5 Best Cruise Stocks To Buy Now

4. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 54

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) ranks 5th on our list of the best cruises to watch. It is a global cruise company that operates under the brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. On February 1, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) provided optimistic guidance for 2024, driven by strong demand and record bookings. The cruise operator anticipates an adjusted profit of $9.50-$9.70 per share for 2024, reflecting a 40% year-over-year increase and surpassing the Street consensus of $9.18. In 2023, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) earned a profit of $6.77 per share. Additionally, for Q1 2024, the company forecasts adjusted EPS between $1.10 to $1.20 per share, exceeding the Street’s consensus estimate of $0.84 per share.

According to Insider Monkey’s fourth quarter database, 54 hedge funds were bullish on Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL), up from 41 funds in the last quarter. D E Shaw is the biggest stakeholder of the company, with 4.8 million shares worth $632.3 million. 

Ariel Fund made the following comment about Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) in its Q2 2023 investor letter:

“Several stocks in the portfolio had strong returns over the period. Global cruise vacation company, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL), was one of the top 3 performers in the S&P 500 during the quarter. Shares surged following a significant top- and bottom-line earnings beat, as stronger than anticipated consumer demand is driving a record WAVE season. Forward booking trends are also ahead of historical ranges at record pricing. These factors combined with further improvement in onboard spend and solid cost containment led management to increase RCL’s full-year 2023 guidance. We believe the revised revenue and earnings outlook lays the foundation for RCL to exceed its’ three-year strategic imperative, the Trifecta Program.”