Trailing Dividend / Share
$0.97
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) Dividend History
Income profile from 1993 to 2026 with payout safety and yield-on-cost trend
Dividend Yield
0.3%
Payout Ratio
6.2%
Sustainable
Dividend Streak
2 years
RCL Dividend Income Check
Safety
6.2% payout ratio with sustainable safety profile.
Consistency
2 straight years of dividend increases.
Income Trend
Yield on cost is 4.9% and trend is rising.
RCL Dividend Scorecard
Yield & Income
Dividend Yield0.3%
Trailing DPS$0.97
FrequencyAnnual
Payments / 12M4
Payout Safety
Earnings Payout6.2%
Earnings SafetySustainable
FCF Payout19.1%
FCF SafetyWell Covered
Piotroski F-Score7/9
Growth
Growth Streak2 years
3Y CAGRN/A
5Y CAGR35.0%
Yield on Cost (5Y)4.9%
YOC Trendrising
Total Returns
Buyback Yield1.5%
Total Shareholder Yield1.9%
1Y Total Return25.1%
5Y Total Return240.3%
Div Contribution (5Y)7.1%
Estimated $10K growth (return + dividends):
5Y ago$34,02910Y ago$39,17420Y ago$70,302
Uses precomputed total return metrics from screening data (not lot-by-lot dividend reinvestment transactions). Different time windows can produce different outcomes depending on market regime and entry point.
RCL Income Growth Story
Dividend per share and yield on cost over time (29 years of payments)
RCL Dividend Safety Story
EPS is the container — dividend is what's drawn out
Dividend Analysis
Payout Safety
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. distributes 6.2% of earnings as dividends (Sustainable). When measured against free cash flow—a stricter test—the payout ratio stands at 19.1%, rated "Well Covered".
Piotroski F-Score: 7/9 — strong financial health.
Growth Track Record
RCL has raised its dividend for 2 consecutive years, with a 5-year CAGR of 35.0%.
Total Shareholder Returns
Beyond cash dividends, RCL returns capital through share repurchases. The combined picture: 0.3% dividend yield, 1.5% buyback yield, 1.9% total shareholder yield.
Income Trend & Total Return
Yield on cost (5-year basis) has reached 4.9% and is currently rising. The 5-year total return is 240.3%, with dividends contributing 7.1% of that performance.
DRIP Growth
A $10,000 investment made 10 years ago with dividends reinvested would have grown to approximately $39,174 today.
RCL Recent Dividend Payments
Last 20 payments · Annual
TTM Total$14.45
Avg/Payment$0.7225
Latest Change+50.0%
| Ex-Date | Amount | Change | Yield % | Payment Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 6, 2026Latest | $1.5000 | ↑ +50.0% | 1.53% | Apr 3, 2026 |
| Dec 26, 2025 | $1.0000 | — | 1.23% | Jan 14, 2026 |
| Sep 25, 2025 | $1.0000 | ↑ +33.3% | 93.98% | Oct 13, 2025 |
| Jun 4, 2025 | $0.7500 | — | 92.23% | Jul 3, 2025 |
| Mar 7, 2025 | $0.7500 | ↑ +36.4% | 79.44% | Apr 4, 2025 |
| Dec 27, 2024 | $0.5500 | ↑ +37.5% | 40.82% | Jan 13, 2025 |
| Sep 20, 2024 | $0.4000 | ↓ -48.7% | 22.98% | Oct 11, 2024 |
| Mar 5, 2020 | $0.7800 | — | 4.62% | Apr 6, 2020 |
RCL Dividend vs Peers
Comparable companies in the same industry
#5 yield in peer group
Div Yield
0.3%
#5 of 6
Safety
Sustainable
6.2% payout
Streak
2Y
35.0% 5Y CAGR
Total Shareholder
1.9%
#6 of 6
| Company | Mkt Cap | Yield | Payout | Streak | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCLRoyal Caribbean Crui… | $76.0B | 0.3% | 6.2% | 2 | Sustainable |
 HLTHilton Worldwide Hol… | $72.9B | 0.2% | 9.8% | 0 | Sustainable |
3rd  MARMarriott Internation… | $93.2B | 0.8% | 27.6% | 4 | Sustainable |
 HHyatt Hotels Corpora… | $16.3B | 0.4% | — | 3 | Unknown |
1st  VACMarriott Vacations W… | $2.6B | 4.1% | — | 4 | Unknown |
2nd  TNLTravel + Leisure Co. | $4.1B | 3.4% | 64.8% | 4 | Watch |
RCL Annual Dividend History (1991–2026)
36 years of dividend data
GrowthDecline
| Year | DPS | YoY | Pmts | EPS | Payout | Coverage | YOC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | $1.50 | — | 1 | — | — | — | 2.1% |
| 2025 | $3.50 | 268.4% | 4 | $15.61 | 22.4% | 4.46x | 4.9% |
| 2024 | $0.95 | — | 2 | $10.94 | 8.7% | 11.52x | 1.3% |
| 2023 | $0.00 | — | 0 | $6.31 | — | — | — |
| 2022 | $0.00 | — | 0 | $-8.45 | — | — | — |
| 2021 | $0.00 | -100.0% | 0 | $-20.89 | — | — | — |
| 2020 | $0.78 | -73.6% | 1 | $-27.05 | — | — | 1.1% |
| 2019 | $2.96 | 13.8% | 4 | $8.95 | 33.1% | 3.02x | 4.2% |
| 2018 | $2.60 | 20.4% | 4 | $8.56 | 30.4% | 3.29x | 3.7% |
| 2017 | $2.16 | 26.3% | 4 | $7.53 | 28.7% | 3.49x | 3.1% |
Full RCL Stock Analysis
Analyst consensus, bull case, AI-generated risk factors, and peer comparison — all in one place.
See RCL's True Return
Price is only half the story. See total return with reinvested dividends.
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Start ComparisonRCL — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying RCL stock.
How much dividend does RCL pay per share?
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) pays a trailing 12-month dividend of $0.97 per share, with a current dividend yield of +0.3%. Payments are made Annual.
When is RCL's next ex-dividend date?
RCL's most recent ex-dividend date is N/A. You must own shares before the ex-dividend date to receive the next payment. RCL typically pays dividends Annual.
Is RCL's dividend safe?
RCL's dividend safety is rated "Sustainable" based on an earnings payout ratio of +6.2% and FCF payout ratio of +19.1%. The 2-year growth streak provides moderate confidence.
How many years has RCL increased its dividend?
RCL has 2 consecutive years of dividend growth. The 5-year dividend CAGR is +35.0%.
How often does RCL pay dividends?
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. pays dividends Annual. The trailing 12-month total is $0.97 per share. Dividend data on this page covers 33+ years from 1993 to 2026.
How much would $10,000 invested in RCL grow with dividend reinvestment?
With dividends reinvested (DRIP), $10,000 invested in RCL five years ago would be worth approximately $34,029 today. This includes both price appreciation and compounded dividend reinvestment. Use the DRIP calculator above for other time periods.
What is RCL's yield on cost for long-term holders?
RCL's yield on cost — the current dividend divided by the original purchase price — is +4.9% for a 5-year holding period. This means long-term holders earn a higher effective yield than today's +0.3% market yield, thanks to consistent dividend growth.