Yahoo Finance RCL Partners Goldbelt to Enhance Alaska Operations With New Port
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. RCL recently announced a partnership with Goldbelt Incorporated to co-develop a new port facility, The Port of Tomorrow, in Juneau, AK. The project aims to enhance visitor experience and local tourism infrastructure while addressing key transportation challenges in the region.
Slated to open in 2027, the new port will feature two floating berths and provide visitors with an immersive cultural experience showcasing Alaska's rich heritage. Guests will have direct access to whale-watching tours and shuttle boats to Mendenhall Glacier, bypassing the congested downtown streets. This design is expected to reduce nearly one-third of the bus traffic on Juneau’s busiest roadways, improving the traffic and enhancing the overall experience for RCL’s cruisers.
Positioned strategically along major shipping routes near Steven's Passage, the port will also offer environmental advantages. The company expects to achieve operational efficiencies through reduced travel time, speed and fuel consumption for ships heading to Skagway, the Gulf of Alaska or further destinations like Sitka or Seward. The environmental and cost-saving benefits will likely enhance the overall performance of RCL’s Alaska itineraries.
Preston Carnahan, AVP West Coast Destinations for Royal Caribbean Group, expressed gratitude for the collaboration with Goldbelt and the Juneau community. He highlighted the solution-oriented initiative and emphasized the company's commitment to supporting Juneau as Alaska’s cruise capital by delivering exceptional guest experiences through responsible destination management.
Management remains optimistic about the new port development and anticipates the initiative to drive long-term value for the company and its passengers.
Price Performance
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Coming to price performance, shares of Royal Caribbean have gained 55.8% so far, compared with the industry’s growth of 45.7%. The company has been benefiting from strong cruising demand from new and loyal guests and robust booking trends. Also, strength in consumer spending onboard and pre-cruise purchases bodes well.
Going forward, the company emphasized investing in a modern digital travel platform to streamline the vacation booking process for customers and expand wallet share. Also, it emphasized new innovative ships and onboard experiences to boost its offering and deliver superior yields and margins. Meanwhile, earnings estimates for 2024 have increased in the past 30 days, depicting analysts' optimism regarding the stock’s growth potential.
RCL’s Rank & Other Key Picks
Royal Caribbean currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).
Some other top-ranked stocks in the Zacks Consumer Discretionary sector are Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. NCLH, Carnival Corporation & plc CCL and Cinemark Holdings, Inc. CNK. NCLH & CCL each sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), whereas CNK carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Norwegian Cruise Line has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 5.7%, on average. The stock has rallied 71.5% in the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for NCLH’s 2024 sales and earnings per share (EPS) calls for growth of 9.9% and 127.1%, respectively, from the year-ago levels.
Carnival has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 318.1%, on average. The stock has surged 83.1% in the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CCL’s 2025 sales and EPS indicates an increase of 3.5% and 24.2%, respectively, from the year-ago levels.
Cinemark Holdings has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 145.9%, on average. The stock has increased 76.8% in the past year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CNK’s 2025 sales and EPS indicates an increase of 11.4% and 29.5%, respectively, from the year-ago levels.
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