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Business

Walmart, Taiwan Semiconductor, Netflix, Carnival and more

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Bing Guan | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Check out the companies making the biggest moves midday.

Walmart — Shares of retailer Walmart jumped more than 7% after reporting quarterly earnings that beat Wall Street’s expectations and raising its forward guidance. The company reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.50 on $152.81 billion in revenue, where analysts expected adjusted earnings per share of $1.32 and $147.75 billion in revenue, per Refinitiv.

Retail stocks — Retail stocks rose following Walmart and Home Depot‘s stronger-than-expected financial reports for the third quarter. Home Depot rose 1%, while Target shares rallied more than 3%. Kohl’s and Bed Bath & Beyond added roughly 3%. Macy’s and Nordstrom advanced about 5% and 3%, respectively.

Taiwan Semiconductor — Shares of the Taiwanese chipmaker soared more than 12% after Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway built a $4 billion new stake in the company. Berkshire added more than 60 million shares of the Taiwanese chipmaker’s American depositary receipts, by the end of the third quarter, making Taiwan Semi the conglomerate’s 10th biggest holding at the end of September.

Paramount Global — Shares of the media company jumped more than 9% after a filing revealed that Berkshire Hathaway increased its holding to $1.7 billion at the end of the third quarter. Paramount is still down more than 30% this year as it suffered from cord cutting and a drop in advertising revenue.

Louisiana-Pacific — The lumber maker saw its stock jump more than 10% after Omaha-based Berkshire took new positions in the company last quarter. The conglomerate’s stake was worth $297 million at the end of September.

Bath & Body Works — Bath and Body Works rose 4% after an SEC filing revealed that Dan Loeb’s Third Point bought $265 million in the retailer’s stock in the third quarter.

Netflix — The streaming giant added 3.8% after Bank of America double-upgraded the stock to a buy from underperform. He said the new ad tier and crackdown on password sharing could help the stock’s value increase 23.6%.

Fulcrum Therapeutics — Shares of the biotechnology company gained 8.6% after Goldman Sachs initiated coverage of the stock as a buy and said it could see an upside of 61.5% if its main experimental drugs kept performing well.

Vodafone — Vodafone’s stock dropped 6.8% after the company cut its earnings guidance and cash flow forecast. The mobile operator cited a challenging economic environment.

Getty Images — Getty Images’ stock plummeted 12% after revenue for the recent quarter missed Wall Street’s expectations.

Albemarle — Shares of the lithium miner dropped 6%. Rumors that an unnamed Chinese cathode manufacturer was cutting its production targets was putting pressure on U.S. lithium stocks, according to FactSet.

Signature Bank — Shares of the crypto bank jumped more than 10% after Signature reported minimal exposure to FTX and any potential destruction that could come from its collapse. Signature said it has only a deposit relationship with the exchange — it does not lend crypto or invest in it on behalf of clients — representing less than 0.1% of its overall deposits.

Mobileye Global — The autonomous vehicle systems software company rallied 4% after Baird initiated coverage of the stock with an outperform rating. Analyst Luke Junk called Mobileye a market leader, writing, “Net, we recommend purchase/would lean into any volatility, for this premier franchise/longer-term optionality.”

Sunnova Energy — Shares of solar company rose 7.5% after Deutsche Bank initiated coverage of Sunnova Energy, First Solar and Enphase Energy with buy ratings. First Solar was up 3.2%, and Enphase Energy rose 2%.

Capital One Financial — The regional bank’s stock sank 5% after it was downgraded by Bank of America to neutral from buy. Analyst Mihir Bhatia also cut his price target to $113 per share from $124.

Carnival — Shares of the cruise operator rose 6% after another report hinted inflation could be slowing. Royal Caribbean Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line were also higher, up 4.9% and 2.5% respectively.

Chinese stocks — Chinese companies listed on the U.S. stock market rose following President Joe Biden’s meeting with China President Xi Jinping and despite disappointing retail sales data. Tencent Music Entertainment, which also posted beats on the top and bottom lines, soared about 30%. Alibaba rose roughly 12%. Pinduoduo and Baidu both rallied about 10%, and JD.com rose nearly 8%.

— CNBC’s Yun Li, Carmen Reinicke, Alex Harring, Samantha Subin and Tanaya Macheel contributed reporting.

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Carnival shares fall on ballooning costs, dragging cruise stocks lower

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The brand new Carnival Cruise Line ship Mardi Gras, docked at Port Canaveral, Florida, on July 30, 2021.

Joe Burbank | Orlando Sentinel | Tribune News Service | Getty Images

Shares of Carnival fell below their pandemic lows Friday after the cruising company posted third-quarter earnings that revealed higher costs associated with inflation, supply chain disruptions and the maintenance of health and safety protocols.

Shares of Carnival were down around 20% in late morning trading. The stock fell to a 52-week low of $7.01 earlier in the session, below the stock’s pandemic plunge lows in April 2020, when shares traded around $7.80 intraday.

If Friday’s losses hold, it would knock almost $3 billion off Carnival’s market value. Shares of Norwegian and Royal Caribbean also fell Friday, down 14% and 11%, respectively.

Carnival reported adjusted net losses of $770 million, or 65 cents per share, on $4.3 billion in revenue. Operating costs and expenses totaled $3.4 billion during the quarter, compared with costs of $1.6 billion in the third quarter 2021.

Carnival said bookings improved 15 percentage points from the prior quarter to 84%. That compares with 54% occupancy during the same period in 2021. Despite governments relaxation of pandemic-era protocols in both the U.S. and, more recently, Canada, the company is projecting fourth-quarter bookings below 2019 levels — at lower prices.

Cruise companies across the board are struggling with massive debts taken on during Covid lockdowns, made more expensive by rising interest rates. Carnival on Friday morning reported $1 billion in principal payments so far for 2022 and a total of $9 billion due by 2025.

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Business

Uber, DoorDash, Coinbase and more

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Uber Eats delivery

Jonathan Raa | NurPhoto via Getty Images

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading.

Uber, DoorDash – Shares of Uber slumped 4.6% and DoorDash fell 9% on news that Amazon agreed to take a stake in Grubhub in a deal that will give Prime subscribers a one-year membership to the food delivery service.

Coinbase – Coinbase slipped 3.1% after Atlantic Equities downgraded the crypto exchange to neutral and slashed its price target, citing increased volatility in the industry.

Netflix – Netflix dropped 2.1% after Barclays slashed its price target for the streaming service to $170 from $275, anticipating a subscriber loss in the second quarter amid increased competition.

Rocket Companies – Shares of the consumer fintech company jumped 5.5% after Wells Fargo upgraded it to an overweight rating and said Rocket’s set up for a big comeback after tumbling more than 42% this year. Despite a “tough mortgage backdrop,” Rocket will “continue to take market share from its peers,” Wells Fargo said.

Rivian — The electric vehicle maker surged more than 10% after saying it’s on track to deliver 25,000 vehicles this year. In its most recent quarter, Rivian said it produced 4,401 vehicles, and delivered 4,467, in line with the company’s expectations.

Energy stocks – Energy stocks slid Wednesday as oil continued its slump from Tuesday, slipping to about $95 a barrel. The S&P 500 Energy sector fell 4% with shares of Marathon Oil, Conocophillips and Halliburton falling 5.1%, 3.9% and 4.1%, respectively. Occidental Petroleum weakened 2.5%, while Exxon Mobil fell 3.8%.

Cruise stocks – Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings slumped 9.6%, Royal Caribbean fell 5.9%, and Carnival eased 6.7% on concern about second-half cruise ship demand. Norwegian said it would no longer require guests to test for Covid-19 before joining a cruise, unless required by local regulations.

— CNBC’s Tanaya Macheel, Samantha Subin and Sarah Min contributed reporting.

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Health

Monkeypox outbreak is primarily spreading through sex, WHO officials say

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An outbreak of the monkeypox virus in North America and Europe is primarily spreading through sex among men with about 200 confirmed and suspected cases across at least a dozen countries, World Health Organization officials said Monday.

The outbreak has quickly advanced across Europe and North America over the last week and is expected to be far more widespread as more doctors look for the signs and symptoms. Two confirmed and one suspected case of monkeypox in the U.K. were reported to the WHO just 10 days ago, the first cases this year outside of Africa where the virus has generally circulated at low levels over the last 40 years, the organization said.

“We’ve seen a few cases in Europe over the last five years, just in travelers, but this is the first time we’re seeing cases across many countries at the same time in people who have not traveled to the endemic regions in Africa,” Dr. Rosamund Lewis, who runs WHO’s smallpox research, said in a Q&A livestreamed on the organization’s social media channels.

European nations have confirmed dozens of cases in what’s become the largest outbreak of monkeypox ever on the continent, according to the German military. The U.S. has confirmed at least two cases and Canada has confirmed at least five so far. Belgium just introduced a mandatory 21-day quarantine for monkeypox patients.

The WHO convened an emergency meeting this weekend via video conference to look at the virus, identify those most at risk and study its transmission. The organization will hold a second global meeting on monkeypox next week to more thoroughly study the risks and treatments available to fight the virus.

While the virus itself is not a sexually transmitted infection, which are generally spread through semen and vaginal fluids, the most recent surge in cases appears to have been spread among men who have sex with other men, WHO officials said, emphasizing that anyone can contract monkeypox.

“Many diseases can be spread through sexual contact. You could get a cough or a cold through sexual contact, but it doesn’t mean that it’s a sexually transmitted disease,” said Andy Seale, who advises WHO on HIV, hepatitis and other sexually transmitted infections.

The virus is spread through close contact with people, animals or material infected with the virus. It enters the body through broken skin, the respiratory tract, the eyes, nose and mouth. Though human-to-human transmission is believed to occur through respiratory droplets as well, that method requires prolonged face-to-face contact because the droplets cannot travel more than a few feet, according to the CDC.

“This is a virus that is super stable outside the human host, so it can live on objects like blankets and things like that,” Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC in a separate interview Monday. “And so you can see situations where people become reluctant to try on clothing, things like that, where it could become disruptive in areas where this is spreading, like New York City.”

He said to expect more confirmed cases in the U.S. in the coming weeks as doctors and public health officials reevaluate patients who have presented with symptoms and the virus continues to spread.

Monkeypox is a disease caused by a virus in the same family as smallpox but is not as severe, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, monkeypox can kill as many as 1 in 10 people who contract the disease, based on observations in Africa, according to the CDC.

The vaccine used to prevent smallpox appears to be about 85% effective in guarding against monkeypox in observational research in Africa, WHO officials said. But the vaccines aren’t widely available so it’s important to reserve them for populations that are most at risk, said Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s leading epidemiologist on zoonotic diseases. She said WHO will be teaming up with vaccine makers to see if they can ramp up production.

Early symptoms of monkeypox include a fever, headache, back pain, muscle aches and low energy, WHO officials said. That then progresses to a rash on the face, hands, feet, eyes, mouth or genitals that turns into raised bumps, or papules, that then become blisters that often resemble chicken pox. Those can then fill with a white fluid, becoming a pustule, that breaks and scabs over.

Gottlieb described it as a disabling disease that can last two to four months and has a lengthy 21-day incubation period.

“I don’t think this is going to be uncontrolled spread in the same way that we tolerated the Covid-19 epidemic,” Gottlieb said. “But there is a possibility now this has gotten into the community if in fact it’s more pervasive than what we’re measuring right now, that becomes hard to snuff out.”

— CNBC’s Spencer Kimball and Karen Gilchrist contributed to this article.

Disclosure: Dr. Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic testing start-up Tempus, health-care tech company Aetion and biotech company Illumina. He also serves as co-chair of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings′ and Royal Caribbean‘s “Healthy Sail Panel.”

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Health

Dr. Scott Gottlieb says rising monkeypox cases suggest it’s spread ‘pretty wide’

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The rising number of monkeypox cases in the U.S. and Europe suggest the virus has already spread widely across communities, but it won’t likely cause a major epidemic like Covid, Pfizer board member and former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC on Friday. 

“Now that there’s been community spread, it may be hard to fully snub this out. I don’t think it’s going to become a major epidemic because this is a virus that’s difficult to spread,” Gottlieb said on “Squawk Box.”

Monkeypox is a rare viral illness that begins with flu-like symptoms and the swelling of lymph nodes, eventually progressing to a rash on the body and face. Monkeypox spreads through open contact with the sores of a person infected, and has a long incubation period of 21 days or more, according to Gottlieb. He said this means many people may be incubating the virus since patients infected were likely undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. 

Gottlieb’s remarks come two days after U.S. health officials confirmed a case of the virus in a man from Massachusetts who recently traveled to Canada. The New York City Department of Health said Thursday it’s investigating a possible case in a man who’s being treated at NYC Health + Hospitals Bellevue. 

Monkeypox, which reemerged in Nigeria in 2017, has been spreading in several countries in the last few weeks, leaving health officials scrambling to warn clinicians and the public about the virus. 

Gottlieb added that there have been numerous disconnected cases, indicating that the spread in the community is “pretty wide.” He said there might be a lot more infection than what health officials have found since it has such a long incubation period and doctors don’t know to look for it yet.

But he said the U.S. could just see a low level of spread that “just becomes hard to stop” since it may be difficult to deploy public health measures, such as mass immunization using the Vaccinia virus vaccine.  

He noted that the virus is endemic in some countries, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo reporting anywhere from five to 10,000 cases a year.  

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“That’s the concern, not a widespread epidemic here at this point. But this just low-level persistent spread, cases popping up here and there, outbreaks,” Gottlieb said. 

However, he emphasized the virus could still be dangerous. The case fatality rate for the strain spreading is anywhere from 1% to 4%, according to Gottlieb. He described it as a “disabling” virus that can last for two to four months, causing a fever and sores.

The CDC on Wednesday urged clinicians to identify patients with rash illnesses consistent with monkeypox. People suspected of having the virus should be isolated in a negative pressure room — spaces used to isolate patients — and staff should wear appropriate personal protective equipment around them, according to the agency. 

Disclosure: Dr. Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic testing start-up Tempus, health-care tech company Aetion and biotech company Illumina. He also serves as co-chair of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings′ and Royal Caribbean‘s “Healthy Sail Panel.”

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Business

Moderna, Royal Caribbean, Cerner and others

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Check out the companies making headlines before the bell:

Moderna (MRNA) – Moderna shares jumped 7.2% in the premarket after the drugmaker said a booster dose of its Covid-19 vaccine increased protection against the omicron variant 37-fold. Amid the spread of omicron, other vaccine makers are also seeing gains with Pfizer (PFE) up 1.4%, BioNTech (BNTX) adding 3.1% and Novavax (NVAX) surging 10.3%.

Cruise line operators – The surge in omicron cases is weighing on cruise stocks, with more pressure after a Royal Caribbean (RCL) ship docked in Miami with 48 cases of Covid. Royal Caribbean dropped 2.9% in premarket trading, with Carnival (CCL) down 2.9% and Norwegian Cruise Line (NCLH) falling 3.6%.

Airline stocks – Omicron concerns are also weighing on the airline stocks, with United Airlines (UAL) falling 2.9%, American Airlines (AAL) sliding 2.8%, Delta Air Lines (DAL) falling 2.8%, Southwest (LUV) down 2.3% and JetBlue (JBLU) losing 2.2%.

Biogen (BIIB) – Biogen rallied 3.6% in the premarket after announcing it would cut the price of its Alzheimer’s drug Adulhelm by 50% in order to improve access to the treatment.

Cerner (CERN) – The medical records technology provider will announce a deal today to be acquired by Oracle (ORCL) in an all-cash transaction “in the mid-$90s” per share, according to CNBC’s David Faber. Cerner shares jumped 13% Friday after the Wall Street Journal reported the two sides were close to an agreement. Cerner was up another 1.7% in premarket trading.

Canopy Growth (CGC) – The cannabis producer slid 3.4% in premarket action after Piper Sandler downgraded the stock to “underweight” from “neutral”, citing sales trends that are under pressure across Canopy’s businesses.

Sunrun (RUN) – The solar company’s stock tumbled 9.4% in the premarket following a KeyBanc downgrade to “sector weight” from “overweight.” That follows proposals in California that would reduce “net metering” benefits for solar power customers and reduce incentives to buy such systems.

AT&T (T) – Barclays upgraded AT&T to “overweight” from “neutral,” based on a better broadband outlook for telecom companies than for cable providers. AT&T was up 1.6% in the premarket.

Verso (VRS) – The Ohio-based maker of specialty, graphic and packaging paper will be acquired by Swedish paper producer BillerudKorsnäs in a deal worth $27 per share in cash. Verso surged 32.2% in premarket trading.

Axon Enterprise (AXON) – The maker of stun guns and body cameras saw its stock jump 7.3% in the premarket, following a number of stock purchases by company insiders.

Novo Nordisk (NVO) – The Denmark-based drugmaker saw its shares slide 4.2% in premarket trading after saying supply issues in the U.S. market would leave it unable to meet demand for its weight-loss drug Wegovy.

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Health

Omicron may extend pandemic, still sees ‘transition year’ ahead

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Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC the omicron variant “extends the timeline” on when Covid will go from being a health emergency to something the world learns to live with.

“I still think this is going to be a transition year,” Gottlieb said Tuesday night on “The News with Shepard Smith.” It’s likely we will “go from a pandemic into a more endemic phase” but later.

On Nov. 5, the former FDA chief and current Pfizer board member, told CNBC the pandemic phase of Covid could be over in the U.S. in early January.

Recent studies out of South Africa said omicron significantly reduces antibody protection in those with the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine.

However, on Wednesday morning, Pfizer said its own research showed a third shot of its Covid vaccine neutralized omicron.

Before that news, Gottlieb said the best thing to do is get vaccinated and boosted, “hopefully three doses of vaccine will be protective” enough as the booster “functions like getting infected.”

Gottlieb, current board member of Covid vaccine maker Pfizer, told Shepard Smith he made that prediction when it was assumed delta was the variant to worry about most. However, the doctor said omicron represents a “divergent evolution” of Covid and that could alert the trajectory of spread in the U.S. and around the world “even after the population has a lot of immunity from infection.”

That might be what’s happening right now in South Africa, said Gottlieb, who led the Food and Drug Administration during former President Donald Trump’s time in office.

“The reason why you’re seeing less severe disease and fewer hospitalizations relative to cases is many people in South Africa had infection with delta,” he said. “So when they’re getting re-infected with this variant, maybe their delta immunity isn’t protective against infection but protecting them against symptomatic disease and severe outcomes.”

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said Tuesday that omicron appears to be milder, but it might also spread faster, which leaves more opportunity for variants to later develop.

The South African Medical Research Council said Saturday that most hospitalized patients with the new variant didn’t require supplemental oxygen. Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to the White House said preliminary data like this was “a bit encouraging.”

Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic testing start-up Tempus, health-care tech company Aetion and biotech company Illumina. He also serves as co-chair of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings′ and Royal Caribbean‘s “Healthy Sail Panel.”

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Business

American Airlines, Kohl’s, Lucid Group and more

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A jet from American Eagle, a regional branch of American Airlines (AA), takes off past other AA aircraft at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, December 3, 2021.

Chris Helgren | Reuters

Check out the companies making headlines in midday trading.

Airlines — Airline stocks rose on Monday as stocks linked to the recovering economy boosted the major averages. American Airlines rose 10%, United Airlines added nearly 11%, and Delta Air Lines popped 8.6%. Alaska Air Group rallied 7%.

Cruise line and casino stocks — Norwegian Cruise Line rose 11% and Carnival rallied 10.4% as reopening plays charged higher. Las Vegas Sands gained more than 9%. MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts rose 6.8% and 7.6%, respectively.

Kohl’s — Shares of the retailer rallied 7.6% following news that activist investor Engine Capital is recommending that Kohl’s consider either a sale of the company or a separation of its e-commerce business. 

GCP Applied Technologies — Shares of GCP Applied Technologies soared more than 16% after the maker of specialty construction chemicals agreed to be acquired by French construction company Saint-Gobain for $32 per share in cash, or about $32 billion. 

Lucid Group —Shares of the electric vehicle start-up dropped about 7.3% after news that the company received a subpoena on Friday from the Securities and Exchange Commission “requesting the production of certain documents related to an investigation.” Lucid is the latest EV start-up to go public via a SPAC deal to be investigated by the SEC.

Wells Fargo — Shares of Wells Fargo rallied more than 3% after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to overweight from equal weight. Morgan Stanley said Wells is the most asset-sensitive stock in its coverage and higher fed funds futures warrant an upgrade. The firm named Wells a top 2022 pick.

Spirit Airlines — Shares of the discount airline rallied 9% after Evercore ISI upgraded Spirit to outperform from in line. Evercore said in its upgrade that it sees “see strategic optionality as company execution and demand improve.”

MicroStrategy – Shares of the business analytics software company dropped more than 5% on the heels of bitcoin’s sell-off over the weekend. MicroStrategy holds billions of dollars’ worth of bitcoin on its balance sheet, so the company’s stock is sensitive to fluctuations in the world’s largest cryptocurrency’s price.

Alibaba — The Chinese internet giant’s shares jumped 7.3% after the company announced a reorganization of its international and domestic e-commerce businesses. Alibaba also said it will replace its CFO.

Boston Beer — Shares of the beverage maker rose 7.6% after Cowen upgraded Boston Beer to market perform from underperform. Cowen said in its upgrade of the beer company that the valuation re-rating is likely complete.

— with reporting from CNBC’s Yun Li, Pippa Stevens and Hannah Miao.

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Business

What are the best cruises in the world? Viking, Disney are big winners

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U.S. News & World Report on Tuesday published its ranking of the “best” cruise lines of 2022.

The publication evaluated 17 cruise lines through a combination of expert evaluations (30%), traveler reviews (50%) and health ratings published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Vessel Sanitation Program (20%).

Scores were then analyzed by category to determine winners, ranked highest to lowest, in six areas.

Best cruise lines for the money

The 2022 rankings for best valued cruises are:  

  1. Celebrity Cruises — “Gold Award”
  2. Holland America Line — “Silver Award”
  3. Royal Caribbean International — “Silver Award”
  4. Norwegian Cruise Line
  5. Carnival Cruise Line

Here, average daily rates accounted for 60% of scores, while expert, traveler and health ratings accounted for the other 40%. Cruise lines with average daily rates of $300 or more did not qualify for this category.

The Celebrity Edge cruise ship, the first revenue-earning cruise to depart from the U.S. after a pandemic-induced hiatus, docks during a stop in Costa Maya, Mexico on Tuesday, June 29, 2021.

Eva Marie Uzcategui | Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Celebrity Cruises was named the best cruise for the money. It’s part of the Royal Caribbean Group, which also operates Royal Caribbean International, which took home a “Silver Award” in this category.

Wi-Fi, tips and drinks — like cocktails, wine and specialty coffees — are included in most Celebrity cruise bookings, however the cheapest rates can be purchased without them. Right now, a four-day cruise from Miami to the Bahamas is around $440 per person, including taxes, for an inside state room.

Also on the list: Princess Cruises (No. 6), Costa Cruises (No. 7) and MSC Cruises (No. 8).

Best cruise lines for luxury

Smaller cruise lines — with ships that fit hundreds rather than thousands of guests — dominated U.S. News’ luxury rankings list.

  1. Viking Ocean Cruises — “Gold Award”
  2. Seabourn Cruise Line — “Silver Award”
  3. Regent Seven Seas Cruises — “Silver Award”
  4. Azamara
  5. Crystal Cruises

The Viking Sea cruise ship arrives at Bodrum Cruise Port in Mugla, Turkey on March 13, 2021.

Ali Balli | Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images

Viking, a cruise line based in Basel, Switzerland, is no stranger to accolades. It topped U.S. News’ luxury list last year too — despite Chairman Torstein Hagen indicating he isn’t a fan of the word.

“I have outlawed the use of the word ‘luxury’ … I think we are elegant, we are … understated and hopefully timeless,” he said at a naming celebration for seven new river boats in March 2019, according to cruising website QuirkyCruises.com.

Also on the list: Silversea Cruises (No. 6) and Oceania Cruises (No. 7).

Best cruise lines for couples

Awards for the best cruises for those traveling in twos are:  

  1. Viking Ocean Cruises — “Gold Award”
  2. Seabourn Cruise Line — “Silver Award”
  3. Azamara — “Silver Award”
  4. Crystal Cruises
  5. Regent Seven Seas Cruises

Viking dominates this category due to its “adult-focused environment and luxurious and romantic amenities, such as fireplaces in each ship’s common area and private verandas in every stateroom,” according to a U.S. News & World Report’s press release.  

To qualify for this category, at least 62% of a cruise line’s online traveler reviews must be made by couples.

Most luxury cruise lines allow kids, though they often don’t cater to them the way the larger lines do. Viking, however, doesn’t allow children at all. 

The company previously welcomed kids aged 12 and older to cruise, but as of 2018, all guests must be 18 or older to board.

Also on the list: Celebrity Cruises (No. 6), Oceania Cruises (No. 7), Silversea Cruises (No. 8), Cunard Line (No. 9) and Holland America Line (No. 10).

Best cruise lines for families

The top-ranking cruises for families for 2022 are:

  1. Disney Cruise Line — “Gold Award”
  2. Royal Caribbean International — “Silver Award”
  3. Carnival Cruise Line — “Silver Award”
  4. Norwegian Cruise Line
  5. MSC Cruises

Disney dominates the family cruise category, as it has every year since U.S. News started ranking cruises in 2013.  

Disney cruises have translucent water slides, pirate-themed deck parties and live performances of classic Disney movies, but also adult-only pools, spas and bars for parents.

Marjie Lambert | Miami Herald | Tribune News Service | Getty Images

The company has five ships: Magic, Wonder, Dream, Fantasy and its latest, Disney Wish, which is scheduled to launch in summer 2022. The ship is also set to introduce Disney’s first “attraction at sea” — 760 feet of water slide tubes with Mickey Mouse-themed music, lighting and special effects.

Also on the list: Costa Cruises (No. 6).

Best cruise lines in the Caribbean

  1. Disney Cruise Line — “Gold Award”
  2. Celebrity Cruises — “Silver Award”
  3. Seabourn Cruise Line — “Silver Award”
  4. Royal Caribbean International
  5. Crystal Cruises

It’s a clean sweep for Disney in this category too. Disney has been named the top cruise line in the Caribbean for the past eight years, according to U.S. News & World Report.

The Disney Magic cruise ship sails past Manhattan with the Empire State Building in the background.

Gary Hershorn | Corbis News | Getty Images

Living up to its name, the Miami-based Celebrity Cruises partners with well-known names in the arts and entertainment industry. It’s newest ship, Celebrity Beyond, has Gwyneth Paltrow as its “wellbeing advisor” and a restaurant created by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud, according to its website.  

Also on this list: Regent Seven Seas Cruises (No. 6), Holland America Line (No. 7), Carnival Cruise Line (No. 8), Norwegian Cruise Line (No. 9), Oceania Cruises (No. 10), Princess Cruises (No. 11) and MSC Cruises (No. 12).

Best cruise lines in the Mediterranean

  1. Viking Ocean Cruises — “Gold Award”
  2. Seabourn Cruise Line — “Silver Award”
  3. Azamara — “Silver Award”
  4. Regent Seven Seas Cruises
  5. Celebrity Cruises

With another win, Viking tops three of U.S. News’ six categories, this time for its presence in the Mediterranean. In every instance, it is followed by Seattle-based Seabourn Cruise Line, Carnival Corporation’s ultra-luxury brand.

The spa in the luxury Seabourn Sojourn cruise ship.

Peter Macdiarmid | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Seabourn has five ships, which hold between 450-600 passengers and cruise to more than 400 destinations. As part of a multi-year agreement, the cruise line has contributed more than $1.5 million to support UNESCO, which grants its guests “unique access” to more than 170 World Heritage Sites, according to its website.   

Also on the list: Oceania Cruises (No. 6), Crystal Cruises (No. 7), Costa Cruises (No. 8), MSC Cruises (No. 9), Silversea Cruises (No. 10), Holland America Line (No. 11), Norwegian Cruise Line (No. 12), Princess Cruises (No. 12), Royal Caribbean International (No. 13) and Cunard Line (No. 14).

Cruising on the comeback?  

Though mass Covid-19 outbreaks early in the pandemic exposed health concerns surrounding cruising, a new survey indicates travelers may not abandon ship travel after all.  

Before the pandemic, 2% of prior cruisers said they wouldn’t cruise again, while as of August 2021, 4% said the same, according to an ongoing survey conducted by U.S. News & Report.

The pandemic hasn’t scared off non-cruisers either. Pre-pandemic, 62% of people who had never cruised indicated they wanted to try it. Now, 61% of people say the same.

Sentiments may be softening with time too. Before the pandemic, about 10% of people that had never cruised said they “never” would. According to the survey, this number rose to 17% in June 2021, but fell to 14% by August.

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Dr. Scott Gottlieb says antiviral pills, kids’ vaccines key to ending pandemic phase

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Dr. Scott Gottlieb said Wednesday he expects the coronavirus’ “pandemic phase” to be over in the U.S. once vaccines become available for children and Merck’s antiviral pill is cleared by regulators.

The other crucial development is for the highly transmissible Covid delta variant to have “moved through the country,” which is likely conclude around Thanksgiving, Gottlieb told CNBC’s David Faber in a Squawk on the Street” interview from 13D Monitor’s Active-Passive Investor Summit in New York City.

“On the back end of that, we’re going to have, hopefully, a vaccine available for children and, at some point before the end of the year, we probably will have the orally available drug from Merck if things go well and that undergoes a favorable review,” said Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner who now serves on the board of Covid vaccine maker Pfizer, which is also working on an antiviral pill.

“I think those two things are going to be the bookend on the pandemic phase of this virus and we’re going to be entering the more endemic phase, when this becomes an omnipresent risk but don’t represent the extreme risk that it represents right now,” Gottlieb said.

Seasonal flu is one example of an endemic virus.

Gottlieb has previously told CNBC the U.S. is unlikely to ever fully eradicate Covid like other diseases such as polio and smallpox.

An FDA advisory panel is set to meet Oct. 26 to discuss whether use of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine should be expanded to kids ages 5 to 11. Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech submitted their initial trial data focused on that age cohort to the regulatory agency last week. The FDA has already cleared the companies’ vaccine for individuals ages 12 and up, including full approval for those ages 16 and older.

On Friday, Merck said its antiviral pill, developed alongside Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, reduced the risk of hospitalization or death by roughly 50% in trial participants who had mild to moderate cases of Covid. The companies said they planned to file for emergency use authorization with the FDA “as soon as possible.”

Gottlieb said he believes children becoming eligible for the vaccine and vaccinated people having the option to take an antiviral pill should they have a breakthrough infection will be “two very important psychological events,” particularly as it relates to resuming activities such as going back to the office.

“A lot of people who are vaccinated who are worried about going back into the office recognize the risk to them is low. They’re vaccinated. They’re unlikely to have a very bad outcome from Covid,” said Gottlieb, who led the FDA from 2017 to 2019 in the Trump administration. “What they’re worried about is bringing a mild or asymptomatic infection back into their home where they might have young kids or an older relative.”

Currently, 76% of eligible Americans — those ages 12 and up — have received at least one Covid vaccine dose, according to data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 66% are fully vaccinated.

The overall number of new daily coronavirus infections in the U.S. has been declining in recent days, after the delta variant sparked a fresh surge of cases that hit parts of the country at different times. It began this summer, first ripping through the American South before spreading to more Western and Midwestern states.

The seven-day average of daily new U.S. Covid cases is roughly 103,000, according to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. That’s down 11% compared with one week ago, but it remains considerably above where infection levels stood in early summer. In June, the weekly average of new cases per day was below 15,000.

— CNBC’s Nate Rattner contributed to this report.

Disclosure: Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic testing start-up Tempus, health-care tech company Aetion and biotech company Illumina. He also serves as co-chair of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings‘ and Royal Caribbean‘s “Healthy Sail Panel.”

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