Marking the return of the entire Costa Cruises fleet, the Costa Serena resumed service in Asia earlier this month.

Welcoming guests earlier than initially planned, the 2007-built vessel kicked off a series of charter operations for local travel agencies in Southeast Asia and the Far East.

The first voyage included a program of short cruises departing from Laem Chabang, in Thailand.

Visiting Vietnam, Cambodia and other destinations in Thailand, the operation will be followed by a series of charter cruises in South Korea.

Extending through the end of June, the program includes departures from the ports of Busan, Sokcho and Pohang.

The Costa Serena is then setting sail to Taiwan in July. Spending the remainder of the summer season sailing from local ports, the vessel is set to offer a series of four- to seven-night cruises to ports in Japan, such as Sasebo, Kagoshima, Otaru, Hakodate, Naha, Miyakojima, and Ishigaki.

Sailing year-round in Asia since 2015, the Costa Serena was serving the Chinese market along with the Costa Venezia and the Costa Atlantica when the COVID -19 pandemic broke out in early 2020.

While the other two vessels ended up leaving the company’s fleet, the Serena remained out of service ever since. After spending most of the operational pause in the Middle East, the ship sailed back to Singapore in March.

While being prepared to welcome guests back, the Serena was also drydocked at the Southeast Asia port, undergoing technical maintenance, regular hotel upkeep and class work.

Originally launched in 2007, the Costa Serena was built by the Fincantieri shipyard at its Sestri Ponente shipyard in Genoa.

With capacity for over 3,000 guests, the 112,000-ton vessel offers an array of public areas and facilities that include one of the largest wellness centers at sea, two swimming pools with retractable glass roofs, four restaurants and more.