Costa ship to lead Carnival's Asia initiative
06/03/2006
Costa Crociere will market the 1,000-passenger Costa Allegra exclusively to Chinese clientele, initially operating a series of 24 five-day cruises from Shanghai to Nagasaki, Japan, and Cheju, Korea, beginning July 3.
The news follows the granting of a license to Costa by the People’s Republic of China to operate locally, with departures from Chinese ports.

‘We have been exploring a strategy for entering the Asian marketplace for some time and have indicated that our entrance into this hugely populated market would be through one of our existing brands,’ said Micky Arison, Carnival Corp. & plc chairman and ceo. The Costa Allegra cruises represent ‘a first step in this initiative and will serve as a platform for future expansion into other areas of Asia,’ Arison added.

The Carnival chief said Costa was selected for the expansion ‘because it is already very international in nature, serving guests of many different nationalities, languages and cultures.’

Costa chairman and ceo Pier Luigi Foschi's extensive experience working in Asia was another factor in choosing Costa, according to Arison. Prior to being recruited by Carnival in 1997, Foschi spent seven years in Hong Kong and Singapore overseeing the Pacific Asia operations for the Otis Elevator Company.

During that time, he managed an organization of 22 separate operations, employing nearly 18,000 people, with sales of approximately $1.8bn. ‘Pier is a highly talented international executive and his years in Asia, combined with his vast experience overseeing Europe's leading cruise company, bring a unique insight and perspective into our new Asian cruise initiative,’ Arison said.

China is one of the world's fastest growing travel markets, with more than 31 million Chinese traveling abroad last year. That number is expected to grow to 50 million by 2010.

‘Asia is a vastly underserved market and although these cruises on the Costa Allegra may be just a small step, if it proves as successful as we anticipate, this region could be the next great growth area for cruising,’ Arison said.

Costa Allegra will undergo a €12m upgrade to tailor the ship to Chinese preferences. The 40-day project will be carried out from March 20 to April 30 in the Port of Genoa drydocks and the Mariotti shipyard, which built the vessel.




Costa creates Asia division
06/03/2006
Costa Crociere created a new division to oversee its drive into the Asian market. Costa Asia will operate offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai, scheduled to open in April. In May, Costa plans to launch a 15-person call center in mainland China.
‘We are about to embark on an extremely ambitious and innovative project in international tourism which is also a very complex and exciting challenge,' said Costa chairman and ceo Pier Luigi Foschi. He added that the growth potential involved 'may well lead to massive business development with far-reaching implications for the future of our company.’

Foschi said the Asia division, together with Costa's previously announced new itineraries in the Far East and UAE, are part of the company's strategy of development and expansion in areas targeted as emerging and high-growth markets. 'It will be a great thrill to see a Costa Cruises ship in the ports of the People’s Republic of China and of many other Asian countries,’ Foschi said.

Costa Asia will develop business in two ways: by marketing an exclusive tailor-made product in China on the Costa Allegra, with cruises operating initially from Shanghai, and by offering customers in more than 10 countries in the Asia Pacific region cruises on the entire Costa fleet.

With a staff of 26, Costa's Asia division is headed by Massimo Brancaleoni, who reports to Costa president Gianni Onorato, supported by the gm for China, Yaning Lu. The sales channel will consist of a large number of preferred sales agents operating in the Asian countries targeted by the cruise operator.




Costa Allegra will be tailored to Chinese tastes
06/03/2006
Costa Crociere will invest €12m to tailor the 1,000-passenger Costa Allegra to the tastes of the Chinese market, with key changes to include expanding the wellness center, doubling the size of the casino and adding four new restaurants.
The work on the 1992-built ship will take place in the Port of Genoa drydocks and in the Mariotti shipyard, from March 20 to April 30.

To enlarge the wellness center, the gym will be expanded by installing a 30-ton aluminium superstructure with a volume of 1,000 cubic metres. When completed, the wellness center will extend over 400 square meters with a gym, eight treatment rooms, two locker rooms, two saunas and a relaxation area. The spa will be co-managed with Costa partner Steiner Leisure.

A casino will be created that is twice the size of the existing facility and include a private club. The shopping area will be enlarged by 50% into a 200-square-meter space managed by DFS, owner of the Starboard brand and a Costa partner. The main focus of this area will be ‘Made in Italy’ products and craftsmanship.

Four new restaurants will include a pay-to-eat Sushi & Noodles bar and restaurant with a seating capacity of 114 and a karaoke area; a pay-to-eat Italian a la carte restaurant that seats 76 indoors and 52 outdoors, with a dance floor; two restaurants separated by a glass wall, one a la carte and pay-to-eat with a refined Asian-Italian menu, seating 130, and the other, free with open seating and an international menu, seating 310.

Costa Allegra’s theater will convert into a lounge with a dance floor and seating capacity for more than 250. Cabin renovations will focus on the decorative elements and the fabrics and furnishings.




According to the today's(8/3) newspaper in Hong Kong, Costa will also try the Singapore market(offering cruises begin at Singapore).

They also mention that if Costa's try in China is successful, they will consider to build a new ship for China.



Good to see that, but why Costa choose Shanghai and Singapore instead of Hong Kong...................