Costa Venezia

The 2019-built Costa Venezia cruise ship is the first liner for Costa Cruises constructed and designed specifically for China's market. Venezia and the sistership Costa Firenze (2020) were both produced by the Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri - Venezia at Monfalcone Shipyard (near Trieste), Firenze - at Marghera Shipyard (near Venice). Each vessel has GT tonnage 135,500 tons, 2116 cabins and passenger capacity 4200 (max / double-occupancy 5260 pax).

The vessel (IMO number 9801689) is currently Italy-flagged (MMSI 247391100) and registered in Genoa.

From the same series (Vista-Class sisterships) are also the CCL-Carnival liners Vista (2016), Horizon (2018) and Panorama (2019).

IMPORTANT: In June 2022, CCL-Carnival Cruise Line and Costa Cruises announced the "COSTA by CARNIVAL" cruise program targeting CCL's North American source market. The program is based on two newbuild Costa ships - Venezia (starting in 2023 with homeporting in NYC New York USA) and Firenze (starting in 2024 with homeporting in Long Beach/Los Angeles California USA). Both Costa liners are CCL-managed (while operating out of the USA) and were scheduled for drydock refurbishments prior to the Carnival service.

History - construction and ownership

Costa Cruises is a Genoa-headquartered subsidiary company owned by Carnival Corporation. Costa is Europe's second-largest cruise line (after MSC) with year-round operations in the Mediterranean. Costa was founded in 1854 as a cargo shipping company. It started passenger shipping services in 1947, with regular Transatlantic crossings between Europe (Italy) and South America. In 2000, Costa Cruises was acquired by Carnival Corporation (shipowner).

Ship's design features more efficient use of both indoor and open-deck spaces, with several multi-functional areas. The activity (Lido) deck features aqua park with a water slide, high-rope garden, mini-golf course. The pool deck is covered with a retractable glass roof. The Beach Club (adults only complex) is beneath the glass roof and features a swimming pool, waterslides, rock climbing wall, sports deck area. This deck also has a giant LED wall for movies and other outdoor video entertainment.

The ship has dedicated club lounges for teens and kids, including for toddlers. The panoramic glass elevators also connect the outdoor areas. There is a glass-bottomed skywalk, huge wellness complex (Organic Spa and Fitness), Plaza (with numerous bars and shops), Atrium Lobby Lounge (meeting place with a stage for street performers), large-capacity Theater (main show lounge).

Another agreement (with the German shipbuilder Meyer Werft) was signed in July 2015 and included the construction of 4 new ships of the Excellence/Helios-Class. The contract was finalized in April 2016. Of these 4 vessels, 2 were for Costa Cruises (Costa Smeralda and Costa Toscana) and the other 2 for AIDA Cruises (AIDAnova) and CCL-Carnival (TBN-2023).

Managed by Costa Group, the Costa and AIDA combined fleet is Europe's largest. In 2014, one out of every two cruise ship tourists in Europe sailed on either AIDA or Costa ship. In 2015, Costa Group had 20 offices in 14 countries, around 27,000 shipyard employees and total passenger capacity of over 68,000 berths (across the combined fleet). Costa Group also is the leader of China's rapidly growing cruise market in Asia.

Besides the ship's staff and crew, Costa cruise passengers are also served by Peper robots - the latest cyborg technology implemented fleetwide in 2016. These humanoid robots greet and guide passengers upon embarkation. They also assist them throughout the cruise by providing information and tips on onboard dining, entertainment, enrichment program (workshops, pre-scheduled events), casino and shopping promotions, shore excursions and tours. Pepper robots are mobile and communicate in 3 languages (English, German, Italian). They can also interpret human emotions by analyzing voice tones and facial expressions.

Decks and Cabins

Costa Venezia staterooms (2116 total, in 9 grades) all provide as standard amenities 2 twin beds (convertible to Queen-size double bed), wardrobe, electronic safe box and lifejackets (in the closet), seating/lounge area (with mirrored vanity/writing desk with chair), smart HDTV (satellite reception, infotainment system), direct-dial phone, hairdryer, refrigerator (minibar), en-suite bathroom (WC, shower, mirrored single-sink vanity).

All balcony staterooms are with sofabeds. Wifi is available in all staterooms for an additional charge as well as in public areas. Suites receive free 24-hour room service, slippers, bathrobes plus drinks package and personal valet.

The boat has 13 passenger decks, of which 11 are with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Costa Venezia offers a total of 15 restaurants and 8 main bars/lounges. The food offerings consist of classic Italian dishes, fast food, traditional Asian and Chinese cuisine. Italian food includes the menu of 3-star Michelin chef Umberto Bombana in Casanova Restaurant. However, authentic Chinese cuisine is available in the main and specialty restaurants at any time.

Follows the complete list of Costa Venezia restaurants and food bars.

• The Main Restaurant (waiter-served) and the Lido deck buffet restaurant offer Chinese and Italian food from the early hours until night.
• The specialty Lu Hot Pot restaurant is where vacationers can cook their own choice of vegetables, seafood, and meat in a stockpot that is placed in the middle of the dining table.
• Another option is the street food, with Dim Sum offering traditional Chinese food and the Japanese Yan Teppanyaki where chefs work at the passengers’ tables.
• Casanova Restaurant is the ship's stand-out specialty restaurant. Its menu was created by Italian chef Umberto Bombana of 3-star Michelin restaurant Otto e Mezzo Bombana.
• Frutti di Mare is a seafood restaurant serving Venetian and oriental dishes.
• Lanai BBQ Restaurant and La Fiorentina Steak House both feature sea views.
• Napoli Pizza delivers classic Italian pizza anytime anywhere onboard.

Introduced in 2021, "Destination Dishes" are complimentary and available at the MDR's/main dining rooms fleetwide. They are based on individual recipes designed by a "celebrity chef trio" (Bruno Barbieri/Italian, Helene Darroze/French, Angel Leon/Spanish) and interpret the traditional food of the destinations to be visiting by the ship on the following day of the voyage.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

Costa Venezia was specially designed to showcase Italian food, lifestyle, and culture, which is why the ship's atrium is modeled on the St Mark’s Square in Venice and there are a couple of real gondolas onboard. The Gondola Lounge is where travelers can have a virtual reality trip through the port city in a gondola and the Grand Canal Restaurant features a “canal-side” walk to admire the Bridge of Sighs - Ponte dei Sospiri. The restaurant replicates the architecture of Venetian alleys and guests are served by waiters specially dressed as 17th century Venetians. Costa Venezia voyages also offer a Venice Carnival party night with Italian entertainment and Venetian masks.

Every night there are shows in the theatre with a focus on Italian productions like Venezia Innamorata, which is based on the life of Venetian lover Giacomo Casanova. The Lounge delle Stelle is where guests can join Costa Venezia Film Festival, being entertained with songs from popular films and watching Venice Film Festival movies.

Despite the Italian ambiance of Costa Venetia, the vessel has been designed exclusively for Chinese passengers with much of the entertainment Chinese, including the Golden Party where there are gifts and surprises to be won every ten minutes.

Typical family entertainment is at the heart of the experience, including kids' clubs, mini-golf, Rope Garden, and Water Park Laguna for onboard fun. Chinese guests can also enjoy duty-free shopping with luxury brands like BVLGARI, Cartier, and Tiffany.

The ship also features some of the most popular Asian entertainment. 11 rooms are dedicated to karaoke, and the masquerade ball is a colorful take on the famous Carnevale in Venice. Half a dozen main lounges are available for pre-dinner cocktails, plus Bella Bar for bubble teas and fruit juices.

Itineraries

Costa Venezia's Maiden Voyage was scheduled for March 8, 2019.

• The eastbound repositioning cruise from Europe to China (53-day "world voyage" March 8-April 29/from Trieste to Yokohama via Suez Canal) included popular ports of call in Italy, Croatia, Greece, Israel, Suez Canal (transit), Jordan, Oman, UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi), India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China (Hong Kong), Taiwan and Japan.
• The Maiden Voyage was offered for booking in 3 different segments - 20-day (Trieste-Dubai), 18-day (Dubai-Singapore) and 17-day (Singapore-Yokohama). The inaugural cruise deals were also available for booking by European customers.

The Costa ship Venezia was originally planned for a year-round deployment exclusively in Asia, with homeporting in China (Shanghai). However, in September 2021, Costa announced that in 2022-2023-2024 Venezia will be redeployed from China to Europe-Eastern Mediterranean and homeported in Istanbul Turkey (docking at Galataport).

• Venezia's 2022 program (May 1 thru November 13) included 3x alternating Greece and Turkey itineraries (all roundtrips from Istanbul's Galataport) combinable into a 14-day B2B/back-to-back cruise itinerary that visits 8 seaports.
• (Itinerary 1) 2-day from Istanbul (overnight) visiting Izmir, Bodrum, Mykonos Island, Piraeus-Athens.
• (Itinerary 2) 2-day from Istanbul (overnight) visiting Kusadasi-Ephesus, Rhodes Island, Crete Island (Heraklion).
• (Itinerary 3) 12-day "Holy Land" from Istanbul (overnight) visiting Bodrum, Cyprus Island (Limassol), Israel (Haifa-Nazareth), Egypt (Alexandria/overnight), Kusadasi (overnight).

The ex-Turkey program also included the optional fly-cruise packages with flights to Istanbul (via partnership with Turkish Airlines) from most European countries.

In January 2016, the shipowner Carnival Corporation signed a MoA agreement with Fincantieri to build 4 new vessels. Contracts were finalized in April 2016. Of these, 2 units were for Costa Asia (Venezia and Firenze), 1 for Princess (Enchanted) and 1 for P&O Australia (TBN-2022). With this shipbuilding order, Carnival Corporation had a total of 17 new ships on order scheduled for deliveries between 2016-2020. All four units are Fincantieri-built (at the shipyards Monfalcone and Marghera) with scheduled deliveries in 2019-2020.

The vessel's keel-laying/coin ceremony was held on November 1, 2017, at the Fincantieri Monfalcone Shipyard (near Trieste Italy). The propulsion system is diesel-electric. The ship's powerplant consists of all 5x Tier-II compliant MAN marine diesel engines (two model 14V48/60CR and three model 8L48 / 60CR) providing total power output 62,400 kW.

The vessel was launched/floated out from drydock on June 22, 2018.

On December 9, 2018, the shipowner Carnival Corporation announced that the new liner will be christened in Port Trieste (Italy) on March 1, 2019.

The Costa ship Venezia was officially delivered by Fincantieri Monfalcone on February 28, 2019. The delivery documents were signed by Arnold Donald (Carnival Corp's President and CEO) and Giuseppe Bono (Fincantieri's CEO).

The ship's christening ceremony was on March 1, held in Port Trieste. The special event featured an air show by Frecce Tricolori (aerobatic team of the Italian Italian Air Force / Aeronautica Militare) and a midnight firework show. The ceremony was attended by Massimiliano Fedriga (Friuli Venezia Giulia Region's President), Roberto Dipiazza (Mayor of Trieste) and the godmother Gan Beiye and her family (Costa Crociere fans since 2011).

After the naming ceremony, the liner was repositioned (via Suez Canal) to China for year-round deployment. Costa Venezia was one of all 7 newbuilds ordered by Carnival Corporation for Costa Group (scheduled deliveries 2019-2023) and part of the company's EUR 6 billion investment plan. Venezia and Firenze are Costa's largest vessels homeported in China.

Liner's namesake is the Uniworld-owned riverboat SS La Venezia (2003-launched as River Countess, 2020-reconstructed).

Inaugural Mediterranean itineraries 2022-2023-2024

Next table shows the ship's first Mediterranean cruise (part of the 2022-2023-2024 program) following the redeployment from Asia to Europe.

This is a 14-day B2B/back-to-back cruise leaving roundtrip from Istanbul/Galataport .

Prices started from USD 500-700 per person (double occupancy) for a 7-day itinerary and $1030-1520 for a 14-day B2B.

Inaugural itineraries 2019

The ship's inaugural cruise is scheduled for March 3 (2019) - 5-day Adriatic Sea itinerary roundtrip from Trieste.

Initially, for booking was opened (on March 2, 2018) only the Trieste-Yokohama voyage. Tickets for the Maiden Voyage were available for booking by both European and Asian customers. Prices started from USD 5000 pp (inside cabin rates based on double occupancy).

This eastbound repositioning cruise was offered for booking in 5 different itinerary segments:

• (March 8-27) 19-day (Trieste-Dubai) - prices from USD 2000 pp
• (March 27 - April 13) 17-day (Dubai-Singapore) - prices from USD 1700 pp
• (April 13-29) 16-day (Singapore-Yokohama) - prices from USD 1600 pp
• 33-day (Dubay-Yokohama) - prices from USD 3600 pp
• 36-day (Trieste-Singapore) - prices from USD 4000 pp

Homeport operations from Shanghai were scheduled to start on May 18, 2019. Next tables show the revised (slightly changed) repositioning cruise itinerary segments as destinations and port times.

19-day from Trieste to Dubai

17-day from Dubai to Singapore

16-day from Singapore to Tokyo

Godspeed!