Princess Cruises Welcomes Star Princess for Inaugural Alaska Season
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 day ago
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Should l Buy CCL?
Source: Newsfilter
- Inaugural Celebration: Star Princess officially set sail from Seattle's Pier 91 on May 3, 2026, marking the start of its Alaska season with 20 roundtrip voyages planned from May to September, enhancing Princess Cruises' competitive edge in the Alaskan market.
- Community Contributions: During the inaugural celebrations, Princess Cruises donated $100,000 to the Joseph T. Craig American Legion Post 3 in Ketchikan to support its rebuilding efforts, alongside $25,000 donations to Juneau and Skagway, reflecting the company's deep commitment to Alaskan communities.
- Itinerary Highlights: Star Princess will sail weekly from Seattle to Alaska's Inside Passage, visiting iconic destinations such as Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka, offering breathtaking glacier viewing experiences that enrich the overall cruise experience for travelers.
- Expansion Plans: In 2026, Princess Cruises will operate its largest-ever Alaska season with eight ships and 180 departures, integrating the award-winning North to Alaska program to enhance guest experiences, thereby solidifying its leadership position in the Alaskan cruise market.
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Analyst Views on CCL
Wall Street analysts forecast CCL stock price to rise
18 Analyst Rating
14 Buy
4 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 25.770
Low
33.00
Averages
37.41
High
45.00
Current: 25.770
Low
33.00
Averages
37.41
High
45.00
About CCL
Carnival Corporation is a global cruise and leisure travel company. The Company has a portfolio of cruise lines, including AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises (Australia), P&O Cruises (UK), Princess Cruises, and Seabourn. The Company's segment includes NAA cruise operations, Europe cruise operations (Europe), Cruise Support and Tour and Other. Its Cruise Support segment includes its portfolio of port destinations and exclusive islands as well as other services, all of which are operated for the benefit of its cruise brands. In addition to its cruise operations, it owns Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, a tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon, which complements its Alaska cruise operations. Its Tour and Other segment represents the hotel and transportation operations of Holland America Princess Alaska Tours and other operations. Its tour company owns and operates hotels, lodges, glass-domed railcars and motorcoaches.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- 2028 Voyage Highlights: Cunard announces its 2028 program featuring 190 voyages across 36 countries, with stops at 125 ports including 98 UNESCO World Heritage sites, significantly enhancing the brand's global reach and customer appeal.
- Four Queens Celebration: In May 2028, Cunard will host the Four Queens Celebration in Liverpool, marking the first-ever gathering of all four Queen ships, offering a unique historical experience that is expected to attract a large number of tourists and elevate brand visibility.
- New Package Launch: Cunard introduces Signature Packages that bundle services including Wi-Fi and dining credits, allowing guests to enjoy savings of up to 30%, aimed at enhancing customer travel experiences and boosting sales.
- Member Priority Booking: Cunard World Club members will have early access to book the Four Queens Celebration voyages starting May 18, 2026, with all new voyages available to the public on May 20, 2026, which is anticipated to drive a significant increase in booking volumes.
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- Oil Price Plunge: Oil prices fell sharply as reports emerged of a U.S.-Iran agreement, with West Texas Intermediate dropping 13.3% to $88.69 per barrel and Brent crude down 11.6%, significantly reducing fuel costs for airlines and the travel sector.
- Travel Stocks Rally: The decline in oil prices led to a strong rebound in travel stocks, with cruise lines seeing substantial gains; Royal Caribbean (RCL) rose 7.6%, Carnival (CCL) increased by 7%, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) climbed 4.8%, reflecting market confidence in the recovery of the travel industry.
- Hotel Sector Benefits: Hotel operators also experienced notable gains, with InterContinental Hotels (IHG) up 3%, Hyatt (H) gaining 2.8%, Hilton (HLT) increasing by 2.4%, and Marriott (MAR) rising 2%, indicating a boost in consumer confidence and travel demand.
- Online Travel Platforms Perform Well: Online travel platforms joined the upward trend, with Booking Holdings (BKNG) increasing by 4% and Airbnb (ABNB) rising 1.5%, suggesting that optimistic market expectations are driving stock prices in the travel sector.
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- Stock Performance: Carnival Corp. (CCL) closed at $25.77 on Tuesday, up 0.39%, despite facing industry-wide pressures from rising fuel costs, indicating investor focus on company-specific factors.
- Surge in Trading Volume: The trading volume reached 60.7 million shares, 133% above the three-month average of 26.1 million shares, reflecting strong market interest in Carnival's stock, which may signal potential volatility in the near term.
- Industry Challenges: Although Carnival's strong Q1 profits provided some reassurance to Wall Street, the stock has fallen about 20% over the past three months due to surging oil prices, highlighting a broader industry red flag.
- Uncertain Outlook: Carnival lowered its 2026 forecast when announcing Q1 earnings and, without hedging fuel costs, faces operational uncertainties in a high oil price environment, especially with restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
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- Disappointing Earnings: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) reported a 10% revenue increase to $2.33 billion in Q1, falling short of the 11% growth analysts expected, leading to a 9% drop in stock price on Monday, reflecting market concerns about its future performance.
- Significant Net Income Growth: Despite the revenue miss, NCL's adjusted net income more than doubled to $108 million, or $0.23 per share, surpassing the $0.14 analysts anticipated, indicating potential in cost management.
- Bleak Outlook: NCL now expects adjusted earnings per share between $1.45 and $1.79 for 2026, a drastic 32% cut from the previous forecast of $2.38, while projecting a 3% to 5% decline in net yields, highlighting severe industry challenges ahead.
- Intensified Industry Competition: In stark contrast, Royal Caribbean (RCL) is forecasting a 2% to 3% increase in net yields, showcasing its robust market position, which has resulted in NCL being the worst performer among the four largest cruise operators.
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- Market Decline: The S&P 500 index fell by 0.41%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 1.13%, and the Nasdaq 100 index decreased by 0.21%, reflecting investor concerns over escalating tensions in the Middle East, which dampened market sentiment.
- Oil Price Surge: WTI crude oil prices surged over 4% following exchanges of fire between the US and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, raising inflation expectations and pushing bond yields higher, with the 10-year T-note yield reaching a five-week high of 4.46%.
- Strong Economic Data: US March factory orders rose by 1.5% month-over-month, exceeding expectations of 0.6%, marking the largest increase in four months, indicating economic resilience that could provide support to the stock market.
- Earnings Optimism: As of Monday, 82% of the 322 S&P 500 companies that reported Q1 earnings exceeded estimates, with projected earnings growth of 12% year-over-year for Q1, although excluding the technology sector, the growth is only 3%, highlighting performance disparities across sectors.
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- Significant Stock Decline: Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) saw its stock drop by 8.56% to $17.20 today, primarily due to a sharp cut in its 2026 guidance despite beating Q1 estimates, raising investor concerns about future profitability.
- Surge in Trading Volume: Trading volume reached 53.9 million shares, approximately 134% above the three-month average of 23 million shares, indicating heightened market attention on the company's outlook amid rising fuel costs and weak demand.
- Cost-Saving Initiatives: Management stressed that structural initiatives should lead to annualized savings of about $125 million going forward, although investor sentiment remains pessimistic, particularly with global tensions impacting demand.
- Uncertain Industry Outlook: Rising fuel costs due to Middle East conflicts have led both Norwegian and competitors like Carnival Cruise to lower their 2026 earnings forecasts, creating doubts about demand and pricing power in the cruise industry.
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