Beginning in April 2015, Costa Cruises will begin offering sailings aboard the Coste Serena from Shanghai, China. The new sailings, which are accompanied by sailings aboard the Costa Victoria and Atlantica, will effectively increase Costa’s presence in the Asian market by 74%.
The new sailings, which are expected to be available for booking in the near future, will feature a number of unannounced ports throughout China and eastern Asia.
“Carnival Corporation has for years recognized that Chinese travelers would love the cruising experience, and that is why Costa Cruises was the first global cruise line to commit to sailing from China back in 2006,” said Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald. We have never been more committed to China as a market of great strategic importance for our company, and with today’s news we will be the only global cruise company to have four ships operating out of China.”
The addition of the Costa Serena in the Asian cruise market will make Carnival Corporation the largest company operating cruises in the region. The Costa Serena is joined by Costa sisters Costa Atlantica and Costa Victoria, as well as the Sapphire Princess. The addition of these new sailings will boost Carnival Corporation’s regional capacity by approximately 140% over the next two years.
