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CCL vs. RCL: Carnival vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Comparison

How do Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) are both classified in the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines sub-industry within the broader Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry, placing them in the closest GICS peer bucket.

Company profile comparison for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
Profile ItemCCLRCL
NameCarnival Corporation Ltd.Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorConsumer DiscretionaryConsumer Discretionary
GICS Industry GroupConsumer ServicesConsumer Services
GICS IndustryHotels, Restaurants & LeisureHotels, Restaurants & Leisure
GICS Sub-IndustryHotels, Resorts & Cruise LinesHotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines
Market Capitalization39.77 billion USD87.51 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENYSE
Listing DateJuly 24, 1987April 28, 1993
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

CCL
RCL
GSPC
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricCCLRCL
Total Return (1Y)17.32%35.04%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)36.57%55.86%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)5.35%30.86%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

CCL
RCL
GSPC
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricCCLRCL
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)49.89%47.73%
Beta (5Y)2.421.82
Max Drawdown (5Y)-73.60%-65.76%
Avg. Volume (3M)21.48M2.35M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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CCL and RCL are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricCCLRCL
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)0.260.64
Sortino Ratio (1Y)0.431.10

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 41.29% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Carnival (CCL) at 24.00% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for RCL.

CCL

Consumer Services industry group

24.00%

Max
76.75%
Q3
34.07%
CCL
24.00%
Median
15.90%
Q1
3.23%
Min
-40.61%

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

41.29%

Max
76.75%
RCL
41.29%
Q3
34.07%
Median
15.90%
Q1
3.23%
Min
-40.61%
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their ROE against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Net Margin (TTM)

Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 23.79% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Carnival (CCL) at 11.37%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

CCL

Consumer Services industry group

11.37%

Max
25.52%
Q3
12.95%
CCL
11.37%
Median
6.63%
Q1
1.46%
Min
-14.36%

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

23.79%

Max
25.52%
RCL
23.79%
Q3
12.95%
Median
6.63%
Q1
1.46%
Min
-14.36%
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their net margin against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both Carnival (CCL) at 26.43% and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 33.61% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

CCL

Consumer Services industry group

26.43%

Max
49.05%
CCL
26.43%
Q3
24.35%
Median
14.23%
Q1
5.67%
Min
-16.47%

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

33.61%

Max
49.05%
RCL
33.61%
Q3
24.35%
Median
14.23%
Q1
5.67%
Min
-16.47%
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their operating margin against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricCCLRCL
ROE (TTM)24.00%41.29%
ROA (TTM)5.40%7.78%
Net Margin (TTM)11.37%23.79%
Operating Margin (TTM)26.43%33.61%
Gross Margin (TTM)55.38%50.25%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both Carnival (CCL) at 6.39% and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 8.79% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Both Carnival (CCL) at 40.28% and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 41.91% land near their industries' usual EPS growth ranges, so bottom-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricCCLRCL
Revenue Growth (YoY)6.39%8.79%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)29.81%26.59%
EPS Growth (YoY)40.28%41.91%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)----

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Both Carnival (CCL) at 0.27 and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 0.22 run current ratio in the tighter-liquidity quartile of industry peers, leaving thinner cushions against current liabilities than typical competitors.

CCL

Consumer Services industry group

0.27

Max
3.41
Q3
1.85
Median
1.06
Q1
0.72
CCL
0.27
Min
0.22

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

0.22

Max
3.41
Q3
1.85
Median
1.06
Q1
0.72
RCL
0.22
Min
0.22
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their current ratio against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Carnival (CCL) at 1.77 and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 1.94 fund their balance sheets with roughly industry-typical debt-to-equity mixes.

CCL

Consumer Services industry group

1.77

Max
6.12
Q3
2.93
CCL
1.77
Median
1.29
Q1
0.37
Min
0.01

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

1.94

Max
6.12
Q3
2.93
RCL
1.94
Median
1.29
Q1
0.37
Min
0.01
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricCCLRCL
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.270.22
Debt / Equity (MRQ)1.771.94
Net Debt / EBITDA3.283.12

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Both Carnival (CCL) at 1.53% and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 1.70% pay solid, industry-typical yields, sitting squarely within their peers’ usual range.

CCL

Consumer Services industry group

1.53%

Max
4.10%
Q3
1.82%
CCL
1.53%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

1.70%

Max
4.10%
Q3
1.82%
RCL
1.70%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Both Carnival (CCL) at 19.82% and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 32.54% keep payout ratio within their industries’ typical mid-ranges — dividend policies that share earnings without consuming too much of them.

CCL

Consumer Services industry group

19.82%

Max
89.80%
Q3
36.83%
CCL
19.82%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

32.54%

Max
89.80%
Q3
36.83%
RCL
32.54%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricCCLRCL
Dividend Yield (TTM)1.53%1.70%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)19.82%32.54%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both Carnival (CCL) at 13.03 and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 19.36 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

CCL

Consumer Services industry group

13.03

Max
71.70
Q3
37.12
Median
21.88
CCL
13.03
Q1
13.00
Min
5.72

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

19.36

Max
71.70
Q3
37.12
Median
21.88
RCL
19.36
Q1
13.00
Min
5.72
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Carnival (CCL) at 1.44 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 4.57 sits in the pricier quartile — RCL costs more per dollar of sales.

CCL

Consumer Services industry group

1.44

Max
6.40
Q3
3.01
Median
1.54
CCL
1.44
Q1
0.74
Min
0.08

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

4.57

Max
6.40
RCL
4.57
Q3
3.01
Median
1.54
Q1
0.74
Min
0.08
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Carnival (CCL) at 2.82 is valued about in line with its industry on P/B ratio, while Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) at 7.47 carries an above-peer premium to book — RCL is pricier on assets.

CCL

Consumer Services industry group

2.82

Max
12.02
Q3
5.58
CCL
2.82
Median
2.37
Q1
1.09
Min
-4.51

RCL

Consumer Services industry group

7.47

Max
12.02
RCL
7.47
Q3
5.58
Median
2.37
Q1
1.09
Min
-4.51
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Carnival (CCL) vs. Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Consumer Services industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL)
MetricCCLRCL
P/E Ratio (TTM)13.0319.36
P/S Ratio (TTM)1.444.57
P/B Ratio (MRQ)2.827.47
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)4.54%-0.06%