Carnival (CCL): Cruise ships & the $500M fuel landmine [Q1 2026]

Carnival (CCL) just printed record Q1 2026 revenue, but a massive unhedged fuel bill and a buried depreciation tweak reveal a company running its engines at absolute redline.In ~10 minutes:• Why extending ship lifespans artificially boosted this quarter's earnings.• Management's risky bet to absorb a $500M fuel shock without hedging.• How record $7.9B in customer deposits offset Mediterranean booking softness.• A looming Supreme Court lawsuit over confiscated Cuban property.Carnival is pivoting hard to return $14 billion to shareholders by 2029 under its new PROPEL plan. But with the stock immediately selling off after the opening bell, the market is clearly weighing peak consumer pricing power against a razor-thin margin for error.Carnival Corporation & plc (CCL) | Q1 FY2026AI-assisted production. Feedback/ticker requests: https://x.com/EarnUnscripted.