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From the Wall Street Journal late yesterday, they had this headline: “Wall Street Ends Wild Week in a Surprising Place" with this sub-headline: "Inflation data next week could lead to more big swings.” Here are some of their reporting highlights with this below key summary chart: “Down, up, down, up—then up just a little more. That is how the S&P 500’s wild week went, and the last gasp Friday brought it to just about where it started the week: up 12% for the year. The sudden turbulence in markets this week shattered a summer lull that many traders had suspected wouldn’t last, after stocks had soared to hang at pricey new heights. Fueling the jumpiness in recent days: the unwinding of a popular trade and any bit of data that seemed to indicate whether a recession might finally be in the cards for the U.S. economy.” And, here is what is coming next: "Traders’ attention will soon turn back to how inflation is faring, when the consumer-price index for July is released Wednesday. Retail sales will follow a day later." Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/global-stocks-markets-dow-news-08-09-2024-97f0294f?mod=hp_lead_pos2 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon vs. Porto? Many different Portugal tips, options, ideas, visuals, etc. with more than 32,500 views at: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2558841-lisbon-vs-porto-which-best/page/7/#comment-66782296
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From the London/UK Times late in July, they had this headline: “Everything you need to know about Portugal: a four-minute guide" and this sub-headline: "With all-year-round sun, how should you spend your time here? ” Here are some of the reporting highlights by writer Claudia Rowan: “With more than 300 days of sun, Portugal is one of those rare all-year-round destinations that shines no matter what the season. But given how much culture and history awaits — not to mention incredible coastlines strung with golden beaches — deciding how to spend your time here can be tricky. We’ve done the hard work for you with this video.” Full story at: https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/portugal/everything-you-need-to-know-about-portugal-a-four-minute-guide-j7k59mj2g THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 260,420 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1362155-solstice-livefirst-timer-reportspix’s-italycroatian-june-7-19/
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What a wild week for stocks during the past five days!! What's next for the rest of this month?? From the Wall Street Journal, below are their charts for the three major cruise lines. First, it shows for the most-recent five trading days. Then, looking at these stocks for the most recent three-month period. Also, a Viking chart at the bottom. Lots of ups and downs?? Why and how? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Love the Caribbean? Here are popular posts/links with Dominica having over 30,280 views. Much information for . . . . Barbados: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2179164-barbados-50th-birthday-our-pixs-experiences-feb2015/page/3/#comment-65530134Or, Dominica: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2169714-dominica-love-our-experience-pictures-etc/page/3/#comment-66637276 From the Wall Street Journal, below are their charts for the three major cruise lines during the past five trading days. Very different patterns with Royal Caribbean versus Carnival and Norwegian.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Covering the most recent three months, here has been the ups and downs for the three major cruise lines during this longer period as reflected in these Wall Street Journal charts.: Here is a look at the "ride" for Viking during the past three months.:
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From the Wall Street Journal's sister publication of Barron's and MSN News today, they had this headline: “Theme Park Inflation Is a Win for Cruise Line Stocks” with these highlights: “Put off by high theme park prices? Try a floating one. J.P. Morgan reckons that cruises are 20% cheaper now than land-based alternatives, versus 10% to 15% cheaper in 2019. It predicts a market share shift in favor of cruising.” Some big park operators such as at Disney World and Universal Studio are slowing price hikes and restoring some discounts and benefits due to consumers tightening their belts and not being willing to spend too much more due to inflation. Here are added specifics from their reporting: "This past week, Disney’s results for its fiscal third quarter showed meager growth in its Experiences division, which includes parks. Management foresees flat revenue and a small decline in operating profit there during the fourth quarter. Comcast (Universal Studio) reported weak results for its theme parks, too. With theme park prices broadly up 37% since 2019, according to J.P. Morgan, there will be limited opportunity for companies to juice results by charging more." For the cruise line industry, here is a key and interesting factoid benefiting their future positioning: "The outlook for cruising is brighter than that for theme parks.There are new ships, but not too many; capacity will increase 5.6% this year but only 2.3% next year." Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/theme-park-inflation-is-a-win-for-cruise-line-stocks/ar-AA1otkeW?ocid=BingNewsVerp THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog over 21,000 views 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/
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Appreciate these great comments and smart follow-up from our neighbor in Virginia. RCL is holding up better than Carnival and Norwegian. Yes, RCL is working to restructure their major debt. See below more recent details. Glad you are a "Happy Investor". From below, here is the mid-day chart for this stock. RCL has recovered somewhat from the major drops late last week and on Monday and continues up today. But still, this stock is a long way from their late July 52-week highs. From the Wall Street Journal yesterday, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean Group Enters Exchange Agreement on Convertible Bonds Due in 2025” with these highlights: “Royal Caribbean said it entered into exchange agreements with some holders of its 6.0% convertible bonds due in 2025. The convertible bonds will be exchanged 'for a combination of cash and shares of the company's common stock', it said Tuesday. The 2025 convertible bonds to be exchanged represent around $731 million of the outstanding principal amount. 'The [convertible bonds] due 2025 are deep in the money and by redeeming a portion of the notes with cash, Royal Caribbean reduces the ultimate dilutive impacts of a conversion,' CreditSights head of consumer goods, leisure, James Dunn, said.” Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/royal-caribbean-group-enters-exchange-agreement-on-convertible-bonds-due-in-2025-463e6025 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 As to the overall market, here is the WSJ chart for the broader S&P 500 as of late morning today. Does this look very, very rocky?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!)
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And, then, this morning, Royal Caribbean bounced back big, BIG time!! Carnival and Norwegian were both up this am about 4%. From the Wall Street Journal, here is their RCL chart as of 10:38 am: Hard to predict and/or guess as to what happens next?? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio
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Appreciate these fun follow-ups from highplanesdrifters. Keep it coming! Hopefully, the end is not near. BUT, things are very rocky and impossible to predict!! Right? From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, here is a significant contrast: Norwegian going down today, while Royal Caribbean dropped, but ended going up. What gives for this difference? On Wednesday morning, Royal Caribbean was starting at $161.14. By early morning today, RCL dropped to $132.99, then recovered a little. That's a drop of nearly $30 a share in just three days. Or, a 17.5% drop. Norweign went from Wednesday early am at $19.32 to $14.99 early this morning. That is a drop of 22.4% in just three trading days. Carnival was down 2.7% today. Dropping, but not as much as Norwegian today. 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/ Here are today's WSJ charts for Norwegian and RCL.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) For the broader, more overall S&P 500, here is what has happened with this key index during the past month. Interesting slide downward??:
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From Condé Nast Traveler magazine today, they featured a new story about UNESCO adding 24 new World Heritage Sites for 2024. With that, they featured an earlier story with this headline: “Best Places to Go in Asia in 2024” with these highlights: “It’s official, Asia is back—brighter, bolder, and more ambitious than ever. The region took longer than others to shake off pandemic-related travel restrictions and border closures, but has returned in full force, eager to remind international travelers what they’ve been missing.” This report featured three location that we enjoyed during our Feb.-March 2024 adventure. This includes for: Kochi, India: Go for: sustainable initiatives, stunning waterways, local festivals. "Kochi’s waterways have lured visitors for centuries, its verdant backwaters, lagoons and rivers as attractive to travelers today as they were to Arab, Chinese, and European merchants in the 1300s." Singapore: Go for: forest trails, new luxury stays, and Taylor Swift hype. "In September, the country has its annual date with Formula 1 at the iconic Marina Bay Street Circuit, which, as F1’s original night race, is set against a dazzling backdrop of skyscrapers and city lights." South and central Sri Lanka: Go for: wellness retreats, a new food festival, and a nearly 200-mile nature trail. "Rising from economic uncertainty, Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is in the midst of a luxury and wellness boom—from its tea-filled highlands to its palm-fringed shores. In the south of the country, new luxury resorts continue to entice." Full story at: https://www.cntraveler.com/story/best-places-to-go-in-asia-2024 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 22,630 views. Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/
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In a few minutes, the NY Stock Market will open and we will see if the cruise stocks continue to slide down, down, DOWN. From the New York Times this morning, they had this headline: “Markets Around the World Are Jolted by Fears of Slowing U.S. Growth" with this sub-headline: "A rout that began in Asia continued in Europe, and U.S. stocks are set to fall. Japan’s benchmark index logged its worst single-day point decline.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “A sell-off in markets around the world turned into a rout on Monday as investors grew panicky about signs of a slowing American economy. The moves were a sharp reversal in major stock markets, which for much of the past year have risen to new heights, propelled by optimism about cooling inflation, solid labor markets and the promise of artificial intelligence technology.” Aren't you glad you did not buy Royal Caribbean two weeks ago? Full story at: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/05/business/global-stocks.html 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 22,630 views. Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/
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Last month Pizzasteve raised the important question of "Beating the market is very difficult." Given the slide in the market on Thursday and Friday, here are a couple of articles giving more background as to the "dynamics" at play currently. Maybe?? During the end of this past week, the cruise stocks fell faster and deeper than the overall market. If you are either the Royal Caribbean CEO or CFO, how does this slide affect your future pricing and marketing for later 2024 and during 2025 to keep ships full and maximize the profit margins? YES, advance bookings have been looking good,. But if people and consumers in North America sense a risky, downward economic slide, they could cancel and not make those vital final payments. Right or wrong? From the Wall Street Journal this morning, they had this top headline: “Lousy Jobs Report Forces Fed to Reckon With Hard Landing" with this sub-headline: "Policymakers have been focused squarely on inflation. Now they need to worry about the labor market, too.” For this story, here are a few highlights: “The script is being flipped for the U.S. economy. For 2½ years, high inflation has drawn a nearly single-minded focus from the Federal Reserve and the White House as the nation’s foremost economic challenge. But in the span of a week, punctuated by a surprisingly lackluster July hiring report on Friday that sent markets reeling, the labor market has become the locus of concern for economic policymakers in Washington.” From the New York Times, they had this headline: “Is the Fed Behind the Curve? As Unemployment Rises, Worries Mount" with this sub-headline: "Central bankers are preparing to cut interest rates, and are monitoring job data as they consider when and how much to lower them.” From this NYT story, here are some of their highlights: “Federal Reserve officials held off on cutting interest rates this week because they wanted to see slightly more data to feel confident that inflation is truly coming under control. While that approach is cautious when it comes to price increases, Friday’s employment report underscored that it might be a risky one when it comes to the job market. Unemployment rose to 4.3 percent in July, up from 4.1 percent previously, as hiring slowed sharply. The labor market cracks have given sudden urgency to concerns that the Fed has waited too long to begin cutting rates — and that it might be falling behind, allowing the job market to slow in a way that will be hard to stall or reverse. 'They are absolutely behind the curve, and they need to catch up,' said Julia Coronado, founder of MacroPolicy Perspectives." As a final take-away in this Times story, the writer noted: "Once the labor market begins to slow, the cool-down can be difficult to arrest: Economists often say that the unemployment rate shoots up like a rocket and comes down like a feather. For months now, Fed policymakers have been balancing two big risks." Full stories at: https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/lousy-jobs-report-forces-fed-to-reckon-with-hard-landing-74357163?mod=hp_lead_pos1 https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/02/business/economy/jobs-report-fed.html 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 22,982 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/
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What a dramatic period for stocks, including and especially for the cruise lines, as happened in the past two days. Where is this leading as to the economy's direction for the next month and the later part of 2024? From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, they had this headline: “Nasdaq Falls Into Correction; S&P 500 Slides After Weak Jobs Report" with this sub-headline: "Treasurys rally, while stocks around the world fall.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “A summer swoon in the stock market intensified Friday after a disappointing jobs report, renewing worries about slowing growth and sending the Nasdaq Composite into correction territory. The jobs report showed the U.S. added 114,000 positions last month, well below expectations, while unemployment ticked up. The data spurred a rush into government bonds, with benchmark yields dropping further below 4%. In stocks, a broad-based selloff hammered the tech-heavy Nasdaq, which fell 2.4% and entered correction territory, down at least 10% from its recent high.” Here is the WSJ chart published with this story: Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-jobs-report-live-08-02-2024?mod=breakingnews Below are the usual charts for the major cruise line companies during the most recent five trading days, etc. In recent times, I cannot remember this sharp of a negative drop. Right or wrong? Reactions and future predictions? From this WSJ story, here was part of their bottom line summary: "This week's data has punctured some of those hopes and raised questions about whether the Federal Reserve has waited too long to trim interest rates. On Thursday, weakening employment, manufacturing and construction figures triggered a selloff in stocks, oil and other risky bets that worsened to end the week." 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 33,601 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580 Thursday and Friday were not good days for the cruise ship stocks, dropping much more down, DOWN than what hit the overall slumping/sliding market.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here is the WSJ chart for the broader, overall S&P 500 stocks during the past five days of trading.: For comparison, here is the past week's chart for Viking. Similar slide after a late July peak for this recently listed stock?:
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Could this article have driven down Royal Caribbean stock today? From the Wall Street Journal's sister publication of Barron's and MSN News today, they had this headline: “Travel Stocks Have Lagged. This Cruise Stock May Have Smoother Sailing.” with these highlights: “Many people get the blues when a trip ends, and after a huge surge in postpandemic vacations, travel stocks have dealt with a bit of a hangover as well. Just look at airlines and cruise lines. Those two industries have been on a roller-coaster ride in recent years. They naturally plunged during the brief Covid-induced 2020 recession, only to explode higher in 2021 and 2022, when restrictions began to lift and vaccines made more people comfortable about traveling again.” Here is more: "Only Royal Caribbean has shot higher, to the tune of about 43% over the past year, more than double the S&P 500’s 20% gain. One stock, and one year, don’t a pattern make. Moreover, excluding Royal Caribbean, the biggest airline and cruise stocks have uniformly been bad bets over the past five- and 10-year periods, woefully underperforming the S&P 500. Yet what is interesting is that Royal Caribbean alone among this group has surpassed its 2019 prepandemic stock price and is the only one that comes close to keeping pace with the S&P 500 over the past decade, climbing 162% to the index’s 186% gain." Comparing cruise and airline stock, this analysis notes: "Both industries face similar challenges—boom-bust cycles that are largely tied to the health of the economy, high fixed fuel costs, and the need to constantly purchase and maintain pricey assets in the form of planes and ships." Also shared: "Consumers are still feeling pinched by inflation and laser-focused on value. They aren’t foregoing their vacation, but they have to get the best bang for their buck. Here, cruise lines win out when compared with hotels." Many important aspects are outlined as to how consumers consider "value" with cruises versus land-based vacations, etc. For investors, there are many similarities and differences for cruise stocks versus those with hotels, airlines, etc. Also, there is the question of whether Royal Caribbean's stock has bounced back too high and needs some "adjustment" compared to the other two major cruise companies and other travel stocks? Reactions? Future predictions? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/travel-stocks-have-lagged-this-cruise-stock-may-have-smoother-sailing/ar-BB1qYYyo?ocid=BingNewsVerp 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 35,912 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358
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From the Wall Street Journal, here is their chart for Royal Caribbean as of early afternoon. BIG DROP!! Why? What is driving it? The other two major cruise lines were down this morning, but not by this large of a percentage. Overall market is up significantly!! Assume we will learn more later today or tomorrow. Any guesses or information as to the factors are driving this current negative activity for RCL? Full story/transcript at: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/q2-2024-norwegian-cruise-line-071358544.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Dubrovnik! Visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this super scenic and historic location. Over 54,698 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439227
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From Thomson/Reuters and Yahoo this morning, they had this headline: “Q2 2024 Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd Earnings Call” with a full transcript from yesterday's quarterly session with Wall Street financial analysts. Below are some of the highlights coming from CEO Harry Sommer, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Mark Kempa, CFO. As to pricing versus bookings, here were interesting comments from their CEO: “Our goal is to be an optimum booked position such that we can maximize yield. We don't take record booked positions to the bank; we take yield to the bank. And we have calibrated our tools such that sometimes it's okay to slow down bookings in order to raise prices. We have really seen robust pricing for 2025, up significantly compared to this time last year for '24." Much was also discussed as to controlling costs and seeking efficiencies in their operations. Much also was discussed and covered as to upcoming new builds, their Caribbean private islands, converting borrowings to stock, air costs reductions being passed on to customers, Middle-East impacts, etc. Reading this long transcript from this hour-long session helps give more background as to the complications and challenges in running a multi-brand, international cruise line business. Not easy and simple like managing a single, local hot dog stand in a resort. Very complicated and fast-changing business operation!! Most of their customers are coming from North America, but they also draw significantly from other locations around the world. Full story/transcript at: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/q2-2024-norwegian-cruise-line-071358544.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Kotor/Montenegro: Various visual samples, tips, details, etc., for this scenic, historic location. Over 56,669 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1439193
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Appreciate this follow-up about Seabourn missing for delivering some important enrichment lecture offerings. Funny and cute as to your wine research!! On some short, all port stop cruises, it is hard to make those programs work on the schedules. But, in key areas and/or with a number of sea days, having such programs is vital. From Yahoo News and this financial news website yesterday, they had this headline: “Norwegian Cruise Line Sees ‘No Cracks’ in Guest Spending” with these highlights: “Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings executives say they aren’t seeing a reduction in guest spending. 'We are seeing absolutely no decrease in onboard spend,' said Mark Kempa, chief financial officer for Norwegian Cruise Line, on an earnings call Wednesday. 'Overall, the short answer is no cracks, no deterioration.' Analysts asked about a slowdown after Marriott executives reported in a slight softening in hotel guest spending in the second quarter.” More details next as to yesterday's Norwegian quarterly finance call, Q&A, etc. Full story at: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/norwegian-cruise-line-sees-no-172513580.html THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 57,150 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
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Appreciate this follow-up about "HOPE" being eternal. From our Silver Moon experience, I forgot to share that the "entertainment" was a little mixed. With Silversea, we do not expect to get the larger-scale productions such as done with bigger ships such as provided by Celebrity, Royal Caribbean and Carnival. On our sailing it was just two singers, plus four dancers. Personally, I like the wider variety and creativity that can be accomplished with more singers. On our cruise, we had no guest speaker enrichment. That was supposedly due to the African circumnavigation that made scheduling more challenged. For a 15-day cruise, we would have liked to have seen and been offered more in this area. From the Wall Street Journal sister publication of Barron's and MSN News this morning, they had this headline: “Norwegian Cruise Line Sails Higher. Demand Looks Strong.” with these highlights from this morning's meeting with stock analysts: “Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings stock climbed Wednesday after the Miami-based cruise operator reported better-than-expected profit and raised its end-of-2024 guidance. Shares were up 2.4% to $19. The stock has fallen 7.4% this year; the benchmark S&P 500 is up 14%. Other cruise stocks, including Royal Caribbean and Carnival, were also rising.” Here's more on their financial details from this quarterly report earlier today: "Norwegian reported adjusted earnings of 40 cents a share for the June quarter, beating forecasts for 32 cents a share. Sales of $2.37 billion fell just short of analysts’ $2.38 billion target. Norwegian also upped its full-year adjusted profit guidance to $1.53 a share, up 8% from its previous forecast for $1.42, with CEO Harry Sommer touting 'robust market demand'. " Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/norwegian-cruise-line-sails-higher-demand-looks-strong/ar-BB1qX6JQ?ocid=BingNewsVerp 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 67,946 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008
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From Forbes magazine and this news website connected below yesterday, they had this headline: “Singapore is world’s safest city for tourists, Caracas is the most risky” with these highlights: “Singapore is the world’s safest city in 2024 according to a study by Forbes Advisor looking into the most and least risky cities for tourists to travel to this year. The study compared 60 international cities, looking into risk metrics such as those related to crime, personal security or health security and relying on data sourced from the US Department of State’s 2024 travel advisories and The Economist’s Safe Cities Index 2021. Out of 60 analysed cities, Singapore boasted the lowest natural disaster risk, and the second lowest health and infrastructure risks. After Singapore, the study ranked Tokyo and Toronto as the next safest cities for travelers.” Next safest in order were: Sydney, Australia, fourth and then in order Zurich, Switzerland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Seoul, South Korea; Osaka, Japan; Melbourne, Australia; Amsterdam, Netherlands. The top 10 riskiest cities ranked according to the study: Caracas, Venezuela; Karachi, Pakistan; Lagos, Nigeria; Manila, Philippines; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Bogota, Colombia; Cairo, Egypt; Mexico City, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador. Full story at: https://ftnnews.com/travel-news/tours/singapore-is-worlds-safest-city-for-tourists-caracas-is-the-most-risky-forbes-advisor/ 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 22,937 views. Connect at: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/
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Appreciate these kind comments and follow-up. Sorry, you have to wait six months, but Singapore will be worth it. Don't be shy with any and all questions. From Forbes magazine and this news website connected below yesterday, they had this headline: “Singapore is world’s safest city for tourists, Caracas is the most risky” with these highlights: “Singapore is the world’s safest city in 2024 according to a study by Forbes Advisor looking into the most and least risky cities for tourists to travel to this year. The study compared 60 international cities, looking into risk metrics such as those related to crime, personal security or health security and relying on data sourced from the US Department of State’s 2024 travel advisories and The Economist’s Safe Cities Index 2021. Out of 60 analysed cities, Singapore boasted the lowest natural disaster risk, and the second lowest health and infrastructure risks. After Singapore, the study ranked Tokyo and Toronto as the next safest cities for travelers.” Next safest in order were: Sydney, Australia, fourth and then in order Zurich, Switzerland; Copenhagen, Denmark; Seoul, South Korea; Osaka, Japan; Melbourne, Australia; Amsterdam, Netherlands. The top 10 riskiest cities ranked according to the study: Caracas, Venezuela; Karachi, Pakistan; Lagos, Nigeria; Manila, Philippines; Dhaka, Bangladesh; Bogota, Colombia; Cairo, Egypt; Mexico City, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador. Full story by WEENA TAN at: https://ftnnews.com/travel-news/tours/singapore-is-worlds-safest-city-for-tourists-caracas-is-the-most-risky-forbes-advisor/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog over 20,400 views 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/
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Yes, there was much about prices/revenue going up and the ships filling up during last week's financial session. Nor, in earlier quarterly reviews with any of the three brands, has this issue arisen. Nothing was raised last week, directly or indirectly, as to "inferior food and service". Not sure, however, if it would come up during such financial analysts calls. From our 15-day, February, Mumbai to Singapore, Silver Moon sailing, there were a few limited cases where the food might have been a little better. BUT, overall for us, the food and service were very good. We did not notice, on-board the ship, any major negative slide downward for these two, important categories of quality. There were a couple of pre-cruise slip-ups due to poor direction/management from the main office "bean-counters". But that's another story/question as to promises made and not kept. 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 76,163 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/
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From this below-connected financial news website three days ago, they had the full transcript from last week's Royal Caribbean's quarterly report and Q&A with financial analysts. Those responding included: Jason Liberty, Chief Executive Officer, Naftali Holtz, Chief Financial Officer and Michael Bayley, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. Among my key highlight take-aways would be: Overview comments from RCL CEO Liberty: "The North American consumer who represents approximately 80% of our sourcing this year continues to be robust, driving strong yield growth across all key products. In addition to strength in the Caribbean, European and Alaska summer itineraries are performing exceptionally well, and we have experienced greater pricing power than expected since our last earnings call. Our research shows that younger generations, millennials and younger, are also benefiting from the 10% increase in leisure time compared to 2019 that they intend to allocate more of this time on travel than any other leisure category. Today, one of every two customers is a millennial or younger. Our short Caribbean cruise product is an important entry point for new-to-cruise and new-to-brand with nearly seven and 10 guests following in these categories and always skewing more towards younger customers." As to Silversea, the CEO shared: "We also launched Silver Ray, which continues to redefine the ultra-luxury segment. Since introducing Nova class last year, Silver Nova and Silver Ray have attracted a higher mix of younger guests than the rest of the fleet." Reaching those younger, future customers came through loud and clear. And for pricing and future bookings? The CEO noted: "We're in a very strong book position for 2025, pricing is up and increasing are the trends that we continue to see. The pattern show pricing continues to accelerate. (It) is not just a ticket, but it's also what's happening onboard. And I think the power of our pre-cruise commerce engine is shifting more and more of that booking activity for onboard spend forward, which is also resulting in us getting our guests to have a fuller breadth of experiences, which increases our share of wallet. Our pricing continues to increase into 2025 and into 2026. And that's not just happening at the short product that's happening in the ultra-luxury space as well." Much more covered when reading the full transcript. There was a significant amount about offering cruises shorter in length, operating "Beach Club" private islands in the Caribbean, attracting younger customers who have never cruised previously, the value advantage/difference for cruises versus land-based experiences, etc. Full story at: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4706637-royal-caribbean-cruises-ltd-rcl-q2-2024-earnings-call-transcript 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 115,622 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226
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From Barron's and MSN News late last week, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean Raises Its Outlook. Cruise Demand Is Strong.” with these highlights from the RCL CEO quarterly reporting: “Royal Caribbean Group stock dropped even after the cruise line posted better-than-expected second-quarter results, raised its forecast for its 2024 earnings, and reinstated its dividend. Royal Caribbean reported second-quarter adjusted earnings of $3.21 a share from revenue of $4.1 billion. Analysts surveyed by FactSet were expecting earnings of $2.76 a share and revenue of $4 billion. The cruise line also said it now expects 2024 adjusted earnings to be in the range of $11.35 to $11.45 a share, compared with an earlier call for $10.70 to $10.90 a share.” If the news was that good, why did not stock values go UP, UP? Maybe it was this factor cited in their reporting: "An expected increase in annual costs could be the downward driver. Royal Caribbean said net cruise costs per available passenger cruise days—excluding fuel—are expected to rise by approximately 6%. The company had said those costs were expected to increase 5.5%." Inflation, higher costs? It affects cruise lines, too!! Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/royal-caribbean-raises-its-outlook-cruise-demand-is-strong/ar-BB1qBXe2?ocid=BingNewsVerp 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 252,193 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/
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From southern India and Sri Lanka, have a few more visuals that might be of interest to reflect their many sights, experiences and options. 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 33,570 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2465580 During a harbor boat tour in Cochin, India, here was a view of a large number of white birds assembled along a scenic waterway in the southern part of this country.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) In Sri Lanka's largest city, Colombo, this was an interior view for the luxury Taj Samundra Hotel where we had tea and light food. Second is inside the worship area of the very active and highly-decorated Gangaramaya Temple.: From Colombo, early the next morning, we drove south to Galle and this was the sunrise view from our vehicle. Second is one of the religious symbols seen during our travel.: During our boat exploration of the Madu Ganga River, here was a bird observed in the wild, plus two other religious sites observed in this part of Sri Lanka.:
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From the Lonely Planet travel source just posted, they had a detailed profile for the “Acropolis” with these historic highlights for what they call: “the most important ancient site in the Western world." They detail: "Crowned by the Parthenon, it stands sentinel over Athens, visible from almost everywhere within the city. Its monuments and sanctuaries of white Pentelic marble gleam in the midday sun and gradually take on a honey hue as the sun sinks, while at night they stand brilliantly illuminated above the city. Inspiring as these monuments are, they are but faded remnants of the city of Pericles, who spared no expense. It was a showcase of lavishly coloured buildings and gargantuan statues, some of bronze, others of marble plated with gold and encrusted with precious stones. The Acropolis was first inhabited in Neolithic times (4000–3000 BC). People lived on the Acropolis until the late 6th century BC, but in 510 BC the Delphic oracle declared it the sole province of the gods. After all the buildings on the Acropolis were reduced to ashes by the Persians on the eve of the Battle of Salamis (480 BC), Pericles set about his ambitious rebuilding program. He transformed the Acropolis into a city of temples, which has come to be regarded as the zenith of Classical Greece.” More interesting background is offered with this profile. Did not know its history went back that far in time. Full story at: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/greece/athens/acropolis-area/attractions/acropolis/a/poi-sig/1153952/1342281?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_10571368&utm_usr=f541a9e649534cc2931bd57d58d8c2cac2bb8c5d298f722bad5b05cc8ad5ece2 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 22,558 views. Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/
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Is there a saying about what goes UP will go DOWN? Still true? This week proved it in a major way for the cruise lines. After last week when Royal Caribbean hit a new 52-week high, things slid downhill starting on Wednesday. See below. RCL down nearly $20 a share!! But, why? It was partly the overall market as the below S&P 500 chart reflects downward stock trends for this week.. From the Wall Street Journal late this afternoon, below are their charts for Royal Caribbean and the other cruise companies during the most recent five days of trading. Plus the overall market trend with the S&P 500. From a Wall Street Journal-related financial website this morning, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean CEO explains why cruises are so popular" with this sub-headline: "Royal still sees strong cruise demand despite record pricing, and will pay its first dividend since March 2020,” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “Royal Caribbean Group reported Thursday second-quarter profit that beat expectations and raised its full-year outlook, as demand for cruises remained strong into next year and as onboard spending increased. The company also said it would starting paying a dividend again, for the first time since March 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'Consumer spending onboard, as well as pre-cruise purchases, continue to significantly exceed 2023 levels driven by greater participation at higher prices,' the company added. Chief Executive Jason Liberty provided an upbeat outlook for the company and the cruise industry, saying on the post-earnings call with analysts that cruise purchase intent continues to strengthen, as cruise prices remain 'an attractive value proposition.' He said he believes there is “a 20% value gap” between cruises and land-based vacations, which is likely shielding the company from the 'noise' being heard from land-based operators.” Reactions and comments? Predictions for next week and August? Full story at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/royal-caribbeans-stock-falls-even-after-a-profit-beat-and-raised-outlook-while-passenger-cruise-days-came-up-shy-1d552fa7?_gl=1*14eftd9*_gcl_au*MTI2NjY2NDYxOC4xNzIxMzM5OTMw*_ga*NzI5MzY4NzcyLjE3MTU4MDA4MzM.*_ga_K2H7B9JRSS*MTcyMjAyODY4Ni4xNDcuMS4xNzIyMDI5NTgyLjI2LjAuMA.. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 253,229 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/ Here are the charts of the three major cruise lines from the Wall Street Journal during this past week of trading.: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here is the chart for the S&P 500 from the Wall Street Journal during this past week of trading.:
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From the Wall Street Journal late yesterday, below are the charts showing both Carnival and Norwegian jumping up, UP big-time yesterday. Both of these stocks are moving much closer to their 52-week highs. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio