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Carnival Corporation vs Royal Caribbean Cruises: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

The structural profiles are close, with Royal Caribbean Cruises carrying a narrow edge on stability. Carnival still has the edge on valuation, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. Both sides have seen trend damage — neither carries a clear market edge right now. With both trends damaged, the structural comparison carries most of the weight here.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels. Both peer scores are relative to the S&P 500 universe, making them directly comparable.

Updated 2026-05-17

The lead is spread across stability and profitability, rather than sitting in one isolated gap.

INDUSTRY COMPARISON

Both operate in: Travel Services

This comparison is based on industry proximity, not on functional trajectory similarity. CCL and RCL share the same industry classification.

For a similarity-based comparison, see how Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruises each position within their functional peer groups in AssetNext.

Peer-Relative Score
CCL
Carnival Corporation Ltd.
54
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500
vs
RCL
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
57
Peer-Score
Signal qualitylow
Peer basis: S&P 500

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: CCL vs RCL Profitability 45 62 Stability 23 41 Valuation 87 75 Growth 49 40 CCL RCL
Gap Ranking
#1 Stability +18
#2 Profitability +17
#3 Valuation +12
#4 Growth +9
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for CCL and RCL Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer CCLRCL Relative valuation Structural strength

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. occupies the cheaper side of the setup map, although Carnival Corporation Ltd. still holds the stronger structural profile.

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Entry today — historical context

Where CCL and RCL each sit in their own 5-year price and valuation history.

BASED ON 5-YEAR HISTORY CCL Elevated · below norm 0th 50th 100th 7 pct gap RCL Elevated · below norm 0th 50th 100th 76th 82nd
CCL (76th percentile) and RCL (82nd percentile) both sit in the upper portion of their own 5-year ranges. The historical entry context is broadly similar for both. This reflects entry timing, not which company is structurally stronger.

Describes historical entry positioning only. Descriptive — not investment advice.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Stability
Stability also leans toward Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., reinforcing the broader structural lead.
Profitability
Both look solid on profitability, though Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. still holds the stronger peer position.
Stability — Dominant Gap
CCL
23
RCL
41
Gap+18in favour of RCL

The clearest distance comes from a steadier profile over time.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Absolute pricing still looks more supportive for Carnival, with a forward P/E that is 3.5 turns lower there.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both stability and profitability — though valuation still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the CCL vs RCL comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

Explore full breakdown →
Similar stability-and-profitability comparisons

Explore how CCL and RCL each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Because scores are peer-relative, the same company can have slightly different scores in different index universes. On comparison pages, both companies are shown within their shared peer universe wherever possible — so the scores are directly comparable. The peer basis is stated on each score card.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.