Competitive Intelligence for Costa Cruises
Real-time market intelligence that transforms how Costa monitors, analyzes, and responds to competitive movements. No more guesswork. No more blind spots.
The Challenge
Those who understand the competition, win. In a market where every cruise line fights for the same customers, real-time market intelligence becomes the decisive advantage.
The Vision
Monitoring, analyzing, alerting — automatically.
Everything at a glance. All competitors, all markets, one place. No more switching between ten websites.
The system recognizes new competitor campaigns autonomously — promotions, special offers, all-inclusive deals.
Who did what, when? A visual timeline that reveals patterns and makes competitor behavior predictable.
When a competitor launches something significant, Costa gets notified immediately. React in hours, not days.
One system that grows with Costa's needs — across markets, across competitors, across channels.
What are guests complaining about on competitor ships? Find the weak spots Costa can exploit.
Proof of Concept
We tested the system with real competitor data. The results speak for themselves.
Automatic capture and analysis of competitor Instagram posts
Automatic analysis of Trustpilot and Google Reviews
| Metric | MSC Cruises | AIDA Cruises |
|---|---|---|
| Average Rating | 3.2 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐ | 4.1 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Sentiment | 40% negative | 60% positive |
| Top Issue | Service (40% complain) | — |
| Top Strength | — | Entertainment (40% praise) |
Real-time monitoring of Google Shopping and OTA listings
| Metric | MSC Canary Islands 2025 |
|---|---|
| Lowest Price | €799 (Kreuzfahrten.de) -27% |
| Highest Price | €1,799 (MSC Direct) |
| Average Price | €1,139 |
| OTA vs. Direct | OTAs 29% cheaper |
| Top Extras | Onboard Credit (60%) · Drinks Package (40%) |
How It Works
Automatically and continuously scans competitor channels — websites, newsletters, social media.
AI identifies campaigns, offers, prices, timeframes — and categorizes them automatically.
Clear dashboard, timeline view, instant alerts. Everything you need, nothing you don't.
Behind the interface, a network of specialized data connectors and multiple AI models work together — each handling different tasks: data collection, content recognition, categorization, alerting. These components are orchestrated into a unified system that delivers more than the sum of its parts.
The system improves continuously. Through a feedback interface — similar to what was successfully implemented for the translation solution — Costa's input flows directly into further development. The result: a system that becomes increasingly precise to Costa's needs over time.
Solutions
Quick start, first overview
Operational day-to-day use
Maximum market intelligence
Start with Insights — it delivers operational results quickly. From there, we develop the Intelligence solution together. Because the best solution doesn't emerge on a drawing board — it emerges through continuous feedback and close collaboration. Costa ends up with exactly the tool that fits seamlessly into their business processes. Not a theoretical system, but one grown from practice.
Dashboard Preview
One glance tells you how Costa compares to the competition – by destination, by price, by positioning.
Average cabin price per person (7 nights) – February 2026
Alerts delivered directly to your team – via Email, Slack, or SMS
* Sample visualization with illustrative data. Actual dashboard will display real-time market data.
Business Case
A conservative estimate of what competitive intelligence delivers.
* Conservative estimates. Actual value depends on market dynamics and utilization. Numbers to be refined with Costa based on internal data.
Investment
Then, on a monthly basis
Infrastructure & Maintenance
Dashboard, reporting engine, alert system, data infrastructure, ongoing maintenance & updates.
1 Competitor × 1 Data Channel
Each combination of competitor and data channel is one monitoring point. More points = more intelligence.
Each cell is one monitoring point: one specific data channel tracked for one competitor. Each channel — not a category — is its own point.
| Website | Newsletter | Kreuzfahrten.de (OTA Pricing) |
Trustpilot (Sentiment) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSC Cruises | €200 |
€200 |
€200 |
€200 |
€200 |
| AIDA Cruises | €200 |
€200 |
€200 |
€200 |
€200 |
| Mein Schiff | €200 |
€200 |
€200 |
€200 |
€200 |
Want Facebook, TikTok, Google Reviews, or additional OTAs? Each becomes its own monitoring point.
€200 per point covers the full intelligence pipeline — not just data collection.
3 Competitors × 3 Channels (Website, Instagram, Newsletter)
3 Competitors × 5 Channels (Website, Instagram, Newsletter, Kreuzfahrten.de, Trustpilot)
Add Facebook monitoring for all 3 competitors? That's 3 new points (+€600). Track a 4th competitor across all 5 channels? That's 5 new points (+€1,000). Costa controls the scope — and pays proportionally to the intelligence received.
An investment that pays for itself within weeks — through faster reactions, protected margins, and smarter decisions.
Compliance & Data Protection
Competitive intelligence done right — transparent, lawful, and secure.
Data minimization and purpose limitation by design. No unnecessary personal data is collected or stored.
Transparent AI usage with human oversight. No autonomous decision-making — the system informs, your team decides.
All monitored sources are publicly accessible. No login-gated access, no scraping behind authentication, no gray areas.
All data stored and processed within the EU. No transatlantic transfers, no third-country exposure.
The system analyzes competitor business activities — campaigns, pricing, positioning. It does not track or score individuals.
Clear retention rules with defined deletion cycles. Costa retains full control over what data is kept and for how long.