Is Costa Crociere upping its deployment out of China in 2017? It would appear so, as the Chinese market leader appears to be adding a fifth ship to the Chinese market, after growing to four ships this year.

The 1993-built neoRomantica has a repositioning voyage scheduled to end in Shanghai next April, which is consistent with other ship moves from the Italian brand into the Chinese market.

Introducing the so-called “neo” slow-cruising concept, featuring longer itineraries and unique ports, could add a new and differentiated product offering to the quickly growing Chinese source market.

The neoRomantica would join the Victoria, Fortuna, Atlantica and Serena in the region.  

Costa did not respond to a request for comment.