By
Rebecca Gibson |
Costa Cruises’ Costa Serena made her maiden call at her new Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal homeport in China on 24 April.
Chinese actress and Costa brand ambassador Gao Yuanyuan acted as Costa Serena’s godmother during the welcome ceremony, which was also attended by Buhdy Bok, president of Costa Asia, Costa Cruises Pacific & China. Other invited guests included representatives from local government, trade partners and media.
“It’s an honour to be named the godmother of Costa Serena and be a part of her debut in Shanghai,” said Yuanyuan. “My personal experience with Costa Serena last summer truly left me with enduring memories of its exquisite and gorgeous culture with its bounds of exciting activities, delicate Italian cuisine, and relaxation of a European lifestyle. All my best wishes to this elegant ship and I trust she can present the best of Italy to China.”
Joining Costa Atlantica and Costa Victoria, Costa Serena increases the line’s capacity in the region by 74%.
“Costa Serena brings a taste of Italy tailored to maximise the luxury for our Chinese guests,” said Bok. “Our success in China has come from expanding on the enjoyment of our guests onboard. The support from our prominent partners and local authorities here in Shanghai has been instrumental to our incomparable growth and we are grateful for their invaluable assistance.”
Costa also revealed that Costa Fortuna will also homeport in China from April 2016, increasing the line’s capacity to 38%. According to the current analysis by the Cruise Lines International Association, Costa has the leading position in the Chinese cruise market with four out of ten reservations made for Costa ships.
”The addition of Costa Serena reinforces Costa Cruises’ leadership position in China’s fast-growing cruise market,” said Michael Thamm, CEO of Costa. “After nine years of successful operations and explicit support and encouragement from the Chinese government, Costa Cruises will continue to expand its offerings and satisfy the demands of the China market.”