thrilled to have a new ship that is built to offer the best experience to Chinese consumers,” said Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia. “Costa Venezia demonstrates our strong commitment and confidence in the world's fastest growing cruise market. Her arrival in 2019 will further enhance our offerings for Chinese guests to reinforce our leading position in China.”
Set to debut in early March 2019, Costa Venezia will be the first Costa ship built and designed specifically for Chinese guests. The 135,500gt ship will be able to accommodate 5,260 passengers in 2,116 cabins and will feature an interior design, entertainment, art and dining programme dedicated to the city of Venice in Italy. Guests will even be able to enjoy an onboard Carnival of Venice.
“With Costa Venezia, Costa Cruises is proud to showcase the allure of one of Italy’s most famous and culturally rich cities and regions to Chinese consumers,” said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Group Asia. “The planned addition of the ship to our Asia fleet is part of our continued efforts to innovate and consistently exceed our guests’ expectations by providing authentic and memorable Italian experiences to everyone who sails with us.”
Costa Venezia will embark on her maiden voyage in early March 2019, sailing from Trieste in Italy to Shanghai, China via Greece, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Vietnam and Japan. She will then sail various Asian itineraries, replacing Costa Fortuna, which will reposition to the Mediterranean.
Fincantieri will deliver Costa Venezia’s China-bound sister ship in 2020. Together, the newbuilds will be the 13th and 14th cruise ships the Italian shipbuilder has constructed for Costa.
Costa Cruises will also take delivery of two LNG-powered cruise ships from Meyer Weft in Germany in 2021.