Royal Caribbean (RCL): analysis in plain words
Is Royal Caribbean cheap or expensive? How it makes money, whether it grows and its risks, explained in plain words and with its official accounts.
Royal Caribbean (RCL) is listed on the NYSE and we classify it in travel, leisure and gaming. Below are its key dated figures, how it makes money, how it compares with its sector, what works for and against Royal Caribbean according to those figures, and the questions people ask most about the stock. No buy or sell tips.
Royal Caribbean (RCL) key figures as of November 4, 2026
| Figure | Value | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $333.15 | Last price on November 4, 2026 |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 19.7x | Price over earnings per share |
| Revenue growth | +8.8% | Latest quarter vs the same quarter a year earlier |
| Net margin (TTM) | 23.8% | Profit for every 100 of sales |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 3.1x | Years of operating profit to repay debt |
| Dividend yield | 1.92% | Annual dividend over price |
| Market cap | $89.1 billion | What the stock market values it at |
The Royal Caribbean figures come from Yahoo Finance, the same source the Fintols analysis uses, retrieved on November 4, 2026. Any RCL figure that is not available shows as N/A: we do not estimate it.
How Royal Caribbean makes money
Royal Caribbean Group sells cruises under the Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea brands. Ticket sales make up most revenue, with the rest from onboard spending on drinks, specialty dining, shore excursions and casinos. It also runs private destinations such as Perfect Day at CocoCay in the Bahamas.
Over the last 12 months, Royal Caribbean brought in revenue of $19.1 billion. For every 100 it sells, Royal Caribbean keeps 50.2 after the direct cost of what it sells (gross margin) and 33.6 after all operating costs (operating margin).
Royal Caribbean against its sector
To know whether a Royal Caribbean figure is high or low you have to put it next to similar companies. This table compares Royal Caribbean with the median of the 13 travel, leisure and gaming companies Fintols covers, with data as of November 4, 2026.
| Figure | Royal Caribbean | travel, leisure and gaming median |
|---|---|---|
| P/E | 19.7x | 17.8x (13) |
| Revenue growth | +8.8% | +8.8% (14) |
| Net margin | 23.8% | 11.6% (14) |
| Dividend yield | 1.92% | 1.31% (14) |
| Net debt / EBITDA | 3.1x | 2.8x (14) |
In short, against the typical travel, leisure and gaming company, Royal Caribbean earns a wider margin and pays a higher dividend yield. By size, Royal Caribbean ranks number 4 of 11 travel, leisure and gaming companies quoted in USD on Fintols.
The bull case for Royal Caribbean
These are the strengths in the Royal Caribbean figures as of November 4, 2026:
- Its net margin over the last 12 months is 23.8% (sector median: 11.6%): Royal Caribbean turns a large share of its sales into profit.
- Royal Caribbean earns 41.3% a year on its shareholders' money (return on equity).
The main risk for Royal Caribbean
Debt is heavy: Royal Caribbean carries net debt equal to 3.1x its annual EBITDA. With high interest rates or a weak year, interest payments eat into what it can invest or pay out.
And, like the rest of travel, leisure and gaming, Royal Caribbean is exposed to people travelling and spending less on leisure if the economy worsens, plus fuel prices.
Frequently asked questions about Royal Caribbean
Is it a good time to buy Royal Caribbean stock?
Fintols does not tell you whether to buy or sell Royal Caribbean, and nobody knows what the price will do tomorrow. What we can show you is where it stands today. As of November 4, 2026, Royal Caribbean stock trades at $333.15, 7% below its 52-week high ($356.39) and 50% above its low ($222.22). Its P/E is 19.7x against a travel, leisure and gaming median of 17.8x, and 16.3x on the earnings analysts expect over the next 12 months. With Royal Caribbean, as with any stock, timing matters less than understanding the business, investing for the long run and not betting everything on a single company.
Does Royal Caribbean pay a dividend?
Yes. As of November 4, 2026, Royal Caribbean pays $6.00 per share a year, which at today's price is a yield of 1.92%. It uses 33% of its profit to pay it, which leaves room to keep paying it if profit dips.
Is Royal Caribbean stock expensive?
It depends on what you compare it with. On P/E, Royal Caribbean trades at 19.7x its last 12 months of earnings: in line with the travel, leisure and gaming median (17.8x). A high P/E alone does not make Royal Caribbean expensive: it can be justified if earnings grow fast, and a low one can reflect a business in trouble.
Who are Royal Caribbean's competitors?
On Fintols we compare Royal Caribbean with Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Carnival, which are also in travel, leisure and gaming. As of November 4, 2026, Delta Air Lines is worth $58.7 billion and trades on a P/E of 17.8; United Airlines is worth $37.6 billion and trades on a P/E of 10.6; Carnival is worth $42.1 billion and trades on a P/E of 13.8. Each has a side-by-side comparison with Royal Caribbean below.
Royal Caribbean competitors
- Delta Air Lines (DAL) analysis · Royal Caribbean vs Delta Air Lines comparison
- United Airlines (UAL) analysis · Royal Caribbean vs United Airlines comparison
- Carnival (CCL) analysis · Royal Caribbean vs Carnival comparison
To understand Royal Caribbean better
- How to Read a Balance Sheet: A Beginner's Guide
- P/E Ratio and EPS Explained: How to Read Them Without Traps
More companies like Royal Caribbean: travel, leisure and gaming stocks and S&P 500 companies. Open the full RCL analysis with its valuation and scenarios. Educational content about Royal Caribbean, not investment advice.