Tag Archives: costa mediterranea

CSSC Carnival to Deploy Mediterranea to Tianjin Later This Year

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CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Limited announced that the Mediterranea (the former Costa Mediterranea) will start operations in China in the fourth quarter, sailing from Tianjin.

The ship will be operated by Adora Cruises, the company said, sailing short international itineraries.

The vessel will be upgraded for Adora Cruises, according to a statement, with a new livery and onboard experience tailored to the Chinese market.

The ship’s livery will blend the Mediterranean’s iconic blue, green, and white colours to dynamically recreate the elegant and artistic temperament of the Mediterranean.

CSSC Carnival said Tianjin Port holds a crucial position in the northern cruise market due to its broad geographic reach, substantial influence, and excellent infrastructure and services.

“With MEDITERRANEA calling Tianjin its home port, CSSC Carnival is poised to cater to the growing and diverse cruise holiday needs of local passengers. This move is set to further expand CSSC Carnival’s influence in the Northern China market,” the company said.

Last week, CSSC Carnival announced its first new build, the Adora Magic City, which will debut in Shanghai later this year.

Costa Atlantica Returns to Southern Europe

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After several months anchored off the island of Cyprus, the Costa Atlantica recently returned to Southern Europe.

Currently, on its way to Marseille, the Spirit-class vessel also visited two Italian ports in March: Augusta and Naples.

Three years after its last drydock, the 2000-built cruise ship is expected to undergo scheduled maintenance at a local shipyard once it arrives at the French port.

Originally operated by Costa Cruises, the Costa Atlantica was sold into Carnival Corporation’s joint venture with China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) in 2018.

Handed over to its new owners a few days before the COVID-19 pandemic operational pause in early 2020, the vessel has remained out of revenue service.

Despite the change of ownership, Atlantica also retained its original name, in addition to Costa’s colours and features.

In November 2022, the Carnival Corporation – CSSC joint venture revealed plans to launch service in China under the Adora Cruises brand.

With a newbuild under construction in Shanghai, the company intends to welcome its first guests in late 2023.

Plans for the service restart of the Costa Atlantica and its sister ship Costa Mediterranea – which was also sold to the joint venture in 2018 – are yet to be confirmed.

The Atlantica originally debuted in 2000, becoming the first vessel in Carnival Corporation’s Spirit Class.

In addition to the Costa Mediterranea, the series of ships also include four ships operated by Carnival Cruise Line: the Carnival Spirit, the Carnival Miracle, the Carnival Legend and the Carnival Pride.

Built for Costa Cruises, the 2,100-guest ship served the company’s traditional markets in Europe for nearly 15 years before being repositioned to Asia in mid-2013.

Sailing year-round in the region through 2020, the Atlantica served different countries and markets, including Singapore, Taiwan, China and more.

In 2015, the ship also became the first to offer a world cruise from China. Sailing roundtrip from Shanghai, the 86-day itinerary included visits to 28 destinations in 18 different countries.

China Cruise Line Staffs Up, Anticipating Restart

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The Chinese cruise industry may be ready to start sooner than later, as CSSC Carnival China Cruise Shipping, which will operate as Adora Cruises, is staffing up in the sales department.

The company is a joint venture between China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) and Carnival Corporation.The company announced the appointment of Chen Yinglan as the sales director of the East China region, Lin Binbin as the sales director of the South China region, and Sun Wen as the sales director of the North China region.

Chen Ranfeng, CEO of CSSC Carnival, said in a translated statement: “The three are ‘senior cruise people’ who have been deeply involved in the industry for many years. They are also leaders in the cruise sales field. They have rich experience in marketing and a solid industry foundation in their respective regions. Maintain long-term and good cooperative relations with partners in the same industry. I believe they will play an important role in the market expansion of CSSC Carnival.”

The company said it will use a multi-vessel multi-homeport operation strategy and operate international routes in East Asia and Southeast Asia throughout the year. The company will focus on homeporting ships in China but is also committed to selling international departures as well, according to a statement.

As far as ships, the Costa Atlantica and Mediterranea previously transferred to Carnival’s joint venture in China prior. A new building is scheduled to be delivered from a shipyard in Shanghai this year.