The cruise company topped its own adjusted EPS guidance of $0.38 with $0.48, but softer demand and rising fuel costs are weighing on the year ahead
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Norwegian Cruise Line $NCLH Holdings reported second-quarter net income of $222.6 million, or $0.48 per share, up from $30 million, or $0.07 per share, a year earlier. Adjusted earnings per share also came in at $0.48, ahead of the company's own guidance of $0.38 and above the $0.39 analyst consensus, according to MarketWatch.
Total revenue for the quarter rose 4.9% to $2.64 billion. Adjusted EBITDA declined 4.1% to $666 million from $694 million a year earlier, still beating guidance of $632 million.
Despite the better-than-expected quarter, Norwegian trimmed its full-year adjusted EPS forecast to approximately $1.50. The company had previously guided to a range of $1.45 to $1.79 per share, according to MarketWatch. Full-year adjusted EBITDA is now expected to be approximately $2.5 billion, and full-year net yield on a constant currency basis is expected to be down approximately 5% versus 2025.
The company said it has not yet reached its optimal booked position for the coming year, pointing to demand headwinds at its Norwegian Cruise Line brand stemming from operational missteps and instability in the Middle East. Fuel costs have also added to the pressure, with the per-metric-ton price jumping to $888 compared with $659 a year ago. For the third quarter, the company projects adjusted EPS of $0.90 and a net yield decline of 8.9% on a constant currency basis.
"While we are confident in the strength of our brands and the long-term benefits of the actions underway, we are still in the early stages of our turnaround," said John W. Chidsey, chairperson and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, in a statement.
Norwegian has been working to cut costs amid the weaker demand environment. The company identified an additional $100 million in expected annualized run-rate savings, primarily from technology vendor consolidation, on top of the $125 million in savings announced alongside its first-quarter results, when Norwegian also slashed its full-year profit outlook and flagged execution missteps including shorter Caribbean itineraries. Chief Financial Officer Mark A. Kempa said in a statement that the company has now identified over $500 million in savings over the past three years.
As of June 30, 2026, Norwegian carried total debt of $15.0 billion and net leverage of 5.3x. Norwegian shares were down 3.5% before the market opened Thursday.
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