Costa Serena, the famous cruise ship of Costa Cruises, after 20 years of operation in the Asian cruise market, is ready to leave Asia for Western markets as the last ship of the company in this region. This ship has currently been used as a floating hotel for athletes of the Asian Games.
Special Performance in the Asian Games
The Costa Serena ship is docked in Nagoya, Japan, serving as accommodation for approximately 4,000 athletes and officials from 43 countries. This move was made due to the increase in participants from 11,000 to over 17,000 and concerns about providing suitable accommodation. The lease agreement for the ship, worth approximately $30 million, was signed last September between Nagoya's JTB business division and the organizers of the games.
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The Costa Serena ship, built by Fincantieri in 2007, is recognized as the oldest member of the Costa fleet, being one of five ships of its class. With a capacity of 114,000 tons and a length of 289.5 meters, it will remain as a floating hotel for the duration of the games in Nagoya.
Changes and Future Plans
The Costa Serena will remain in Nagoya until October 6 and will then head to Brazil and subsequently to Europe. This move signifies the end of Costa Cruises' operations in the Asian market. The company contributed to the growth of this market in 2006 as the first international cruise line to transfer its cruise ship to China.
Considering that China and many parts of Asia had been closed to cruises for years, Carnival Corporation decided to make a strategic shift in Costa's operations. Older ships were retired from the fleet, and Costa Serena remained inactive in Asia for a long time. This ship returned to service in the summer of 2023 and was recognized as the first cruise ship to start international voyages from South Korea and Taiwan.
However, the decision to exit the Asian market was announced in May 2025. After the sale of Costa Fortuna, Costa Serena is expected to return to port in November 2025 for updates and renovations. Changes will include updating decor, renovating suites, and designing new pools and restaurants.
Costa Serena is intended for use in the seasonal cruise market in Brazil and will return to Europe for the first time in spring 2027. So far, Carnival Corporation has not announced any plans to rebuild Costa's capacity with new ships.
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