Gan Beiye and her family first sailed with Costa in 2011.
The naming celebration was shared with the city of Trieste thanks to a collaboration with the municipality, the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region and the Eastern Adriatic Sea Port Authority.
White, red and green
First the Frecce Tricolori flew in tight formation over the port, coloring the sky with the white, red and green of the Italian flag. The actual naming ceremony took place in the ship's Teatro Rosso and was displayed on a giant screen installed at Trieste's Piazza Unità d’Italia.
Since the ship is registered in Italy, the Italian national anthem was played, and Costa Venezia's bell was delivered to Capt. Giulio Valestra to be placed on the bridge.
Italian dignitaries
The audience included Gian Marco Centinaio, Italy's minister of agriculture, food, forestry and tourism policies; Trieste Mayor Roberto Dipiazza, Friuli Venezia Giulia president Massimiliano Fedriga; Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa Group and Carnival Asia; Fincantieri CEO Giuseppe Bono and Costa Group Asia president Mario Zanetti.
Some 2,000 Costa Venezia guests from China, South Korea, Japan and several European countries then attended a gala dinner with a menu by the Italian chef Umberto Bombana of the three-star Michelin restaurant 8 ½ - Otto e Mezzo Bombana. That was followed by 'Venezia Innamorata,' a show inspired by the love stories of Giacomo Casanova that was created for Costa Venezia's Teatro Rosso.
Fireworks, accompanied by music, were scheduled for midnight.
Food donated to the needy
Costa Venezia's naming was an opportunity showcase the Costa Crociere and Fondazione Banco Alimentare programto donate surplus food produced on board. In Trieste, the beneficiaries are Casa La Madre and Casa il Teresiano, which assist people undergoing economic hardship.
This program by Costa and Fondazione Banco Alimentare, launched in July 2017, has already allocated 100,000 portions of 'ready-to-eat' food with high nutritional value at various ports in Italy.
