Costa Cruises has their sights set on China, and they’re determined to grow their presence there. Starting in April 2017, their 1,800-guest ship Costa neoRomantica will be based on Asia year-round. She will be the fifth ship in their fleet to be regularly deployed in Asia.
The ship will arrive in Shanghai on April 10, after a 23-day repositioning cruise departing on March 18 from Port Louis, Mauritius. During that cruise, she will call in the Seychelles, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, and Hong Kong.
After that, Costa neoRomantica will dry dock in Shanghai, to be customized for the Asia market and boost its “Italy at Sea” ambiance. The first cruise from China will sail on April 24, 2017.
Currently, there are three Costa ships cruising in Asia, and Costa Fortuna is set to arrive in Shanghai on April 22 of this year, making four. The cruise line has also recently announced an order for two new ships for Costa Asia, to be built by Fincantieri shipyard and delivered in 2019 and 2020.
The Costa group was the first cruise company to head to the Chinese market back in 2006. Their sailings are marketing to China as “Italy at Sea” offering an authentic Italian and European experience for their Asian guests, with Italian-style cuisine, entertainment, and hospitality.
Featured photo: Costa Fortuna by Joe deSousa on Flickr.
