Jim Cramer’s Best Performers List: 12 Stocks Cramer is Talking About

9. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 48

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) was part of Cramer’s list. He discussed the sentiment around cruise lines at present compared to the pandemic and mentioned that they are a bargain.

“The cruise lines are as loved now as they were hated during COVID and the best performer of the group, as I say almost every night because you get a lot of questions about these, is Royal Caribbean, RCL. Cruises are a tremendous bargain, while hotel rooms, rates, and other forms of entertainment have just gotten to be too expensive. By the way, airline tickets, wow. There’s not a lot of new capacity coming on in the fleet business. They take forever to build these ships. Forever. Bookings are explosive. You can still buy the stock.”

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) operates as a global cruise line, managing several well-known brands including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises. In second the quarter, the company welcomed just over 2 million passengers aboard its vessels. The company reported an adjusted EPS of $3.21, surpassing initial guidance. The strong performance was attributed to higher pricing due to close-in demand and sustained onboard revenue, along with the favorable timing of expenses, which contributed approximately $0.15 to the results.

As of June 30, the customer deposit balance stood at an impressive $6.2 billion. The CEO mentioned that the company achieved financial targets 18 months ahead of schedule, indicating a focus on capturing a larger share of the burgeoning $1.9 trillion global vacation market.

With ongoing strong demand for its vacation offerings, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE:RCL) has raised its full-year 2024 adjusted EPS guidance to a range of $11.35 to $11.45, which is a significant year-over-year growth of 68%. The company is also looking to the future with an exciting lineup of new ships on order, including the Celebrity Xcel set to launch in late 2025, and Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas debuting in mid-2025. Additionally, its plans include a third Icon class ship slated for 2026 and a seventh Oasis class ship expected in 2028.