Costa Cruises’ Comeback: Costa Serena’s Asian Adventures

Earlier last month, the Costa Serena formally began its chartered deployment in Taiwan. The ship departed Keelung on 1st July to begin a series of four to seven-day cruises to Japan and South Korea, marking Costa Cruises’ return to the market. Before returning to Keelung, the first itinerary sailed for three nights and stopped at Fukuoka and Jeju.

The Taiwan programme, which runs until October, consists of a total of 27 departures and is run in association with Costa’s regional travel partners. The ship is also using Kaohsiung as its homeport in addition to Keelung, with roundtrip voyages planned for September and October.

Japan’s Otaru, Muroran, Hakodate, Aomori, Sasebo, Nagasaki, Yatsushiro, Kagoshima, and Naha are among the additional ports of call scheduled to be visited during the operation.

The Costa Serena began operations in late May after more than three years of inactivity, beginning a string of local initiatives in Southeast Asia and the Far East.

The Italian ship operated routes leaving from South Korea and Thailand before docking in Taiwan.

Later this year, the Costa Serena will also herald Costa Cruises’ return to India, with a number of cruises leaving from Mumbai.

The 3,000-passenger ship will travel from November 2023 to January 2024, making it the biggest cruise ship to ever leave the nation. The programme, which is run in collaboration with an Indian travel agency, consists of a total of 23 cruises to places like Goa, Cochin, the Lakshadweep Islands, and others.

The Costa Serena, which debuted in 2007, has been exclusively focused on China and other Asian markets since 2015.

The 112,000-ton “The Ship of the Gods” ship, which was constructed in Italy’s Fincantieri shipyard, has an interior that draws inspiration from Greek and Roman mythology and is dubbed “The Ship of the Gods.” Along with three lido decks, a number of restaurants, and other amenities, it also has one of the largest wellness centres at sea.