Carnival Corp profit declines

[drgrinch]

Yet if fuel prices had gone up, they would have hit is with fuel levies, even though they had hedged them.

 

Notice no refunds when fuel prices fall.

 

Funny that.

 

Last month we were notified that our summer 2016 cruise price was going up due to a fuel levy - first time I've seen it.

[GUT2407]

Last month we were notified that our summer 2016 cruise price was going up due to a fuel levy - first time I've seen it.

 

At a time when oil prices are relatively low?:confused::confused:

[sail7seas]

At a time when oil prices are relatively low?:confused::confused:

 

Thanks for asking.

I also am confused about that post.

 

[Viesczy]

Sounds like the entire dept that made the decision on the fuel needs to eat their salary and work for free as it was their error.

 

Wait, that won't happen BUT we'll see even less staff doing even more.

[sammiedawg]

We were on the last sailing of Eurodam that charged the fuel supplement and it was December 2008. I remember the dates distinctly because of a family wedding. I was very irritated since passengers on the very next cruise were not charged for fuel.

[serendipity1499]

HAL has never, to my knowledge, put on the fuel surcharges, even tho they have mentioned it as an option for many years. You will remember the warning is they have the option of putting on the surcharges when the price of oil is above $70. Even when it hit almost $150, no fuel surcharges.

 

You might remember Carnival (and HAL) is in this to make a profit. No profit, no cruise business.

 

In the about 25 years and 85+ cruises I've sailed with HAL, Princess and Carnival (sort of), we never once paid a fuel surcharge that I recall.

 

 

Hal did charge Fuel Surcharges..

 

We paid a Fuel Surcharge on our Alaska cruise/tour in the summer of 2008..Don't know how much as the invoice from the Travel Agent indicates the cruise price with fuel charge..

 

Also paid a fuel surcharge of $126 pp on our 14day Maasdam cruise to the Carribean which originated on 11/21/2008..(that was a last minute booking)..

Edited October 27, 2015 by serendipity1499

[momatibm]

Hal did charge Fuel Surcharges..

 

We paid a Fuel Surcharge on our Alaska cruise/tour in the summer of 2008..Don't know how much as the invoice from the Travel Agent indicates the cruise price with fuel charge..

 

Also paid a fuel surcharge of $126 pp on our Maasdam cruise to the Carribean which originated on 11/21/2008..(this was a last minute booking)..

 

The Fuel Charges started during January 2008. And it wasn't on the 1st. It was an odd date because the Florida Attorney General filed suit because it was added after people had booked. They originally tried to have it start earlier.

[InTheWASide]

..and meanwhile Royal Caribbean's stock is flirting with $100/share

 

Carnival's used to always be so much more than Royal's... and now Royal has stock prices that are way higher... Perhaps Carnival Corp should look at some of their approaches and mimic where they can without compromising their individual and unique brands.

[CruiserBruce]

RCI's a little under $100/share doesn't mean RCI is better than Carnival at almost $54/share. The value of the share has far more determinants. RCL could have bought back shares or reverse split to increase the value of their shares. All shares (comparing one company to another) are not created equal. CCL's yield is 2.24%, RCL's is only 1.50% That would indicate CCL is actually more profitable.

Edited October 27, 2015 by CruiserBruce

[InTheWASide]

RCI's a little under $100/share doesn't mean RCI is better than Carnival at almost $54/share. The value of the share has far more determinants. RCL could have bought back shares or reverse split to increase the value of their shares. All shares (comparing one company to another) are not created equal. CCL's yield is 2.24%, RCL's is only 1.50% That would indicate CCL is actually more profitable.

 

True... yet for a very long time Royal's stock was in the $30's per share and Carnival was $50-60's. Since then CCL has remained more stagnant or down a bit and the per share value of Royal has more than tripled.

 

So while Carnival is a MUCH larger fleet and may ultimately be bringing more money to the banks, Royal has gone up more than 300% in the last handful of years

[serendipity1499]

I'm tickled pink that CCL's stock is up to almost $54 a share today, as we purchased it for $18 & change in 2009..I thought that we were taking a big chance with the 100 shares, but have almost tripled our initial investment.. Also have a huge profit from just our OBC's & dividends.. :D:D

 

Wish we had more than 100 shares though..:)

 

[innlady1]

I recall paying a fuel surcharge on our Noordam cruise to the Caribbean in '08. Also '09, I believe.

[sail7seas]

deleted

Edited October 27, 2015 by sail7seas

[serendipity1499]

Last month we were notified that our summer 2016 cruise price was going up due to a fuel levy - first time I've seen it.

 

Did HAL or your TA notify you of this? Very strange to me as others have said, fuel prices are lower than they were last year..:confused:

[InTheWASide]

Did HAL or your TA notify you of this? Very strange to me as others have said, fuel prices are lower than they were last year..:confused:

 

Must have been TA terminology because the cruise lines are not assessing a fuel charge... seriously... none of them

[take us away]

I could have sworn that about 10 years ago we paid a fuel surcharge on either 1 or 2 cruises.

 

I have a somewhat vague memory of the same plus the mutiny on the ship so there was a very 'fluid' cocktail party to try to appease us.

 

HAL still has the surcharge option - here is an excerpt from the Cruise Contract (bolding was added):

"B. THE CRUISE OR LAND + SEA JOURNEY

1. Additions to Fare, Taxes, Fees & Port Expenses: (a) The fare that you paid was determined far in advance of Initial Departure on the basis of then-existing projections of fuel and other costs. In the event of an increase in fuel or other costs above amounts projected, we have the right to increase the fare at any time up to Initial Departure and to require payment of the additional fare prior to Initial Departure. We have the right to refuse to transport you unless the additional fare is paid. Within seven (7) days after you are notified of the additional fare (but no later than Initial Departure), you may elect to surrender this contract to us for cancellation, whereupon you will receive the Refund Amount. Cancellation fees do not apply to this type of refund.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

I could have sworn that about 10 years ago we paid a fuel surcharge on either 1 or 2 cruises.

 

So did we. ..

[whogo]

I just played around with Yahoo Finance comparison charts between RCL and CCL and could not find a time period from 5 days to 10 years in which RCL's stock price did not do better than CCL's.

[cruisemom42]

Princess definitely charged a fuel surcharge in 2007-2008 time period. There was quite a ruckus about it on their boards at the time and I paid it on at least one cruise....

[CruiserBruce]

I just played around with Yahoo Finance comparison charts between RCL and CCL and could not find a time period from 5 days to 10 years in which RCL's stock price did not do better than CCL's.

 

 

Based on what? Share price? As discussed, a higher share price doesn't indicate one company is better than another.

Edited October 28, 2015 by CruiserBruce

[colonialinnkeeper]

I could have sworn that about 10 years ago we paid a fuel surcharge on either 1 or 2 cruises.

 

Thank you. I was quite sure we had too but my memory isn't what it used to be.

[iancal]

This fall was the first time in a number of years that we did not include a cruise in our Europe land travels. Cruise pricing this year was too high compared with land travel.

[whogo]

Based on what? Share price? As discussed, a higher share price doesn't indicate one company is better than another.

If you purchased $10,000 worth of both CCL and RCL 5 years ago and sold them today, you would receive much more for the RCL stock.

 

RCL stock price 10/28/10 $34.01, yesterday's close $99.76

CCL stock price 10/28/10 $43.07, yesterday's close $53.84

 

Same thing if you bought 2 years ago:

 

RCL stock price 10/28/13 $43.41, yesterday's close $99.76

CCL stock price 10/28/13 $34.89, yesterday's close $53.84

 

I am not going to figure return on investment, but Carnival's current slight edge in yield is not going to make up for RCL's tremendous price performance.

[InTheWASide]

Thanks for the actual numbers... wasn't finding a way online to easily locate what I was looking for in that regard.

 

And granted, Royal didn't have some of the... "situations" in the last several years that both Carnival and Carnival Corporation had to deal with (Splendor, Triumph, Concordia) and those CLEARLY impact the bottom line but that can't be solely responsible... can it?

[CruiserBruce]

I am sure one thing we don't want HAL (or Carnival, in general, I guess) to mimic is mega ships. That should be helping the bottom line for RCL as there is efficiency in higher pax numbers per ship. Plus, on the profit side, with their higher pax numbers on the mega ships, they are still charging a fairly high per diem, because they can. So I am sure that is perceived by professional investors as good for business, which drives up share price.

 

 

So, as you are suggesting Carnival and/or HAL mimic some of RCL's ideas, be specific. What is it HAL should do? I know Celebrity doesn't give free laundry to suite pax, and that would be a deal breaker for DW. Free happy hours in Neptune Lounges?

Edited October 28, 2015 by CruiserBruce