The Costa Serena marked Costa Cruises’ return to China earlier this week, putting an end to an over five-year hiatus.

As part of a multi-homeport operation in the Far East, the 2007-built vessel arrived in Shanghai on June 12, 2025.

The Serena is now set to offer a series of four-night cruises that feature visits to destinations in China, Japan and South Korea.

In addition to Shanghai, guests are able to board the vessel in other ports, including Fukuoka and Seogwipo-si. Three similar itineraries are set to take place through the end of June.

In addition to visits to its three ports of call, the cruises also include sea days in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea.

The Costa Serena is then set to reposition to Taiwan for additional short cruises to Japan and South Korea.

Formerly a major player in the Chinese market, Costa Cruises hasn’t sailed from mainland ports since early 2020.

After sailing exclusively in Asia for over ten years, the Costa Serena is set to reposition to the Western Hemisphere in late 2026.

With the Costa Fortuna being sold to Margaritaville at Sea, the 3,000-guest ship is poised to return to South America before repositioning to the Mediterranean.

The Costa Serena is also set to undergo a major refurbishment project before concluding its operations in Asia.

Scheduled for late 2025, the drydock will include enhancements to the ship’s dining offerings, as well as upgrades to its staterooms and suites.

While details of the ship’s new deployments are set to be announced at a later date, Costa also said that the Serena will offer a world cruise ahead of its 2026-27 season.

Sailing from Japan to Argentina, the two-month voyage will take place between October and December 2026.

Built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, the Costa Serena offered itineraries in Europe, South America and the Middle East before repositioning to China in 2015.