Costa Serena returns to service following refit and refurbishment in China

Costa Serena has returned to service following a major refurbishment in China, completing Costa Cruises’ fleet revitalisation programme that began in 2021 and totalled approximately US$230 million.

Built in 2007, the ship underwent extensive technical and interior work as part of the final phase of the multiyear project, which coincided with its redeployment to Asia for the 2025/26 season.

According to Costa, the refit was designed to modernise the ship’s interiors while preserving its original theme centred on the gods of Olympus.

The cruise line said new shapes and forms were introduced to reinterpret the concept in a contemporary way, resulting in what it described in a previous press release as a distinctive “pop” art style.

The redesign maintains the ship’s underlying mythological inspiration while incorporating new materials, colours and forms refreshed from the vessel’s earlier aesthetic created by architect Joe Farcus.

The refurbishment also introduced new public spaces, including a food court and several additional dining venues. Among the new restaurants is Archipelago, offering menus developed by three Michelin-starred chefs, alongside Pizzeria Pummid’Oro and Sushino@Costa.

Other public areas, such as the pool deck and main restaurants, debuted updated layouts, while staterooms were also refreshed to align with the wider modernisation. Costa said the overall intention of the refit was to create lighter, more contemporary interiors while improving functionality and guest flow across the ship.

Costa Serena resumed service on November 12^th, 2025, departing from Hong Kong on a nine-night itinerary visiting ports in South Korea, Taiwan and Japan.

The voyage marked the start of the ship’s winter programme in the Far East and Southeast Asia, which runs through mid-February and includes a series of seven- to 14-night cruises designed for both local and international travellers.

These itineraries include destinations in the Philippines, Brunei, Thailand, Vietnam and other regional ports, departing from Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore.

The ship will continue sailing in Asia through the summer of 2026 before repositioning to South America for the 2026/27 winter season.

This transition forms part of Costa’s wider fleet redeployment following the retirement and sale of Costa Fortuna to Margaritaville at Sea earlier in the year. According to Costa’s previously announced plans, Costa Serena will then operate a 65-night world cruise departing from Tokyo on October 18^th, 2026, visiting 24 ports across 15 countries before beginning its South American season.

In summer 2027, Costa Serena is scheduled to return to Europe to assume the Mediterranean itineraries previously operated by Costa Fortuna.

The completion of the ship’s refurbishment brings Costa Cruises’ five-year fleet transformation plan to an end, concluding a period of investment that included fleet optimisation measures, sustainability initiatives, and the modernisation of onboard product standards across the company’s vessels.