Ncl Ltd's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Ncl Ltd (NCLC) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Ncl Ltd vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 10,031M vs 45,994M combined for tracked competitors (17.9% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-7.0% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs decelerating (-7.7%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Ncl Ltd generated 9.6% revenue growth year over year in Q1 2026, vs 8.2% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 9.2% net margin compares with 11.4% for the peer group.
- Peer revenue share: Ncl Ltd accounted for 18.0% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, up from 17.8% a year earlier.
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
NCLC Sales vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Ncl Ltd reported revenue growth of 9.57 % year on year in Q1 2026, above its competitors' combined revenue growth of 8.24 %.
With a net margin of 9.19 %, Ncl Ltd reported lower profitability than its competitors (11.43 %).
Ncl Ltd generated 18.00 % of the combined sales of its peer group, up from 17.82 % a year earlier.
Ncl Ltd vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Ncl Ltd and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Ncl Corporation ltd | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (2) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (6) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Ncl Ltd's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Cruise and Shipping industry grew revenue 9.4% year over year, combined, vs 9.6% for Ncl Ltd. Ncl Ltd's share of combined industry revenue moved from 4.06% to 4.06%, a gain of 0.01 percentage points.
Ncl Ltd's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ncl Corporation ltd | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Competitors combined (2) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (4) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 75.00 % (6 of 8) | 75.00 % (6 of 8) | 25.00 % (2 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
NCLC Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
NCLC Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
NCLC Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Carnival Corporation | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Ncl Ltd's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Ncl Ltd's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Ncl Corporation ltd
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| Ncl Corporation ltd | - | 10,031.26 |
| Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd | 65,014.12 | 18,682.00 |
| Carnival Corporation | 30,730.32 | 27,312.00 |
| SUBTOTAL | 95,744.44 | 56,025.26 |
Sources: Ncl Corporation ltd's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Ncl Corporation ltd versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Ncl Ltd's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from SEC filings and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Carnival | Named by the company | 85% |
| Viking Ocean Cruises | Named by the company | 85% |
| MSC Cruises | Named by the company | 85% |
| Virgin Voyages | Named by the company | 85% |
| Royal Caribbean | Named by the company | 85% |
| Crystal Cruises | Named by the company | 85% |
Filing basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Ncl Ltd's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from SEC filings (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Named by the company = explicitly disclosed as a competitor; Inferred = derived from corroborating signals. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
Ncl Ltd's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Ncl Corporation ltd | Single reportable segment 100.00 % |
| Carnival Corporation | North America 66.22 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Ncl Ltd's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ncl Corporation ltd | - | - | - |
| Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd | 65,014 | 172,981 | 40,991 |
| Carnival Corporation | 30,730 | 170,700 | 19,219 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 95,744 | 171,619 | 27,993 |
Ncl Ltd's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent filing. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Ncl Corporation ltd | North America 75.77 % |
| Carnival Corporation | United States 53.92 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Ncl Ltd's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Cruise and Shipping industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (18 companies).| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 43.05 % | 47.32 % (avg) | -4.3 pp |
| Operating Margin | 15.89 % | industry median | +0.0 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 29.34 % | 37.55 % (avg) | -8.2 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 31.61 % | 15.60 % (avg) | +16.0 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Ncl Ltd's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 20.22 % | 6.73 % | -80.19 % | -49.37 % | 500.00 % | 76.51 % | 10.87 % | 3.67 % |
| Operating Margin | 20.21 % | 18.27 % | -272.05 % | -393.67 % | -32.01 % | 10.90 % | 15.47 % | 15.89 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 6.92 % | 6.31 % | -17.96 % | -13.41 % | -9.13 % | 6.13 % | 9.13 % | 7.94 % |
| P/E | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Ncl Ltd's Strategic Group Map
Every company in Ncl Ltd's industry and named-competitor list, plotted by trailing 12-month revenue growth and operating margin. Ncl Ltd is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC (the Similar Growth & Profitability group above) are labeled.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Ncl Ltd's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Barriers to Entry | High (capital intensive) | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 31.61 % vs industry average 15.60 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See Ncl Ltd's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See Ncl Ltd's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
Ncl Ltd's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Ncl Ltd falls in the Medium attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Selective.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Ncl Ltd's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
No rule matched.
Weaknesses
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is decelerating (-7.0% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
- Tracked peer group's revenue run-rate is broadly decelerating (-7.7% annualized).
- High capital intensity requires continuous reinvestment just to keep pace with the industry.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Ncl Ltd's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ncl Corporation ltd | 0.03 | 0.20 | 0.47 |
| Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd | 0.06 | 0.19 | 2.12 |
| Carnival Corporation | 0.15 | 0.32 | 2.11 |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Ncl Ltd's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ncl Corporation ltd | Q1 2026 | +9.6 % | +5.6 % |
| Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd | Q2 2026 | +6.5 % | -6.4 % |
| Carnival Corporation | Q2 2026 | +5.3 % | -4.6 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +6.4 % | -4.7 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Ncl Ltd's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ncl Corporation ltd | Q1 2026 | +5.7 % | -5.8 % |
| Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd | Q2 2026 | +11.6 % | +227.4 % |
| Carnival Corporation | Q2 2026 | - | +2.8 % |
Ncl Ltd's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ncl Corporation ltd | 2.83% | 3.44% | 31.59% |
| Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd | 10.52% | 8.92% | 43.83% |
| Carnival Corporation | 5.96% | 6.90% | 24.48% |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Ncl Ltd's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Ncl Corporation ltd | - | - |
| Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd | 15.00 | 3.48 |
| Carnival Corporation | 9.88 | 1.13 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 11.77 | 1.71 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.