Everything Jim Cramer said on ‘Mad Money,’ including bear woes, CEO pay

CNBC’s Jim Cramer breaks down what bear investors are getting wrong about the stock market and why the bulls have prevailed. The “Mad Money” host sits down with Norwegian Cruise Line CEO Frank Del Rio for an interview on the company’s newest addition to its fleet of ships. Later in the show he defends CEO compensation packages and explains why they’re not to blame for the state of income inequality in America.

Bearish investors betting that a recession is looming can’t seem to catch a break, even on a day where the stock market got “crushed” in morning trading, CNBC’s said Monday.

The , which swung as low as 27,517.67 during the trading day, managed to climb more than 10 points to 27,691.49 by session close. The and both slipped more than half a percentage point before ending the trading day down just 0.20% and 0.13%, respectively.

“People are still betting on a recession. They think this is merely a Fed-mandated bubble and the buyers are going to get crushed and that I am way too positive,” the “Mad Money” host said.

Cramer said the “permanent pessimists” keep “missing the mark,” recalling action in and Walgreens, among other public companies, for reasons why.

Norwegian Cruise Line is on a mission to be more eco-friendly by removing millions of single-use plastic water bottles from its fleet by Jan. 1, President and CEO Frank Del Rio told CNBC.

The company expects to replace more than 6 million plastic water bottles each year with refillable and recyclable plant-based cartons.

“We’re taking the issue of the environment seriously,” Del Rio said in a “Mad Money” interview conducted on the newly built ship Norwegian Encore. “We ply the ocean’s waters. We do everything we possibly can, through technology [and] through policy procedure, to prevent any kind of pollution in the water or in the air.”

“In late August when so many commentators were freaking out … the legendary Larry Williams told us the negativity was peaking and the stock market was poised to go higher,” Cramer recalled. “Well guess what: he nailed it. So when he tells us that the averages can keep running through the end of the year, along with Home Depot, Walmart, and UPS, you better take him seriously.”

Cramer voiced his support for both large pay packages for CEOs and addressing income inequality in America.

The host likened the process of recruiting and retaining the cream-of-the-crop chief executives to the way that sporting organizations land elite players — demand bids their price tags higher.

“The way I see it, you need to look at CEOs like they’re great athletes. Any major bank in the world would happily top Jamie’s pay package if they thought they could lure him away,” the host said, noting that the bank’s stock has increased about 365% since Dimon assumed the role in 2005. “If he were a free agent, he’d be making a heck of a lot more than he’s making now.”

Shares of contract research firm Charles River Laboratories are down more than 11% off its April highs. The company last week delivered a mixed-quarterly report, and Cramer checked in with CEO Jim Foster to get an understanding of what could be in the company’s future.

“Our business is not linear. We talk about that all the time. People don’t start studies and stop studies congruent with our fiscal quarters, but we’re really thrilled with our long-term growth rates…,” Foster said in a one-on-one interview on “Mad Money.” “For the next couple of years, 2-5 years, we’ll grow the business at high single digits and we’ll get our operating margins into the over 20%.”

In Cramer’s lightning round, the “Mad Money” host zips through his thoughts about callers’ favorite stock picks of the day.

Crispr Therapeutics: “Everybody likes Crispr. I find it to be very risky. I’m going to say that as long as you recognize it’s a pure spec, I’m O.K., but otherwise no.”

: “I’ve been very disappointed in all fossil fuels. … I’m not going to let anybody else get into that chamber of” the house of pain.

Disclosure: Cramer’s charitable trust owns shares of BP and J. P. Morgan Chase.