TLCOhio

From CNBC, the cable financial news network, late this morning, they had this headline: “Powell says inflation has been higher than thought and expects rates to hold steady” with these highlights: “Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell reiterated Tuesday that inflation is falling more slowly than expected and will keep the central bank on hold for an extended period. Speaking to the Foreign Bankers’ Association in Amsterdam, the central bank leader noted that the rapid disinflation that happened in 2023 has slowed considerably this year and caused a rethink of where policy is headed. 'We did not expect this to be a smooth road. But these [inflation readings] were higher than I think anybody expected,' Powell said. 'What that has told us is that we’ll need to be patient and let restrictive policy do its work.' While he expects inflation to come down through the year, he noted that hasn’t happened so far.” Looks like interest rates are going to stay high much longer than expected and hoped. Right or wrong? Full story at: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/14/powell-says-inflation-has-been-higher-than-thought-and-expects-rates-to-hold-steady.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog with many visuals, including “Golden Triangle”, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992045-live-terryohio-india-to-signapore-silver-moon-rising-pix’s/

Oh, "calls and puts" are way above my playing field and financial expertise. I will let others enjoy putting chips down and playing at that "Wall Street Casino". Appreciate these comments and follow-ups. Keep it coming. From a Wall Street Journal-connected financial news website yesterday morning, they had this headline: “Stock Market Crash Warning: Don’t Get Caught Holding These 3 Cruise Stocks” with these highlights: “The cruise industry has long been a popular choice. However, behind the glitz and glamor, the industry has been grappling with several inherent weaknesses. Those have left the sector particularly vulnerable to economic downturns and unforeseen crises, causing investors to question the long-term viability of these cruise stocks. One of the most significant weaknesses of the cruise industry is its heavy reliance on discretionary spending. Unlike essential goods and services, cruises are often seen as a luxury. Some consumers easily forego such treats during times of financial uncertainty. Also, high interest rate environment and inflationary pressures have battered these cruise stocks to avoid.” As to RCL, they zero in and shared: "Royal Caribbean has demonstrated improvement in its financial results. However, the company is grappling with a substantial debt burden. Notably, it has around $20 million in cash and $21 billion in debt. However, RCL is projecting strong performance for 2024, having raised its guidance due to robust demand. The company had a notable debt reduction in 2023, when RCL paid off approximately $4 billion. For 2024, RCL has scheduled significant capital expenditures totaling around $3.3 billion. This price tag was primarily for its new ship orders, including the Utopia of the Seas and Silver Ray. Also, the company anticipates a capacity increase of 8.5% compared to 2023." Interesting background and financial details!! And, Royal Caribbean is in somewhat better financial shape than both Carnival and Norwegian as per how Wall Street traders view these various stocks. This story also highlighted some factors involving OneSpaWorld Holdings that services major cruise lines. Reactions, comments, questions and predictions?? Full story at: https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/stock-market-crash-warning-dont-get-caught-holding-these-3-cruise-stocks-1033370074 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums

For comparison from the Wall Street Journal late Friday afternoon after the stock market closing, below is the chart for Viking. This is their first full week of trading after their IPO. Does this seem a little "rocky". Lots of ups and downs? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate these great comments and follow-ups. Yes, it has been nice move up for Royal Caribbean as they have progressed much more as viewed by the stock traders versus their two main competitors . From the Wall Street Journal below are the trading updates during this past week. Plus, other trends and comparisons. Any predictions for later this month as to how the markets move? Or, for the second half of 2024? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020, many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia. This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc: Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/ From the Wall Street Journal, here are the charts for the trading during this week of the three major cruise lines. In the past, it was more likely that these three stocks seemed to match each other as to their daily ups and downs. Not so much any more?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) For 2024 since January 1, here has been the significant upward moves for RCL during this recent period of time.: Here is the down and then UP run for the overall S&P 500 during this past one-month period.:

Here is more from the Wall Street Journal charts for Carnival and Norwegian during the past five years. This provides even more, signifiant perspective as to the how stock market very differently views Royal Caribbean versus their two major competitors. It is like a "Tale of Two Cities" for RCL versus the other two. Right or wrong? On December 1, 2019, the Carnival stock previously peaked at $50.83. Now $14.41 this morning. Norwegian stock previously peaked December 2019 at $58.41. Now $16.02 early this afternoon. Carnival Five-Year History: Norwegian Five-Year History: Both way off from their peaks before the downward slide during the Covid shutdown and recovery period. Added reactions, insights and comments? Future predictions?? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals, Our firsts in these scenic areas! Now at 21,312 views. Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

Since I only posted the history for the past three years, here is the Wall Street Journal chart for Royal Caribbean during the past five years. That provides some added, signifiant perspective Of special note is that on December 1, 2019, the RCL stock was previously peaked at $133.51. Now $143.71 this morning, they are more than fully recovered from the downward slide during the Covid shutdown and recovery period. WOW! That's a nice "bounce-back" for RCL. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio From late 2018, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East. Now at 22,646 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

For added perspective, here is the Wall Street Journal chart for Royal Caribbean during the past year or 52 weeks. Nice moves, up and UP!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Great insight and follow-up as to the challenges with some demographics and the difficulties on shorter cruises when certain passengers are too focused on quick, "party-time" activities. That can make things bad for those just seeking to "relax and enjoy". Below from this morning's Wall Street Journal is their Royal Caribbean chart showing this stock hitting a 52-week high. Progress? Going up, UP?? Neither Carnival or Norwegian are moving in such positive directions to match RCL THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Panama Canal? Early 2017, Fort Lauderdale to San Francisco adventure through Panama Canal. Our first stops in Colombia, Central America and Mexico, plus added time in the great Golden Gate City. Now at 33,105 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580

Appreciate this great follow-up about Jeffrey. Outstanding staff such as Jeffrey are part of what can make a journey with Silversea so very fun and amazing. Dealing with and/or waiting for the top corporate staff to do the "right thing, however, is a very different situation. From the Wall Street Journal's sister Barron's publication this morning, they had this headline: “Viking’s IPO Scores. Kid-Free Cruises Have Been a Hit With Its Customer Base.” With their tight paywall, it is hard to read the full article, but this was one of the reporting highlights: “Viking Cruises founder and CEO Torstein Hagen says the company’s child-free ships have been critical to its success as it courted older customers for luxury European river and ocean journeys.” Going after "older customers"!! Yes, that's one of the focuses for the luxury and upscale cruise lines. BUT, how does Silversea and others shift and also appeal and connect with those younger for the future as our demographic ages out and has a shrinking wallet? Full story at: https://www.barrons.com/articles/viking-ipo-kid-free-cruises-1f867fda THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit. Now at 34,975 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

YES! YES!!! That "pay up in full way ahead" is one of my big, big hang-ups about considering Viking. Also, have had friends who had to hassle for getting proper credit on re-booking after a booked-and-paid cruise was scrubbed during the Covid period. Will be interested to see as Viking adds more ocean cruise ships if and when they "get real" with their payment policies and other financial practices. It will be interesting to see as Ritz-Carlton and others go after the more upscale, smaller ship market if Viking's offers and options evolve. PLUS, we are all waiting till when the next recession hits and how deep it impacts consumer decisions/spending. Sorry, not a Gin and Tonic guy, so I have no opinions as to that special subject. Am more of a frozen margarita guy as the below visual shows from our February 2024 Silver Moon, Mumbai to Singapore adventure. Anyone remember super wonderful Jeffrey from past Silversea sailings? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 56,161 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

Don't worry, R&T. All of us have had experiences and options, likes and dislikes, etc. All are entitled to express comments, share pro/con factors and make follow-ups. No cruise line is 100% perfect, nor fitting exactly for each individual's preferences, budget and style. From the Wall Street Journal late Friday afternoon after the stock market closing, below are the charts for the three major cruise lines. Things, trends and patterns look very different for each of these corporations. Why and how? Clearly the markets and traders did not appreciate the position and direction for Norwegian after hearing their mid-week quarterly financial report. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Athens & Greece: Visuals, details from two visits in a city and nearby with great history, culture and architecture. Now at 64,639 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008 Here are the Wall Street Journal charts for the most recent five days of stock trading with the current "Big Three" cruise companies. For Norwegian, things did not "bounce back" on Thursday or Friday.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) For its first few days on the NY Stock Exchange, Viking moved up, UP, UP!! Will that trend continue? For how long? Should Viking be included for future postings?: For comparison, here is the broader S&P 500 chart for this past week. Looks rather "rocky" and fast-changing?:

Appreciate these wonderful dining delights and all of the tasty follow-ups. Anyone ready for their "Golden Years"?? BUT, where's the Gold? At the end of a rainbow?? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate from R&T and highplanesdrifters these great follow-ups and comments. Agree that Viking will be worth watching and considering. For us, it is all about itineraries, interesting port stops/options, etc. From friends who have done Viking Ocean, there are various pro/con factors to consider. As Viking adds more Ocean ships with that 900-passenger size, we will be watching with interest. Plus, checking as to what reasonable "value" in pricing will be offered. Lots of variables!! From MSN News and this financial news website this morning, they had this headline: “Why Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Stock Was Tumbling This Week” with these highlights: “Some investors just can't be pleased. That seemed to be the dynamic at work this week with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, whose stock was sinking this week despite quite a decent quarterly earnings report. According to data compiled by S&P Global Market Intelligence, as of early morning Friday the share price was more than 16% underwater week to date. It seems as if the company was the victim of outsize expectations. Perhaps that isn't so surprising given the persistently high demand in the travel industry in these early years after pandemic lockdowns.” Here is more from their comments about NCLH: "Sentiment in Norwegian stock wasn't helped by a clutch of price target cuts from several of those analysts -- even though none was drastic. Susquehanna's Christopher Stathoulopoulos lowered his price target to $18 per share from the previous $21, for example, while maintaining a neutral recommendation. Wells Fargo prognosticator Daniel Politzer also kept his neutral stance in cutting his price target to $19 per share from $21." Is "neutral" good enough for the cruise line future? Or, is it a sign seeing dark, negative clouds looming over the croppy seas' horizon? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/why-norwegian-cruise-line-holdings-stock-was-tumbling-this-week/ar-AA1o5rID?ocid=BingNewsSearch THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados on the Silver Cloud for 26 days. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 75,085 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

YES!!! Much of interest from the Viking filings and where things go as they add more ships for their Ocean sailing offerings. With a size of 900 passengers, they are not an exact, direct competitor to Silversea, Regent and Seabourn. BUT, close enough to be of interest to see their offerings, pricings and options. From the Wall Street Journal's Barron's and MSN News this afternoon, they had this headline: “Viking Stock Sails Higher In Trading Debut” with these highlights: “Viking Holdings stock is cruising higher in its debut. Shares of the luxury cruise operator opened at $26.15, above its initial public offering price of $24. It’s currently up 10% at $26.44. The company has a market valuation of $11.3 billion based on that opening price and more than 431 million in shares outstanding. The company raised $1.54 billion, the most money among U.S. initial public offerings this year. Shareholders Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and private equity group TPG also offered more than 53 million shares, an upsize of the initial plan.” Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/viking-prices-ipo-at-24-cruise-operator-picks-interesting-day-to-go-public/ar-AA1nYq6N THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 112,709 views.

From the Reuters newswire and MSN News this morning, they had this headline: “Cruise operator Norwegian's Q1 revenue miss overshadows raised outlook” with these highlights: “Shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings fell more than 12% after the operator's downbeat first-quarter revenue overshadowed a raise in annual profit forecast on Wednesday. Expectations for cruise operators have generally become high after strong booking trends and demand drove up their results and shares last year. Shares of Norwegian and its rival Carnival have seen their growth temper from those highs, in part due to concerns around cost pressures and their brands' exposure to the Middle East conflict.” Here is a good take-away summary point from this reporting: " 'The challenge for NCLH shares this year and likely today as well is that RCL has set a very high bar with several massive beat & raises this year,' said Truist Securities analyst Patrick Scholes." As added notes from my listening this am, here is more as stated by the Norwegian CEO and CFO: There was lots of interest and discussions as related to new builds, future growth, etc. NCHL grew capacity 8% while increasing prices and bookings. “Yield growth is strong.” On board revenue is up and strong. For the Spring of 2025, they have scrubbed all Red Sea sailings and middle-east. See much "pricing strength", broad-based demand in all geographic areas. They admit "cutting the fat" for food, marketing; but claimed they are pushing better logistics, not cutting quality of food. Doing more on private islands saying customers love the experience. Demand is still strong. View consumer as “very healthy”. In three weeks they will have a bigger investor call/conference on May 20. They are not worried on Viking Ocean growth or competition. They ducked a little for answering or detailing how new-build ship construction inflation will be affecting their future bottom line. Questions? Reactions? Will their stock rebound later this week, later this month? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/cruise-operator-norwegians-q1-revenue-miss-overshadows-raised-outlook/ar-AA1nZrL5 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 250,088 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/