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Costa Group Asia Partners with Hello Kitty to Offer Themed Vacations in China

CostaGroup Asia and Sanrio Company Ltd. will enter into a two-year strategicpartnership to launch the first ever Hello Kitty design tailor-made for acruise liner

Shanghai,June 27, 2016—— CostaGroup Asia together with Sanrio Company Ltd. announced the launch of the first HelloKitty designed specifically for use on a seagoing vessel, providing exceptionalcruise vacations for Chinese passengers in the upcoming summer.

Under a two-year strategic partnership agreement, the specially designed CostaHello Kitty will be introduced on three of Costa Group Asia's China-basedvessels -- Costa Atlantica, Costa Serena and Costa Fortuna -- pairing the muchloved Hello Kitty with the ships' elegant Italian style to deliver a uniquecruising experience. Passengers will enjoy Hello Kitty-themed cabins with wallsand doors featuring the image of Hello Kitty and her dolls. The iconic imagewill also be presented on soft sheets and fluffy pillows.

In2006, Costa Group Asia became the first international cruise company to enterthe China market. The innovative spirit and intuitive understanding of whatChinese passengers desire comes naturally to the brand, which is celebratingits 10^th anniversary in China this year. Appealing to Chinesechildren and adults alike, this joint effort will further cultivate the "cruiseis the destination" concept and create a new cruise holiday experience forpassengers of all ages.

"Over the past decade, Costa Group Asia has understood the market in Chinabetter than any other player and we will remain committed to providing the mostinnovative and high-quality cruise products for our Chinese passengers," saidBuhdy Bok, Costa Group Asia president. "Costa Group Asia is dedicated to makingstrong partnerships with leading brands across diversified fields. Togetherwith Sanrio Company Ltd., we hope that we can combine our Italian style cruiseswith the image of Hello Kitty to provide special voyages full of happiness andjoy for our passengers."

Home to more than 500 endearing characters including Hello Kitty, Sanrio is aglobal lifestyle brand founded on the "small gift, big smile" philosophy – thata small gift can bring happiness and friendship to people of all ages. Since1960, this philosophy has served as the inspiration for a broad range of uniqueproducts and experiences.

About Costa Group

The Costa Group is the leading cruise company in Europe. The 26 ships ofCosta Cruises, AIDA Cruises and Costa Asia brands have a combined capacity of72,000 beds. The fleet will be further expanded with the addition of 7 newvessels by 2020. The company has a global workforce of 27,000 employees workingonboard and in its 20 offices in 14 countries.

Costa Group was the first internationalcruise company to operate homeport cruises in the China market,starting operations in 2006. For the past 10 years, Costa Group hasupheld the principle ofcustomer service and focuses on innovationand excellence to bring Chinesepassengers the most creative and high-quality cruise products with the flavorof "Italy at Sea".

For further inquiries please contact:

Costa Crociere S.p.A Shanghai Representative Office
Beverly Yang
Tel: (86 21) 31357802
E-mail: beileibeverly.yang@costa.it

Hill + Knowlton Strategies, Shanghai
Winnie Zhang
Tel: (86 21) 2287 1728
E-mail: winnie.zhang@hkstrategies.com

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