Costa Cruises celebrate 100th cruise in China

The all-Italian cruise company Costa Cruises is the world’s first cruise line to sell ‘made in Italy’ cruises to the Chinese. Costa Cruises Costa Allegra returns to Shanghai for the 2008 summer season to celebrate 100 cruises in China and a new terminal opening.

Costa Cruises is the first international cruise company to operate regular cruise itineraries in China and in Asia, selling its cruises to the Chinese. The first sailings began on Costa Allegra in July 2006 from Shanghai and since then Costa Cruises have completed 121 cruises in Asia, 100 of which were in China and about 40% from the port of Shanghai.

Supported by large marketing investments, Costa Cruises has launched its Italian-themed product with success and although the market is still developing are to position a second ship in Asia and China, the Costa Classica.

Costa Allegra will operate 19 cruises this year in the region, 12 of these departing from Shanghai port and four during the Beijing Olympic Games that will be broadcast on huge screens in the public areas and on stateroom TVs.

“China’s cruise market has good growth potential” declared Gianni Onorato, President of Costa Cruises. “Shanghai together with Tianjin (the port of Beijing) will play an important part in this sector due to their roles as main ports and economic centres for China. Costa Cruises was the first to believe in offering cruises in China and to choose Shanghai as its home port. This is the city where we began to develop our activities in Chin and the results of those decisions have gone beyond our greatest expectations. Since 2006, the Costa Allegra has completed 121 cruises in China and the Far East. Overall, about 75,000 guests have taken a cruise on board the Costa Allegra, including nearly 50,000 Chinese guests. These figures are real proof of just how much China and Asia appreciate the quality of the service and the style of our cruises. 98.28% of our Chinese guests are satisfied or very satisfied with their Costa cruise.”