SHANGHAI, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Italian cultural brand Costa Cruises has established an official partnership with legendary football club Juventus. Onboard the Costa Serena on Wednesday it was announced that this partnership will be to provide unique services to attract more Chinese tourists.

"This partnership with Juventus is just one example of how Costa Cruises is consistently innovating in the cruise industry," said Mario Zanetti, President of Costa Group Asia. "With the coming together of two leading Italian icons, we very much look forward to working together further in the future," Zanetti continued.

Guests boarding the Costa Serena can begin their "football at sea" journey, along with a firsthand look into the Juventus Experience. This includes a visit to the Juventus Museum, an outdoor mini football field, a kids club with a Juventus Theme as well as a Juventus Academy for kids aged 5-14.

Costa Cruises is the first international cruise company to operate homeport cruises in the Chinese market since 2006 and hopes to become a leader in the Chinese cruise market.

China saw a slowdown in cruise market in 2017 after a decade of soaring growth according to the China Cruise & Yacht Industry Association.

Costa Cruises said the company continues to enhance onboard experiences to meet the evolving needs of Chinese guests, such as providing more Chinese cuisine, hiring more staff who can speak Mandarin Chinese and adding new routes to Vietnam and the Philippines.