Costa Cruises’ Serena made its inaugural call to Niigata Port in Japan on Thursday, May 28.

A welcome ceremony was held onboard to commemorate the ship’s maiden visit followed by a rice cake-pounding event in Niigata City.

The Niigata port presented the crew with commemorative gifts, including a gold-packaged Niigata local sake and specialty sweets. The Costa Serena crew also received welcome bouquets by the Niigata Goodwill Ambassador.

“It is our pleasure to have Costa Serena here at the Port of Niigata for the first time,” said the Director of the Niigata Prefectural Bureau of Transportation Policy Oota Yuji. “We would like to welcome all of you from the bottom of our heart. The traditional culture of rice still deeply remains in Niigata Prefecture. Today, we welcome you here with the utmost hospitality so that you can enjoy the charms of Niigata, including one of Japan’s wealthy farmers’ estates, sake breweries that use rice as an ingredient, and Yahiko shrine, one and only power spot in Niigata.”