Royal Caribbean Declares Dividend and Announces New $2 Billion Share Repurchase Program

Rhea-AI Summary

Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) declared a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per common share, payable on January 14, 2026 to holders of record at the close of business on December 26, 2025. The Board also approved a new $2 billion share repurchase program.

The company noted completion of a prior $1 billion repurchase, retirement of 3.5 million shares, and said it has returned $1.9 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks since July 2024.

Positive

• $1.00 quarterly dividend payable Jan 14, 2026
• New $2 billion share repurchase program authorized
• Prior $1 billion repurchase completed
• Retired 3.5 million shares
• Returned $1.9 billion to shareholders since July 2024

Negative

• None.

Key Figures

Quarterly dividend $1.00 per share Declared, payable January 14, 2026

Record date December 26, 2025 Shareholders of record for $1.00 dividend

New buyback authorization $2 billion Board-approved common stock repurchase program

Prior buyback program $1 billion Completed share repurchase program

Shares retired 3.5 million shares Retired under prior repurchase program

Capital returned $1.9 billion Returned via dividends and buybacks since July 2024

Market Reality Check

$248.32 Last Close

Volume Volume 2,031,110 shares is slightly below the 20-day average of 2,304,931, suggesting no pre-news volume spike. normal

Technical Shares at $248.32 are trading below the 200-day moving average of $277.30 and about one-third under the $366.50 52-week high.

Peers on Argus

RCL showed a -1.62% move while key travel peers were mixed: ABNB +3.11%, BKNG +0.81%, TCOM +0.93%, and cruise peers CCL -0.66%, CUK -1.05%. This points to stock-specific dynamics rather than a unified sector move.

Historical Context

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Nov 18	Debt financing	Neutral	+1.9%	Senior unsecured notes offering to fund Celebrity Xcel and refinance debt.
Nov 14	Ship launch	Positive	-1.1%	Celebrity Xcel arrival in Fort Lauderdale with new onboard experiences.
Nov 12	Itinerary update	Positive	-0.1%	Announcement of 2027–28 deployments from Texas, California and Northeast.
Nov 11	Itinerary update	Positive	-0.5%	Celebrity Cruises unveils 2027–2028 Caribbean, Asia and South America routes.
Nov 06	Brand initiative	Positive	-1.2%	Expansion of Artist Discovery Program at Royal Beach Club Paradise Island.

Pattern Detected

Recent news has often seen muted or negative price reactions, even to operationally positive announcements, with only the debt offering drawing a modest positive move.

Recent Company History

Over the past few months, RCL has focused on fleet growth, itinerary expansion and financing. A Nov 18 senior notes offering to fund Celebrity Xcel drew a +1.91% reaction. Subsequent product and deployment updates for Celebrity Xcel, Icon of the Seas and 2027–2028 itineraries coincided with small declines between -0.05% and -1.19%. Today’s dividend and $2 billion buyback news adds a direct capital‑return layer on top of this growth and financing trajectory.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement highlights continued capital returns through a $1.00 quarterly dividend and a new $2 billion share repurchase program, following retirement of 3.5 million shares and $1.9 billion already returned since July 2024. In context of recent fleet expansion and debt financing, investors may watch how repurchase execution, dividend sustainability and future financing decisions interact with leverage levels and long-term growth plans.

Key Terms

quarterly dividend financial

"declared a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per common share payable..."

A quarterly dividend is a payment a company gives to its shareholders four times a year, usually as a share of its profits. It's like getting a small bonus every few months for owning the company's stock, which can provide a steady income. Investors watch these payments to see how well a company is doing and whether it’s a good investment.

share repurchase program financial

"approved the repurchase of up to $2 billion of the company's common stock"

A share repurchase program is when a company buys back its own shares from the marketplace. This reduces the total number of shares available, which can increase the value of each remaining share and signal confidence in the company's prospects. For investors, it often suggests that the company believes its stock is undervalued or that it has extra cash to return to shareholders.

investment grade financial

""Our strong financial position and investment grade balance sheet allow us..."

A credit rating label assigned to bonds or borrowers that signals relatively low risk of default; think of it as a strong health check for a company's or government's ability to repay debt. It matters to investors because investment-grade status typically means lower interest costs for the borrower, greater eligibility for conservative funds and pension portfolios, and generally more stable returns compared with higher-risk, non-investment-grade debt.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

MIAMI, Dec. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Board of Directors of Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) today declared a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per common share payable on January 14, 2026 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 26, 2025.

The company also announced today that its Board of Directors has approved the repurchase of up to $2 billion of the company's common stock.

"With the completion of the prior $1 billion share repurchase program and the retirement of 3.5 million shares, we have returned $1.9 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases since July 2024" said Naftali Holtz, chief financial officer, Royal Caribbean Group. "Our strong financial position and investment grade balance sheet allow us to introduce a new $2 billion share repurchase program. By doing that, we are reinforcing our commitment to delivering long term shareholder value through the execution of our strategic growth priorities and capital return to shareholders."

About Royal Caribbean Group
Royal Caribbean Group (NYSE: RCL) is a vacation industry leader with a global fleet of 69 ships across its five brands traveling to all seven continents. With a mission to deliver the best vacations responsibly, Royal Caribbean Group serves millions of guests each year through its portfolio of best-in-class brands, including Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea; and an expanding portfolio of land-based vacation experiences through Perfect Day at CocoCay and Royal Beach Club collection. The company also owns 50% of a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. With a rich history of innovating, Royal Caribbean Group continually delivers exciting new products and guest experiences that help shape the future of leisure travel. Learn more at royalcaribbeangroup.com or rclinvestor.com.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements: This press release and related comments by management includes "forward-looking statements" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to expected dividend payments and the execution of share repurchases. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, are based on judgments, are inherently uncertain and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements.  More information about factors that could affect our operating results is included under the caption "Risk Factors" in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as well as our other filings with the SEC, copies of which may be obtained by visiting our Investor Relations website at www.rclinvestor.com or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/royal-caribbean-declares-dividend-and-announces-new-2-billion-share-repurchase-program-302638018.html

SOURCE Royal Caribbean Group

FAQ

What dividend did Royal Caribbean (RCL) declare on December 10, 2025?

Royal Caribbean declared a quarterly dividend of $1.00 per common share on December 10, 2025.

When is the RCL dividend payable and what is the record date?

The dividend is payable on January 14, 2026 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 26, 2025.

How large is the new Royal Caribbean (RCL) share repurchase program announced December 10, 2025?

The Board approved the repurchase of up to $2 billion of common stock.

What buyback progress did Royal Caribbean report alongside the December 10, 2025 announcement?

The company completed a prior $1 billion repurchase and retired 3.5 million shares.

How much has Royal Caribbean returned to shareholders since July 2024?

Royal Caribbean said it returned $1.9 billion to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases since July 2024.