Cruise Industry News takes a look at the financial performance of the “big three” following the fourth quarter of 2016.

Takeaways:

Net income per passenger day was up for Q4 for all three brands year-over-year, with Carnival not only posting the biggest number, but also the highest increase compared to 2016.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings once again led the way when it came to gross and net revenue per passenger day in both ticket price and onboard spending. Norwegian’s net was $67.88 in onboard spending per passenger per day, compared to $46.65 for Royal Caribbean and $41.46 for Carnival.

All companies were able to lower operating expenses per passenger day, with Carnival having the lowest overall expense at $157.27 per passenger day, but Royal posting the biggest decrease, year-over-year, from $170.83 to $163.18.