Costa Crociere continues to optimize its deployment as the company announced the Costa Fortuna will sail in Europe in 2019 after a winter in Southeast Asia. The ship is currently based in China.

“With the arrival of the new vessel for Costa Asia specifically designed for Chinese and Asian guests, currently being built by Fincantieri, we will reposition the Costa Fortuna back in the Mediterranean to reinforce its offer while waiting for the arrival of Costa Smeralda at the end of 2019,” Costa said, in a statement issued to Cruise Industry News. “Additional details on Costa Fortuna new Mediterranean itineraries will be communicated at a later time.”

The Fortuna moving back to Europe will make way for the first of two made-for-China newbuilds from Costa, which is expected to arrive into the market in the second half of 2019.

The move back to Europe will also help boost the company’s capacity on its home turf, as the Fortuna will join the recently re-deployed Victoria, and the to-be-delivered Costa Smeralda in 2019.

The Fortuna was delivered in 2003 from Fincantieri’s Genoa yard. In 2016, Costa sent the ship to China, where it was announced that Shanghai would serve as the ship’s year-round homeport.