filings.toolsItem 1A. Risk Factors
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Item 1A. Risk Factors
In addition to the other information contained in this annual report, you should carefully consider the following risk factors in evaluating our business. If any of the risks discussed or additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial actually occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had the effect of heightening many of the risks described below. The ordering of the risk factors below is not intended to reflect an indication of priority or likelihood. In connection with the forward-looking statements that appear in this annual report, you should also carefully review the cautionary statement referred to under “Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward–Looking Statements.”
COVID-19 and Debt/Liquidity Related Risk Factors
COVID-19 has had, and is expected to continue to have, a significant impact on our financial condition and operations. The current, and uncertain future, impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including its effect on the ability or desire of people to travel (including on cruises), is expected to continue to impact our results, operations, outlook, plans, goals, growth, reputation, cash flows, liquidity, demand for voyages and share price.
The spread of COVID-19 and the developments surrounding the global pandemic are having significant negative impacts on all aspects of our business. In March 2020, we implemented a voluntary suspension of all cruise voyages across our three brands, which has subsequently been extended through May 31, 2021. We are currently expecting a gradual phased relaunch of cruise voyages in the future, but due to the uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, the suspension may be extended again or could potentially be reinstated after we have begun sailing, and the total length of the suspension may be prolonged. In addition, we have been, and will continue to be, further negatively impacted by related developments, including heightened governmental regulations and travel advisories, including recommendations and orders by the U.S. Department of State, the CDC and the Department of Homeland Security, and travel bans and restrictions, each of which has impacted, and is expected to continue to significantly impact, global guest sourcing and our access to various ports of call around the globe. On October 30, 2020, the CDC issued a Conditional Order that introduces a phased approach for the resumption of passenger cruises. We continue to work through the requirements of the Conditional Order, but as currently drafted, it is unclear whether we will be able to comply with the Conditional Order and the timing for our ability to resume cruises is therefore uncertain. Additionally, compliance with the Conditional Order may involve significant costs and could create significant uncertainties about our ability to continue to operate our cruise voyages once sailing resumes. We will continue to incur COVID-19 related costs as we implement additional health-related protocols on our ships, such as physical distancing measures, which may have a significant effect on our operations. In addition, the industry will be subject to enhanced health and safety requirements which may be costly and take a significant amount of time to implement across our fleet. There is no guarantee that the health and safety protocols we implement will be successful in preventing the spread of COVID-19 onboard our ships and among our passengers and crew.
To date, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant costs and lost revenue as a result of the suspension of cruise voyages, reduced demand for cruise vacations, guest compensation, itinerary modifications, redeployments and cancellations, travel restrictions and advisories, the unavailability of ports and/or destinations, costs to return our passengers to their home destinations and expenses to transport our crew to and from our ships and to assist some of our crew that have been unable to return home in an optimal time frame with food and housing.
We have actively worked to disembark our crew members who will not remain with our ships through the suspension and transport them safely to their home countries, but our ability to transport crew to and from our ships in the future is dependent on a number of factors, including the ability to transport crew members to and from their home countries due to the limited number of commercial flights and charter options available, and governmental restrictions and regulations with respect to disembarking crew members and travel generally. Such restrictions on crew travel could impact our ability to re-staff our ships once operations resume.
Between March 12, 2020 and April 30, 2020, three class action lawsuits were filed against us under Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and Rule 10b-5 promulgated thereunder, alleging that we made false and misleading statements to the market and customers about COVID-19. In addition, in March 2020 the Florida Attorney General announced an investigation related to our marketing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the announcement of the investigation by the Florida Attorney General, we received notifications from other attorneys general and governmental agencies that they are conducting similar investigations. We may be the subject of additional lawsuits and investigations stemming from COVID-19. We cannot predict the number or outcome of any such proceedings and the impact that they will have on our financial results, but any such impact may be material.
We have nine newbuilds on order, scheduled to be delivered through 2027. The impacts of COVID-19 on the shipyards where our ships are under construction or will be constructed, have resulted in some delays in expected ship deliveries, and the impacts of COVID-19 could result in additional delays in ship deliveries in the future, which may be prolonged.
Due to the unknown duration and extent of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel restrictions, bans and advisories, uncertainties around our ability to comply with the Conditional Order, the potential unavailability of ports and/or destinations, unknown cancellations and timing of redeployments and a general impact on consumer sentiment regarding cruise travel, there are continuing uncertainties about when our full fleet will be back in service at historical occupancy levels even if we are able to relaunch cruise voyages. Moreover, even after we relaunch our cruise voyages, demand for
cruises may remain weak for a significant length of time and we cannot predict if and when each brand will return to pre-pandemic demand or pricing levels. Due to the discretionary nature of leisure travel spending and the competitive nature of the cruise industry, our revenues are heavily influenced by the condition of the U.S. economy and economies in other regions of the world. Unfavorable conditions in these broader economies have resulted, and may result in the future, in decreased demand for cruise vacations, changes in booking practices and related reactions by our competitors, all of which in turn have had, and may continue to have in the future, a strong negative effect on our business. In particular, our bookings may be negatively impacted by enhanced health and safety protocols, including potential vaccination requirements, concerns that cruises are susceptible to the spread of infectious diseases as well as adverse changes in the perceived or actual economic climate, including higher unemployment rates, declines in income levels and loss of personal wealth resulting from the impact of COVID-19. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated decline in economic activity and increase in unemployment levels are expected to have a severe and prolonged effect on the global economy generally and, in turn, is expected to depress demand for cruise vacations into the foreseeable future. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the duration and severity of this pandemic, we can provide no assurance as to when and at what pace demand for cruise vacations will return to pre-pandemic levels, if at all. Accordingly, we cannot predict the full impact of COVID-19 on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we cannot predict the impact COVID-19 will have on our partners, such as travel agencies, suppliers and other vendors. We may be adversely impacted by any adverse impact our partners suffer.
As a result of these unprecedented circumstances we are not able to predict the full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our Company. In particular, we cannot predict the impact on our financial performance and our cash flows required for cash refunds of fares for cancelled sailings as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the public’s concern regarding the health and safety of travel, including by cruise ship, and related decreases in demand for travel and cruising. Depending on the length of the suspension and number of cancellations, we may be required to provide cash refunds for a substantial portion of the balance of our advanced ticket sales.
Moreover, our ability to attract and retain guests and crew depends, in part, upon the perception and reputation of our Company and our brands and the public’s concerns regarding the health and safety of travel generally, as well as regarding the cruise industry and our ships. Actual or perceived risk of infection could have an adverse effect on the public’s perception of the Company, which could harm our reputation and business.
As a result of the impacts of COVID-19, provisions in our credit card processing and other commercial agreements have and may continue to adversely affect our liquidity. We have agreements with several credit card companies to process the sale of tickets and provide other services. Under these agreements, the credit card companies could, under certain circumstances and upon written notice, require us to maintain a reserve, which reserve would be funded by the credit card companies withholding or offsetting our credit card receivables, or our posting of cash or other collateral. As a result of the impacts of COVID-19, we have seen an increase in demand from consumers for refunds on their tickets, and we anticipate this will continue to be the case for the near future. As of December 31, 2020, we had a reserve of approximately $200 million with a credit card processor recognized in other long-term assets, and in January 2021, we provided additional cash collateral of $250 million. Additionally, we are required to fund all refunds until further notice and 100% of incoming advance ticket sales deposits with this credit card processor will be withheld and are not expected to be released until the credit card processor’s exposure is fully collateralized. As of December 31, 2020, the exposure was approximately $780 million. The reserve shortfall of approximately $330 million, after taking into effect the January additional collateral provided, will decrease as refunds are funded, cruises are provided and amounts withheld by the credit card processor are allocated to the reserve rather than remitted to the Company. We may be required to find new credit card processors, pledge additional collateral and/or post cash reserves or take other actions that may further reduce our liquidity. As a consequence, our financial position and liquidity could be further materially impacted.
As a result of all of the foregoing, we will report a net loss for the three months ending March 31, 2021 and expect to report a net loss until we are able to resume voyages. Our ability to forecast our cash inflows and additional capital needs is hampered, and we could be required to raise additional capital in the future. Our access to and cost of financing will depend on, among other things, global economic conditions, conditions in the global financing markets, the availability of sufficient amounts of financing, the terms and conditions of our existing debt agreements and any agreements governing future indebtedness, our prospects and our credit ratings. Since March 2020, Moody’s has downgraded our long-term issuer rating to B2, our senior secured rating to B1 and our senior unsecured rating to Caa1. Since April 2020,
S&P Global has downgraded our issuer credit rating to B+, lowered our issue-level rating on our $875 million Revolving Loan Facility and $1.5 billion Term Loan A Facility to BB, our issue-level rating on our $675 million 2024 Senior Secured Notes and $750 million 2026 Senior Secured Notes to BB- and our senior unsecured rating to B. We anticipate that S&P Global will further downgrade our issuer credit rating to B and lower our senior unsecured rating to B- or CCC+. If our credit ratings were to be further downgraded, or general market conditions were to ascribe higher risk to our rating levels, our industry, or us, our access to capital and the cost of any debt or equity financing will be further negatively impacted. There is no guarantee that debt or equity financings will be available in the future to fund our obligations, or that they will be available on terms consistent with our expectations.
The agreements governing our indebtedness contain, and any instruments governing future indebtedness of ours may contain, covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us, including restrictions or prohibitions on our ability to, among other things: incur or guarantee additional debt or issue certain preference shares; pay dividends on or make distributions in respect of our share capital or make other restricted payments, including the ability of our subsidiaries to pay dividends or make distributions to us; repurchase or redeem capital stock or subordinated indebtedness; make certain investments or acquisitions; transfer, sell or create liens on certain assets; and consolidate or merge with, or sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets to other companies. As a result of these covenants, we are limited in the manner in which we conduct our business, and we may be unable to engage in favorable business activities or finance future operations or capital needs. The terms of any instruments governing future indebtedness may also require us to provide incremental collateral, which may further restrict our business operations.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly increased economic and demand uncertainty. The current pandemic and continued spread of COVID-19 has caused a global recession, which could have a further adverse impact on our financial condition and operations, and this impact could exist for an extended period of time.
The extent of the effects of the pandemic on our business and the cruise industry at large is highly uncertain and will ultimately depend on future developments, many of which are outside of our control, including, but not limited to, the duration, spread, severity and any recurrence of the pandemic, the severity and transmission rates of new variants of COVID-19, the availability, distribution, and efficacy of vaccines and therapeutics for COVID-19, the duration and scope of related federal, state and local government orders and restrictions, the extent of the impact of COVID-19 on overall demand for cruise vacations and the length of time it takes for demand and pricing to return and normal economic and operating conditions to resume, all of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. COVID-19 has also had the effect of heightening many of the other risks described herein, such as those relating to our need to generate sufficient cash flows to service our indebtedness, and our ability to comply with the covenants contained in the agreements that govern our indebtedness.
Additionally, epidemics, pandemics and viral outbreaks or other wide-ranging health scares in the future would likely also adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have paused our global fleet cruise operations, and if we are unable to recommence normal operations, we may not be in compliance with maintenance covenants in certain of our debt facilities.
Certain of our debt facilities include maintenance and financial covenants. For example, under the Senior Secured Credit Facility, we are required to maintain a loan to value ratio of no less than 0.70 to 1.00. Financial covenants include free liquidity of no less than $50,000,000 at all times, a total net funded debt to total capitalization ratio of less than 0.70 to 1.00 at the end of each quarter and either free liquidity of no less than $100,000,000 or EBITDA to consolidated debt service ratio of at least 1.25 to 1.00 at the end of each fiscal quarter. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have paused our global fleet cruise operations and if we are unable to re-commence normal operations, we may be out of compliance with some or all of the maintenance and financial covenants in certain of our debt facilities. If we expect to not be in compliance, we would expect to seek waivers from the lenders under these facilities or renegotiate these facilities prior to any covenant violation. For example, on January 29, 2021, we entered into an amendment to the Senior Secured Credit Facility, which provides that, from the amendment effective date to and including December 31, 2022, the testing of the covenants under the Senior Secured Credit Facility will be suspended and the free liquidity test will be replaced by a covenant to maintain at least $200,000,000 in free liquidity, certified on a monthly basis. This amendment
also made certain other changes to the Senior Secured Credit Facility, including tightening certain of the baskets applicable to our ability to incur additional indebtedness and make asset dispositions, investments and restricted payments.
Any covenant waiver or renegotiation of any of our debt facilities has led, and may in the future lead, to increased costs, increased interest rates, additional restrictive covenants and other available lender protections that would be applicable to us under these debt facilities, and such increased costs, restrictions and modifications may vary among debt facilities. Our ability to provide additional lender protections under these facilities will be limited by the restrictions in our indebtedness. There can be no assurance that we would be able to obtain waivers or renegotiate these facilities in a timely manner, on acceptable terms or at all. If we were not able to obtain a covenant waiver under any one or more of these debt facilities or renegotiate such facilities, we would be in default of such agreements, which could result in cross defaults to our other debt agreements. As a consequence, we would need to refinance or repay the applicable debt facility or facilities, and would be required to raise additional debt or equity capital, or divest assets, to refinance or repay such facility or facilities. If we were to be unable to obtain a covenant waiver under any one or more of these debt facilities or renegotiate such facilities, there can be no assurance that we would be able to raise sufficient debt or equity capital, or divest assets, to refinance or repay such facility or facilities.
With respect to each of these debt facilities, if we were unable to or did not obtain a waiver, renegotiate or refinance or repay such debt facilities, it would lead to an event of default under such facilities, which could lead to an acceleration of the indebtedness under such debt facilities. In turn, this would lead to an event of default and potential acceleration of amounts due under all of our outstanding debt and derivative contract payables. If we were unable to repay those amounts, the holders of our secured indebtedness could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure that indebtedness, which includes a significant portion of our assets including our ships. Any such action would have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. As a result, the failure to obtain the covenant waivers or renegotiate our facilities as described above would have a material adverse effect on us and our ability to service our debt obligations.
We anticipate that we will need additional financing in the future, which may not be available on favorable terms, or at all, and may be dilutive to existing shareholders.
We anticipate that we will need additional equity and/or debt financing to fund our operations in the future, especially if our suspension of cruise voyages is prolonged. We may be unable to obtain any desired additional financing on terms favorable to us, or at all, depending on market and other conditions. The ability to raise additional financing depends on numerous factors that are outside of our control, including general economic and market conditions, the health of financial institutions, our credit ratings and investors’ and lenders’ assessments of our prospects and the prospects of the cruise industry in general, all of which may be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. NCLH anticipates seeking shareholder approval to increase its authorized share capital at a future shareholder meeting so that it can raise additional equity capital. Such increase may not be approved. If we raise additional funds through equity or debt issuances, our shareholders could experience dilution of their ownership interest, and these securities could have rights, preferences, and privileges that are superior to that of holders of our ordinary shares. If and when holders of our exchangeable notes exchange their exchangeable notes for ordinary shares, NCLH’s shareholders will be significantly diluted. If we raise additional funds by issuing debt, we may be subject to limitations on our operations due to restrictive covenants, which may be more restrictive than the covenants in our existing debt agreements, and we may be required to further encumber our assets. We may not have sufficient available collateral to pledge to support additional financing. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms, or at all, we may be unable to fund our operations or respond to competitive pressures, which could negatively affect our business. Our credit ratings, which have been downgraded as a result of the impact on our business of the COVID-19 pandemic, could be further downgraded, which could have an impact on the availability or cost of financing. In addition, we may conclude that there is a substantial doubt about our ability to operate as a going concern, which could have additional effects on our credit ratings and the availability or cost of financing. There can be no assurance that our ability to access the credit or capital markets will not be adversely affected by changes in the financial markets and the global economy. If we are not able to fulfill our liquidity needs through operating cash flows and/or borrowings under credit facilities or otherwise in the capital markets, our business and financial condition could be adversely affected and it may be necessary for us to reorganize our company in its entirety, including through bankruptcy proceedings, and our shareholders may lose their investment in our ordinary shares.
Our indebtedness, and the agreements governing our indebtedness, may limit our flexibility in operating our business and a substantial majority of our assets are collateral under our debt agreements.
A substantial portion of our cash flow from operations is dedicated to the repayment of our indebtedness, which may limit our available funds for other business functions and strategic opportunities and may make us more vulnerable to downturns in our business, the economy and the industry in which we operate. We may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service our indebtedness, and may be forced to take other actions to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness, including refinancing our indebtedness, which may not be successful. Any refinancing of our debt could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our business operations.
In addition, the agreements governing our indebtedness contain, and any instruments governing future indebtedness of ours may contain, covenants that impose significant operating and financial restrictions on us, including restrictions or prohibitions on our ability to, among other things: incur or guarantee additional debt or issue certain preference shares; pay dividends on or make distributions in respect of our share capital or make other restricted payments, including the ability of NCLH’s subsidiaries, including NCLC, to pay dividends or make distributions to NCLH; repurchase or redeem capital stock or subordinated indebtedness; make certain investments or acquisitions; transfer, sell or create liens on certain assets; and consolidate or merge with, or sell or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of our assets to other companies. As a result of these covenants, we are limited in the manner in which we conduct our business, and we may be unable to engage in favorable business activities or finance future operations or capital needs.
Any further impairment of our trade names or goodwill could adversely affect our financial condition and operating results.
We evaluate trade names and goodwill for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently when circumstances indicate that the carrying value of a reporting unit may not be recoverable. Several factors including a challenging operating environment, impacts affecting consumer demand or spending, the deterioration of general macroeconomic conditions, or other factors could result in a change to the future cash flows we expect to derive from our operations. For example, we suspended our cruise voyages in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which substantially impacted our cash flows. Reductions of the cash flows used in the impairment analyses may result in the recording of an impairment charge to a reporting unit’s trade name or goodwill. During the three months ended March 31, 2020, we recognized a goodwill impairment loss of $1.3 billion. See Note 4 —“Goodwill and Intangible Assets” for additional information. As of December 31, 2020, there was $98.1 million of goodwill for the Regent Seven Seas reporting unit after impairment. We also recognized an impairment loss for our Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises trade names during the year ended December 31, 2020 in an aggregate amount of $317.0 million, with $500.5 million remaining as of December 31, 2020. We believe that we have made reasonable estimates and judgments. However, a change in our estimated future operating cash flows may result in a decline in fair value in future periods, which may result in a need to recognize additional impairment charges.
The impact of volatility and disruptions in the global credit and financial markets could increase our counterparty credit risks, including those under our credit facilities, derivatives, contingent obligations, insurance contracts and new ship progress payment guarantees.
Economic downturns, including failures of financial institutions and any related liquidity crisis, can disrupt the capital and credit markets. Such disruptions could cause counterparties under our credit facilities, derivatives, contingent obligations, insurance contracts and new ship progress payment guarantees to be unable to perform their obligations or to breach their obligations to us under our contracts with them, which could include failures of financial institutions to fund required borrowings under our loan agreements and to pay us amounts that may become due under our derivative contracts and other agreements. Also, we may be limited in obtaining funds to pay amounts due to our counterparties under our derivative contracts and to pay amounts that may become due under other agreements. If we were to elect to replace any counterparty for their failure to perform their obligations under such instruments, we would likely incur significant costs to replace the counterparty. Any failure to replace any counterparties under these circumstances may result in additional costs to us or an ineffective instrument.
Certain of our debt agreements use LIBOR as a reference rate for interest rate calculations. In July 2017, the U.K.’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it intends to phase out LIBOR by the end of 2021. The U.S. Federal Reserve has begun publishing a Secured Overnight Funding Rate, which is intended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR. Plans for alternative reference rates for other currencies have also been announced. At this time, we cannot predict how markets will respond to these proposed alternative rates or the effect of any changes to LIBOR or the discontinuation of LIBOR. If LIBOR is no longer available or if our lenders have increased costs due to changes in LIBOR, we may experience potential increases in interest rates on our variable rate debt, which could adversely impact our results of operations. In addition, some of our debt agreements which use LIBOR as a reference rate do not contain fallback reference rates. If LIBOR is discontinued, we may incur additional costs related to contract renegotiation for such agreements.
Operational Related Risk Factors
Unavailability of ports of call may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We believe that attractive port destinations are a major reason why guests choose to go on a particular cruise or on a cruise vacation. The availability of ports, including the specific port facility at which our guests will embark and disembark, is affected by a number of factors, including, but not limited to, health, safety, and environmental concerns, existing capacity constraints, security, adverse weather conditions and natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods, typhoons and earthquakes, financial limitations on port development, political instability, exclusivity arrangements that ports may have with our competitors, local governmental regulations and fees, local community concerns about port development and other adverse impacts on their communities from additional tourists and sanctions programs implemented by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the United States Treasury Department or other regulatory bodies. The COVID-19 pandemic has substantially limited the number of ports that are able and willing to accommodate passenger cruise voyages and we cannot be sure how long these limitations will continue. In the past, regulatory changes have prohibited us from visiting ports in destinations like Cuba and we have temporarily changed certain itineraries in the Caribbean due to damage some ports sustained from hurricanes. There can be no assurance that our ports of call will not be similarly affected in the future. Due to environmental and over-crowding concerns, some local governments have begun to take measures to limit the number of cruise ships and passengers allowed at certain destinations. For example, Dubrovnik, Venice and Barcelona have either implemented or considered implementing such limitations on cruise ships and passengers. Limitations on the availability of ports of call or on the availability of shore excursions and other service providers at such ports have adversely affected our business, financial condition and results of operations in the past and could do so in the future.
We rely on scheduled commercial airline services for passenger and crew connections. Increases in the price of, or major changes or reduction in, commercial airline services could undermine our customer base or disrupt our operations.
A number of our passengers and crew depend on scheduled commercial airline services to transport them to ports of embarkation for our cruises. Increases in the price of airfare due to increases in fuel prices, fuel surcharges, changes in commercial airline services as a result of health and safety events, strikes, weather or other events, or the lack of availability due to schedule changes or a high level of airline bookings could adversely affect our ability to deliver guests and crew to or from our ships and thereby increase our cruise operating expenses which would, in turn, have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. For example, many commercial airlines have reduced services due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19 related regulations have also prevented us from using commercial airline services to transport many of our crew members to and from our ships, which has resulted in increased costs to our Company.
Terrorist acts, armed conflict and threats thereof, acts of piracy, and other international events impacting the security of travel could adversely affect the demand for cruises.
The threat or possibility of future terrorist acts, an outbreak of hostilities or armed conflict abroad or the possibility or fear of such events, political unrest and instability, the issuance of travel advisories or elevated national threat warnings by national governments, an increase in the activity of pirates, and other geo-political uncertainties have had in the past and may again in the future have an adverse impact on the demand for cruises, and consequently, the pricing for cruises. Decreases in demand and reduced pricing in response to such decreased demand would adversely affect our business by reducing our profitability.
Adverse incidents involving cruise ships may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The operation of cruise ships carries an inherent risk of loss caused by adverse weather conditions and maritime disasters, including, but not limited to, oil spills and other environmental mishaps, extreme weather conditions such as hurricanes, floods and typhoons, fire, mechanical failure, collisions, human error, war, terrorism, piracy, political action, civil unrest and insurrection in various countries and other circumstances or events. Any such event may result in loss of life or property, loss of revenue or increased costs and the frequency and severity of natural disasters may increase due to climate change. The operation of cruise ships also involves the risk of other incidents at sea or while in port, including missing guests, inappropriate crew or passenger behavior and onboard crimes, which may bring into question passenger safety, may adversely affect future industry performance and may lead to litigation against us. We have experienced accidents and other incidents involving our cruise ships in the past and there can be no assurance that similar events will not occur in the future. It is possible that we could be forced to cancel a cruise or a series of cruises due to these factors or incur increased port-related and other costs resulting from such adverse events. Any such event involving our cruise ships or other passenger cruise ships may adversely affect guests’ perceptions of safety or result in increased governmental or other regulatory oversight. An adverse judgment or settlement in respect of any of the ongoing claims against us may also lead to negative publicity about us. The expanded use of social media has increased the speed that negative publicity spreads and makes it more difficult to mitigate reputational damage. Anything that damages our reputation (whether or not justified), including adverse publicity about passenger safety, could have an adverse impact on demand, which could lead to price discounting and a reduction in our sales and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If there is a significant accident, mechanical failure or similar problem involving a ship, we may have to place a ship in an extended Dry-dock period for repairs. This could result in material lost revenue and/or increased expenditures.
The adverse impact of general economic and related factors, such as fluctuating or increasing levels of unemployment, underemployment and the volatility of fuel prices, declines in the securities and real estate markets and perceptions of these conditions can decrease the level of disposable income of consumers or consumer confidence. The demand for cruises is affected by international, national and local economic conditions.
The demand for cruises is affected by international, national and local economic conditions. Adverse changes in the perceived or actual economic climate in North America or globally, such as the volatility of fuel prices, higher interest rates, stock and real estate market declines and/or volatility, more restrictive credit markets, higher unemployment or underemployment rates, higher taxes, changes in governmental policies and political developments impacting international trade, trade disputes and increased tariffs, could reduce the level of discretionary income or consumer confidence in the countries from which we source our guests. Consequently, this may negatively affect demand for cruise vacations in these countries, which are a discretionary purchase. Decreases in demand for cruise vacations could result in price discounting, which, in turn, could reduce the profitability of our business. In addition, these conditions could also impact our suppliers, which could result in disruptions in our suppliers’ services and financial losses for us.
Breaches in data security or other disturbances to our information technology and other networks or our actual or perceived failure to comply with requirements regarding data privacy and protection could impair our operations, subject us to significant fines, penalties and damages, and have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The integrity and reliability of our information technology systems and networks are crucial to our business operations and disruptions to these systems or networks could impair our operations, have an adverse impact on our financial results and negatively affect our reputation and customer demand. In addition, certain networks are dependent on third-party
technologies, systems and service providers for which there is no certainty of uninterrupted availability. Among other things, actual or threatened natural disasters, information systems failures, computer viruses, denial-of-service attacks and other cyber-attacks may cause disruptions to our information technology, telecommunications and other networks. Our business continuity, disaster recovery, data restoration plans and data and information technology security may not prevent disruptions that could result in adverse effects on our operations and financial results. We carry limited business interruption insurance for certain shoreside operations, subject to limitations, exclusions and deductibles.
As part of our ordinary business operations, we and certain of our third-party service providers collect, process, transmit and store a large volume of personally identifiable information. The security of the systems and networks where we and our service providers store this data is a critical element of our business. We experience cyber-attacks of varying degrees on our systems and networks and, as a result, unauthorized parties have obtained in the past, and may in the future obtain, access to our computer systems and networks, including cloud-based platforms. The technology infrastructure and systems of our suppliers, vendors, service providers and partners have in the past experienced and may in the future experience such attacks. Cyber-attacks can include to computer viruses, malware, worms, hackers and other malicious software programs or other attacks, including physical and electronic break-ins, router disruption, sabotage or espionage, disruptions from unauthorized access and tampering (including through social engineering such as phishing attacks), impersonation of authorized users and coordinated denial-of-service attacks. For example, in October 2018, we discovered limited instances of unauthorized access to certain employee e-mail communications, some of which contained proprietary business and personally identifiable information. We have implemented additional safeguards, and we do not believe that we experienced any material losses related to this incident; however, there can be no assurance that this or any other breach or incident will not have a material impact on our operations and financial results in the future. In addition, we may not be in a position to promptly address security breaches, unauthorized access or other cyber-attacks or incidents or to implement adequate preventative measures if we are unable to immediately detect such incidents. Our failure to successfully prevent, mitigate or timely respond to such incidents could impair our ability to conduct business and damage our reputation.
We are also subject to laws in multiple jurisdictions relating to the privacy and protection of personal data. Noncompliance with these laws or the compromise of information systems used by us or our service providers resulting in the loss, disclosure, misappropriation of or access to the personally identifiable information of our guests, prospective guests, employees or vendors could result in governmental investigation, civil liability or regulatory penalties under laws protecting the privacy of personal information, any or all of which could disrupt our operations and materially adversely affect our business. Additionally, any material failure by us or our service providers to maintain compliance with the Payment Card Industry security requirements or to rectify a data security issue may result in fines and restrictions on our ability to accept credit cards as a form of payment. The regulatory framework for data privacy and protection is uncertain for the foreseeable future, and it is possible that legal and regulatory obligations may continue to increase and may be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent or possibly conflicting from one jurisdiction to another.
In the event of a data security breach of our systems and/or third-party systems or a cyber-attack or other cyber incident, we may incur costs associated with the following: response, notification, forensics, regulatory investigations, public relations, consultants, credit identity monitoring, credit freezes, fraud alert, credit identity restoration, credit card cancellation, credit card reissuance or replacement, data restoration, regulatory fines and penalties, vendor fines and penalties, legal fees, damages and settlements. In addition, data security breaches, a cyber-attack or other cyber incident may cause business interruption, information technology disruption, disruptions as a result of regulatory investigation or litigation, digital asset loss related to corrupted or destroyed data, loss of company assets, damage to our reputation, damages to intangible property and other intangible damages, such as loss of consumer confidence, all of which could impair our operations and have an adverse impact on our financial results.
Changes in fuel prices and the type of fuel we are permitted to use and/or other cruise operating costs would impact the cost of our cruise ship operations and our hedging strategies may not protect us from increased costs related to fuel prices.
Fuel expense is a significant cost for our Company. Future increases in the cost of fuel globally or regulatory requirements which require us to use more expensive types of fuel would increase the cost of our cruise ship operations. For example, as of January 2020, the IMO’s convention entitled Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) set a
global limit on fuel sulfur content of 0.5% (reduced from the previous 3.5% global limit). Various compliance methods, such as the use of low-sulfur fuels or exhaust gas cleaning systems that reduce an equivalent amount of sulfur emissions, may be utilized. We have elected to install exhaust gas cleaning systems on some ships in our fleet, which will allow us to continue to use high-sulfur fuel on those ships in certain areas. However, if exhaust gas cleaning systems are not widely used in the industry, low demand for high-sulfur fuel may increase the price for such fuel. Ships in our fleet that do not have exhaust gas cleaning systems, and in specified areas even ships with exhaust gas cleaning systems, will be required to use low-sulfur fuels. Low-sulfur fuels may be costly due to increased demand and scarcity if suppliers are not able to produce sufficient quantities. In addition, we could experience increases in other cruise operating costs due to market forces and economic or political instability resulting from increases or volatility in fuel expense. Our hedging program may not be successful in mitigating higher fuel costs, and any price protection provided may be limited due to market conditions, including choice of hedging instruments, breakdown of correlation between hedging instrument and market price of fuel and failure of hedge counterparties. To the extent that we use hedge contracts that have the potential to create an obligation to pay upon settlement if fuel prices decline significantly, such hedge contracts may limit our ability to benefit fully from lower fuel costs in the future. There can be no assurance that our hedging arrangements will be cost-effective or that our counterparties will be able to perform under our hedging arrangements. Additionally, deterioration in our financial condition could negatively affect our ability to enter into new hedge contracts in the future.
Mechanical malfunctions and repairs, delays in our shipbuilding program, maintenance and refurbishments and the consolidation of qualified shipyard facilities could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
The new construction, refurbishment, repair and maintenance of our ships are complex processes and involve risks similar to those encountered in other large and sophisticated equipment construction, refurbishment and repair projects. Our ships are subject to the risk of mechanical failure or accident, which we have occasionally experienced and have had to repair. For example, in the past we have had to delay or cancel cruises due to mechanical issues on our ships. There can be no assurance that we will not experience similar events in the future. If there is a mechanical failure or accident in the future, we may be unable to procure spare parts when needed or make repairs without incurring material expense or suspension of service, especially if a problem affects certain specialized maritime equipment, such as the radar, a pod propulsion unit, the electrical/power management system, the steering gear or the gyro system.
In addition, availability, work stoppages, insolvency or financial problems in the shipyards’ construction, refurbishment or repair of our ships, or other “force majeure” events that are beyond our control and the control of shipyards or subcontractors, could also delay or prevent the newbuild delivery, refurbishment and repair and maintenance of our ships. Any termination or breach of contract following such an event may result in, among other things, the forfeiture of prior deposits or payments made by us, potential claims and impairment of losses. A significant delay in the delivery of a new ship, or a significant performance deficiency or mechanical failure of a new ship could also have an adverse effect on our business. Currently, the impacts of COVID-19 on the shipyards where our ships are under construction (or will be constructed) have resulted in some delays in expected ship deliveries, and the impacts of COVID-19 could result in additional delays in ship deliveries in the future, which may be prolonged. The consolidation of the control of certain European cruise shipyards could result in higher prices for the construction of new ships and refurbishments and could limit the availability of qualified shipyards to construct new ships. Also, the lack of qualified shipyard repair facilities could result in the inability to repair and maintain our ships on a timely basis. These potential events and the associated losses, to the extent that they are not adequately covered by contractual remedies or insurance, could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Conducting business internationally may result in increased costs and risks.
We operate our business internationally and plan to continue to develop our international presence. Operating internationally exposes us to a number of risks, including political risks, risks of increases in duties and taxes, risks relating to anti-bribery laws, as well as risks that laws and policies affecting cruising, vacation or maritime businesses, or governing the operations of foreign-based companies may change. Additional risks include imposition of trade barriers, withholding and other taxes on remittances and other payments by subsidiaries and changes in and application of foreign taxation structures, including value added taxes. If we are unable to address these risks adequately, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Operating internationally also exposes us to numerous and sometimes conflicting legal and regulatory requirements. In many parts of the world, including countries in which we operate, practices in the local business communities might not conform to international business standards. We have implemented safeguards and policies to prevent violations of various anti-corruption laws that prohibit improper payments or offers of payments to foreign governments and their officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business by our employees and agents. However, our existing safeguards and policies and any future improvements may prove to be less than effective, and our employees or agents may engage in conduct prohibited by our policies, but for which we nevertheless may be held responsible. If our employees or agents violate our policies, if we fail to maintain adequate record-keeping and internal accounting practices to accurately record our transactions or if we fail to implement or maintain other adequate safeguards, we may be subject to regulatory sanctions or severe criminal or civil sanctions and penalties.
We have operations in and source passengers from the U.K. and member countries of the E.U. and NCLH and NCLC are tax residents of the U.K. The U.K. ceased to be a member state of the E.U. on January 31, 2020, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” and the transition period provided for in the withdrawal agreement entered by the U.K. and the E.U. ended on December 31, 2020. In December 2020, the U.K. and the E.U. agreed on a trade and cooperation agreement that will apply provisionally after the end of the transition period until it is ratified by the parties to the agreement. On December 31, 2020, the U.K. passed legislation giving effect to the trade and cooperation agreement, with the E.U. expected to formally adopt the agreement in early 2021. The trade and cooperation agreement covers the general objectives and framework of the relationship between the U.K. and the E.U., including as it relates to trade, transport, visas, judicial, law enforcement and security matters, and provides for continued participation in community programs and mechanisms for dispute resolution. Although we have an international customer base, we could be adversely affected by greater currency and economic volatility in the U.K. Brexit could lead to legal uncertainty and potentially divergent national laws and regulations as the U.K. determines which E.U. laws to replace or replicate. Any adjustments we make to our business and operations as a result of Brexit could result in significant time and expense to complete. Any of the foregoing factors could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, or financial condition.
Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates could adversely affect our financial results.
We earn revenues, pay expenses, purchase and own assets and incur liabilities in currencies other than the U.S. dollar; most significantly a portion of our revenue and expenses are denominated in foreign currencies, particularly British pound, Canadian dollar, euro and Australian dollar. Because our consolidated financial statements are presented in U.S. dollars, we must translate revenues and expenses, as well as assets and liabilities, into U.S. dollars at exchange rates in effect during or at the end of each reporting period. The strengthening of the U.S. dollar against our other major currencies may adversely affect our U.S. dollar financial results and will reduce the U.S. dollar amount received upon conversion of these currencies into U.S. dollars.
We have historically and may in the future enter into ship construction contracts denominated in euros or other foreign currencies. While we have entered into foreign currency derivatives to manage a portion of the currency risk associated with such contracts, we are exposed to fluctuations in the euro exchange rate for the portions of the ship construction contracts that have not been hedged. Additionally, if the shipyard is unable to perform under the related ship construction contract, any foreign currency hedges that were entered into to manage the currency risk would need to be terminated.
Overcapacity in key markets or globally could adversely affect our operating results.
We continue to expand our fleet through our newbuild program and expect to add nine additional ships to our fleet through 2027. Our competitors have also announced similar expansions to their fleets. These increases in capacity in the cruise industry globally and potential overcapacity in certain key markets may cause us to lower pricing, which would reduce profitability and adversely affect our results of operations. Additionally, older ships in our fleet may not be as competitive as new ships enter the market and we may not be able to sell such older ships at optimal prices.
Our expansion into and investments in new markets may not be successful.
We believe there remains significant opportunity to expand our passenger sourcing into major markets in the future, such as Europe and Australia, as well as into emerging markets and to expand our itineraries in new markets. Expansion into new markets requires significant levels of investment and attention from management. There can be no assurance that these markets will develop as anticipated or that we will have success in these markets, and if we do not, we may be unable to recover our investment spent to expand our business into these markets and may forgo opportunities in more lucrative markets, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our inability to obtain adequate insurance coverage may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
There can be no assurance that our risks are fully insured against or that any particular claim will be fully paid by our insurance. Such losses, to the extent they are not adequately covered by contractual remedies or insurance, could affect our financial results. In addition, we have been and continue to be subject to calls, or premiums, in amounts based not only on our own claim records, but also the claim records of all other members of the protection and indemnity associations through which we receive indemnity coverage for tort liability. Our payment of these calls and increased premiums could result in significant expenses to us. If we, or other members of our protection and indemnity associations, were to sustain significant losses in the future, our ability to obtain insurance coverage at commercially reasonable rates or at all could be materially adversely affected. For example, in the past our protection and indemnity associations have increased certain deductibles and determined not to cover certain categories of claims. Moreover, irrespective of the occurrence of such events, there can still be no assurance that we will be able to obtain adequate insurance coverage at commercially reasonable rates or at all.
Litigation, enforcement actions, fines or penalties could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations and damage our reputation.
Our business is subject to various U.S. and international laws and regulations that could lead to enforcement actions, fines, civil or criminal penalties or the assertion of litigation claims and damages. In addition, improper conduct by our employees or agents could damage our reputation and/or lead to litigation or legal proceedings that could result in civil or criminal penalties, including substantial monetary fines. In certain circumstances, it may not be economical to defend against such matters, and a legal strategy may not ultimately result in us prevailing in a matter. Such events could lead to an adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations.
As a result of any ship-related or other incidents, litigation claims, enforcement actions and regulatory actions and investigations, including, but not limited to, those arising from personal injury, loss of life, loss of or damage to personal property, business interruption losses or environmental damage to any affected coastal waters and the surrounding area, may be asserted or brought against various parties, including us and/or our cruise brands. The time and attention of our management may also be diverted in defending such claims, actions and investigations. Subject to applicable insurance coverage, we may also incur costs both in defending against any claims, actions and investigations and for any judgments, fines, civil or criminal penalties if such claims, actions or investigations are adversely determined.
The U.S. Government announced that, effective May 2, 2019, it will no longer suspend the right of private parties to bring litigation under Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996, popularly known as the Helms-Burton Act, allowing certain individuals whose property was confiscated by the Cuban government beginning in 1959 to sue anyone who "traffics" in the property in question in U.S. courts. A claim against us is pending and additional claims may be brought against us in the future. If these suits are successful, they could result in substantial monetary damages against the Company. Lawsuits and investigations stemming from COVID-19 have also been brought against us, and we may be subject to additional lawsuits and investigations related to COVID-19 in the future. We cannot predict the number or outcome of any such proceedings and the impact that they will have on our financial results, but any such impact may be material.
Our inability to recruit or retain qualified personnel or the loss of key personnel or employee relations issues may materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We must continue to recruit, retain and motivate management and other employees in order to maintain our current business and support our projected growth. We need to hire and train a considerable number of qualified crew members to staff the ships that will be joining our fleet in the coming years. This may require significant efforts on the part of our management team, and our inability to hire a sufficient number of qualified crew members would adversely affect our business. Currently, we are a party to collective bargaining agreements with certain crew members. Any future amendments to such collective bargaining agreements or inability to satisfactorily renegotiate such agreements may increase our labor costs and have a negative impact on our financial condition. In addition, although our collective bargaining agreements have a no-strike provision, they may not prevent a disruption in work on our ships in the future. Any such disruptions in work could have a material adverse effect on our financial results.
Our executive officers and other members of senior management have substantial experience and expertise in our business and have made significant contributions to our growth and success. The unexpected loss of services of one or more of these individuals could materially adversely affect us.
The impacts of and uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic may make it more difficult to retain crew members to re-staff our fleet once we resume operations and to recruit new employees generally.
We rely on third parties to provide hotel management services for certain ships and certain other services, and we are exposed to risks facing such providers. In certain circumstances, we may not be able to replace such third parties or we may be forced to replace them at an increased cost to us.
We rely on external third parties to provide hotel management services for certain ships and certain other services that are vital to our business. If these service providers suffer financial hardship or are otherwise unable to continue providing such services, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to replace such service providers in a timely manner, which may cause an interruption in our operations. To the extent that we are able to replace such service providers, we may be forced to pay an increased cost for equivalent services. Both the interruption of operations and the replacement of the third-party service providers at an increased cost could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
A failure to keep pace with developments in technology could impair our operations or competitive position.
Our business continues to demand the use of sophisticated systems and technology. These systems and technologies must be refined, updated and replaced with more advanced systems on a regular basis in order for us to meet our customers’ demands and expectations. If we are unable to do so on a timely basis or within reasonable cost parameters, or if we are unable to appropriately and timely train our employees to operate any of these new systems, our business could suffer. We also may not achieve the benefits that we anticipate from any new system or technology, such as fuel abatement technologies, and a failure to do so could result in higher than anticipated costs or could impair our operating results.
Risks Related to the Regulatory Environment in Which We Operate
Future changes in applicable tax laws, or our inability to take advantage of favorable tax regimes, could increase the amount of taxes we must pay.
We believe and have taken the position that our income that is considered to be derived from the international operation of ships as well as certain income that is considered to be incidental to such income (“shipping income”), is exempt from U.S. federal income taxes under Section 883, based upon certain assumptions as to shareholdings and other information as more fully described in “Item 1—Business—Taxation.” The provisions of Section 883 are subject to change at any time, possibly with retroactive effect.
We believe and have taken the position that substantially all of our income derived from the international operation of ships is properly categorized as shipping income and that we do not have a material amount of non-qualifying income. It is possible, however, that a much larger percentage of our income does not qualify (or will not qualify) as shipping income. Moreover, the exemption for shipping income is only available for years in which NCLH will satisfy complex
stock ownership tests or the publicly traded test under Section 883 as described in “Item 1—Business—Taxation—Exemption of International Shipping Income under Section 883 of the Code.” There are factual circumstances beyond our control, including changes in the direct and indirect owners of NCLH’s ordinary shares, which could cause us or our subsidiaries to lose the benefit of this tax exemption. Finally, any changes in our operations could significantly increase our exposure to either the Net Tax Regime or the 4% Regime (each as defined in “Item 1—Business—Taxation”), and we can give no assurances on this matter.
If we or any of our subsidiaries were not to qualify for the exemption under Section 883, our or such subsidiary’s U.S.-source income would be subject to either the Net Tax Regime or the 4% Regime (each as defined in “Item 1—Business—Taxation”). As of the date of this filing, we believe that NCLH and its subsidiaries will satisfy the publicly traded test imposed under Section 883 and therefore believe that NCLH will qualify for the exemption under Section 883. However, as discussed above, there are factual circumstances beyond our control that could cause NCLH to not meet the stock ownership or publicly traded tests. Therefore, we can give no assurances on this matter. We refer you to “Item 1—Business—Taxation.”
We may be subject to state, local and non-U.S. income or non-income taxes in various jurisdictions, including those in which we transact business, own property or reside. We may be required to file tax returns in some or all of those jurisdictions. Our state, local or non-U.S. tax treatment may not conform to the U.S. federal income tax treatment discussed above. We may be required to pay non-U.S. taxes on dispositions of foreign property or operations involving foreign property that may give rise to non-U.S. income or other tax liabilities in amounts that could be substantial.
The various tax regimes to which we are currently subject result in a relatively low effective tax rate on our worldwide income. These tax regimes, however, are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect. For example, legislation has been proposed in the past that would eliminate the benefits of the exemption from U.S. federal income tax under Section 883 and subject all or a portion of our shipping income to taxation in the U.S. Moreover, we may become subject to new tax regimes and may be unable to take advantage of favorable tax provisions afforded by current or future law, including exemption of branch profits and dividend withholding taxes under the U.S. – U.K. Income Tax Treaty on income derived in respect of our U.S.–flagged operation.
We are subject to complex laws and regulations, including environmental, health and safety, labor, data privacy and protection and maritime laws and regulations, which could adversely affect our operations and any changes in the current laws and regulations could lead to increased costs or decreased revenue.
Increasingly stringent and complex international, federal, state, and local laws and regulations addressing environmental protection and health and safety of workers could affect our operations. The IMO, a United Nations agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships, the Council of the European Union, individual countries, the United States, and individual states have implemented and are considering, new laws and rules to manage cruise ship operations. Many aspects of the cruise industry are subject to international treaties such as SOLAS, an international safety regulation, MARPOL, IMO’s requirements governing environmental protection, and STCW, an IMO regulation governing ship manning. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard both have regulations addressing cruise ship operations.
The U.S. and various state and foreign government and regulatory agencies have enacted or are considering new environmental regulations and policies aimed at reducing the threat of invasive species in ballast water, requiring the use of low-sulfur fuels, requiring the use of shore power while in port, increasing fuel efficiency requirements and further restricting emissions, including those of green-house gases, and improving sewage and greywater-handling capabilities. Compliance with such laws and regulations may entail significant expenses for ship modification and changes in operating procedures, including limitations on our ability to operate in certain locations, which could adversely impact our operations as well as our competitors’ operations.
The International Labor Organization’s Maritime Labor Convention, 2006 regulates many aspects of maritime crew labor and impacts the worldwide sourcing of new crew members. MARPOL regulations have established special Emission Control Areas (“ECAs”) with stringent limitations on sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions from fuel burning aboard ships. Ships operating in designated ECAs (which include the Baltic Sea, the North Sea/English Channel, and
many of the waters within 200 nautical miles of the U.S. and Canadian coasts including the Hawaiian Islands and waters surrounding Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) are generally expected to meet the new sulfur oxide emissions limits through the use of low-sulfur fuels or installation of exhaust gas cleaning systems.
These issues are, and we believe will continue to be, areas of focus by the relevant authorities throughout the world. This could result in the enactment of more stringent regulation of cruise ships that would subject us to increasing compliance costs in the future. Some environmental groups continue to lobby for more extensive oversight of cruise ships and have generated negative publicity about the cruise industry and its environmental impact.
In the past, states have implemented taxes that impact the cruise industry. It is possible that other states, countries or ports of call that our ships regularly visit may also decide to assess new taxes or fees or change existing taxes or fees specifically applicable to the cruise industry and its employees and/or guests, which could increase our operating costs and/or could decrease the demand for cruises.
Our ability to comply with economic substance requirements in certain jurisdictions and increased costs and efforts associated with our efforts to comply may have a negative impact on our operations.
Our Company and certain of its subsidiaries may be subject to economic substance requirements in their jurisdictions of formation, including Bermuda, Guernsey, Isle of Man, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands and the Bahamas. Pursuant to the legislation passed in each jurisdiction, entities subject to each jurisdiction’s laws that carry out relevant activities as specified in such laws, are required to demonstrate substantial economic substance in that jurisdiction. In general terms, substantial economic substance means: (i) the entity is actually directed and managed in the jurisdiction; (ii) core income-generating activities relating to the applicable relevant activity are performed in the jurisdiction; (iii) there are adequate employees in the jurisdiction; (iv) the entity maintains adequate physical presence in the jurisdiction; and (v) there is adequate operating expenditure in the jurisdiction. We have evaluated the activities of NCLH, NCLC and their subsidiaries and have concluded that in some cases, those activities are 'relevant activities' for the purposes of the applicable economic substance laws and that, consequently, certain entities within our organization will be required to demonstrate compliance with these economic substance requirements. We may be subject to increased costs and our management team may be required to devote significant time to satisfying economic substance requirements in certain of these jurisdictions. If such entities cannot establish compliance with these requirements, we may be liable to penalties and fines in the applicable jurisdictions and/or required to re-domicile such entities to different jurisdictions that may have tax regimes and other regulatory regimes which may be less favorable.
Risks Related to NCLH’s Ordinary Shares
Shareholders of NCLH may have greater difficulties in protecting their interests than shareholders of a U.S. corporation.
We are a Bermuda exempted company. The Companies Act 1981 of Bermuda (the “Companies Act”), which applies to NCLH, differs in material respects from laws generally applicable to U.S. corporations and their shareholders. Taken together with the provisions of NCLH’s bye-laws, some of these differences may result in you having greater difficulties in protecting your interests as a shareholder of NCLH than you would have as a shareholder of a U.S. corporation. This affects, among other things, the circumstances under which transactions involving an interested director are voidable, whether an interested director can be held accountable for any benefit realized in a transaction with our Company, what approvals are required for business combinations by our Company with a large shareholder or a wholly-owned subsidiary, what rights you may have as a shareholder to enforce specified provisions of the Companies Act or NCLH’s bye-laws, and the circumstances under which we may indemnify our directors and officers.
NCLH does not expect to pay any cash dividends for the foreseeable future.
NCLH does not currently pay dividends to its shareholders and NCLH’s Board of Directors may never declare a dividend. Our existing debt agreements restrict, and any of our future debt arrangements may restrict, among other things, the ability of NCLH’s subsidiaries, including NCLC, to pay distributions to NCLH and NCLH’s ability to pay cash dividends to its shareholders. In addition, any determination to pay dividends in the future will be entirely at the
discretion of NCLH’s Board of Directors and will depend upon our results of operations, cash requirements, financial condition, business opportunities, contractual restrictions, restrictions imposed by applicable law and other factors that NCLH’s Board of Directors deems relevant. We are not legally or contractually required to pay dividends. In addition, NCLH is a holding company and would depend upon its subsidiaries for their ability to pay distributions to NCLH to finance any dividend or pay any other obligations of NCLH. Investors seeking dividends should not purchase NCLH’s ordinary shares.
Provisions in NCLH’s constitutional documents may prevent or discourage takeovers and business combinations that NCLH’s shareholders might consider to be in their best interests.
NCLH’s bye-laws contain provisions that may delay, defer, prevent or render more difficult a takeover attempt that its shareholders consider to be in their best interests. For instance, these provisions may prevent NCLH’s shareholders from receiving a premium to the market price of NCLH’s shares offered by a bidder in a takeover context. Even in the absence of a takeover attempt, the existence of these provisions may adversely affect the prevailing market price of NCLH’s shares if they are viewed as discouraging takeover attempts in the future. These provisions include (i) the ability of NCLH’s Board of Directors to designate one or more series of preference shares and issue preference shares without shareholder approval; (ii) a classified board of directors; (iii) the sole power of a majority of NCLH’s Board of Directors to fix the number of directors; (iv) the power of NCLH’s Board of Directors to fill any vacancy on NCLH’s Board of Directors in most circumstances, including when such vacancy occurs as a result of an increase in the number of directors or otherwise; and (v) advance notice requirements for nominating directors or introducing other business to be conducted at shareholder meetings.
Additionally, NCLH’s bye-laws contain provisions that prevent third parties from acquiring beneficial ownership of more than 4.9% of its outstanding shares without the consent of NCLH’s Board of Directors and provide for the lapse of rights, and sale, of any shares acquired in excess of that limit. The effect of these provisions may preclude third parties from seeking to acquire a controlling interest in NCLH in transactions that shareholders might consider to be in their best interests and may prevent them from receiving a premium above market price for their shares.
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