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Custom-built for China, Costa Venezia is floated out at Fincantieri's Monfalcone yard

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L-R: Julia Li, vp marketing of Costa Greater China and SouthEast Asia, Roberto Olivari, director of Monfalcone shipyard and Chiara Ustulin, Costa Venezia'sgodmother.
Costa Cruises’ first new cruise ship designed specifically for the Chinese market was floated out Friday at Fincantieri’s shipyard in Monflacone.

The building dock where 135,500gt Costa Venezia has been taking shape was flooded, following the traditional cutting of the ribbon and bottle breaking by godmother Chiara Ustulin, an employee of Monfalcone shipyard.

Costa Venezia will enter service in March 2019.

Costa's first ship built for the China market

‘As our first ship built specifically for the Chinese market, Costa Venezia marks a new era not just for Costa Cruises and Fincantieri but for the Chinese cruise industry as a whole,’ said Mario Zanetti, president of Costa Group Asia.

‘From its initial conception all the way through to today’s float-out ceremony and beyond, everything about Costa Venezia has been designed with the Chinese consumer in mind.

‘Costa Venezia will continue to deliver on Costa Cruises authentic Italian experience while also providing a unique vacation experience that will resonate with Chinese guests by being fully tailored to their travel preferences,’ he commented.

‘Today we celebrate a milestone in the construction of Costa Venezia which, together with its sister ship, will strengthen Costa's commitment in an emerging market,’ said Luigi Matarazzo, Fincantieri evp new building - Merchant Ships Business Unit.

Bringing to life the passion of Venetian culture

Designed with the specific leisure and entertainment requirements for Chinese guests, Costa Venezia will bring to life the passion of Venetian and Italian culture.

The ship’s theatre will be inspired by the Venetian “La Fenice” theatre; the main atrium will recall “Piazza San Marco”, while restaurants will be dedicated to the typical architecture of Venetian alleys.

With capacity of more than 5,100 guests, Costa Venezia will also feature original ‘gondolas’, made by local artisans.

A masked party will recreate on board the magic atmosphere of the famous Carnival of Venice.

Guests will also be able to sample the delights of fine Italian dining, luxury Italian shopping and world-class Italian entertainment, while enjoying home comforts such as a range of Chinese cuisines and Chinese-style karaoke and the ‘Golden Party’, with lots of surprises and gifts to be won every ten minutes.

Due to arrive in China in May 2019

Before arriving in China next May, Costa Venezia will set sail for two cruises, both departing from the Italian port of Trieste.

On March 3, 2019 the vernissage cruise to Greece and Croatia, followed on March 8 by a 53-day inaugural cruise, in the footsteps of Marco Polo, making its way through the Mediterranean, the Middle east, Southeast and East Asia, before arriving at Tokyo.

The vernissage and the inaugural cruises will be the only departures available for European and North American guests.

Starting from May 18, 2019, Costa Venezia will be dedicated to Chinese guests, offering them an Italian twist throughout East Asia, with homeport in Shanghai.

Costa has been serving the local Chinese market since 2006.

A sister ship dedicated to Asia, also from Fincantieri’s Monfalcone shipyard will arrive in 2020, bringing to 14 the total number of Costa ships built by Fincantieri in Italy, for a total investment of over 6 billion euros.

A panel discussion on cruise ships built in, and for, China is part of the conference at Seatrade Cruise Asia Pacific, taking place in Baoshan district of Shanghai October 23-25, 2018.

Costa Group currently has seven new ships on order through to 2023. Costa Venezia will be followed by LNG-powered Costa Smeralda, scheduled for delivery in October 2019.