Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) vs Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL)
A side-by-side comparison of Carnival Corporation & plc and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of July 28, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.
CCL
Carnival Corporation & plc
$28.23Consumer CyclicalDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
RCL
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
$322.50Consumer CyclicalDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
Total return — CCL vs RCL
growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30yCCL +244.1%RCL +3728.6%RCL compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
CCL RCL
CCL vs RCL: by the numbers
- •RCL is the larger company ($86.49B vs $38.67B market cap).
- •CCL trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (12.22 vs 18.61 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
- •RCL converts more revenue to profit (23.56% vs 11.24% net margin).
- •RCL grew revenue faster over the past five years (188.60% vs 187.56% CAGR).
- •RCL pays the higher dividend yield (1.64% vs 1.11%).
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | CCL | RCL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 12.22 | 18.61 |
| Forward P/E | 12.11 | 17.61 |
| P/S ratio | 1.38 | 4.50 |
| P/B ratio | 2.90 | 8.43 |
| PEG ratio | 0.31 | 0.41 |
| EV / EBITDA | 8.40 | 15.31 |
| FCF yield | 8.50% | 1.66% |
Profitability
| Metric | CCL | RCL |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 34.43% | 46.64% |
| Operating margin | 16.34% | 27.32% |
| Net margin | 11.24% | 23.56% |
| ROE | 23.67% | 43.01% |
| ROIC | 10.79% | 14.90% |
Dividends
| Metric | CCL | RCL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 1.11% | 1.64% |
| Payout ratio | 14.29% | 31.79% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | CCL | RCL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 187.56% | 188.60% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | N/A | 9.81% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 29.08% | 11.57% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 3.75% | 32.71% |
Frequently asked
- Which has the lower trailing P/E, CCL or RCL?
- CCL has the lower trailing P/E: CCL trades at 12.22 and RCL at 18.61. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
- Which has grown faster, CCL or RCL?
- Over the past five years, RCL grew revenue faster — CCL at a 187.56% CAGR versus RCL at 188.60%.
- Does CCL or RCL pay a bigger dividend?
- CCL yields 1.11% and RCL yields 1.64% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is CCL or RCL more profitable?
- RCL runs the higher net margin — CCL at 11.24% versus RCL at 23.56%.
- How have CCL and RCL total returns compared?
- Over the past 10 years, CCL delivered -3.94% and RCL delivered 17.30% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Carnival Corporation & P/E ratioRoyal Caribbean Cruises P/E ratioCarnival Corporation & dividend yieldRoyal Caribbean Cruises dividend yieldCarnival Corporation & ROERoyal Caribbean Cruises ROECarnival Corporation & operating marginRoyal Caribbean Cruises operating marginCarnival Corporation & revenue growthRoyal Caribbean Cruises revenue growthCarnival Corporation & free cash flowRoyal Caribbean Cruises free cash flow
Carnival Corporation & & Royal Caribbean Cruises appear in these rankings
Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified July 28, 2026.