Costa Cruises Adds Tiered Pricing To Attract Guests Of Every Budget

Taking a cue from the airlines’ success with Basic Pricing, Costa Cruises has launched a tiered-pricing system that offers a broader range of prices, and allows more guests the opportunity to try a cruise.

Sailings departing on April 1, 2018, and afterwards will offer four price levels—Basic, Total Comfort Classic, Total Comfort Premium and Deluxe—depending on the perks included.

Guests opting for Basic pricing, the most affordable option, will stay in a standard cabin and have access to gala dinners, entertainment activities, pools, spas and fitness facilities.

Total Comfort Classic includes all benefits of the Basic package plus a beverage package of unlimited wines, beers and soft drinks for lunch and dinner, and a choice of cabins.

Total Comfort Premium adds the Brindiamo beverage package, which includes drinks at any time of the day during a sailing and lets guests choose the first or second seating for dinner.

With the Deluxe rate, the highest tier, guests get a suite and access to premium services, including one spa visit, unlimited drinks priced up to $9 a glass, a daily fruit basket, a bottle of Ferrari sparkling wine, a complimentary in-suite minibar, Illy coffee, complimentary in-suite breakfast and 24-hour room service.

Costa Cruises said it made the decision to add the tiers after listening to past guests’ “desires for various budget and amenity options,” and also to help its travel agent partners.

“Simplicity for our travel partners— whose support we depend on for the majority of our business — was equally important. The feedback we have received from our partners is that the new plan is simple to understand and to communicate,” Costa Cruises North America vice president of sales and marketing Scott Knutson told TMR.

The feedback also helped Costa develop a whole new category: single cabins with no supplement, based on availability. That, along with Costa Club discounts on select sailings based on guests’ club level, gives guests a new flexibility to get on board.

“We listened, and are delighted to introduce both attractive new offers within the new fare program,” Knutson added.