Celebrity Infinity in Costa Rica

Anyone who does much cruising has a lot to gain by adding cruise line stocks to their portfolio. In normal times these are good stocks that gain value over time. Some of them pay dividends. And if you own 100 shares of the company that owns the ship you’ve booked a cruise on you can apply for free onboard credit, something they offer as a benefit to shareholders.

P&O Arcadia in Auckland, New Zealand

If you don’t have cruise line stocks and plan to cruise once the world returns to normal, these dark times are an opportunity to get stocks at rock-bottom prices. Along with most of the rest of the stock market, cruise line stocks have plummeted during the Covid-19 crisis. While this is bad for people who already owned stocks as they see their portfolio value going down, it is a good opportunity for anyone cruises, but doesn’t yet own cruise line stocks.

Holland America Veendam in Sydney, Nova Scotia

Generally the shareholder benefit is about $50 for cruises of less than a week. $100 for a week-long cruise, and $250 for extended cruises. The exact amount may vary depending on cruise line, cruise length, and currency. You don’t have to own stocks for each individual cruise line, just the parent company. If you cruise on a variety of lines belonging to more than one parent company it’s good to have them all, but you stick to just one line or all lines belonging to the same parent company then that is the only one you need. The stock benefit is not automatic. You have to send them info for each cruise that includes date and place of sailing as well as which ship and proof of stock ownership. Only one person per cabin can claim the stock benefit regardless of whether or not they share an onboard account.

Carnival Vista in Malta

Carnival Corporation owns the most different lines in the USA, and some lines based in other countries as well. Besides Carnival Cruise Lines, this stock will also get you the onboard credit on all their other lines, which include Princess, Holland America, P&O, Seabourn, Cunard, AIDA, and Costa.

Royal Caribbean Explorer Of The Seas in Honolulu

Royal Caribbean stock will also get you onboard credit with more lines than just Royal Caribbean. They own Celebrity and Azamara and have a stake in Silversea, TUI, and Pullmanter which means their stockholders get onboard credit for all of those lines.

Norwegian Pearl in Cozumel

Norwegian also operates Regent Seven Seas and Oceania. So even there you have other options beyond the parent company.

cruise ships in Saint Thomas

Both Carnival and Royal Caribbean pay dividends on their stock. Norwegian does not.

Royal Princess in Seattle

Current prices are lower than any of them have been for many years as cruise ships struggle with Covid 19 outbreaks, bad publicity, and cancelled sailings. Assuming these companies all survive through this crisis, once it is over and the world begins to get back to normal their stock prices will rise again. Even now they go up when the market takes an upswing. It could take awhile to get back to where they once were as many people may be leery of cruising for sometime, but the onboard credit from these stocks is a benefit cruisers can’t get from any other stock, bringing more value to cruise line stocks than what avid cruisers could get from any other stock. If you happen to be a cruiser looking for an investment, owning those 100 shares while they are available at bargain prices could be the best deal out there.

Copyright My Cruise Stories 2020