Cruise Line Shareholder Benefits: How Owning Cruise Stock Can Get You Onboard Credit
- Cruising with Lynnie
- 3 days ago
- 11 min read
Updated: 4 hours ago
Did you know that owning stock in certain cruise companies could get you extra onboard spending money when you sail?
Three of the largest publicly traded cruise companies currently offer shareholder benefits to qualifying investors:
Carnival Corporation
Royal Caribbean Group
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
Each company generally requires you to own at least 100 shares of stock, and the benefit usually comes in the form of onboard credit rather than a discount on your cruise fare.
Depending on the cruise company and the length of your sailing, you could receive between $50 and $250 per stateroom. Royal Caribbean Group also currently offers a larger credit for qualifying World Cruises.
Here is how the programs work, which cruise lines are included and what you need to know before buying stock solely for the benefit.
Important: Shareholder benefits and eligibility rules can change at any time. Always confirm the current terms with the cruise company before purchasing shares or counting on the onboard credit for an upcoming cruise.
What Is a Cruise Line Shareholder Benefit?
A cruise line shareholder benefit is a perk offered to qualifying stockholders who also book an eligible cruise.
The three major cruise companies with current programs require shareholders to own at least 100 shares of the parent company’s stock at the time of sailing.
Once your request is approved, the company adds onboard credit to the eligible stateroom in which the shareholder is sailing.
The amount typically depends on the length of the cruise.
This is generally:
$50 for shorter cruises
$100 for approximately weeklong cruises
$250 for longer cruises
The exact sailing-length categories vary slightly among the three companies.
Cruise Companies That Offer Shareholder Benefits
Carnival Corporation Shareholder Benefit
Stock ticker: NYSE: CCL
Minimum ownership: 100 shares
Carnival Corporation’s shareholder benefit applies across a large family of cruise brands.
Participating Carnival Corporation cruise lines
Depending on the sailing region, participating brands include:
Carnival Cruise Line
Princess Cruises
Holland America Line
Seabourn
Cunard
Costa Cruises
AIDA Cruises
P&O Cruises UK
Carnival Corporation also lists applicable Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises sailings in Australia.
Carnival shareholder onboard credit
For cruises operating in U.S. dollars, the current benefit is:
Length of Sailing | Onboard Credit |
6 days or fewer | $50 per stateroom |
7–13 days | $100 per stateroom |
14 days or longer | $250 per stateroom |
Benefits on ships using euros, British pounds or Australian dollars are issued in the applicable onboard currency and may have different values.
How to apply for Carnival’s shareholder benefit
Carnival Corporation currently processes shareholder requests through the Stockperks app.
You will need to:
Download Stockperks and create a profile.
Search for Carnival in the app.
Select the cruise line you will be sailing.
Validate ownership of at least 100 Carnival Corporation shares.
Submit a claim for your eligible booking.
Carnival asks shareholders to submit requests at least three weeks before departure.
The current benefit is published for eligible sailings through December 31, 2026, although Carnival may change, extend or end the program.
Carnival restrictions to know
Carnival’s benefit:
Is limited to one onboard credit per shareholder-occupied stateroom
Is nonrefundable and nontransferable
Cannot be exchanged for cash
Cannot be used for casino credits or casino charges
Cannot be used for gratuities charged to the onboard account
Employees, travel agents sailing on qualifying industry rates, tour conductors and certain guests sailing on complimentary or reduced-rate bookings may be excluded.
Royal Caribbean Group Shareholder Benefit
Stock ticker: NYSE: RCL
Minimum ownership: 100 shares
Royal Caribbean Group offers shareholder onboard credit on eligible cruises with its three wholly owned cruise brands.
Participating Royal Caribbean Group cruise lines
Royal Caribbean International
Celebrity Cruises
Silversea Cruises
The benefit does not apply to Royal Caribbean Group’s joint-venture cruise brands, such as TUI Cruises.
Royal Caribbean shareholder onboard credit
Length of sailing | Onboard credit |
5 nights or fewer | $50 per stateroom |
6–13 nights | $100 per stateroom |
14 nights or longer | $250 per stateroom |
Qualifying World Cruise | $1,000 per stateroom |
Royal Caribbean Group specifically lists a $1,000 onboard credit for a World Cruise, making this program slightly different from the Carnival and Norwegian programs.
How to apply for Royal Caribbean’s shareholder benefit
Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises use an electronic shareholder request process. Silversea has a separate request link.
Royal Caribbean recommends that requests arrive approximately two to three weeks before the sail date. The shareholder must still own at least 100 RCL shares at the time of sailing.
Royal Caribbean restrictions to know
The benefit is generally:
Applied per eligible stateroom
Limited to one shareholder credit per stateroom
Limited to the stateroom in which the shareholder is sailing
Nontransferable
Unavailable on charter or complimentary cruises
Unavailable on Celebrity River Cruises and Galapagos sailings
Unavailable for onboard service charges
Unavailable for activities purchased before the cruise
Forfeited if it remains unused after the final night
A solo guest paying 200% of the applicable fare can receive the full credit.
Royal Caribbean also states that the benefit applies to bookings made on or after June 1, 2023. Special terms apply to the World Cruise credit, including how unused amounts may be handled.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Shareholder Benefit
Stock ticker: NYSE: NCLH
Minimum ownership: 100 shares
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings offers shareholder onboard credit across its three cruise brands.
Participating Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings brands
Norwegian Cruise Line
Oceania Cruises
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Charter sailings are excluded.
Norwegian shareholder onboard credit
Length of sailing | Onboard credit |
6 days or fewer | $50 per stateroom |
7–14 days | $100 per stateroom |
15 days or longer | $250 per stateroom |
Notice that Norwegian uses slightly different cruise-length categories from Carnival and Royal Caribbean. A 14-day cruise, for example, falls into Norwegian’s $100 category, while Carnival and Royal Caribbean currently place a 14-day or 14-night sailing in the $250 category.
How to apply for Norwegian’s shareholder benefit
Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises each provide a shareholder request link through the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings investor website.
You will generally need to provide:
Your contact information
Your ship and sailing date
Your reservation information
Proof that you own at least 100 NCLH shares
A current brokerage statement or shareholder proxy card may be used as proof.
Norwegian advises shareholders to black out their brokerage account number before submitting a statement.
Requests must be received at least 15 days before the sailing date.
Norwegian restrictions to know
The benefit:
Is applied per eligible stateroom or suite
Is limited to one credit per shareholder reservation on a sailing
Is nontransferable
Cannot be redeemed for cash
Cannot be used for onboard service charges
Cannot be used for activities purchased before the cruise
Is forfeited if unused
The program excludes charter sailings and certain reduced-rate, employee, interline, friends-and-family, vendor, travel-agent and complimentary bookings.
Norwegian also says that combining the shareholder benefit with other offers is subject to the company’s current promotional terms and discretion.
Cruise Stock Shareholder Benefits at a Glance
Parent company | Included cruise brands | Minimum shares | Short-cruise credit | Mid-length credit | Long-cruise credit |
Carnival Corporation | Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Seabourn, Cunard, Costa, AIDA and P&O UK | 100 | $50 for 6 days or fewer | $100 for 7–13 days | $250 for 14+ days |
Royal Caribbean Group | Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea | 100 | $50 for 5 nights or fewer | $100 for 6–13 nights | $250 for 14+ nights |
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings | Norwegian, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas | 100 | $50 for 6 days or fewer | $100 for 7–14 days | $250 for 15+ days |
Royal Caribbean Group also currently offers $1,000 per stateroom on an eligible World Cruise.
Which Cruise Lines Do Not Offer a Stockholder Onboard Credit?
Not every cruise line has publicly traded stock, and owning stock in a larger travel or entertainment company does not automatically qualify you for cruise benefits.
For example, Disney Cruise Line is part of The Walt Disney Company, but Disney does not currently advertise an onboard-credit program for owners of Disney stock.
MSC Cruises is privately owned and does not have publicly traded shares that ordinary investors can purchase.
Viking Holdings is publicly traded, but I could not find an official shareholder onboard-credit program comparable to the Carnival, Royal Caribbean or Norwegian programs.
That means the three major cruise-stock onboard-credit programs currently available to U.S. investors are offered by:
Carnival Corporation
Royal Caribbean Group
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings
Because shareholder programs can be added, changed or discontinued, check the investor-relations page of the applicable company before making any investment decision.
Can You Use Shareholder Credit for Anything Onboard?
Not necessarily.
A common misconception is that shareholder onboard credit works exactly like cash and can be used for every charge. Each cruise company has restrictions.
Depending on the cruise line, eligible purchases might include:
Specialty dining purchased onboard
Drinks purchased onboard
Spa services
Shore excursions booked onboard
Photographs
Shopping
Internet purchased onboard
However, you should not assume that every purchase will qualify.
For example:
Carnival specifically excludes casino charges and gratuities.
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian exclude onboard service charges.
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian do not allow the credit to be applied to activities purchased before sailing.
The safest approach is to review the terms for your particular cruise line and use the credit for eligible purchases made after boarding.
Is the Shareholder Benefit Per Person or Per Stateroom?
The credit is generally issued per stateroom, not per passenger.
Owning 200 shares does not normally double the credit for one cabin. Likewise, two qualifying shareholders sharing the same cabin generally cannot each claim a separate onboard credit for that stateroom.
To claim benefits for multiple staterooms, the ownership and reservation arrangement must satisfy the company’s rules.
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian explain that when shares are jointly owned and credits are requested for more than one stateroom, at least 100 shares must generally be held for each requested credit.
Can You Claim the Benefit More Than Once?
Yes. The benefit is not limited to one lifetime use.
As long as you continue to own the required number of shares, are personally sailing in the eligible stateroom and meet the current booking requirements, you can submit a request for each qualifying cruise.
Royal Caribbean and Norwegian expressly state that shareholders may request the benefit each time they sail on an eligible cruise. Carnival’s Stockperks process similarly allows shareholders to submit a claim for each eligible booking.
Can the Stock Be Held in an IRA?
The published rules focus primarily on proving that the passenger owns the required number of shares at the time of sailing.
Shares held in an IRA or another brokerage account may potentially qualify if you can provide acceptable documentation showing ownership. However, account types, ownership names and documentation requirements can vary.
Before relying on shares held in a retirement or jointly owned account, contact the cruise company or follow its current claim instructions to confirm that your documentation will be accepted.
Never send an unredacted brokerage statement. Remove or black out account numbers and other sensitive financial information unless the company’s secure verification process specifically requires it.
Can Shareholder Credit Be Combined With Other Onboard Credit?
Sometimes—but this is one area where the answer may depend on the cruise company, the promotion and the type of fare you booked.
Some regular booking promotions may be combinable, while certain reduced-rate, complimentary, employee, travel-agent, casino, charter or other special fares may not qualify.
Norwegian specifically states that combinability is subject to its current promotional terms and discretion. Royal Caribbean’s current program excludes several fare and sailing types, and Carnival excludes certain complimentary and reduced-rate travelers.
Submit your request early enough that you have time to ask questions if it is denied.
Is Buying 100 Shares of Cruise Stock Worth It?
The onboard credit can be a valuable extra for frequent cruisers, but it should not be the only reason you buy a stock.
The cost of 100 shares changes constantly because cruise-company stocks trade publicly. Your investment could increase or decrease substantially in value, and the amount you could lose may be much greater than the onboard credit you receive.
The shareholder program could also be modified or discontinued after you purchase the shares.
Before investing, consider:
The total cost of 100 shares
How often you realistically cruise with the company’s brands
Whether your usual fares and bookings qualify
Your overall investment strategy
The risks of owning an individual travel-industry stock
Whether you are comfortable holding the shares during market volatility
The onboard credit is best viewed as an additional perk—not a guaranteed return and not a substitute for researching the investment itself.
Example of How the Benefit Could Add Up
Suppose you own 100 qualifying shares of Carnival Corporation and take two eligible seven-day cruises each year.
Under Carnival’s current benefit schedule, you could receive:
$100 for the first cruise
$100 for the second cruise
$200 in total annual onboard credit
Over five years, that could add up to $1,000 in onboard credit, assuming:
The benefit remains available
The amounts do not change
Both cruises qualify
You remain a qualifying shareholder
You successfully apply before each deadline
That does not mean your investment earned $1,000. The value of your shares could rise or fall during the same period, and the shareholder program is not guaranteed to continue.
How to Claim a Cruise Line Shareholder Benefit
Although each company has a different application system, the general process is similar.
1. Own the required stock
You must own at least 100 shares of the applicable parent company:
Carnival Corporation: CCL
Royal Caribbean Group: RCL
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings: NCLH
2. Book an eligible cruise
The qualifying shareholder must be sailing in the stateroom receiving the onboard credit.
3. Gather proof of ownership
Depending on the company, this might involve:
Connecting or verifying a portfolio through an authorized service
Uploading a current brokerage statement
Providing a shareholder proxy card
Protect your private information by redacting account numbers when appropriate.
4. Submit the request
Current recommended deadlines are:
Carnival: At least three weeks before departure
Royal Caribbean: Approximately two to three weeks before departure
Norwegian: At least 15 days before departure
5. Confirm the credit
Check your cruise documents or onboard-credit balance before sailing. Bring a copy of the approval with you, but do not wait until you are onboard to apply.
Carnival specifically states that shareholder credits cannot be processed onboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Carnival shareholders get a cruise discount?
Carnival shareholders do not receive a general discount on the cruise fare. Qualifying shareholders receive onboard credit for an eligible sailing.
How many shares do I need?
Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings each currently require ownership of at least 100 shares.
Can I buy the stock after booking my cruise?
The published terms focus on owning the required shares at the time of sailing. However, you must also have enough time to complete the verification and submit your request before the applicable deadline.
Can I apply after boarding?
You should not count on it. Carnival specifically says the credit cannot be processed onboard, and all three companies require advance submission.
Will 200 shares give me twice the onboard credit?
Not for one stateroom. The credit is generally based on the eligible cabin and cruise length, not on the number of shares owned above the 100-share minimum.
Does the shareholder have to sail?
Yes. The benefit generally applies only to the stateroom in which the qualifying shareholder is traveling.
Can unused onboard credit be cashed out?
Generally, no. Unused standard shareholder credit is usually forfeited and is not redeemable for cash. Royal Caribbean publishes separate terms for qualifying World Cruise credit.
Final Thoughts
For frequent cruisers, cruise line shareholder benefits can provide a useful amount of extra onboard spending money.
Owning at least 100 shares of Carnival Corporation, Royal Caribbean Group or Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings may qualify you for onboard credit across many popular cruise brands—including Carnival, Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Norwegian, Oceania and several luxury cruise lines.
Just remember that this is an onboard-credit benefit, not a guaranteed cruise discount or investment return.
Stock values fluctuate, booking restrictions apply and the programs can change at any time. Research the company as an investment first, then consider the cruise benefit a bonus if it fits the way you already travel.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not financial or investment advice. Stock investments can lose value. Verify all shareholder benefit terms directly with the cruise company before buying shares or booking a cruise based on the expected credit.
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