Cruise Advice, Finance

Overview: Cruise Line Stock Benefits for Shareholders

Guest

March 18, 2022

Listen to the original article:

Most cruise line stocks come with benefits for the shareholder that many people are unaware of.

In this article, we are going to focus on Carnival Corporation (CCL), Royal Caribbean Group (RCCL), and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH).

There are many reasons to buy stock for any given company.

While you won’t get free burgers for owning stock in McDonald’s, own enough shares of your favorite cruise line, and you’ll receive onboard credit when you set sail.

“Bad News Is An Investor’s Friend”

During the financial crisis that began in 2008, famed investor and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett, wrote in an op-ed, “In short, bad news is an investor’s best friend. It lets you buy a slice of America’s future at a marked-down price.”

With the recent fluctuations in the markets, many people are looking to pick up stocks which, though hitting sometimes historic lows, seem poised to experience a major rally in the future.

If you happen to find a stock that is selling at a great price and also comes with a perk or two, all the better. We’ll discuss not only what perks come with owning shares of the company, but how to go about claiming those perks.

How To Claim Your Carnival Corporate Stock Benefits

Operating not only the popular Carnival Cruise Line brand, the company also owns Princess Cruises, Holland America, Costa, Cunard, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises, and luxury brand Seabourn.

For investors who own at least 100 shares of Carnival stock, various amounts of onboard credit are offered. How much you qualify for depends on the length of your sailing. So what’s the breakdown?

Cruises 14 Days or Longer: $250 onboard credit
Cruises 7-13 Days: $100 onboard credit
Cruises 6 days or less: $50 onboard credit

There are a few important caveats to the offer.

For example, Carnival employees, travel agents cruising on a travel agent rate, group tour conductors, and anyone sailing on a reduced rate (or taking a complimentary cruise) are excluded. The onboard credit can’t be transferred or exchanged for cash, and it can’t be used in the casino or to pay the daily gratuities.

In order to receive the shareholder benefit, stockholders need to fax or mail their legal name, reservation/booking number, ship and sailing date, along with proof of stock ownership at least three weeks prior to their sail date to either their travel agent or the cruise line they’ll be sailing on.

Let’s say, for example, you were sailing on Carnival Horizon and wanted to take advantage of the stockholder benefit. All you have to do is fax proof of ownership (such as a photocopy of your shareholder proxy card or a current brokerage statement with your account number blacked out) to your travel agent or to Carnival directly.

For the address of not only Carnival Cruise Line, but all of the other brands sailing under the Carnival corporate umbrella, click here.

How To Claim Your Royal Caribbean Stock Benefits

Like Carnival, Royal Caribbean Group is a major player in the cruise market, operating ships under not only the flagship name, but also under Celebrity and Azamara. And just like with Carnival, there are perks to owning 100 or more shares of the stock.

In the case of Royal Caribbean, the benefits break down like this across all the corporate lines (Galapagos Islands sailings and charters are excluded):

Cruises 14 Days or Longer: $250 onboard credit
Cruises 6-13 Days: $100 onboard credit
Cruises 5 days or less: $50 onboard credit

In order to claim your benefit, simply mail, fax or email Royal Caribbean at the addresses below and provide your name, address, booking confirmation number, ship and sailing date, as well as a copy of your shareholder proxy card or a current brokerage statement showing proof of ownership in Royal Caribbean Group. Make sure to leave at least three weeks for processing.

Mailing address:
RCL Investor Relations
1050 Caribbean Way
Miami, Florida 33132

Fax: 1-305-373-6699

Email: [email protected]

How To Claim Your Norwegian Cruise Line Stock Benefits

Norwegian includes the named, primary brand, but also sister lines Oceania and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. As with Carnival and Royal Caribbean, 100 shares of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings must be owned to qualify for their investor benefits. And as with the other lines, how much you get depends on the length of the cruise you’re setting sail on:

Cruises 15 Days or Longer: $250 onboard credit
Cruises 7-14 Days: $100 onboard credit
Cruises 6 days or less: $50 onboard credit

Note that these benefits do not apply to charter sailings.

To claim your benefit, complete the Shareholder Benefit Request Form available on the Investor Relations website at nclhltdinvestor.com and mail or email it with accompanying documentation: your name, address, email address, phone number, ship, and sailing date, and a photocopy of your shareholder proxy card or photocopy of a current brokerage statement with the account number blacked out.

All shareholder requests must be received at least 15 days prior to the sail date. The request form along with the proof of ownership should be mailed or emailed to the specific cruise line you’re sailing on.

By Michael York

This article was originally published in March 2020. It was updated and republished in March 2022.