Costa Classica

Costa Cruises, Europe’s no.1 cruise company, is partnering with Lotte Tour Co. Ltd, one of the largest tour operators in Korea, to charter Costa Classica from September 16-26, 2010 traveling from Shanghai to South Korea and Japan.

This charter is exclusively dedicated to Koren Guests: it will be the first and largest Korean group to take a holiday on a Costa cruise ship. The Costa Classica Korean charter includes 3 cruises with different itineraries available for customers.

The first is a 2 nights cruise from Shanghai to Busan. The second is a 6 nights cruise sailing out of Busan, visiting Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Hososhima, and Kobe. The third is another 2 nights cruise positioning back Busan-Shanghai. There will be in total over 3,000 Korean passengers on board for the whole charter. The chartered cruises are tailor-made to meet the needs of the Korean group. For instance, Korean staff will be onboard to assist Guests, and announcements, menus, collaterals and TV channels will be available also in Korean language.

Dedicated to delivering superb dining experiences to guests, Costa Cruises has invited Anna Kim, an internationally-famed Korean chef, to be the executive chef on the chartered cruise. Kim is responsible for creating menus and coordinating a team of Korean chefs. Guests can savour mouthwatering Korean dishes served in a European-style presentation. Previously Kim worked for Michelin starred Nobu Matsuhisa, Gordon Ramsay, Luces, InterContinental Hotel and Four Seasons Hotel. From 2011 onwards the newly created menus by Kim will also be available on future cruises if substantial number of Korean guests on board, in order to cater for the needs of all Korean passengers taking a cruise with Costa all around the world.

“In view of the emerging Korean market in the cruise industry, we expect this to be the first of many Korean Guest groups onboard Costa ships around the world. This past summer 2010, Costa has also launched for the first time a program of 14 sailings from Busan to Japan and Mainland China which prove to be a huge success. Costa Cruises will continue to offer the same opportunity to the Korean travellers next year with itineraries and programs designed for them, including a new summer season from Busan that will kick off next July 5, 2011 and that it is already on sales.” said Dario Rustico, Sales and Marketing Director, Pacific Asia Operations of Costa Cruises.

Costa Classica, 53,000 gross-tonnage ship with a guest capacity of 1,680 total Guests, has 659 cabins including 10 suites, two swimming pools and four Jacuzzis. There are two restaurants and seven bars onboard offering Asian and Italian gastronomic delights around the clock. The ship also features many other facilities to cater to the needs of individual travellers.