Royal Caribbean Group will report its third-quarter 2026 results before the market opens on Tuesday, Oct. 27, with a conference call at 10 a.m. Eastern. The company set that date in an Oct. 8 announcement. Two weeks later, its newest Icon Class ship, Legend of the Seas, is set to be named in Fort Lauderdale on Veterans Day.
Here is what the company has already promised, and what cruisers should watch.
What Royal Caribbean Promised for the Third Quarter
In its second-quarter earnings release on July 28, Royal Caribbean Group guided to third-quarter adjusted earnings of $6.26 to $6.36 per share. It said net yields, a key measure of what each cruise day brings in, would be about flat with 2025. Capacity was expected to rise 8.5% from a year earlier.
The company also raised its full-year 2026 adjusted earnings outlook to $17.73 to $17.87 per share, up from $17.10 to $17.50 in April. That works out to about 14% growth over 2025. Revenue for the year is expected to grow 9%.
The second quarter itself beat the company's own guidance. Revenue was $4.8 billion, up 6% from a year earlier, and ships sailed at a 110% load factor. That figure tops 100% because it counts third and fourth guests in cabins. Royal Caribbean credited strong close-in demand, lower costs and its joint ventures.
The Caveat: Geopolitics
The July outlook was not all good news. The company said it built in "a modest booking impact for select itineraries primarily due to prolonged geopolitical activity." Its earnings slides showed that impact partly offsetting other gains in the rest of the year.
MT Newswires reported that shares fell about 3% in premarket trading on the day of that release, even though results beat analyst estimates. So the tone on Tuesday's call about bookings for late 2026 and 2027 may matter as much as the quarter's numbers.
Legend of the Seas Comes to Florida
The big ship news is Legend of the Seas. After its first summer in Europe, the ship will arrive in Fort Lauderdale this November, according to the Royal Caribbean press center.
The line will formally welcome Legend to the U.S. at a naming ceremony on Nov. 11, Veterans Day. Its godmother is retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Lori J. Robinson, the first woman to lead a U.S. combatant command and a former head of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command. Royal Caribbean said the ceremony will honor veterans, active-duty service members and military families.
"Having the ship's naming ceremony on Veterans Day makes this especially meaningful to me," Robinson said in the announcement.
From Fort Lauderdale, Legend will sail 6-night Western Caribbean trips and 8-night Southern Caribbean trips to Aruba and Curacao. Every sailing visits Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas. The company says the ship has 28 dining options, the most it has offered at sea.
According to Cruise Frog's Legend of the Seas ship data, the ship measures about 248,663 gross tons and carries about 5,610 guests with roughly 2,350 crew. Flying in? Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International has three lounges.
A Busy October of Announcements
Royal Caribbean has also been filling its calendar for years ahead:
- Europe all year (Oct. 14): The line announced a 2028-29 year-round Europe season across seven ships. Rhapsody of the Seas will stay in Europe all year for the first time. Itineraries include a return to Copenhagen and Stockholm and calls at Royal Beach Club Santorini. Bookings opened Oct. 15.
- Quantum in Australia (Oct. 22): Quantum of the Seas returned to Brisbane for 28 holidays this season, its fourth year as the largest ship in the region.
- SpongeBob at sea (Oct. 2): "The SpongeBob Musical" will play on Hero of the Seas, the fourth Icon Class ship, which debuts from Miami in August 2027.
- Alaska 2028 (Sept. 30): The line laid out a four-ship Alaska lineup for 2028.
What It Means for Cruisers
Strong demand and full ships usually mean firm prices. If Tuesday's results and outlook hold up, do not expect deep discounts on popular Caribbean sailings, especially on Icon Class ships.
If you are weighing a Royal Caribbean trip, read our guides to what the line does well and its one drawback, using the app without an internet package and how Points Choice compares with a status match.
We will update readers after the company reports on Oct. 27.