Delivery of Costa Venezia, the first Costa ship specifically designed for the Chinese market
Today, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone Costa Cruises officially took delivery of Costa Venezia, the Italian company’s first ship designed specifically to offer the Chinese market the best of Italy.
With a gross tonnage of in at 135,500 tons, 323 meters in length and a capacity for over 5,200 guests, Costa Venezia will be the biggest ship introduced by Costa to the Chinese market, where the Italian company was the first to start operating in 2006 and is currently the leader. It will offer a series of unprecedented innovations designed specifically for Chinese customers, introducing guests to Italian culture, lifestyle and excellence, starting from the interiors, which are inspired by the city of Venice.
As Michael Thamm, Group CEO Costa Group and Carnival Asia, explains: “Costa Venezia will help us to further develop the cruise market in China, which has a great unexplored potential. Suffice to say that, currently, 2.5 million Chinese people a year choose to go on a cruise vacation, which is less than 2% of the total number of Chinese people who travel abroad. Moreover, Costa Venezia further strengthens Costa’s bond with Italy: it is a ship built in Italy, by an Italian shipyard, which flies the Italian flag and which will make Chinese guests experience unforgettable Italian experiences. ”
Arnold Donald, President & CEO of Carnival Corporation, stated: “The delivery of Costa Venezia is a further step in the growth of a strong and sustainable cruise industry in China, which someday, we believe will be the largest cruise market in the world. The growth of the Chinese cruise industry will continue to open the world to millions of Chinese travelers and bring ever increasing prosperity to its people”.
“As the first ship built specifically for the Chinese market, Costa Venezia marks the start of a new era, not only for Costa and Fincantieri but also for the Chinese cruise industry as a whole”, says Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Group Asia. “From conception to delivery, everything about Costa Venezia has been designed having the Chinese customer in mind. Costa Venezia will continue to offer the authentic Italian experience that is a hallmark of Costa, but with further innovations that have never been seen before and which are designed to meet the needs of the local market even better”.
On Costa Venezia, Chinese guests will experience the uniqueness of Venetian and Italian culture. The ship’s theatre is inspired by the Venetian “La Fenice” theatre; the main atrium is reminiscent of “St. Mark’s Square”, while the main restaurants recall the traditional architecture of Venetian alleys and squares. Actual gondolas, made by the Squero di San Trovaso artisans, can also be found on board. Guests can also savor the delicacies of Italian cuisine, shop in the on-board shops with many famous “Made in Italy” brands and enjoy the internationally renowned Italian entertainment, with a masked ball that will recreate the magical atmosphere of the famous Carnival of Venice. They will also feel at home with a wide choice of Chinese food on offer, the Chinese-style karaoke, many parties including the “Golden Party”, full of surprises and gifts to be won every ten minutes.
The Costa Venezia naming ceremony is planned for March 1 in Trieste, with a spectacular air show by “Frecce Tricolori” acrobatic team and a firework display involving the whole city. The vernissage cruise will depart from Trieste March 3, 2019, bound for Greece and Croatia. On March 8, the ship will be back in Trieste for the start of its inaugural cruise: an exceptional, 53-day trip following the tracks of Marco Polo through the Mediterranean to the Middle East, South East Asia and the Far East before docking in Tokyo. The vernissage and inaugural cruises will be the only departures available to European and American guests wishing to enjoy a vacation on the new ship. From May 18, 2019, Costa Venezia, in fact, will be dedicated exclusively to Chinese guests, offering cruises in Asia departing from Shanghai.
