Costa Serena
Product brand
UnclaimedCosta Serena is a Concordia-class cruise ship operated by the Italian cruise line Costa Crociere.
Last updated August 24, 2026
Overview
Costa Serena is a Concordia-class cruise ship operated by Costa Crociere, the Italian cruise line within the Carnival corporate group. The vessel was built by Fincantieri at Sestri Ponente and entered service in the late 2000s as one of the largest ships in the Costa fleet. Its name was intended to evoke harmony and serenity, reflecting the line's leisure-oriented positioning and the ship's resort-style design. The ship belongs to the same broad generation as Costa Concordia, Costa Pacifica, Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa. Costa Concordia, launched in 2005, was the earlier sister ship, while the later vessels expanded and refined the class's approach to large-scale Mediterranean and international cruising. Before the arrival of larger Costa ships, Costa Serena and its active sisters were among the longest and largest vessels operated by Costa Crociere. Costa Diadema surpassed them in size in 2014. Costa Serena's inaugural event took place in Marseille, France, on 19 May 2007. The ceremony used fireworks and a laser show, and Costa also staged a parallel virtual-world event in Second Life. The ship's godmother was the French actor Marion Cotillard. In the same year, Costa Serena appeared as a setting in the Italian film Natale in Crociera, giving the vessel visibility beyond the cruise industry. In 2009, it and its crew were featured in Cruise Ship Diaries, a six-part documentary series broadcast by National Geographic Channel. The ship has served different regional strategies during its career. In 2015, it was repositioned to Shanghai for year-round cruises from China, visiting destinations in Japan and South Korea. These departures were designed primarily for Chinese guests and were distributed through Chinese travel agencies. Later itineraries extended the ship's Asian operating footprint to homeports and ports in Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea. In 2023, Costa Serena was chartered for the full 2023/2024 season and restarted operations from Laem Chabang, Thailand, with short four- and five-day cruises aimed at the local market before moving toward Japan and South Korea. The ship was also scheduled to enter the Indian market in November 2023, where it was promoted as the largest cruise ship operating in Indian waters at that time. Costa Serena was involved in an early COVID-19-related health alert in January 2020. After passengers with possible SARS-CoV-2 symptoms were reported aboard on 24 January, the ship reached Tianjin the following day. Quarantine authorities screened passengers and crew, finding several people with fever, but subsequent tests were negative. Passengers were nevertheless required to disembark under additional screening procedures. The episode illustrates how rapidly cruise operations became subject to public-health controls during the first phase of the pandemic. As an individual vessel rather than a standalone consumer corporation, Costa Serena does not have a separate listed-company structure, independent financial reporting, or a distinct executive team. Its commercial identity is tied to Costa Crociere's cruise products, while its route deployment, chartering and onboard proposition vary according to regional demand and fleet strategy.
History
Costa Serena is a Concordia-class cruise ship built by Fincantieri at Sestri Ponente for Costa Crociere. The ship was conceived as part of Costa's expansion into large, highly amenitized cruise vessels. Its name was selected to suggest calm, harmony and serenity, qualities associated with the company's leisure-cruise proposition. Costa Serena's closest early sister was Costa Concordia, launched in 2005. Other related ships included Costa Pacifica, Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa, which entered service over the following years. The ship's inaugural ceremony was held in Marseille on 19 May 2007. Costa marked the occasion with fireworks and a laser display, while also organizing an event in the virtual world Second Life. Marion Cotillard served as the vessel's godmother. During its early fleet career, Costa Serena and its active sister ships represented the upper end of Costa Crociere's fleet in terms of length and overall scale. This position changed in 2014 when Costa Diadema became larger. Costa Serena also appeared in popular media. It was used as a setting for the 2007 Italian film Natale in Crociera. Two years later, the ship and its crew were featured in the six-part National Geographic Channel documentary Cruise Ship Diaries. These appearances presented the vessel as both a holiday environment and a working maritime operation. The ship's deployment later shifted toward Asia. In 2015, Costa repositioned Costa Serena to Shanghai for year-round cruises serving China and visiting Japan and South Korea. These voyages were adapted for Chinese customers and were sold through Chinese travel agencies. Subsequent Asian operations included itineraries involving Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and South Korea, demonstrating the ship's use as a flexible regional asset rather than a vessel confined to a single home market. In January 2020, Costa Serena became part of the early cruise-industry COVID-19 response. Fifteen passengers were suspected of having SARS-CoV-2 on 24 January. When the vessel arrived at Tianjin on 25 January, quarantine personnel boarded to screen all passengers and crew. Seventeen people were reported to have fever, but tests later returned negative. Passengers were still required to disembark and undergo further temperature checks and photographic registration as a precaution. After the disruption caused by the pandemic, Costa Serena was chartered for the entire 2023/2024 season. It restarted with four- and five-day cruises from Laem Chabang in Thailand, then planned itineraries in Japan and South Korea from June 2023. The ship was also scheduled to begin Indian-market operations on 4 November 2023. These deployments emphasized short cruises and local-market demand, illustrating the continuing adaptation of an older large ship to changing regional tourism patterns.
- 2023
Asian service restart
[1]Costa Serena restarted under a full-season charter from Laem Chabang with short cruises and later Japan and South Korea itineraries.
- 2020
COVID-19 health screening
[1]A suspected outbreak prompted quarantine screening at Tianjin; reported tests were negative.
- 2015
Repositioned to Shanghai
[1]The ship began year-round China-based cruises visiting Japan and South Korea, primarily for Chinese customers.
- 2014
Surpassed in fleet size
[1]Costa Diadema surpassed Costa Serena and the active Concordia-class ships in size.
- 2009
Documentary appearance
[1]Costa Serena and its crew appeared in National Geographic Channel's six-part Cruise Ship Diaries.
- 2007
Inaugural event in Marseille
[1]Costa Serena held its inaugural event in Marseille on 19 May, featuring fireworks, a laser show and a parallel Second Life event.
- 2007
Film appearance
[1]The ship was used as a setting for the Italian film Natale in Crociera.
- 2005
Earlier Concordia-class sister enters service
[1]Costa Concordia, the earlier sister ship, was launched, establishing the class to which Costa Serena belongs.
Products and positioning
A large, resort-style Costa Crociere cruise ship positioned for mainstream leisure cruising, with particular emphasis in later years on short and regional Asian itineraries.
Cruise travel · 2007
Costa Serena cruise operations
Costa Serena provides cruise vacations combining passenger accommodation, dining, entertainment and port visits. Its deployment has included long-running China-based itineraries, regional voyages linking Japan and South Korea, and short cruises from Laem Chabang. The ship's route mix has been adapted to local-market demand, including Chinese, Southeast Asian and Indian cruise customers.
Marketing campaigns
- 2007Costa Serena inaugural event
France · International
Costa Crociere introduced the ship at a Marseille ceremony featuring fireworks and a laser show, accompanied by a virtual event in Second Life.
Outcome. The event marked the ship's formal entry into the Costa fleet and generated early public attention.
Brand decisions
2023
Restart through a regional Asian charterStrategyBackground
Following the pandemic-era interruption of cruise operations, the ship was scheduled for a full 2023/2024 season.
Action taken
Costa Serena restarted from Laem Chabang with short four- and five-day cruises, followed by planned Japan and South Korea sailings and an Indian-market debut.
Aftermath
The deployment broadened the ship's regional reach and emphasized shorter cruises targeted at local customers.
2015
Repositioning to the Chinese marketStrategyBackground
Costa Crociere sought to deploy Costa Serena in the expanding Asian cruise market and serve Chinese holidaymakers.
Action taken
The ship was moved to Shanghai for year-round cruises calling at destinations in Japan and South Korea, with sales directed through Chinese travel agencies.
Aftermath
Costa Serena became a recurring Asian-market asset and later operated across a wider set of Asian homeports and destinations.
Recent events
- 2023
Costa Serena restarts Asian operations for the 2023/2024 season[1]
Product launch
The ship was chartered for the full season and began short cruises from Laem Chabang before moving toward Japan and South Korea. It was also announced for a November debut in the Indian market.
- 2020
Costa Serena passengers screened after suspected COVID-19 cases[1]
Other · Regulation
After possible SARS-CoV-2 cases were reported aboard the ship, quarantine officials screened passengers and crew when Costa Serena arrived at Tianjin. Several people had fever, but tests were negative and passengers disembarked under additional precautionary procedures.
Sources2 sources
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