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☆ I went on 2 of Royal Caribbean's largest and newest cruise ships. I enjoyed them, but they're not for everyone.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

And if you're looking for high-end sailing to unique destinations, I'd suggest avoiding Royal Caribbean's mega-ships. Brittany Chang/Business InsiderAccording to its current expansion plan, by 2028, about a third of Royal Caribbean's fleet will consist of mega-ships. Wonder of the Seas (left) and Icon of the Seas (right) both have Sorrento's, a complimentary grab-and-go pizza shop. If you plan on cruising with your children — and if they, like me, love activities like rock climbing and mini-golfing — Royal Caribbean's mega-ships could be your best option. After all, like most of Royal Caribbean's largest vessels, both Icon and Wonder are exclusively sailing in the Caribbeans.

Persons: —, Brittany Chang, I've, Sharon Yattaw Organizations: Service, Oceania Cruises, Business, Royal, Regent Seven Locations: Royal Caribbean, CocoCay, Polynesia, Caribbean, Oceania

Barclays cut its price target on Tesla. Turrin's $480 price target suggests Microsoft shares, which are up more than 10% this year, could add another 15.8% over the next 12 months. Nardone kept his $150 price target, which implies Crocs shares could gain 24.3% over the next 12 months. Tesla shares, which have lost more than 36% this year, traded 1.3% higher in premarket trading. Redburn Atlantic also cut its price target to $130 from $150, reiterating its sell rating on the stock.

Persons: Raymond James, Wells, Michael Turrin, Turrin, — Pia Singh, Crocs, Christopher Nardone, Terence Reilly, Nardone, Stanley, Ben Chaiken, Chaiken, Jefferies, Corey Tarlowe, Tarlowe, Tesla's, Dan Levy, Levy, Tesla, Pavel Molchanov, Vernova, Molchanov, Fred Imbert Organizations: CNBC, Wednesday's, Barclays, GE, Microsoft, Bank of America Bank of America, Royal, Mizuho Securities Mizuho, Royal Beach Club, Urban, Jefferies, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie, General Electric, GE Vernova Locations: Wells Fargo, Heydude, Royal Caribbean, Tuesday's

☆ Royal Caribbean's family-friendly private island is about to get more crowded with Gen Xers
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewRoyal Caribbean's family-friendly private island is about to get a bit more crowded — with Gen Xers. Royal Caribbean's private island is a tropical dream for cruising families dotted with sprawling beaches, clubs, a zipline, and a waterpark. Royal Caribbean goes after multi-generational families, while Celebrity's target demographic is Gen Xers, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, the then-CEO of Celebrity Cruises, told Business Insider in 2021. Celebrity sails to 300 ports on all seven continents — why this sudden push for the private Caribbean island? Brittany Chang/Business InsiderBut for the two brands' parent company, there are more benefits to private island cruising besides guest satisfaction.

Persons: —, Gen Xers, Gen X, Brittany Chang, Xers, Lisa Lutoff, Michael Bayley, CocoCay, Patrick Scholes, Bayley Organizations: Service, Cruises, Royal, Business, Royal Caribbean Group, Apex, Celebrity Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Truist Securities, Coco Locations: CocoCay, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Royal Caribbean, that's, Royal, Caribbean, Brittany, cabanas

☆ Cruise lines' private islands are having a renaissance. These are the 3 reasons they need it now more than ever before.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

To cruise lines, they're cash cows. Related storiesThese are the three reasons cruise-run private destinations have become so important. Amid rising fuel costs, it's easy to see why cruise lines would want to plan more itineraries around these nearby stops. Private destinations keep profits in-houseThe bar had two halves: one on land and the other at pool level. And because there's no need to rely on other excursion operators, they allow cruise lines to keep more profits in-house.

Persons: —, Patrick Scholes, Michael Bayley, Naftali Holtz, it's, Scholes, wouldn't, Linken D'Souza, Brittany Chang, Josh Weinstein, Jason Liberty, Simone Padovani, CHANDAN KHANNA, They're Organizations: Service, Royal, Business, Truist Securities, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Cruise, Holland America, MSC, Royal Caribbean International, Royal Caribbean Group, Beach, cabanas, Carnival Corp, Private, Hideaway, Disney, Key, Getty Locations: Miami, Bahamas, CocoCay, Caribbean, Honduras, Belize, Eleuthera, Cay, Holland, Royal Caribbean, Paradise, Nassau, Florida, cabanas, Royal, Orlando, Venice, Italy's Giudecca, Santorini, Greece, Key West , Florida, California, Alaska , Maine, Europe, Juneau , Alaska, French Polynesia, Italy

☆ How can cruise lines deal with popular destinations getting sick of tourists? Develop private islands and exclusive stops, of course.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Cruise lines are embracing private destinations in part due to overcrowding at popular ports. At least 14 private cruise destinations have opened or will open soon in the Caribbean. So what's a cruise line to do when it's no longer welcome at popular destinations? It's a strategy popular cruise lines are increasingly embracing. Private islands and beaches have popped up throughout the Caribbean, one of the world's hotspots for cruises.

Persons: —, they're Organizations: Service, Travel, Business Locations: Caribbean, CocoCay, Bahamas

☆ I got a peek at the new adults-only area at Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay. I'm sure it'll become a smash hit on the $350 million private island.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-17 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

I spent an afternoon at Hideaway Beach, the new adults-only area of Royal Caribbean's private island. About two-thirds of Royal Caribbean's guests are expected to stop at the private Bahamas island this year. AdvertisementWhat do you get when you cross a Las Vegas pool club with a cruise ship and a private island? You get Royal Caribbean's new Hideaway Beach. In January, the popular cruise line unveiled the newest extension of its Perfect Day at CocoCay private island in the Bahamas.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Royal Locations: Hideaway, Royal, Bahamas, Vegas, Atlantic City , New Jersey

☆ Icon of the Seas: Why Americans Are Obsessed With Big Cruise Ships
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Henry Wismayer | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +17 min

Love them or loathe them, giant cruise ships are among the most remarkable success stories of the mass tourism age. Rechristened the Mardi Gras, the first Carnival cruise ship sailed out of Miami that March. Cruise ships like the Icon of the Seas will spend the majority of their trip at sea. Eight years later, cruise ships such as the Diamond Princess became early incubators for COVID-19. Cruise Market Watch forecasts there will be 360 cruise ships in service at the end of this year, comprising less than 1% of the global commercial fleet.

Persons: Ted Arison, Arison, Pieter De Boer, Costa, Diamond, Aaron Saunders, We've, Sue Bryant, Z, sass, Emma Le Teace, YouTuber, David Foster Wallace, Harper's, Sarah Knorr, Bryan Comer, Karla Hart, Hart, Saunders, it's, Henry Wismayer Organizations: Port, Passengers, Mardi Gras, Mardi, Gras, Cruise, Royal Caribbean, Costa Concordia, Cruise Lines International Association, Broadway, CivicScience, Royal, Virgin, Business, Transport & Environment, Getty, International Council, Global Cruise, Global Cruise Activist Network, Cruise Market, Royal Caribbean International, New York Times, National Geographic, Financial Times Locations: Port of Miami, Caribbean, Miami, The Port, Tuscany, Italy, Royal Caribbean, TikTok, Panama, Bahamas, Brussels, Netherlands, Douarnenez, Venice, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Amsterdam, Juneau , Alaska, Skagway , Alaska, CocoCay, London

☆ Photos show Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas side-by-side. See how the world's two largest cruise ships compare.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Read previewThe bigger the better, the more the merrier: The world's two largest cruise ships have finally met. Sharon YattawUntil recently, the 235,600-gross-ton Wonder of the Seas was the world's largest cruise ship, spanning 1,188 feet long and 18 decks tall. The Icon of the Seas, left, and Wonder of the Seas, right, are the two world's largest cruise ships, each complete with a list of colorful family-friendly amenities. Royal Caribbean InternationalThe Icon of the Seas is set to begin its first year of revenue cruises on January 27. Meanwhile, its predecessor was docked at Perfect Day as part of that ship's ongoing seven-night Caribbean cruise.

Persons: —, Sharon Yattaw Organizations: Service, Business, Royal Caribbean, Royal Locations: CocoCay, Bahamas, Royal Caribbean, PortMiami, Cozumel, Mexico

☆ A Taylor Swift-themed cruise sets sail in 2024: Here's what 'Swifties' need to know about the fan-led experience
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Taylor Swift fans are entering their cruise era. The travel agency Marvelous Mouse Travels announced it's organizing a fan-led cruise group for "Swifties" to come together and celebrate the singer and their fandom. The cruise, which is not actually affiliated with Taylor Swift herself, will take place aboard the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas ship next fall. Malerman happened to be wearing a Taylor Swift shirt one of the days and the rest, they say, is history. Taylor Swift will not be present for this fan-led experience.

Persons: Taylor Swift, Swift, Jessica Malerman, Nicole Rivera, Shelby Reyes, Malerman, Reyes, Allen J Organizations: Seas, Port, CNBC, Royal Caribbean, Royal, Los Angeles Times, Getty Locations: Caribbean, Port of Miami, Royal Caribbean, Bahamas, Nassau, staterooms, United States

☆ Lobster dinners, luxury goods, and go karting: everyday travelers are splashing out on their cruises
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-28 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Onboard spending jumped from an average of $66 a day to $81 a day from the second quarter of 2019 to the same time in 2023. AdvertisementAdvertisementFrom WiFi to fancy dinners to go-karting at sea , cruise travelers have been spending big at sea. In the third quarter of 2021, Arnold Donald, the former president and CEO of Carnival Corp, was already noting "off the charts" onboard spend . Amid the influx of ultra-cheap cruises , onboard spend caught up to and surpassed 2019 levels before fares did. "It's a longer sales cycle that helps build that overall onboard revenue product," Mark Kempa, Norwegian's executive vice president and CFO, said during the call.

Persons: —, Arnold Donald, it's, Holland America —, Robin Farley, Patrick Scholes, Brittany Chang, Harry Sommer, Sommer, Mark Kempa, Jason Liberty, Liberty, Scholes, We're, couldn't Organizations: Service, Carnival Corp, Holland America, UBS, Truist Securities, Farley Travelers, Royal, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, Royal Caribbean Group, MSC, Cartier, Rolex Locations: Royal Caribbean, CocoCay, Norwegian

☆ I reluctantly went on my first cruise vacation. It was surprisingly fun, but the crowding was intense.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Haley Tenore | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

But I was recently persuaded to book a cruise vacation — and I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Haley TenoreThe ship had several dining options, including a buffet, a dining room, room service, and a Ben and Jerry's kiosk that also served Starbucks coffee. I wouldn't write off going on another cruise, but I think I prefer planning my own trips. If I'm going to a new city, state, or country, I like to be able to plan where I'm gonna go, how long I'm going to spend there, how much money I will spend, and when I'm going to need downtime. AdvertisementAdvertisementDo you cruise, or work on a cruise ship, and have a story to share?

Persons: I've, Christopher Biggs, CocoCay, Haley Tenore, Ben, —, I'm Organizations: Caribbean's, Service, Royal Caribbean's, Royal Caribbean, Admiral Cruises, Royal, New Locations: Bahamas, Baltimore, Nassau, CocoCay, Royal Caribbean, mealtimes

☆ Top Wall Street analysts pound the table on these 5 stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-20 | by ( Tipranks.Com Staff | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

One strategy is to track the investment ideas of Wall Street pros and glean valuable insights into making successful stock decisions. To that end, TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance, has identified five stocks well liked by top-ranking analysts. Earlier this month, the company trounced analysts' second-quarter earnings estimates and returned to double-digit revenue growth. In particular, Feinseth expects RCL's "Perfect Day at CocoCay" private island resort to be a key growth driver and industry differentiator, which could fuel significant incremental revenue growth and yields. Feinseth holds the 266th position among more than 8,500 analysts on TipRanks.

Persons: Sachin Mittal, Mittal, Goldman Sachs, Eric Sheridan, Sheridan, Datadog, Kash Rangan, Rangan, Ivan Feinseth, Feinseth Organizations: Nasdaq, Amazon, TipRanks, Royal, Tigress, Netflix Locations: Mobile, Caribbean, North America

☆ Icon of the Seas: The world's biggest cruise ship is almost ready
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Maureen O'Hare | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Royal Caribbean International’s Icon of the Seas is a mammoth 365 meters long (nearly 1,200 feet) and will weigh a projected 250,800 tonnes. Royal Caribbean InternationalIt’s being built at Meyer Turku shipyard, one of Europe’s leading shipbuilders, in Turku, Finland. At an on-site press panel earlier this year, Royal Caribbean International president and chief executive Michael Bayley told media that the vessel was on track to join the Royal Caribbean fleet on October 26, ahead of its 2024 debut. The Icon completed its first set of sea trials on June 22, according to a Royal Caribbean statement. Royal Caribbean InternationalThe ship promises more than 40 ways to dine, drink and be entertained, many of which are included in the cruise fare.

Persons: Michael Bayley, ” Bayley Organizations: CNN, Royal Caribbean, CN, Meyer Turku, Royal Caribbean International, Royal Locations: Finland, Turku, Royal Caribbean, Caribbean, Western, Miami, CocoCay, Beach

☆ Cruise stocks soar as industry rebounds. Here's what analysts expect to happen next
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Carnival and Norwegian Cruise Line hit 52-week highs Wednesday, while Royal Caribbean did so Tuesday. RCL YTD mountain Royal Caribbean year to date For Farley, Royal Caribbean stands out because it has about 64% of its cruises in the Caribbean, a strong market. Investors now may be waiting to see if there will be more price target increases from analysts after the latest run up. Royal Caribbean has 3% downside to the average analyst price target of $92.77 as of Tuesday's close, per FactSet. Carnival has 21% downside to its average price target of $12.11, and Norwegian has 15% downside to its $16.60 average price target.

Persons: It's, Jason Liberty, Patrick Scholes, Robin Farley, Matthew Boss, Bank of America's Andrew Didora, Josh, Didora, Farley, Truist's Scholes, James Hardiman, Greg Badishkanian, Scholes, Managements, Boss, CNBC's Michael Bloom, Josh Weinstein Organizations: shutdowns, Wall Street, Cruise Line, Royal, CNBC, Royal Caribbean, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, CCL, Bank of America's, UBS, Argus Research, Citi, Wolfe Research, JPMorgan, Investors Locations: Royal Caribbean, U.S, Miami, Tuesday's, Caribbean, Norwegian

☆ Despite all odds, consumers are still traveling this summer. Here are the stocks you need to own
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +11 min

Yet despite all odds, 61% of those surveyed said they plan to travel this summer, up from the 49% who said the same in summer 2021. Some 56% of adults are more likely to stay in a hotel this summer than they were in 2022, according to the AHLA/Morning Consult survey. Booking Holdings is also an analyst favorite, with an average rating of overweight and 10% upside to the average price target, per FactSet. While prices are still high, the latest consumer price index for April showed the airline fares index fell 2.6% month over month, after rising in February and March. Airlines are essentially sold out for summer travel, according to TD Cowen analyst Helane Becker.

Persons: Matt Kramer, They're, You've, Sylvia Jablonski, Kramer, Freed, Bernstein, David Vernon, Price, Robin Farley, Farley, James Hardiman, Hardiman, Josh Weinstein's, RevPar, Tony Capuano, Chris Nassetta, Biden, Hilton, they've, Airbnb, Brian Chesky, it's, Evercore, Mark Mahaney, amortization, Mahaney, Cowen, Helane Becker, Becker, — CNBC's Michael Bloom, Ashley Capoot Organizations: KPMG, KPMG Consumer, Survey, Cruise ETF, Royal, Holdings, Marriott, United Airlines, Morning, American, & Lodging Association, Cruises, UBS, Citi, CCL, CNBC, Hilton Worldwide, U.S . Travel Association, State Department, Booking Holdings, Booking, Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Copa Holdings, Panamanian, Copa Airlines Locations: United States, Royal Caribbean, United, Caribbean, CocoCay, Thursday's, China, North America, Asia, Europe

☆ Royal Caribbean is building the new world's largest cruise ship — see what the upcoming Icon of the Seas is like under construction
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Royal Caribbean International invited a group of reporters to tour its upcoming Icon of the Seas. Take a look around the roughly 70% complete floating resort soon to accommodate nearly 10,000 people per sailing. It's hard to imagine this incomplete shell of a floating resort will soon be the world's largest cruise ship to hit the market. In mid-May, Royal Caribbean International invited a group of reporters to visit the upcoming Icon of the Seas while under construction in Turku, Finland's Meyer Turku shipyard. But come January 2024, this mega cruise ship will begin accommodating 7,600 guests on year-round seven-night cruises from Miami to the Caribbean and Perfect Day at CocoCay.

☆ Passengers applauded and got 'really emotional' after a Royal Caribbean cruise liner rescued 17 people from a tiny boat in the Bahamas
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( Stephanie Stacey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Royal Caribbean cruise ships rescued 17 people from a tiny boat in the Bahamas. Due to heavy winds, the cruise ship had skipped a planned day trip to CocoCay, a private island in the Bahamas owned by Royal Caribbean. This turned out to be a "lucky" coincidence, said Bradford, as it ended up crossing paths with the tiny boat that the Royal Caribbean captain said had been adrift for weeks. The people on the tiny boat were waving pieces of red fabric, said Bradford. This was the latest in a series of similar incidents of cruise ships crossing paths with migrants' boats.

☆ I stayed in a $1,400 stateroom on Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas — see what my room on the world's largest cruise ship looked like
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

This price then skyrockets to a little over $1,840 per person — with the same discount — for an eight-night sailing in late December from Florida to three Caribbean islands and Perfect Day at Cococay. Brittany Chang/InsiderSource: Royal Caribbean International

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