Costa Crociere held a coin ceremony today for its new and now named China newbuild: the Costa Venezia.
She will be the first Costa ship built and designed specifically for Chinese guests, entering into service in 2019, the company said.
During the coin ceremony, one newly minted commemorative coin was officially placed in the ship’s keel as a symbol of good luck for the crew and passengers sailing aboard.
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.”
The Costa Venezia will be 135,500 tons, offering 2,116 passenger cabins for a total of 5,260 passengers. The design of the ship will be dedicated to the city of Venice.
“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.”
The inaugural cruise of Costa Venezia will be departing in early March 2019 from Trieste (Italy) to Shanghai, visiting 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 inaugural cruise will be available also for European guests.
A second ship specially designed for Chinese guests, sister to Costa Venezia, will be delivered by Fincantieri in 2020.
