The Italian cruise ship Costa Serena arrived at the Kinjo Pier in Nagoya, Japan on Tuesday to serve as a temporary floating Athletes' Village for the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.
The Asian Games will not have a dedicated Athletes' Village. This unique set-up means some competitors and officials will be housed on the cruise ship. The organizers held a welcome ceremony to mark the opening of the new floating residence.
The Costa Serena is 290 meters long and 35 meters wide, with 1,500 cabins that can accommodate up to 4,000 athletes and officials across 14 decks. Restaurants and a gym are also available.
Organizers are using the ship, local hotels, and converted containers to house the more than 11,000 athletes, who exceed the 10,700 during the Paris Olympics. This also marks the first time that a cruise ship has served as an Athletes' Village at the Asian Games, with the aim of addressing local accommodation shortages and budget constraints.
The ship will mainly host delegations competing near Nagoya's port, in sports like canoeing, judo, and wushu. That includes China's canoe team.
The Costa Serena will remain docked from Sept 15 to Oct 6. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, with the 16-day Asian Games closing on Oct 4. If extreme weather such as a typhoon hits the area, the ship will leave the port to take shelter elsewhere.
Italian cruise ship Costa Serena arrives in Nagoya to serve as Asian Games' floating Athletes' Village
