Costa Serena 15 Day Asian Cruise Preamble

This was something I spotted that immediately required further investigation. We are big fans of Costa Cruises, and this itinerary had great appeal; it had even more appeal when we saw the prices. The itinerary looked great and will allow us to visit Hong Kong again, this time embarking as well as disembarking there and the other 7 ports will all be new to us.

The ship itself is familiar to us as well, having sailed on her in 2010. Since then, she has undergone a refit and, from 2015 to 2020, was deployed to the Asian market as part of a collaboration with a Chinese agent, during which the interiors were slightly adapted for the different clientele. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, she remained inactive for over three years, returning to service exclusively for the Asian market in June 2023.

Despite still being under Asian management, she has recently made voyages to India, the Caribbean, and back to Asia, making her current history quite intriguing. Our upcoming cruise will mark the first time she has been available to the European and global markets in a while.

Various news sources indicate that she is scheduled for another dry dock before heading to Hong Kong.

Our only drawback during the booking process was the cabin selection, which, because they were offering this area as 7-, 14 & 28-night cruises, deck 7, our preferred option, was not available for the 14-night cruise. The cabin selection wasn’t ideal, but we found a suitable spot on deck 6 that wasn’t situated over a noisy bar on deck 5 (see graphic below).

The past year was challenging, with house renovations, the terminal illness and then loss of my little brother. At times, we doubted if this cruise would happen, so we’re grateful to be travelling. Paul’s passing has motivated us to seize opportunities and not delay experiences.

So, there we have it – the bare bones of our next cruise and if you are reading this, then we are on our way to Hong Kong for our 3-night pre-cruise stay.