Can CCL Maintain Record Pricing Across Both North America and Europe?

Carnival Corporation & plc CCL has entered a period of unprecedented pricing power, achieving record ticket pricing across both North America and European sourcing brands. Management confirmed during the third-quarter 2025 earnings call that pricing levels on both sides of the Atlantic have reached historical highs, reflecting strong demand, improved commercial execution and a compelling value proposition versus land-based vacations.

The company posted a 4.6% year-over-year increase in yields for the quarter, exceeding prior guidance due to stronger-than-expected close-in demand and continued momentum in onboard spending. These gains were broad-based across regions, reinforcing that the pricing strength is not isolated or temporary.

Several structural drivers position Carnival to maintain premium pricing moving forward. With capacity growth limited to just 0.8% in 2026 and no new ships scheduled for delivery next year, supply discipline should support price resilience. Strategic investments such as Celebration Key are also enabling pricing premiums, with management emphasizing strong returns and early evidence of higher ticket pricing tied to itineraries visiting the destination. Additionally, nearly half of 2026 bookings are already secured at higher prices, signaling durable demand.

However, risks remain. The company expects a modest yield headwind from the rollout of a new loyalty program in mid-2026 and increased operating and dry dock expenses next year. Yet with record booking trajectories, low supply growth, diversified brand strength and new experiences driving differentiation, Carnival appears well positioned to sustain its pricing performance across North America and Europe.

Competitor Landscape: Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line

Carnival’s ability to preserve record pricing across North America and Europe must be viewed within the context of rising competitive intensity, particularly from Royal Caribbean Group RCL and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings NCLH.

Royal Caribbean continues to expand its premium capacity footprint and has aggressively leaned into product differentiation through next-generation ships and exclusive island destinations. This competitive strategy directly overlaps with Carnival’s focus on value-enhancing private destinations like Celebration Key and RelaxAway, creating a more level playing field in terms of pricing leverage and guest experience.

Meanwhile, Norwegian Cruise Line has taken a disciplined approach to fleet additions and emphasized targeted growth within high-yield itineraries. Both competitors are intent on extracting pricing power from brand strength rather than relying on heavy discounting, which requires Carnival to continuously defend its leadership position in core vacation markets. With multiple brands pursuing similar strategies, sustaining premium pricing will increasingly depend on experience-driven differentiation.

CCL’s Price Performance, Valuation and Estimates

Shares of Carnival have gained 12.9% in the past six months compared with the industry’s rise of 1.1%

Price Performance

From a valuation standpoint, CCL trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 10.58X, significantly below the industry average of 15.68X.

P/E (F12M)

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CCL’s 2025 and 2026 earnings implies a year-over-year uptick of 52.8% and 10.8%, respectively. EPS estimates for fiscal 2025 have increased in the past 60 days.

CCL currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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