Cruise lovers in Asia now have a new alternative! Costa Cruises, the world’s largest travel and leisure company just announced their 2019 programmes that are tailor-made for Asian travellers. Costa Fortuna will offer exotic itineraries in Southeast Asia while Costa neoRomantica will explore the diverse coastal regions of Japan and South Korea. The newly-built Costa Venezia will enter Asia in April, offering immersive Italian experience for Asian travellers.

Costa Cruises – Arrival Of Costa Fortuna In Singapore

Costa Fortuna will homeport in Singapore this season from now until 26 February 2019. The entertainment ship, which can accommodate over 2,700 guests, is offering options from 3 – 9 nights, visiting historic Penang and Melaka in Malaysia, as well as overnight in Phuket and Laem Chabang in Thailand. A special overnight in Langkawi for the New Year cruise is also available.

Costa Fortuna is a glorious 102,587-tonne cruise ship housing numerous lush facilities and a whopping 1,358 guest cabins in total. Inspired by Italian steamships of the past, she is a “museum at sea” complete with exquisite antique pieces and recreations of artworks on display.

From 10 to 16 December 2018, Costa Fortuna will go on an 8-million-euro renovation that involves the restyling of many public areas and the introduction of new services for guests, including Pizzeria Pummid’Oro that will serve pizzas made with top quality ingredients and mozzarella produced on board; Bar Amarillo, a new gelateria where guests can treat themselves to handmade ice cream; a photo shop featuring the new “My Moments” concept that will provide guests with a refreshing photo-taking experience; a retail shop just for Costa-branded clothing and accessories, and many more new offerings.

After renovation work is completed in Singapore, Costa Fortuna, from 16 December 2018 to 26 February 2019, will sail on two different one-week itineraries, which can be combined, departing from Singapore to discover Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia. On March 5, 2019, the repositioning cruise will take place from Singapore to Genoa, which will be the ship’s main departure port for the rest of the year.

Costa Cruises – Costa Venezia Inaugural Cruise

Additionally, in March next year, the inaugural cruise of Costa Cruises’ new ship, Costa Venezia, will also set off from Trieste, Italy, on a 53-day, eastward-bound itinerary in the footsteps of Marco Polo that will end in Yokohama, Japan.

Like the Venetian explorer’s journey, the 135,500-tonne cruise ship equipped with 2,116 cabins will take guests on a voyage of discovery through different cultures, landscapes and flavours – the ship will leave the Mediterranean and cross the Suez Canal and the Red Sea before entering the Persian Gulf, calling at Dubrovnik, Bari (Italy), Greece, Israel, Jordan and Oman on the way. After stops at Dubai and Abu Dhabi – futuristic cities built in the middle of the desert – the ship will then head towards India, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The last leg of the cruise will be the Far East: Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and finally Japan.

Costa Venezia is designed and built specifically for the Asian market. It will bring to life the passions of Venetian and Italian culture through such spectacles as the Carnival of Venice and the city’s famed gondolas. Guests will also be able to sample the delights of fine Italian dining, luxury Italian shopping and world-class entertainment while enjoying home comforts such as a wide range of Asian cuisines and karaoke bars.

Costa Cruises – Costa neoRomantica Homeports Japan

Costa neoRomantica, the gem of the Costa fleet, is currently homeporting in Japan. Her fly/cruise itineraries ranging from 4 to 8 nights, sailing either from Fukuoka or Tokyo, are designed to immerse guests in the magic of the diverse coastal destinations, where they can enjoy the sights and sounds of Japan and South Korea in a different way.

Costa neoRomantica’s interior design stands out for its contemporary style and was completed by a combination of work by Tillberg Design, a Swedish architectural firm, and Syntax, the London-based company specialising in prestigious hotels and spas. With her welcoming atmosphere, exceptional amenities, and an even more thoughtful, attentive service, she is a proper elegant hotel on the waves.

Costa neoRomantica also takes pride in its signature Samsara Spa, the largest spa at sea, of 4,400sqm and over two storeys of top-of-the-line facilities, featuring an indoor, two-level Thalassotherapy pool that massages bodies with jets of warm mineral-rich sea water, Turkish baths, Tepidarium (heated ceramic loungers), Laconium (similar to sauna but with more gentle heat), sauna, aromatic steam room, UVA-ray solarium, treatment rooms that offer a wide range of treatments from around the world, as well as a Japanese tea room, resting lounge, and a high- ceiling gym that offers splendid views of the sea.

Apart from dining at Botticelli, the ship’s elegant main dining restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, and at the light and airy Giardino self-service buffet restaurant, Costa neoRomantica also offer many other culinary options for guests.

Three-Michelin-starred restaurant 81⁄2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana’s chef Umberto Bombana, known as the “King of Truffles” by the industry, has customised a menu for Costa Cruises. At the intimate and romantic Casanova Restaurant, an 8-course fine-dining menu, including a choice of oven-roasted Tuscany-style Suckling Pig or pan roasted Australian Wagu Beef Tenderloin can be savoured at USD59. La Fiorentina Steakhouse, another elegantly appointed restaurant, offers exquisite steak and seafood menu. Pizzeria Capri on deck 11 boasts the only open-fire wood oven at sea for authentic Italian pizzas while Ippudo Restaurant on the same deck satisfies guests who may crave for a bowl of Japanese ramen in the middle of the night.

Costa neoRomantica also features Enoteca Verona, a wine and cheese bar on deck 8. With a cheese maître and sommelier on hand to assist guests, the bar offers a selection of over 80 wine labels and 100 cheeses from around the world along with conserves and honey to accompany them. For cigar lovers, the Cigar Lounge on deck 9 offers guests a wide selection of hand-rolled cigars from Nigaragua and the Dominican Republic.

Costa Cruises is the first international cruise company to have started regular cruises and homeported in Asia since 2006. For the past 12 years, Costa Cruises focuses on innovation and excelsior to bring Asian passengers the most creative and high-quality cruise products with the flavour of “Italy at Sea”.

Costa Cruises – All cruises are now open for bookings.

From 2019, kids below 18 cruise for free with 2 paying passengers in the same cabin. For more information on Costa Cruises and its itineraries, please visit www.costaasia.com.