Costa Cruises allows one checked bag per passenger on sailings lasting up to 14 nights, and up to two checked bags per passenger on sailings of 15 nights or longer. Each guest may also carry one piece of hand luggage aboard. Costa does not charge baggage fees, but checked suitcases should remain under 23 kg (50 lbs) for safe pier handling.
Costa Cruises Baggage Allowance Snapshot
Luggage allowances depend primarily on your cruise length and stateroom storage limits. Standard checked baggage handling is included in your cruise fare without extra carrier fees.
What can change: Sailing duration, independent flight arrangements, Fly & Cruise airline contracts, and regional terminal safety regulations.
Official Source Verification
Baggage rules can vary by fare, cabin, route, operating carrier, traveler status, and purchase channel. BaggageBase separates published rules from practical guidance.
How BaggageBase Verifies Cruise Policies
BaggageBase monitors cruise passenger ticket conditions, maritime security regulations, and port terminal procedures worldwide. We review verified cruise operator guidelines across European and international departures.
Our team distinguishes maritime policies-where baggage is included in your fare and handled by port stevedores-from aviation baggage policies that apply to packaged flights. Where specific numerical caps are not legally codified in cruise contracts, we label them as practical advice to help you avoid delays at the terminal.
Costa Cruises Baggage Allowances: Short vs. Long Voyages
Costa Cruises sets baggage allowances based on voyage length rather than ticket price or cabin category. Because modern cruise ships carry several thousand guests, baggage handling on embarkation day requires smooth transfer from the terminal to passenger corridors.
| Cruise Duration | Included Checked Bags | Included Hand Luggage | Primary Storage Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short to Mid-Length (1–14 Nights) | 1 bag per person | 1 carry-on piece | Under stateroom bed / inside wardrobe |
| Extended Voyages (15+ Nights) | Up to 2 bags per person | 1 carry-on piece | Under stateroom bed / inside wardrobe |
| World Cruises & Grand Voyages | Up to 2 bags per person | 1 carry-on piece | Under stateroom bed / nested storage |
These allowances apply to every paying passenger occupying a berth, including children. While Costa does not charge excess bag fees at the pier, you should avoid bringing more bags than your cabin can comfortably hold. Corridors and stateroom doorways must remain clear of luggage throughout the sailing to comply with international maritime safety codes.
For similar rules from other major operators, you can compare this policy with the Carnival Cruise Line luggage policy, as both lines share operational standards under Carnival Corporation.
Embarkation Day: Hand Luggage vs. Terminal Drop-Off
Embarkation day involves two distinct luggage steps: turning over your large suitcases to port stevedores and carrying your smaller essentials onto the ship yourself.
1. Terminal Luggage Drop-Off
When arriving at key embarkation ports like Savona, Civitavecchia, Marseille, or Barcelona, proceed directly to the luggage drop-off area before entering the cruise terminal for check-in.
- Luggage Tags: Before leaving home, print your Costa luggage tags from the MyCosta portal along with your cruise ticket. Fold and staple these tags securely around the top handle of each checked piece. Each tag displays your full name, ship name, cabin number, and assigned deck.
- Porter Hand-off: Stevedores collect your tagged suitcases at the terminal entrance. They load the luggage into large metal cages for security screening. Once cleared, the ship's crew delivers the bags directly outside your stateroom door.
- Delivery Timeline: Bags are delivered throughout the afternoon and into the evening. Do not worry if one bag arrives several hours before another, as pieces are sorted by deck and section.
2. Hand Luggage (Carry-On) Screening
You must personally carry your hand luggage through terminal security, metal detectors, and up the passenger gangway onto the vessel.
- Scanner Constraints: Your carry-on bag must fit through standard airport-style X-ray tunnels at the terminal checkpoint, which are roughly 55 × 35 × 25 cm (22 × 14 × 9 inches).
- Waiting Period: Staterooms are generally not accessible until early or mid-afternoon while crew members clean and sanitize rooms from the previous voyage. You must keep your hand luggage with you as you visit the buffet, explore public decks, or attend the mandatory safety drill. Keep your carry-on light and easy to roll.
What Must Stay in Your Hand Luggage
Never place essential items in checked luggage handed to terminal porters. Always pack the following in your carry-on bag:
- Passports, identity cards, visas, and printed cruise boarding forms.
- Prescription medications in their original packaging, along with medical documents.
- Expensive electronics, such as laptops, tablets, and cameras.
- Cash, credit cards, and fine jewelry.
- A change of casual clothes, basic toiletries, and swimwear if you plan to use the pool deck before your suitcases arrive.
Suitcase Dimensions, Weight Rules, and Cabin Storage
Costa Cruises does not weigh bags at the pier with commercial scales, but practical limits apply to protect luggage handlers and keep cabins functional.
PRACTICAL CRUISE LUGGAGE GUIDELINES
CHECKED SUITCASE: • Recommended Weight: Under 23 kg (50 lbs) per piece • Maximum Dimension: Up to 158 linear cm (62 linear inches) • Storage Plan: Under the cabin bed (requires < 30 cm depth)
CARRY-ON HAND LUGGAGE: • Maximum Size: Approx. 55 × 35 × 25 cm (22 × 14 × 9 in) • Weight: Must be manageable by guest without crew help • Scanning: Must fit standard terminal X-ray tunnel
Port stevedores handle thousands of bags in short loading windows. Any single suitcase weighing over 32 kg (70 lbs) may be refused by the terminal team due to workplace lifting limits.
Standard staterooms feature elevated bed frames designed to hold empty suitcases flat underneath. Most beds provide roughly 28 to 32 cm (11 to 13 inches) of vertical clearance. If your suitcase is too thick to slide under the bed when closed, unzip it and slide it under open, or store one nested suitcase inside a larger one.
Costa Fly & Cruise Packages: Flights vs. Cruise Terms
Many travelers book a bundled Costa Fly & Cruise package, which combines regional or intercontinental flights with transfers and the cruise ticket. When traveling on a Fly & Cruise itinerary, the operating airline's baggage policy overrides Costa's cruise baggage rules.
- Airline Weight Caps: If your cruise permits two checked bags but your airline ticket includes only one checked bag up to 23 kg, the airline will charge excess baggage fees at airport check-in. Costa does not cover airline overage charges.
- Airport Transfers: On select dedicated Costa charter flights in Europe, luggage may be checked at your home departure airport and transferred straight to your stateroom. On standard commercial flights, you must collect your suitcases at the airport baggage claim before boarding the Costa transfer coach to the port.
- Carry-On Differences: European regional carriers enforce strict hand luggage size and weight limits (often 8 kg to 10 kg). Verify your flight ticket details carefully before packing your carry-on.
Prohibited Items and Shipboard Electrical Safety
International maritime fire regulations strictly control items brought onto cruise ships. Open flames and heat-generating appliances are among the greatest safety hazards at sea.
| Category | Allowed Items | Prohibited Items |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Grooming | Hair straighteners, curling wands, electric shavers, personal hair dryers | Travel clothing irons, handheld garment steamers |
| Appliances | Small USB charging hubs (non-surge) | Electric kettles, hot plates, immersion heaters, heating pads |
| Electrical Gear | Standard single-plug travel adapters | Surge-protected extension cords, multi-outlet power strips |
| Recreation | Snorkel sets, walking poles, golf clubs | Drones, hoverboards, e-scooters, bicycles |
| Safety Hazards | Standard consumer pocketknives (< 4 inches) | Firearms, ammunition, large knives, pepper spray, fireworks |
All luggage passes through X-ray screening at the cruise terminal. If security personnel spot a prohibited device, they hold your bag in a secure area. You will receive a note directing you to the ship's security station, where you must open the bag in front of security officers. Confiscated appliances are stored securely and returned to you on disembarkation morning.
Cabins on all Costa ships provide a built-in hair dryer. If your clothes get wrinkled during transit, Costa offers professional shipboard laundry, dry-cleaning, and pressing services for a fee.
Alcohol, Beverages, and Food Policies
Costa Cruises enforces clear rules regarding outside food and drink. Unlike some operators that allow limited wine at embarkation, Costa maintains a strict policy:
- Alcoholic Beverages: Guests cannot bring beer, wine, spirits, or champagne on board at embarkation. Any alcohol found in checked or carry-on luggage will be confiscated by terminal security.
- Alcohol Purchased in Ports: If you buy local wines or spirits during shore excursions, you must surrender the bottles at the ship gangway checkpoint. Security tags your bottles, stores them safely, and delivers them to your stateroom on the final night of the cruise.
- Water and Sodas: Bringing large packs of bottled water, soda cans, or energy drinks on board is not permitted. Exceptions are made for small quantities of infant formula, baby food, or certified medical dietary liquids.
- Onboard Drinks: Free water, tea, and brewed coffee are available at the buffet drink stations during meal hours. Bottled mineral water, specialty coffees, and alcoholic beverages can be purchased individually or through Costa beverage packages (such as My Drinks).
For travelers comparing policies across different cruise lines, these rules are more restrictive than the Royal Caribbean luggage policy, which allows limited personal wine during boarding.
Medical Gear, Baby Items, and Sports Equipment
Costa accommodates essential medical gear, infant items, and standard sporting goods, provided they comply with cabin storage rules.
Medical Equipment and Mobility Aids
- CPAP Machines: CPAP and BiPAP devices are permitted on board and do not count against your hand luggage allowance. Outlets may not be right next to the bed on older vessels, so bring a non-surge extension cord. Stateroom stewards can supply distilled water upon request.
- Wheelchairs and Scooters: Mobility scooters and manual wheelchairs must be registered through the MyCosta portal or with Costa’s medical department prior to sailing. For safety reasons, mobility aids must fit through your cabin door and be stored inside your room. They cannot be left parked in corridors.
- Medications: Keep all prescription medications in your hand luggage. If your medication requires refrigeration, inform Costa before departure or speak with your cabin steward to check your stateroom mini-fridge temperature.
Baby and Infant Gear
- Strollers and Prams: Folding strollers and pushchairs are permitted. Like wheelchairs, they must stay inside your stateroom when not in use.
- Cribs and Cots: Costa can provide a travel cot in your cabin upon request, depending on room space and ship availability.
Sports Gear and Musical Instruments
- Golf Bags: Golf equipment is allowed as checked baggage. Protect clubs in a sturdy travel cover and attach your Costa luggage tag.
- Diving Gear: Masks, fins, and regulators are welcome. Dive knives, spear guns, and compressed gas tanks are strictly prohibited.
- Musical Instruments: Small instruments (like violins or flutes) may be brought aboard as hand luggage if they fit through terminal security scanners.
For details on how other cruise lines manage specialty gear, see the Norwegian Cruise Line luggage policy.
The Disembarkation Process: Step-by-Step
Disembarking a Costa cruise ship requires an organized luggage process on the final evening and morning.
COSTA DISEMBARKATION TIMELINE
FINAL EVENING: • Receive colored tags and assigned departure slot in stateroom • Pack hold bags, attach colored tags, remove old embarkation tags • Place suitcases in corridor between 10:00 PM and midnight
DISEMBARKATION MORNING: • Keep hand luggage with morning essentials, clothes, and documents • Vacate stateroom by scheduled time (usually 8:00 AM–8:30 AM) • Relax in assigned lounge until your luggage color is called • Walk down gangway, collect bags in terminal hall, clear customs
1. Traditional Tagged Luggage Collection
On the day before disembarkation, your cabin steward delivers numbered, color-coded luggage tags to your room.
- Pack Suitcases: Place non-essential clothing and purchases into your main suitcases. Affix the new colored tags to your bags.
- Hallway Placement: Set your bags outside your cabin door between 10:00 PM and midnight. The crew collects them overnight and moves them to the hold.
- Morning Collection: After leaving the ship the next morning, proceed to the terminal baggage claim. Your bags will be grouped in the area matching your tag color.
2. Self-Assist Express Walk-Off
If you want to leave the ship early and avoid waiting for your luggage tag group, choose the self-assist option:
- Keep all your luggage inside your stateroom overnight.
- Carry all your bags off the ship yourself during the earliest departure window.
- You must be able to roll and carry every piece of your luggage up and down gangways and escalators without crew assistance.
Cruise vs. Airline Luggage Rules: Comparison Table
Cruise baggage handling differs significantly from commercial airline flights. Understanding these contrasts makes packing easier.
| Feature | Costa Cruises (Port Terminal) | Commercial Airline Flights |
|---|---|---|
| Baggage Fees | Included in cruise fare | Often charged per checked bag |
| Scale Weigh-In | No scales at pier check-in | Strict weigh-in at check-in counter |
| Liquid Volumes | No 100 ml limit for carry-on toiletries | Strict 100 ml (3.4 oz) airport security rules |
| Iron/Steamer Rules | Strictly forbidden in all bags | Travel irons often permitted in hold bags |
| Bag Access | Bags delivered to stateroom hours after boarding | Luggage reclaimed at baggage carousel after arrival |
| Alcohol Rules | Prohibited (confiscated at security) | Permitted in checked bags under customs laws |
Costa Cruises Packing and Departure Checklist
Use this pre-cruise checklist to make sure your bags are correctly tagged, packed, and organized before arriving at the terminal.
- Print your Costa luggage tags at home. Attaching printed tags from the MyCosta portal speeds up your bag drop at the pier.
- Keep daily essentials in your hand luggage. Passports, tickets, medications, and valuables must never go into checked suitcases.
- Leave irons and steamers at home. Heat-generating clothes appliances are confiscated by ship security for fire safety.
- Do not pack personal alcohol. Wine, beer, and spirits brought from home are seized during terminal screening.
- Distribute weight under 23 kg per bag. Keeping suitcases under 23 kg prevents handling refusals by terminal stevedores.
- Keep an overnight bag for the final night. You need clothes, toiletries, and documents with you on the last morning after your suitcases are collected.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Costa Cruises weigh your luggage at the terminal?
Costa Cruises does not systematically place checked bags on scales during pier drop-off. However, terminal porters and stevedores may decline to lift any individual bag that exceeds standard occupational safety limits, typically around 32 kg (70 lbs). If you booked a Fly & Cruise flight package, your bags will be strictly weighed by the airline at the airport counter.
Can you bring a hair dryer or curling wand on a Costa cruise?
Yes, personal curling wands, flat irons (straighteners), and personal hair dryers are permitted on board. Standard hair dryers are also provided in all Costa staterooms inside the vanity drawer or bathroom wall mount. Garment steamers and travel clothes irons, however, are strictly prohibited.
What happens if terminal security finds a prohibited item in my bag?
If an X-ray scanner flags a prohibited item, such as a travel iron or bottle of liquor, your suitcase is held at the onboard security desk. You will receive a notification to report to security, where you must open your bag in the presence of ship officers. Confiscated items are safely stored and returned to you on disembarkation morning.
Can I carry my own bags off the ship on disembarkation day?
Yes, Costa offers a self-assist disembarkation option. By choosing this, you keep all your suitcases inside your stateroom on the final night rather than leaving them in the hallway. You must then carry and maneuver all of your own luggage off the ship without crew assistance during the earliest departure window.
Are luggage tags provided at the terminal if I forget to print mine?
Yes, terminal porters have blank, manual luggage tags available at the drop-off zone. You will need to show your cruise documentation so the porter can write your ship name, cabin number, and passenger name on the tag. Printing your official color tags at home in advance is recommended, as it saves time on arrival.
Can I bring bottled water or soft drinks on a Costa cruise?
No, Costa Cruises prohibits guests from bringing cartons or packs of bottled water, sodas, and energy drinks aboard at embarkation. Exceptions are made only for necessary baby formula, infant food, or medical dietary items. Drinking water is available for free at the buffet beverage stations, and canned sodas or bottled water can be purchased on board.
What should I do if my luggage arrives damaged at my stateroom?
Inspect your luggage as soon as it arrives outside your cabin door. If you notice structural damage, such as broken handles, cracks, or torn fabric, report it immediately to the onboard Guest Relations desk before the ship departs. You must fill out a Property Irregularity Report to document the incident for insurance purposes.
Baggage rules can vary by route, itinerary length, charter contract, and port authority. The operating cruise line's official conditions of carriage and terminal rules always prevail.
