Costa Cruises has angered travel agents after sending notices to customers telling them to pay fuel surcharges on bookings made months ago, even as it pushes aggressive last-minute discounts to lift summer sales.
Agents say the move has widened frustration in the retail channel because travellers who booked early are now facing higher costs, while late bookers can secure the same itineraries for far less.
The dispute has renewed criticism of cruise pricing practices at a time when the sector is struggling with weak demand and heavy discounting across the market.
According to several industry figures, the surcharges are affecting contracts made well in advance, with the extra cost varying by itinerary and departure date. The issue is not whether Costa Cruises can apply such charges, since that option is included in the Package Travel Directive, but the sense of unfair treatment between early buyers and late shoppers.
“The ridiculous thing is that prices are cheaper than in the October quotas and not only do they not match them, but they also apply fuel price increases”, said one agent, who complained that fares are now lower than previous allotments while fuel charges have been added to earlier bookings.
Another agent said the policy was damaging trust because the company was lowering prices for new reservations while applying fuel surcharges to older ones. Travel agencies said they were left to explain the situation to customers who had been told that booking early would bring the best prices.
“It’s the same every year. Those who booked earlier are left looking like fools,” said the owner of one agency.
Some agents said they had stopped selling Costa Cruises allotments because of the repeated pricing pattern. “If you don’t respect those who choose you in October, you’re not a good partner,” said one of them.
The row comes after a difficult period for cruising, with operators turning to heavy discounts to fill ships for the summer season. Industry players say the pressure to raise occupancy has triggered a price war that makes it harder to justify advance booking.
Preferente reported in May that the cruise segment had suffered a sharp deterioration, with discounting spreading across the market as companies tried to recover weaker-than-expected sales. Agents said that dynamic was now undermining confidence in advance purchase, because customers who commit early can end up paying more than those who wait.
For the retail channel, the result is an awkward conversation with loyal customers. Agents say those who bought months ahead are being penalised just as the same trips reappear at lower prices for last minute buyers, a pattern that they say is becoming increasingly common across the cruise industry.
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