Lotte Tour Development, Cruise Departure After 3 Years and 8 Months Since COVID-19

Costa Serena Departure Ceremony at Sokcho Port, Gangwon
4,500 Passengers for 1st and 2nd Voyages
Operating to Major Japanese Port Cities

Lotte Tour Development announced on the afternoon of the 12th that the cruise ship Costa Serena set sail from Sokcho Port, Gangwon Province, for the first time in 3 years and 8 months since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The largest cruise charter ship in Korea, Costa Serena
[Photo by Lotte Tour Development]

About 30 people attended the departure ceremony, including Baek Hyun, CEO of Lotte Tour Development, Lee Byung-sun, Mayor of Sokcho, Kim Myung-gil, Chairman of the Sokcho City Council, and Kang Ok-hee, CEO of the Gangwon Tourism Foundation. They toured the interior of the Costa Serena and congratulated the departure by presenting commemorative plaques and bouquets to the captain, crew members, and other shipping company officials.

The Costa Serena, which departed that day, will visit major Japanese port cities such as Muroran and Aomori in Hokkaido on a 5-night, 6-day itinerary and return to Sokcho on the 17th. Immediately afterward, the second voyage is scheduled, which will visit Otaru, Hakodate, Aomori, and other cities in Japan on a 6-night, 7-day itinerary. The first voyage accommodates 2,200 passengers, and the second voyage accommodates 2,300 passengers.

CEO Baek Hyun said, "Above all, we will prioritize consumer safety and provide higher-quality services so that customers can feel the value of luxury tourism."

Meanwhile, the Costa Serena, registered in Italy, is the largest cruise ship (114,000 tons, 290 meters in length, 35 meters in width) among cruises departing from Korea as their home port, capable of accommodating up to 3,780 people. It is owned by Costa Cruises, which belongs to the Carnival Group, the world's number one cruise company.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.