When the Asian Games begin in Aichi-Nagoya later this month, thousands of athletes will wake up to a rather unusual view: the bustling industrial backdrop of Nagoya Port.
Instead of a purpose-built complex, the Costa Serena, a massive Italian cruise liner, will serve as a floating Games Village for the 2026 event. Docking at Kinjo Pier from 15 September to 4 October, the vessel will provide a temporary home for thousands of competitors and officials.
It is a clever solution to a perennial problem facing major host cities: how to accommodate an influx of visitors without spending millions on residential blocks that can sit empty once the torch goes out.
With the late addition of teqball and padel to the sporting schedule, the Aichi-Nagoya Games are set to welcome more than 17,000 athletes and staff, up from early estimates of 15,000. Organisers insist housing was fully secured ahead of the July entry deadline, with athletes also staying in local hotels and temporary units. Competitors in swimming, diving and equestrian events will be based closer to Tokyo.
Still, it begs the question: how exactly did a luxury cruise liner end up on an Asian Games housing plan?
WHY BRING IN A CRUISE SHIP?
The short answer comes down to money and logistics. Constructing a traditional athlete’ village demands massive capital investment in buildings and infrastructure that may have little long-term purpose.
The Costa Serena, on the other hand, comes with thousands of cabins, dining halls and leisure spaces already in place. Organisers can simply charter the vessel for three weeks before handing it back to the cruise line.
The charter was reportedly brokered by JTB’s Nagoya Business Division for roughly 4.5 billion yen, or nearly US$30 million.
While novel for the Asian Games, the approach is not entirely unprecedented. Cruise ships served as temporary housing during the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy, where the Costa Victoria and MSC Lirica hosted more than 4,000 delegates. Impressed by that operation, the Olympic Council of Asia saw a similar opportunity for Aichi-Nagoya.
For Japan, the calculation was straightforward. Why spend years building a temporary town when you can bring a floating hotel into the harbour?
WHAT IS THE COSTA SERENA?
Built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri in 2007, the Costa Serena has 14 decks and can accommodate around 5,000 people. Its original layout featured 557 balcony cabins, eight restaurants, 10 bars, four swimming pools, a running track and a dedicated wellness centre.
The ship underwent a major overhaul in 2025 as part of a reported EUR 200 million fleet refurbishment. While architect Joe Farcus originally styled the interiors around Greek mythology, the recent update introduced contemporary pop-art elements and upgraded amenities, including high-speed Starlink internet throughout.
Dining options aboard are extensive, featuring everything from Pizzeria Pummid’Oro and Sushino@Costa to Archipelago, a venue boasting menus crafted by Michelin-starred chefs Bruno Barbieri, Helene Darroze and Angel Leon.
But life aboard during the Asian Games will look very different from a holiday cruise.
A CRUISE SHIP WITHOUT THE CRUISE
For three weeks, the Costa Serena will operate purely as a stationary hotel. It will remain berthed at Kinjo Pier, giving athletes a stable base to rest and commute to nearby venues.
The usual holiday flourishes will take a back seat to performance. The focus will be on rest, high-protein meals and the needs of athletes, coaches and support staff.
Between 4,000 and 5,000 guests are expected aboard, primarily those competing in events staged around Nagoya, including judo, wrestling and archery.
The ship will therefore serve as the main accommodation hub for a section of the Games rather than attempting to house every participant under one roof.
That approach allows organisers to use existing hotels and other facilities across the region while giving thousands of athletes a single base in Nagoya.
THE TYPHOON FACTOR
Holding a major outdoor sporting event in Japan during typhoon season brings an obvious complication.
Housing thousands of elite athletes on a ship during a period when severe weather systems can develop has naturally raised questions. A major typhoon could disrupt transport links, force schedule changes and create challenges for a vessel that must remain safely berthed.
Organisers maintain that 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 disclosed, officials remain confident that the practical and financial benefits of the arrangement outweigh the risks.
ARRIVAL AND POST-GAMES PLANS
The Costa Serena is scheduled to dock in Nagoya on 15 September, four days before the opening ceremony.
To mark the arrival, the Olympic Council of Asia has planned a traditional Nagoya Omotenashi welcome ceremony, complete with Samurai performances and traditional taiko drum displays. Around 500 members of the public will be selected via a ballot to watch the dockside festivities, although spectators will not be allowed on board.
Once the welcome is over, the ship will transition immediately into operational mode.
Its stint as a sports village will be brief. Following the closing ceremony on 4 October, the Costa Serena will bid farewell to Japan and set sail on a 65-day voyage to Argentina, where she is slated to replace the Costa Fortuna in the South American market.
For three short weeks, though, a liner built for holidays will take on a very different role.
Instead of holidaymakers 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 do you host thousands of visitors without building a ghost town?
You simply dock the village in the port.
– Ends
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