Costa Cruises – the Italian cultural brand of Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest leisure travel company – today held the traditional coin ceremony for its newest ship, the Costa Venezia, named after Venice, one of the world’s most beautiful and legendary cities.
As the first Vista-class ship specifically designed and built for China, Costa Venezia in 2019 will bring the rich culture, history and romance of Venice to its Chinese guests.
During the coin ceremony, one newly minted commemorative coin was officially placed in the ship’s keel as a symbol of good luck and blessings for the crew and passengers onboard the ship and her future journeys. The event connected Italy and China to mark this milestone, which 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. “The 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.”
To be built by the Italy-based Fincantieri shipbuilding company, the 135,500 gross ton Costa Venezia will feature 2,116 passenger cabins and a capacity of 5,260 total passengers.
It is the first ship in the world that features a design that entirely reflects her name and the city where she was built. Guests may go onboard to have once-in-a-lifetime experience of Venetians, immersing themselves in a multi-sensory trip featuring food, art, music and entertainment. Come nightfall, guests can participate in an onboard version of the Carnival of Venice, the city’s famous festival known for its elaborate masks.
“With the 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.”
An inaugural world cruise has been planned following the completion of the Costa Venezia that will begin in Trieste, Italy, and end in Shanghai. Along the way, the ship will call in countries such as Greece, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Vietnam and Japan, following Marco Polo’s famous journeys between Italy and China.
Tickets for the world cruise will be available soon. The ship will depart from Italy in early March 2019, inviting guests to experience the Carnival of Venice and become fully immersed in the magic of Italy.
Costa Cruises was the first international cruise company to enter China in 2006, and has established a leading presence in the market. With the kick off of “Costa New Decade” in China, it will strive relentlessly to exceed guest expectations by continuously innovating to deliver the most delightful onboard experiences – with a touch of Italy.
Costa Venezia’s addition to Costa Asia fleet in 2019 will be followed by an additional ship in 2020, which will also be specially designed for Chinese consumers.