Cruise Line Celebrates Float-Out of China-Bound Ship

Carnival Corporation’s Italian brand – Costa Cruises – has celebrated the official float-out of Costa Venezia, the line’s first ship designed specifically for the Chinese market. The ceremony was held at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy where the vessel is being built.

Designed with the specific leisure and entertainment preferences of Chinese guests in mind, Costa Venezia will bring Venetian and Italian culture to life through spectacles such as the Carnival of Venice and the city’s famous gondolas. Travelers will also be able to enjoy fine Italian dining, luxury shopping, and world-class Italian entertainment while enjoying home comforts like a range of Chinese cuisines and karaoke bars.

Setting sail in March 2019, Venezia will arrive in China in May 2019 after a 53-day voyage following the journey of Marco Polo. The ship will depart from Trieste, Italy and make her way though the Mediterranean, Middle East, and southeast and east Asia before arriving at her home in Shanghai on May 18.

As part of today’s float-out ceremony, the ship officially touched the sea for the first time and a ribbon was cut by the ceremonial godmother, an employee at the Monfalcone shipyard.

Costa Venezia is 135,500 gross tons and can hold 5,260 guests. It will be the line’s largest ship operating homeport cruises from China. The vessel will be followed by the launch of a sister ship in 2020, which construction began on earlier this year.

Photos: Costa Cruises