RCL vs HLT Comparison

Royal Caribbean is the world's second-largest cruise company by revenues, operating 68 ships across five global and partner brands in the cruise vacation industry. Brands the company operates include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea. The company also has a 50% investment in a joint venture that operates TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. The selection of brands in the portfolio allows Royal to compete on the basis of innovation, quality of ships and service, variety of itineraries, choice of destinations, and price. The company completed the divestiture of its Azamara brand in 2021, plans to launch its new Celebrity River Cruise brand in 2027, the same year it is set to operate eight private destination locations (up from two currently).

Hilton Worldwide Holdings operates 1.3 million rooms across its 25 brands, serving the premium economy through luxury segments. Hampton and Hilton are the two largest brands, representing 27% and 18%, respectively, of the company's total rooms, as of Dec. 31, 2024. Recent brands launched over the past few years include Home2, Curio, Canopy, Spark, Tru, Tempo, LivSmart, and Outset. Additionally, there is a partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World and acquisitions of NoMad and Graduate Hotels. Managed and franchised hotels represent the vast majority of adjusted EBITDA, predominantly from the Americas.