Losing a piece of luggage while flying to a vacation destination is always a challenge, but when the vacation is a cruise, it’s even more frustrating since the departure of a cruise ship is usually an insurmountable obstacle to retrieving the bag. But that is no longer the case with some Costa Cruises’ voyages.
The Italian cruise line, a brand of Carnival Corporation, on May 8, 2024 unveiled a program called Lost Luggage Concierge, a mechanism to find, retrieve, and deliver the lost luggage of cruise guests.
The service is the result of an exclusive agreement with SosTravel, a firm based in Italy that tracks luggage and provides other travel services.
Cruise Ship Luggage
The Lost Luggage Concierge is geared toward guests who travel to their cruise embarkation port by air and who have booked a Costa Cruises’ Fly & Cruise package, with departures in Europe from May 2024 through November 2024.
Given the limited timeframe, it appears the agreement with SosTravel could possibly be a pilot program, but Costa Cruises is not positioning it as such. The cruise line’s announcement indicates that guests who book their own airfare will soon be able to use the Lost Luggage Concierge service if they purchase it before departure on the SOS Travel website via the MyCosta app.
Under the agreement, SosTravel will assist guests who lose their luggage while en route to their cruise ship by tracking the luggage and returning it onboard the cruise ship within 48 hours — not including sailing hours.
Guests only need to report the loss at the airport and SosTravel takes over the recovery process.
“Our goal is to offer our guests the best travel experiences, from every angle. The Lost Luggage Concierge service by is a further step in this direction, as it will help us to ensure that our guests can start enjoying their cruise, worry-free, even before embarking, right from their departure at the airport,” said Daniel Caprile, vice president of pricing and revenue management, itinerary and transportation at Costa Cruises.
Lost luggage is a growing problem for cruise guests, particularly when travelers must make connecting flights before arriving at their embarkation port. Air travel delays are common and sometimes luggage is mistakenly routed to destinations far from the cruise port city. Staff shortages, including of baggage handlers, that continue to impact the airline industry also can add to lost luggage problems.
SosTravel is a global leader in luggage tracing, having already successfully tracked about 110,000 suitcases.
“The undisputed value of the agreement, and the trust of one of the largest global players in the cruise industry, represent a major growth opportunity for ,” said Massimo Crippa, general manager of SosTravel.
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The company also operates Dr. Travel, a telemedicine solution for travelers, as well as various travel apps.
Agreement Will Assist Cruisers Booked on Summer Sailings
Costa Cruises’ new Lost Luggage Concierge, offered through November 2024, is meant to assist summer cruisers who are booked on its various itineraries in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. These include Costa Fortuna’s one-week sailings in Greece and Turkey, departing from Athens and calling at Istanbul, Mykonos, Crete, Rhodes, and Santorini.
Also, in summer 2024, the service can be used by guests booked on Costa Favolosa’s North European cruises, departing from Hamburg and sailing to the North Cape and the Lofoten Islands, Iceland and Greenland, or Scotland.
Additionally, Costa Diadema will sail one-week cruises, departing from Kiel or Copenhagen, exploring the Norwegian fjords. The cruise line has not disclosed whether the Lost Luggage Concierge will be expanded to other destinations in the future.
