Costa Serena to House 4,000 at 2026 Asian Games
A further two thousand athletes and officials are expected to stay in wooden, shipping container-style units in Nagoya's Garden Pier area.
Japan will use Costa Cruises’ Costa Serena as accommodation for about 4,000 people during the 2026 Asian Games, which open in Nagoya on September 19. The Italian-registered ship will be berthed at Nagoya Port, becoming the first cruise vessel used in Japan as an athletes’ village for an international sporting event of this scale.
Organisers turned to the ship after abandoning plans for a dedicated athletes’ village because of the project’s cost. Nearly 15,000 athletes and officials are expected for the Games, which run through October 4, with the remaining participants accommodated in hotels and other temporary facilities.
Costa Serena, a Concordia-class ship delivered in 2007, has about 1,500 cabins, along with restaurants, pools, fitness facilities, leisure areas and open-air decks. It typically carries about 3,700 to 3,780 passengers. Masashi Hayakawa, who is responsible for accommodation arrangements within the Asian Games organising committee, said the facilities available to athletes would be comparable to those offered by a hotel.
Where the athletes will sleep
Organisers plan to distribute Costa Serena’s six cabin categories among participating countries to provide consistent treatment. Substantial changes to the vessel’s interiors are not possible within the remaining preparation period.
“For the athletes, the accommodation is a place to relax and socialise with their fellow competitors,” said Kazuhiro Yagi, vice-secretary general of the Aichi-Nagoya Games organising committee.
A further 2,000 athletes and officials are expected to stay in wooden, shipping container-style units in Nagoya’s Garden Pier area. Other participants will be housed in hotels.
Nagoya Port is about 10 kilometres south of central Nagoya. Organisers are securing traffic routes for athletes and other guests travelling to and from the port during embarkation and disembarkation.
Working through customs, security and typhoon season
As a foreign-registered vessel operating in Japan, Costa Serena will be subject to Japanese customs and quarantine requirements. Authorities are reviewing the applicable procedures before the Games to reduce the risk of operational delays.
Hayakawa said the committee was developing the arrangements step by step because Japan has no previous model for housing athletes aboard a cruise ship at an event of this size. Security planning covers the vessel, the surrounding port area, athletes and spectators.
The Games will also take place during Japan’s typhoon season. If severe weather threatens Nagoya Port, Costa Serena could be moved offshore to avoid areas exposed to higher waves.
Temporary shops and general stores are being established near the quay as organisers complete access, safety and passenger-movement arrangements ahead of the opening ceremony.
See current Costa Serena fares and itineraries on Cruise Lookup.
