Costa Venezia sets sail on its maiden voyage—the first Italian-themed cruise ship to make its debut

By the MOOK Scenic Family Editorial Team
 
The world’s largest leisure travel company, Carnival Corporation, launched its authentically Italian-styled “Costa Cruises” in March 2019. The naming ceremony took place on March 1 at the port of Trieste, Italy. On May 9, the ship embarked on its first 8-day, 7-night Japanese voyage from Keelung, Taiwan—Keelung-Kagoshima-Miyazaki-Osaka-Kochi—which is now open for bookings.

On the day of the ceremony, witnessed by over 2,000 media guests from around the world, the event began with the Italian national Frecce Tricolori aerobatic team painting the sky in the green, white, and red of the Italian flag. At the Phoenix Theatre aboard Costa Venezia, a blessing ceremony for the naming was held by the Archbishop of Trieste, followed by the traditional “bottle-breaking ceremony,” where champagne was smashed against the ship’s hull to bring good luck to the Venezia.

Costa Cruises collaborated with the world-renowned Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri to create a “Venice at sea.” The Costa Venezia is the first Costa ship themed after an Italian city and the first luxury cruise ship specifically designed for the Greater China market. With a total tonnage of 135,000 tons, it can accommodate over 5,200 passengers, making it the newest and largest-capacity luxury cruise ship operated by Costa Cruises in Taiwan in 2019.

The ship integrates classic Venetian cultural and artistic styles into its interior design. You’ll find Venice’s iconic “St. Mark’s Basilica,” featuring delicate designs of flying lions and flocks of doves symbolizing blessings from Venice; the “Phoenix Theatre” aboard the ship is modeled after the renowned “Teatro La Fenice,” famous for staging Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” There’s also a 1:1 scale replica of Venice’s signature “Gondola Canal,” complete with authentic-looking gondolas—stepping aboard feels like entering the real Venice, Italy.

In addition to authentic Italian cuisine, the ship offers a variety of themed restaurants including Chinese, Japanese, and Western options to cater to the diverse tastes of Chinese-speaking guests. These include hot pot, traditional Chinese dim sum, Japanese teppanyaki, and seafood restaurants. For discerning foodies seeking top-tier dining, Costa Cruises has partnered with the three-Michelin-starred Italian restaurant 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana to create the first-ever “star-class” dining experience at sea at the ship’s Casino Restaurant.