Viking Announces CEO Transition and Reports First Quarter Results

Viking Announces CEO Transition and Reports First Quarter Results

Viking Holdings today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Leah Talactac, President and Chief Financial Officer, as Chief Executive Officer.

Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO, has been appointed as Executive Chairman and will continue to serve as Chairman of Viking’s Board of Directors, according to a press release.

The company also announced that Linh Banh, Executive Vice President of Finance, has been appointed as CFO.

Since joining Viking in 2006, Viking said Talactac has been a key leader on the executive team. Alongside Hagen, she led Viking’s initial public offering in 2024, which was the largest offering on the NYSE that year, and she was appointed President in January 2025 while retaining her responsibilities as CFO. Starting today, Talactac will report to the Board of Directors and continue to lead Viking’s executive committee.

As Executive Chairman,  Hagen will focus on long term strategy and continue to support Talactac in her role as CEO.

“This leadership transition reflects the strength and depth of Viking’s management team and the succession planning we have built over many years,” said Hagen. “Leah’s appointment as CEO is a natural next step, and the Board and I have full confidence in her ability to lead Viking with the same continuity, discipline and vision that have guided us since Viking was founded. On behalf of the entire Viking family, we congratulate Leah, and I look forward to partnering closely with her and the Board as she guides Viking forward in this next chapter.”

“I am honored by this appointment and deeply grateful for the trust of the Board and Tor,” said Talactac. “Tor and our entire executive team have built a phenomenal company over the last 29 years, and I am delighted to lead Viking as we continue to deliver meaningful experiences for our guests and execute our long-term strategy. I also want to take a moment to congratulate Linh on her new appointment as CFO. Linh is a trusted leader within Viking, and her financial stewardship will ensure a smooth transition.”

Q1 Results

The company also reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, and provided an update on operating capacity and bookings.

Key Highlights

  • Total revenue was $1,053.7 million for the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 17.5% compared to the same period in 2025.
  • Gross margin increased 21.2% and Adjusted Gross Margin increased 16.9% compared to the same period in 2025.
  • Net Yield was $596, an increase of 9.5% compared to the same period in 2025.
  • Adjusted EBITDA was $104.8 million, an increase of 43.9% compared to the same period in 2025.
  • Diluted EPS was $(0.12) and Adjusted EPS was $(0.11).
  • Net Leverage improved from 1.1x as of December 31, 2025 to 1.0x as of March 31, 2026.
  • As of May 3, 2026, for its Core Products, Viking had sold 92% of its Capacity Passenger Cruise Days for the 2026 season and 38% of its Capacity Passenger Cruise Days for the 2027 season.

“2026 is off to a strong start and we are very pleased with our first‑quarter results. Total revenue for the quarter grew 17.5% driving a 43.9% year-over-year increase in Adjusted EBITDA, underscoring the demand for our product and our operational discipline,” said Mr. Hagen. “Moreover, we are already 92% booked for 2026 which positions us very well for the remainder of the year. During the quarter, we also continued to make progress increasing our fleet and destination-focused offerings, further enhancing the experiences and value we offer our guests. As we look ahead, we remain focused on delivering on the strong demand while continuing to invest in our future and generate sustainable, profitable growth.”

First Quarter 2026 Consolidated Results

During the first quarter of 2026, Capacity PCDs increased by 6.6% over the same period in 2025. This year-over-year increase was mainly driven by the growth of the company’s fleet, which included one additional ocean ship. Occupancy for the first quarter of 2026 was 94.7%.

Total revenue for the first quarter of 2026 was $1,053.7 million, an increase of $156.6 million, or 17.5%, over the same period in 2025 mainly driven by increased Capacity PCDs and higher revenue per PCD in 2026 compared to 2025.

Gross margin for the first quarter of 2026 was $297.6 million, an increase of $52.1 million, or 21.2%, over the same period in 2025 and Adjusted Gross Margin for the first quarter of 2026 was $717.2 million, an increase of $103.9 million, or 16.9%, over the same period in 2025. Net Yield was $596 for the first quarter of 2025, up 9.5% year-over-year.

For the first quarter of 2026, vessel operating expenses were $357.5 million and vessel operating expenses excluding fuel were $316.1 million. Compared to the same period in 2025, vessel operating expenses increased $47.6 million, or 15.4%, and vessel operating expenses excluding fuel increased $47.9 million, or 17.9%, mainly driven by timing of maintenance and repair costs and the increase in the size of the company’s fleet in 2026 compared to 2025.

Net loss for the first quarter of 2026 improved to $54.2 million compared to a loss of $105.5 million for the same period in 2025. Adjusted Net Loss attributable to Viking Holdings Ltd for the first quarter of 2026 improved to $49.2 million compared to a loss of $105.5 million for the same period in 2025.

Adjusted EBITDA was $104.8 million, an increase of $32.0 million, or 43.9%, over the same period in 2025. The increase in Adjusted EBITDA was mainly driven by increased Capacity PCDs and higher revenue per PCD.

Diluted EPS was $(0.12) and Adjusted EPS was $(0.11) for the first quarter of 2026, compared to Diluted EPS and Adjusted EPS of $(0.24) for the same period in 2025.

Our first quarter results reflect the seasonality of our business. While our ocean, expedition and Mississippi products operate year-round, the primary cruising season for our river product is from April to October.

“We are very encouraged by the financial results of the first quarter. Increasing capacity together with Net Yield improves our profitability and further strengthens our market leadership,” said  Banh. “In this dynamic macroeconomic environment, we remain focused on delivering superior experiences, optimizing revenue and maintaining disciplined cost management, while prudently investing to support long‑term growth.”

Update on Operating Capacity and Bookings

For the company’s core products, operating capacity is 7% higher for the 2026 season compared to the 2025 season and 15% higher for the 2027 season compared to the 2026 season.

As of May 3, 2026, for the company’s core products, it had sold 92% of our Capacity PCDs for the 2026 season and 38% for the 2027 season. Viking said it had $6,225 million of Advance Bookings for the 2026 season, 13% higher than the 2025 season at the same point in time; and said it had $3,403 million of Advance Bookings for the 2027 season, 31% higher than the 2026 season at the same point in time.

Advance Bookings per PCD for the 2026 season was $842, 5.5% higher than the 2025 season at the same point in time, and Advance Bookings per PCD for the 2027 season was $986, 11.0% higher than the 2026 season at the same point in time.

“With 2026 mostly booked, our focus has shifted to the 2027 season, which is off to a great start. Capacity for our Core Products is increasing by 15%, and is already 38% booked, with Advance Bookings 31% ahead of last year,” said Talactac. “Our booked positions for 2026 and 2027 demonstrate the resilience of our loyal customer base and the sustained demand for our product reflecting that travel remains a priority for our customers. These results also underscore the effectiveness of our strategic initiatives including an extended booking window, targeted direct marketing, a broader itinerary offering and a compelling value proposition.”

Carnival Corporation expects revenue to rise by 2.5% in 2018

Related image
Carnival Horizon being constructed and due next year.

Carnival Corporation has announced a $2.6billion net income for the full year of 2017.

Revenues for 2017 were $17.5billion – $1.1billion higher than the $16.4billion in 2016.

Carnival said in its annual report that it expects 2018 revenue yield to be up 2.5% compared to this year.

Bookings across the world’s largest travel company for 2018 have been running well ahead of the prior year at higher prices, Carnival said.

Carnival’s president and chief executive officer Arnold Donald said that despite booking disruptions from this year’s hurricanes, the company was heading into 2018 with a stronger base of business and higher prices than last year.

Donald said: “We have numerous efforts underway to keep the momentum going in 2018 and beyond, from our innovative approaches to increased consideration for cruising, to the further roll-out of our state-of-the-art revenue management system.

“In 2018 we also look forward to the delivery of four new cutting-edge ships, Carnival Horizon, Seabourn Ovation, AIDAnova, and Nieuw Statendam to further our strategic fleet enhancement program.”

Disruptions to voyages caused by hurricanes reduced fourth quarter earnings by approximately $0.11 per share.

Carnival Corporation sees Q2 profits treble

Carnival Corporation delivered an improved set of second quarter year on year financial figures and revealed that bookings for the remainder of 2014 are ahead of last year.

The world’s largest cruise conglomerate admitted yields in the current quarter – covering the main summer months – would be affected by a “significant” industry capacity increases in the Caribbean but raised its forecast for full year trading amid falling costs and an improved economic picture.

The group saw profits almost treble in the three months to May 31 to $106 million from $4 million in the second quarter of 2013, based on revenue up to $3.6 billion from $3.5 billion.

Carnival Corporation president and chief executive Arnold Donald said the company had been helped by better than expected revenue and lower cruise costs.

“We benefited from effective marketing initiatives, which combined with a gradually improving economic environment, led to revenue yield improvement for our continental European brands in the quarter compared to the prior year and is expected to continue through the remainder of the year,” he said.

“In addition, we achieved a six percent improvement in fuel consumption.”

Donald said Carnival expects revenue for 2014 to surpass last year’s level.

Advance bookings for the rest of 2014 are slightly ahead of last year and at higher prices, even though bookings for the next three quarters are slightly behind last year.

Donald said: “Collectively our brands are gaining momentum in our efforts to drive higher ticket prices and we continue to expect sequential improvement in revenue yields, despite a more competitive environment in the Caribbean this summer.

“We remain focused on further understanding our guests and refining the exceptional customer experience we provide.

“We have also made significant strides in our efforts to identify opportunities for cross-brand operational efficiencies. This work is still in the early stages, but we are making progress and beginning to see encouraging signs.”

The company hopes to have recovered from multiple cruise ship incidents last year involving Carnival Cruise Lines.

Several ships had power problems, including Carnival Triumph, which stranded passengers for days at sea in squalid conditions in February 2013.

“We believe we have reached a positive inflection point for our company as we return to earnings growth in 2014 and work hard to ensure that growth accelerates in the years to come,” Donald said.

The third quarter saw the introduction of Princess Cruises’ Regal Princess in the Mediterranean and the brand’s first programme of sailings from China on Sapphire Princess.

Costa Cruises announced that it will position Costa Serena in China next year, bringing the company’s total to four ships based in the world’s fastest growing cruise market.

The corporation said it believes it is the largest provider of cruise holidays home-ported in China.