Costa Serena at the Asian Games: How a cruise ship became a floating games village

When the Asian Games begin in Aichi-Nagoya later this month, thousands of athletes will wake up to a rather unusual sight: the bustling industrial backdrop of the Port of Nagoya.

Instead of a purpose-built complex, the Costa Serena, a massive Italian cruise ship, will serve as the floating Games Village for the 2026 event. The vessel will dock at Kinjo Pier from September 15 to October 4, providing a temporary home for thousands of competitors and officials.

It’s a clever solution to a perennial problem facing big host cities: how to accommodate an influx of visitors without spending millions on apartment blocks that may sit empty once the torch is extinguished.

With the late addition of teqball and padel to the sports schedule, the Aichi-Nagoya Games are expected to welcome more than 17,000 athletes and staff, up from initial estimates of 15,000. Organizers insist housing has been fully secured before the July entry deadline, with athletes also staying in local hotels and temporary units. Competitors in swimming, diving and horse riding will be based closer to Tokyo.

Still, it begs the question: how exactly did a luxury cruise ship make its way into the housing plan for the Asian Games?

WHY BRING A CRUISE SHIP?

The short answer is about money and logistics. Building a traditional athlete village requires massive capital investment in buildings and infrastructure that may serve little long-term purpose.

Costa Serena, on the other hand, comes with thousands of cottages, dining rooms and recreational areas already in place. Organizers can simply charter the vessel for three weeks before handing it back to the cruise line.

The charter was reportedly brokered by JTB Nagoya’s trading division for about ¥4.5 billion, or nearly US$30 million.

Although novel for the Asian Games, this approach is not entirely unprecedented. The cruise ships served as temporary accommodation during the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy, where Costa Victoria and MSC Lirica hosted more than 4,000 delegates. The Olympic Council of Asia, impressed by this operation, saw a similar opportunity for Aichi-Nagoya.

For Japan, the calculation was simple. Why spend years building a temporary city when you can bring a floating hotel to the harbor?

WHAT IS COSTA SERENA?

Built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in 2007, Costa Serena has 14 decks and can accommodate about 5,000 people. Its original layout included 557 balcony cabins, eight restaurants, 10 bars, four swimming pools, a jogging track and a dedicated spa.

The ship underwent an overhaul in 2025 as part of an announced €200 million fleet renovation. While architect Joe Farcus originally styled the interiors after Greek mythology, a recent update introduced contemporary pop-art elements and upgraded amenities, including Starlink high-speed internet.

Dining options on board are extensive and include everything from Pizzeria Pummid’Oro and Sushino@Costa to Archipelago, a venue that boasts menus created by Michelin-starred chefs Bruno Barbieri, Helene Darroze and Angel Leon.

But life on board during the Asian Games will look very different from a holiday cruise.

CRUISE SHIP WITHOUT SAILING

For three weeks, the Costa Serena will operate purely as a stationary hotel. It will remain moored at Kinjo Pier and provide athletes with a stable base to rest and commute to nearby locations.

The usual holiday booms give way to performance. Emphasis will be placed on rest, high protein meals and the needs of athletes, coaches and support staff.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 guests are expected on board, mainly those competing in events held around Nagoya, including judo, wrestling and archery.

The ship will therefore serve as the main accommodation center for part of the Games, rather than trying to house every participant under one roof.

This approach allows organizers to use existing hotels and other facilities throughout the region while providing thousands of athletes with a single base in Nagoya.

THE TYPHOON FACTOR

Holding a major outdoor sporting event in Japan during typhoon season presents an obvious complication.

Accommodating thousands of elite athletes on a ship during a period when severe weather systems may develop naturally raises questions. A major typhoon could disrupt transportation links, force schedule changes, and create challenges for a vessel that must remain safely docked.

Organizers say the risk is manageable. They note that major weather systems can usually be tracked several days in advance. While specific contingency plans have not been released, officials remain convinced that the practical and financial benefits of the arrangement outweigh the risks.

ARRIVAL AND AFTER GAMES PLANS

The Costa Serena is scheduled to dock in Nagoya on September 15, four days before the opening ceremony.

To mark the arrival, the Olympic Council of Asia has planned a traditional Nagoya Omotenashi welcoming ceremony, complete with samurai performances and demonstrations of traditional taiko drums. Around 500 members of the public will be chosen by ballot to watch the festivities in port, although spectators will not be allowed on board.

Once the welcome is over, the ship will immediately go into operational mode.

His stay in the sports village will be short. After the closing ceremony on October 4, Costa Serena will bid farewell to Japan and set sail on a 65-day voyage to Argentina, where she is expected to replace Costa Fortuna in the South American market.

For three short weeks, however, the vacation-built liner takes on a completely different role.

Instead of vacationers sipping cocktails on the sun deck, its corridors and cabins will be filled with world-class athletes preparing for the biggest events of their careers.

For Aichi-Nagoya, it offers a pragmatic answer to an age-old dilemma: how can you host thousands of visitors without building a ghost town?

You simply anchor the village in the harbor.

– The end

Issued by:

Saurabh Kumar

Published on:

02 Sep 2026 14:19 IST