Yahoo Finance·2025-12-29 12:05Core Insights - The cruise industry is thriving, with Carnival Corp. being the largest cruise line in the U.S. by fleet capacity and revenue, while Viking Holdings leads in river expeditions [1][2] Carnival Insights - Carnival is not the most valuable cruise line operator, as Royal Caribbean holds that title, nor is it the cheapest, with Norwegian Cruise Line trading at the lowest forward P/E in the industry [4] - Despite this, Carnival has shown strong performance, with a 10% increase in stock price following better-than-expected financial results [5] - The company has consistently exceeded analyst expectations, achieving double-digit percentage beats in 9 of the last 10 quarters, and has seen accelerated top-line gains after a slower fiscal third quarter [6] - Carnival has returned to profitability after being the last major operator to do so and has reinstated its quarterly dividend at a yield of 1.9%, which is higher than Royal Caribbean's 1.4% and Norwegian's lack of cash distribution [7][8] Viking Insights - Viking is trading at nearly 30 times forward earnings, indicating a higher valuation compared to Carnival, but is experiencing faster growth [7]