Corfu Welcomes Costa Cruises’ Newest Ship ‘Costa Venezia’
The Greek island of Corfu was the first port of call for Costa Cruises’ newest ship, the ultra-luxury Costa Venezia, which recently departed on its maiden voyage from Italy to the Adriatic Sea.
“It is a real pleasure to be on board the newly built Costa Venezia, the largest cruise ship of Costa Cruises,” said Tatiana Chamba, president and CEO of Cruiseway Travel, the exclusive representative of Costa Cruises to the Greek market.
Costa Cruises, the Italian brand of Carnival Corporation, officially took delivery of Costa Venezia from the Fincantieri shipyard in Trieste in early March. The 323-meter cruise ship has a capacity of 5,200 guests and is the company’s first ship designed specifically to offer the best of Italy to the Chinese market.
On board Costa Venezia, guests can experience the uniqueness of Venetian and Italian culture. The ship’s theater is inspired by the Venetian La Fenice theater; the main atrium is reminiscent of St. Mark’s Square, while the main restaurants recall the traditional architecture of Venetian alleys and squares.
“Costa Venezia has been designed exclusively for the Asian market and we believe that it is perfect for travelers who wish to visit popular destinations in Asia,” Chamba added.
Apart from Italian architecture, the guests of Costa Venezia can also enjoy Italian food at its two main restaurants, Marco Polo and Canal Grande. Actual gondolas, made by the Squero di San Trovaso artisans, can also be found on board.
Furthermore, guests can also savor the delicacies of Italian cuisine with the menu of the Casanova restaurant, which has been curated by Italian Michelin-starred chef Umberto Bombana.
Costa Venezia is part of an expansion plan that includes a total of seven ships being delivered to Costa Group by 2023 – an investment project expected to reach 6 billion euros.
Greece and Croatia were the first stops of Costa Venezia’s maiden voyage, which then returned to Trieste to depart again on a 53-day trip following the tracks of Marco Polo through the Mediterranean to the Middle East, South East Asia and the Far East before docking in Tokyo.
From May 18, 2019, Costa Venezia will be dedicated exclusively to Chinese guests, offering cruises in Asia departing from Shanghai.