Royal Caribbean Cruises 10-K 2020-12-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

or

For the transition period from to

Commission file number: 1-11884

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, Florida 33132

(Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)

(305) 539-6000

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of the registrant's common stock at June 30, 2020 (based upon the closing sale price of the common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on June 30, 2020) held by those persons deemed by the registrant to be non-affiliates was approximately $10.5 billion. Shares of the registrant's common stock held by each executive officer and director and by each entity or person that, to the registrant's knowledge, owned 10% or more of the registrant's outstanding common stock as of June 30, 2020 have been excluded from this number in that these persons may be deemed affiliates of the registrant. This determination of possible affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.

There were 237,535,138 shares of common stock outstanding as of February 22, 2021.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement relating to its 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference in Part III, Items 10-14 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K as indicated herein.

F-1

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

F-2

PART I

As used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the terms “Royal Caribbean,” "Royal Caribbean Group," the “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and, depending on the context, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.’s consolidated subsidiaries and/or affiliates. The terms “Royal Caribbean International,” “Celebrity Cruises,” “Azamara” and “Silversea Cruises” refer to our wholly owned global cruise brands. Throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we also refer to our partner brands in which we hold an ownership interest, including “TUI Cruises,” and “Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.” However, because these partner brands are unconsolidated investments, our operating results and other disclosures herein do not include these brands unless otherwise specified. In accordance with cruise vacation industry practice, the term “berths” is determined based on double occupancy per cabin even though many cabins can accommodate three or more passengers.

This Annual Report on Form 10-K also includes trademarks, trade names and service marks of other companies. Use or display by us of other parties’ trademarks, trade names or service marks is not intended to and does not imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, these other parties other than as described herein.

General

We are a global cruise company. We control and operate four global cruise brands: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara and Silversea Cruises (collectively, our "Global Brands"). We also own a 50% joint venture interest in TUI Cruises GmbH ("TUIC"), that operates the German brands TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (collectively, our "Partner Brands"). Together, our Global Brands and our Partner Brands operate a combined total of 61 ships in the cruise vacation industry with an aggregate capacity of approximately 137,930 berths as of December 31, 2020.

Our ships operate on a selection of worldwide itineraries that call on approximately 1,000 destinations on all seven continents. In addition to our headquarters in Miami, Florida, we have offices and a network of international representatives around the world, which primarily focus on sales and market development.

We compete principally by operating valued brands that offer exceptional service provided by our crew and on the basis of innovation and quality of ships, variety of itineraries, choice of destinations and price. We believe that our commitment to build state-of-the-art ships and to invest in the maintenance and upgrade of our fleet to, among other things, incorporate many of our latest signature innovations, allows us to continue to attract new and loyal repeat guests.

On January 19, 2021, we announced that we entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Azamara brand, including its three-ship fleet and associated intellectual property, to Sycamore Partners for $201 million. The transaction is subject to customary conditions and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021.

Royal Caribbean was founded in 1968 as a partnership. Its corporate structure has evolved over the years and, the current parent corporation, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., was incorporated on July 23, 1985 in the Republic of Liberia under the Business Corporation Act of Liberia.

COVID-19

The disruptions to our operations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic (“COVID-19”) have had, and continue to have, a material negative impact on our financial condition and results of operations. The global efforts to contain the spread of the disease have resulted in travel restrictions and created significant uncertainty regarding worldwide port closures and availability. As part of the global containment effort, we implemented a voluntary suspension of our Global Brands' cruise operations beginning March 13, 2020, which has been extended through at least April 30, 2021, for most of our cruise operations. As of February 23, 2021, four of our ships were operating with guests onboard.

On and effective as of October 30, 2020, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ("CDC") issued a Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (the “Conditional Order”) that will conditionally permit cruise ship passenger operations in U.S. waters under certain conditions and using a phased approach. The Conditional Order will remain in effect until the earlier of (1) the expiration of the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declaration that COVID-19 constitutes a public health emergency, (2) the rescission or modification by the CDC Director of the Conditional Order based on specific public health or other considerations, or (3) November 1, 2021. See Business - Regulation for further details on the Conditional Order.

Our resumption of operations will include a staggered return of the fleet to service, which will include:

• Bringing the fleet from layup status to fully operational;

• Bringing crew back to an appropriate staffing level and expected reduced load factors for a period of time; and

• Implementing health and safety protocols on ships as they resume operations and while protocols are required.

We are working with both the CDC and the Healthy Sail Panel ("HSP"), formed in June 2020 by us and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. and composed of leading experts in relevant fields, including epidemiology, infectious diseases, public policy and regulation, engineering and general health safety, to prepare and develop our plan to meet the framework for the Conditional Order.

While the Conditional Order represents an important step in our return to service, many uncertainties remain as to the specifics, timing and costs of administering and implementing the requirements of the Conditional Order, some of which may be significant. Further, the Conditional Order contemplates that the CDC may issue additional requirements through technical instructions or orders as needed and that the phases described above will be further determined based on public health considerations, including the trajectory of the pandemic and the ability of cruise ship operators to successfully employ measures that mitigate the risk of COVID-19. Based on our assessment of these conditions or for other reasons, we may determine it necessary to further extend our voluntary suspension of our Global Brands’ cruise sailings which currently extends through at least April 30, 2021, for most of our cruise operations.

We have undertaken several proactive measures to mitigate the financial and operational impacts of COVID-19, including significant reduction of capital expenditures and operating expenses as well as the issuance of debt and shares of our common stock. Given the current environment, we intend to continue to prioritize and bolster liquidity through cash conservation and additional financing sources, which may include the issuance of new debt (including convertible debt), refinancing of existing debt, amortization deferrals under our export-credit backed debt facilities and issuance of common stock, to ensure that we are well positioned for recovery. Additionally, we agreed with certain of our lenders that we will not pay dividends or engage in stock repurchases until the end of the third quarter of 2022. See Part II. Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis - Critical Accounting Policies and Recent Developments: COVID-19 and Note 1. General to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements for further details on the impact of COVID-19 on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our Global Brands

Our Global Brands include Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, Azamara, and Silversea Cruises. We believe our Global Brands possess the versatility to enter multiple cruise market segments within the cruise vacation industry. Although each of our Global Brands has its own marketing style, as well as ships and crews of various sizes, the nature of the products sold and services delivered by our Global Brands share a common base (i.e., the sale and provision of cruise vacations). Our Global Brands also offer similar itineraries as well as similar cost and revenue components. The itineraries of Global Brands are subject to resumption of our operations and local restrictions. In addition, our Global Brands have historically sourced passengers from similar markets around the world and operated in similar economic environments with a significant degree of commercial overlap. As a result, we strategically manage our Global Brands as a single business with the ultimate objective of maximizing long-term shareholder value.

Royal Caribbean International

Royal Caribbean International is positioned to compete in both the contemporary and premium segments of the cruise vacation industry. The brand appeals to families with children of all ages, as well as both older and younger couples, providing cruises that generally feature a casual ambiance, as well as a variety of activities and entertainment venues. We believe that the quality of the Royal Caribbean International brand allows it to achieve market coverage that is among the broadest of any of the major cruise brands in the cruise vacation industry. Royal Caribbean International’s strategy is to attract an a

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The risk factors set forth below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are important factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected or historical results. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. There may be additional risks that we consider not to be material, or which are not known, and any of these risks could have the effects set forth below. The ordering of the risk factors set forth below is not intended to reflect any Company indication of priority or likelihood. See Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for a cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements.

COVID-19 and Financial Risks

The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and will continue to have, a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations. The global spread of COVID-19 and the unprecedented responses by governments and other authorities to control and contain the disease, has caused significant disruptions, created new risks, and exacerbated existing risks to our business.

We have been, and will continue to be, negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts that resulted from actions taken in response to the outbreak. Examples of these include, but are not limited to: travel bans and cruising advisories and the resulting temporary suspension of our Global Brands' operations, which is expected to continue through at least April 30, 2021, for most of our cruise operations; restrictions on the movement and gathering of people; social distancing measures; shelter-in-place/stay-at-home orders; and disruptions to businesses in our supply chain. In addition to the imposed restrictions affecting our business, the extent, duration, and magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the economy and consumer demand for cruising and travel is still rapidly fluctuating and difficult to predict. As such, these impacts may persist for an extended period of time or even become more pronounced, even after we are permitted to and/or begin to resume operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic also has elevated risks affecting significant parts of our business:

• Operations: Due to the global public health circumstances, we have decided to extend the suspension of sailings of our Global Brands' fleet through at least April 30, 2021, for most of our cruise operations. It is uncertain as to whether we will need to suspend additional sailings and to what extent, and upon the conclusion of such suspensions, we expect a gradual return to normal sailings. The suspension of sailings and the expected reduction in demand for future cruising once we resume sailing has led to a significant decline in our revenues and cash inflows, which has required us to take cost and capital expenditure containment actions. Consequently, we have reduced and furloughed our workforce, with approximately 23% of our U.S. shoreside employee base being impacted and, except for the minimum safe manning shipboard crew required to operate the ships during the suspension of operations, our shipboard crew were notified that their contracts would end early and they would be notified about new assignments when operations resume in the future. As a result of these actions, we may be challenged in rebuilding our workforce which could further delay our return to service. In addition, we have reduced our planned capital spending through 2021, which may negatively impact our execution of planned growth strategies, particularly as it relates to investments in our ships, technology, and our expansion of land-based developments. Furthermore, we have taken actions to monitor and mitigate changes in our supply chain, and port destination availability, which may strain relationships with our vendors and port partners. On September 21, 2020, the HSP submitted its report on recommendations to the CDC, which includes more than 70 detailed recommendations to protect the public health and safety of guests, crew and the communities where cruise ships call. On October 30, 2020, the CDC issued the Conditional Order, which replaced the “no sail” order that expired on October 31, 2020. While the Conditional Order represents an important step in our return to service, many uncertainties remain as to the specifics and timing of implementation, administration and costs of the requirements of the Conditional Order, some of which may be significant. Further, the Conditional Order contemplates that the CDC may issue additional requirements through technical instructions or orders as needed and that the phases required to resume operations will be further determined based on public health considerations, including the trajectory of the pandemic and the ability of the Company and other cruise ship operators to successfully employ measures that mitigate the risk of COVID-19. In addition, the Conditional Order contains requirements that could negatively impact our results of operations, such as: laboratory testing of crew members and guests; simulated voyages; and the certification process, including implementing the required testing protocols, the prohibition on itineraries longer than seven days, and the demonstration at each port where a ship intends to dock of approval with U.S. port and local health authorities, which requires medical care agreements addressing evacuation to onshore hospitals, housing agreements with onshore facilities for isolation and quarantine of COVID-19 cases, and port agreements to limit the number of cruise ships at any single port. Our ability to meet the requirements under the Conditional Order will determine the timing and implementation of our plans to return to service which we expect to be gradual. We are currently reviewing and assessing the uncertainties relating to the Conditional Order’s requirements and are in dialogue with the CDC. Based on our assessment of these conditions or for other reasons, we may determine

it necessary to extend our voluntary suspension of our Global Brands’ cruise sailings which currently extends through at least April 30, 2021, for most of our cruise operations. It is difficult to predict our ability to meet the requirements of the Conditional Order and the costs associated with compliance, some of which could be significant.

If we are unable to satisfy the requirements of the Conditional Order our operations may be negatively impacted and we could be exposed to reputational and legal risks. Due to the unprecedented and uncertain nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and CDC or Department of State guidance, it is difficult to predict the impact of further disruptions and their magnitude. The impact of further disruptions may depend on how they coincide with the timing of when we seek to resume sailing. In addition, we have never previously experienced a complete cessation of our cruising operations, and as a consequence, our ability to predict the impact of such a cessation on our brands and future prospects is limited and such impact is uncertain.

• Results of Operations:** Our suspensions of sailings have materially impacted the results of our operations. We have incurred and will continue to incur significant costs associated with cancellations as we accommodate passengers with refunds and future cruise credits; as well as continuing to assist our crew with their return home, food, housing, and medical needs. In addition, although cruise operations are currently suspended, we have incurred and will likely continue to incur significant overhead costs associated with layup of our fleet and enhanced COVID-19 related sanitation procedures. As we cannot control adverse media coverage and we cannot predict exactly when we will resume sailing operations, we are experiencing and may continue to experience weak demand for cruising for an indeterminable length of time and we cannot predict when we will return to pre-outbreak demand or fare pricing or if we will return

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None.

Information about our cruise ships, including their size, may be found within the Operating Strategies - Fleet upgrade and maintenance section and the Operations - Cruise Ships and Itineraries sections in Item 1*. Business*. Information regarding our cruise ships under construction, estimated expenditures and financing may be found within the Future Capital Commitments and Funding Needs and Sources sections of Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

Our principal executive office and principal shoreside operations are located in leased office buildings at the Port of Miami, Florida. We also lease a number of other offices in the U.S. and throughout Europe, Asia, Mexico, South America and Australia to administer our brand operations globally.

We believe that our facilities are adequate for our current needs and that we are capable of obtaining additional facilities as necessary.

We also operate two private destinations which we utilize as ports-of-call on certain itineraries: (i) an island we own in the Bahamas which we call CocoCay; and (ii) Labadee, a secluded peninsula that we lease on the north coast of Haiti.

As previously reported, two lawsuits were filed against Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. in August 2019 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida under Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act, also known as the Helms-Burton Act. The complaint filed by Havana Docks Corporation ("Havana Docks Action") alleges it holds an interest in the Havana Cruise Port Terminal and the complaint filed by Javier Garcia-Bengochea (the "Port of Santiago Action") alleges that he holds an interest in the Port of Santiago, Cuba, both of which were expropriated by the Cuban Government. The complaints further allege that Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. trafficked in those properties by embarking and disembarking passengers at these facilities. The plaintiffs seek all available statutory remedies, including the value of the expropriated property, plus interest, treble damages, attorneys’ fees and costs. Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. filed its answer to each complaint in October 2019 and on October 15, 2020, and the Court dismissed the Port of Santiago Action with prejudice on the basis that the plaintiffs in that action lacked standing to bring the claim. This decision has been appealed by the plaintiffs. We believe we have meritorious defenses to the claims alleged in both the Havana Docks Action and the Port of Santiago Action, and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves against them. We believe that it is unlikely that the outcome of either action will have a material adverse impact to our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows. However, the outcome of litigation is inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties, and there can be no assurances that the final outcome of this case will not be material.

As previously reported, on October 7, 2020, a shareholder filed a putative class action complaint against us, and three officers, Richard Fain, Jason Liberty and Michael Bayley, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida (the "Court"), alleging misrepresentations relating to COVID-19 in violation of Sections 10(b) and 20(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5, seeking unspecified damages on behalf of a purported class consisting of all persons and entities (subject to specified exceptions) that purchased or otherwise acquired our securities from February 4, 2020 through March 17, 2020. As previously disclosed, on October 27, 2020, a second complaint was filed by another shareholder against us and these same officers in the Court alleging the same misrepresentations relating to COVID-19. As is the case with the first action, the second action seeks unspecified damages on behalf of a purported class consisting of all persons and entities (subject to specified exceptions) that purchased or otherwise acquired our securities from February 4, 2020 through March 17, 2020. On December 23, 2020, these cases were consolidated with a new lead plaintiff, Indiana Public Retirement System. We cannot predict the duration or outcome of this lawsuit at this time, although management believes the claims are without merit. Depending on how this case progresses, it could be costly to defend and could divert the attention of management and other resources from operations. Accordingly, even if ultimately resolved in our favor, this action could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and liquidity. On February 25, 2021, the lead plaintiff filed with the Court a voluntary dismissal of the action without prejudice.

We are also routinely involved in other claims, regulatory investigations and inquiries, and consumer complaints, including those related to COVID-19, that are typical within the travel and tourism vacation industry. The majority of these claims are covered by insurance. We believe the outcome of such claims, net of expected insurance recoveries, will not have a material adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations and cash flows.

None.

PART II

Market Information

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the symbol "RCL."

Holders

As of February 22, 2021, there were 1,296 record holders of our common stock. Since certain of our shares are held by brokers and other institutions on behalf of shareholders, the foregoing number is not representative of the number of beneficial owners.

Dividends

Holders of our common stock have an equal right, pro rata based on number of shares held, to share in our profits in the form of dividends when and if declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available, subject to any rights of holders of preferred stock if any. Holders of our common stock have no rights to any sinking fund.

There are no exchange control restrictions on remittances of dividends on our common stock by reason of our incorporation in Liberia because (1) we are and intend to maintain our status as a nonresident Liberian entity under the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000 as amended and the regulations thereunder, and (2) our ship-owning subsidiaries are not now engaged, and are not in the future expected to engage, in any business in Liberia, including voyages exclusively within the territorial waters of the Republic of Liberia. Under current Liberian law, no Liberian taxes or withholding will be imposed on payments to holders of our securities other than to a holder that is a resident Liberian entity or a resident individual or an individual or entity subject to taxation in Liberia as a result of having a permanent establishment within the meaning of the Liberia Revenue Code of 2000 as amended in Liberia.

The declaration of dividends shall at all times be subject to the final determination of our board of directors that a dividend is prudent at that time in consideration of the needs of the business. In connection with securing various financial covenant waivers, we agreed with certain of our lenders not to pay dividends until the end of the third quarter of 2022. In addition, in the event we thereafter declare a dividend, we will need to repay the amounts deferred under our export credit facilities as part of the principal amortization deferrals agreed with them during 2020 and 2021. Accordingly, we did not declare a dividend during the second, third and fourth quarters of 2020. Refer to Note 12. Shareholders' Equity to our consolidated financial statements under Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplemental Data for further information on dividends declared.

Share Repurchases

There were no repurchases of common stock during the quarter ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the 24-month common stock repurchase program authorized by our board of directors on May 9, 2018 had expired.

In connection with our debt covenant waivers, we agreed with certain of our lenders not to engage in stock repurchases until the end of the third quarter of 2022. In addition, in the event we engage in share repurchases, we will need to repay the amounts deferred under our export credit facilities as part of the principal amortization deferrals agreed with them during 2020 and 2021.

Performance Graph

The following graph compares the total return, assuming reinvestment of dividends, on an investment in the Company, based on performance of the Company's common stock, with the total return of the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Index ("S&P 500") and the Dow Jones United States Travel and Leisure Index for a five year period by measuring the changes in common stock prices from December 31, 2015 to December 31, 2020.

The stock performance graph assumes for comparison that the value of the Company's common stock and of each index was $100 on December 31, 2015 and that all dividends were reinvested. Past performance is not necessarily an indicator of future results.

The selected consolidated financial data presented below for the years ended December 31, 2016 through December 31, 2020 and as of the end of each such year, except for Adjusted Net (Loss) Income amounts, are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements and should be read in conjunction with those financial statements and the related notes as well as in conjunction with Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

(1)On July 31, 2018, we acquired a 66.7% equity stake in Silversea Cruise Holding Ltd ("Silversea Cruises"). Refer to Note 1*. General*, Note 3. Business Combinations and Note 11*. Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest* to our consolidated financial statements under Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for information on the Silversea Cruises acquisition.

(2)Operating Data and Per Share Data amounts in 2020 reflect the impact of our 2020 suspension of operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including impairment charges and credit losses of $1.6 billion incurred related to the impairment of goodwill and trademarks and trade names attributable to our Silversea Cruises reporting unit, and long-lived assets as well as credit losses mostly on receivables related to our sale of property and equipment.

(3)Amount for 2017 includes a gain of $30.9 million related to the sale of Legend of the Seas.

(4)For 2020, 2019 and 2018, refer to Financial Presentation and Results of Operations under Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for the definition of Adjusted Net Income and a reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income to Net income.

(5)We reclassified prepaid commissions of $64.6 million from Customer deposits to Prepaid expenses and other assets in our consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2017 in order to conform to the current year presentation.

(6)Upon adoption of the new Lease accounting guidance effective January 1, 2019, we recognized right-of-use assets relating to operating leases within Operating lease right-of-use assets in our consolidated balance sheet. As of December 31, 2019, we reported Operating lease right-of-use assets of $687.6 million in our consolidated balance sheet. The comparative information presented has not been recast and continues to be reported under the accounting standards in effect for those periods. For further information on leases, refer to Note 10*. Leases,* to our consolidated financial statements under Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data for further information.

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

The discussion under this caption "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and elsewhere in this document, includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements regarding our expectations for the first quarter and full year of 2021, business and industry prospects or future results of operations or financial position, made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are forward-looking. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "driving" and similar expressions are intended to further identify any of these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations but they are based on judgments and are inherently uncertain. Furthermore, they are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Examples of these risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to, those discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and, in particular, the risks discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in Part I, Item 1A herein.

All forward-looking statements made in this Annual Report on Form 10-K speak only as of the date of this document. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Overview

The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is organized to present the following:

• a review of our critical accounting policies and of our financial presentation, including discussion of certain operational and financial metrics we utilize to assist us in managing our business;

• a discussion of our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019;

• a discussion of our business outlook, and

• a discussion of our liquidity and capital resources, including our future capital and contractual commitments and potential funding sources.

A discussion of our results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the year ended December 31, 2018 is included in Part II. Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, filed with the SEC on February 25, 2020, as updated by our Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 13, 2020, and is incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K.

Critical Accounting Policies

Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"). (Refer to Note 1*. General* and Note 2*. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies* to our consolidated financial statements under Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data). Certain of our accounting policies are deemed "critical," as they require management's highest degree of judgment, estimates and assumptions. We have discussed these accounting policies and estimates with the audit committee of our board of directors. We believe our most critical accounting policies are as follows:

Liquidity and COVID-19

The effects of COVID-19 have had and continue to have a material negative impact on our operations, financial results and liquidity. The full extent of the impact will be determined by the length of time COVID-19 influences our industry and our eventual gradual return to service. Given the ongoing effects of COVID-19 on our operations and global bookings, we have identified the estimation of our future liquidity requirements as a critical accounting policy.

The estimation of our future liquidity requirements includes numerous assumptions that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The principal assumptions used to estimate our future liquidity requirements during our out-of-service period consist of:

• Expected date of return to operations;

• Expected gradual resumption of cruise operations;

• Expected lower than comparable historical occupancy levels during the resumption of cruise operations; and

• Expected incremental expenses for the resumption of cruise operations, for the maintenance of additional public health protocols and procedures for additional regulations.

The assumptions used to estimate our liquidity requirements are frequently and continuously evaluated because of the unprecedented non-operational environment we are experiencing due to COVID-19. In addition, the magnitude, duration and speed of the global pandemic continues to be uncertain. As a result, we have made reasonable estimates and judgments of the impact of COVID-19 on our liquidity within our financial statements and there may be changes to those estimates in future periods.

We have taken and will continue to take actions to improve our liquidity, including:

• Reduction of capital expenditures;

• Reduction of operating expenses (including furloughing staff and laying up vessels);

• Amending credit agreements to defer payments and covenant requirements, as well as extend maturity dates;

• Raising capital through debt and stock issuances; and

• Suspending dividend payments.

Ship Accounting

Ships represent our most significant assets and are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation of ships is generally computed net of a 10%-15% projected residual value, using the straight-line method over the estimated useful life of the asset, which is generally 30-35 years. The 30-35 year useful life and 10%-15% residual value is the weighted-average of all major components of a ship. Our useful life and residual value estimates take into consideration the impact of anticipated technological changes, long-term cruise and vacation market conditions and historical useful lives of similarly-built ships. In addition, we take into consideration our estimates of the weighted-average useful lives of the ships' major component systems, such as hull, superstructure, main electric, engines and cabins. We employ a cost allocation methodology at the component level, in order to support the estimated weighted-average useful lives and residual values, as well as to determine the net cost basis of assets being replaced. Given the very large and complex nature of our ships, our accounting estimates related to ships and determinations of ship improvement costs to be capitalized require considerable judgment and are inherently uncertain. We do not have cost segregation studies performed to specifically componentize our ship systems. However, we estimate the costs, useful lives and residual values of component systems based principally on general and technical information known about major ship component systems and their lives, as well as our knowledge of the cruise vacation industry. We do not identify and track depreciation by ship component systems, but instead utilize these estimates to determine the net cost basis of assets replaced or refurbished. Improvement costs that we believe add value to our ships are capitalized as additions to the ship and depreciated over the shorter of the improvements' estimated useful lives or that of the associated ship. The estimated cost and accumulated depreciation of replaced or refurbished ship components are written

off and any resulting l

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Financial Instruments and Other

General

We are exposed to market risk attributable to changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and fuel prices. We try to mitigate these risks through a combination of our normal operating and financing activities and through the use of derivative financial instruments pursuant to our hedging practices and policies. The financial impact of these hedging instruments is primarily offset by corresponding changes in the underlying exposures being hedged. We achieve this by closely matching the amount, term and conditions of the derivative instrument with the underlying risk being hedged. Although certain of our derivative financial instruments do not qualify or are not accounted for under hedge accounting, our objective is not to hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading or other speculative purposes. Refer to Note 18*. Fair Value Measurements and Derivative Instruments* to our consolidated financial statements under Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Interest Rate Risk

Our exposure to market risk for changes in interest rates relates to our long-term debt obligations including future interest payments. At December 31, 2020, approximately 64.5% of our long-term debt was effectively fixed as compared to 62.1% as of December 31, 2019. We use interest rate swap agreements to modify our exposure to interest rate movements and to manage our interest expense.

Market risk associated with our long-term fixed rate debt is the potential increase in fair value resulting from a decrease in interest rates. We use interest rate swap agreements that effectively convert a portion of our fixed-rate debt to a floating-rate basis to manage this risk. At December 31, 2020, we maintained interest rate swap agreements on the following fixed-rate debt instruments:

These interest rate swap agreements are accounted for as fair value hedges.

The estimated fair value of our long-term fixed-rate debt at December 31, 2020 was $12.9 billion, using quoted market prices, where available, or using the present value of expected future cash flows which incorporates risk profile. The fair value of our fixed to floating interest rate swap agreements was estimated to be an asset of $18.8 million as of December 31, 2020, based on the present value of expected future cash flows. A hypothetical one percentage point decrease in interest rates at December 31, 2020 would increase the fair value of our hedged and unhedged long-term fixed-rate debt by approximately $67.2 million and would increase the fair value of our fixed to floating interest rate swap agreements by approximately $11.8 million.

Market risk associated with our long-term floating-rate debt is the potential increase in interest expense from an increase in interest rates. We use interest rate swap agreements that effectively convert a portion of our floating-rate debt to a fixed-rate basis to manage this risk. A hypothetical one percentage point increase in interest rates would increase our forecasted 2021 interest expense by approximately $59.4 million, assuming no change in foreign currency exchange rates.

At December 31, 2020, we maintained interest rate swap agreements on the following floating-rate debt instruments:

(1) Interest rate swap agreements hedging the Euro-denominated term loan for Harmony of the Seas include EURIBOR zero-floors matching the hedged debt EURIBOR zero-floor. Amount presented is based on the exchange rate as of December 31, 2020.

(2) Interest rate swap agreements hedging the term loan of Odyssey of the Seas include LIBOR zero-floors matching the debt LIBOR zero-floor. The effective dates of the $460.0 million and $191.7 million interest rate swap agreements are October 2020 and October 2022, respectively. The anticipated unsecured term loan for the financing of Odyssey of the Seas was initially expected to be drawn in October 2020. However, due to the impact of COVID-19 to shipyard operations, there is a delay in the ship delivery.

These interest rate swap agreements are accounted for as cash flow hedges.

The fair value of our floating to fixed interest rate swap agreements was estimated to be a liability of $154.5 million as of December 31, 2020 based on the present value of expected future cash flows. These interest rate swap agreements are accounted for as cash flow hedges.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk

Our primary exposure to foreign currency exchange rate risk relates to our ship construction contracts denominated in Euros, our foreign currency denominated debt and our international business operations. On a regular basis, we enter into foreign currency forward contracts and, from time to time, we utilize cross-currency swap agreements and collar options to manage portions of the exposure to movements in foreign currency exchange rates.

The estimated fair value, as of December 31, 2020, of our Euro-denominated forward contracts associated with our ship construction contracts was a liability of $70.9 million, based on the present value of expected future cash flows. As of December 31, 2020, the aggregate cost of our ships on order, not including ships on order by our Partner Brands and the Silversea Cruises ships that remain contingent upon final documentation and financing, was approximately $14.2 billion, of which we had deposited $684.8 million as of such date. Approximately 66.3% and 65.9% of the aggregate cost of the ships under construction was exposed to fluctuations in the Euro exchange rate at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. A hypothetical 10% strengthening of the Euro as of December 31, 2020, assuming no changes in comparative interest rates, would result in a $941.2 million increase in the United States dollar cost of the foreign currency denominated ship construction contracts exposed to fluctuations in the Euro exchange rate. Our foreign currency forward contract agreements are accounted for as cash flow or net investment hedges depending on the designation of the related hedge.

Our international business operations subject us to foreign currency exchange risk. We transact business in many different foreign currencies and maintain investments in foreign operations which may expose us to financial market risk resulting from fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. Movements in foreign currency exchange rates may affect the value of our earnings in foreign currencies and cash flows. We manage most of this exposure on a consolidated basis, which allows us to take advantage of any natural offsets. Therefore, weakness in one particular currency might be offset by strengths in other currencies over time. The extent to which one currency is effective as a natural offset of another currency fluctuates over time. In addition, some foreign currency exposures have little to no mitigating natural offsets available.

We consider our investments in our foreign operations to be denominated in relatively stable currencies and of a long-term nature. As of December 31, 2020, we maintained foreign currency forward contracts and designated them as hedges of a portion of our net investment in TUI Cruises of €245.0 million, or approximately $299.7 million based on the exchange rate at December 31, 2020. These forward currency contracts mature in October 2021.

We also address the exposure of our investments in foreign operations by denominating a portion of our debt in our subsidiaries' and investments' functional currencies and designating it as a hedge of these subsidiaries and investments. We had designated debt as a hedge of our net investments primarily in TUI Cruises of approximately €215.0 million, or approximately $263.0 million, through December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2019, we had designated debt as a hedge of our net investments primarily in TUI Cruises of approximately €319.0 million, or approximately $358.1 million.

We have included net gains of approximately $22.1 million and $96.8 million of foreign-currency transaction remeasurement and changes in the fair value of derivatives in the foreign currency translation adjustment component of Accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

On a regular basis, we enter into foreign currency forward contracts and, from time to time, we utilize cross-currency swap agreements and collar options to minimize the volatility resulting from the remeasurement of net monetary assets and liabilities denominated in a currency other than our functional currency or the functional currencies of our foreign subsidiaries. During 2020, we maintained an average of approximately $364.0 million of these foreign currency forward contracts. These instruments are not designated as hedging instruments. For the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 changes in the fair value of the foreign currency forward contracts resulted in gains (losses) of approximately $(19.0) million, $1.4 million and $(62.4) million, respectively, which offset gains (losses) arising from the remeasurement of monetary assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies in those same years of $(1.5) million, $0.4 million and $57.6 million, respectively. These changes were recognized in earnings within Other income (expense) in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income (loss).

Fuel Price Risk

Our exposure to market risk for changes in fuel prices relates primarily to the consumption of fuel on our ships. Fuel cost, net of the financial impact of fuel swap agreements, as a percentage of our total revenues, was approximately 16.8% in 2020, 6.4% in 2019 and 7.5% in 2018. We use fuel swap agreements to mitigate the financial impact of fluctuations in fuel prices.

As of December 31, 2020, we had fuel swap agreements to pay fixed prices for fuel with an aggregate notional amount of approximately $535.0 million, maturing through 2024. These fuel swap agreements are generally accounted for as cash flow hedges. The fuel swap agreements designated as hedges of projected fuel purchases represented 40% of our projected 2021 fuel requirements, 23% of our projected 2022 fuel requirements and 5% of our projected 2023 fuel requirements. The current suspension of the cruise operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic and our 2020 and expected 2021 ship disposals resulted in reductions to our forecasted fuel consumption. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had outstanding fuel swaps of 229,850 and 14,650 metric tons maturing in 2021 and 2022, respectively, that no longer hedge forecasted fuel consumption. The estimated fair value of our fuel swap agreements at December 31, 2020 was estimated to be a liability of $88.0 million. We estimate that a hypothetical 10% increase in our weighted-average fuel price from that experienced during the year ended December 31, 2020 would increase our forecasted 2021 fuel cost by approximately $15.0 million, net of the impact of fuel swap agreements.

Our Consolidated Financial Statements and Quarterly Selected Financial Data are included beginning on page F-1 of this report.

None.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management, with the participation of our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e), as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon such evaluation, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that those controls and procedures are effective to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, including our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and are effective to provide reasonable assurance that such information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the Securities and Exchange Commission's (the "SEC") rules and forms.

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Our management, with the participation of our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, conducted an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on this evaluation, management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2020.

The effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm that audited our consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as stated in its report, which is included herein on page F-2.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(d) during the quarter ended December 31, 2020 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Inherent Limitations on Effectiveness of Controls

It should be noted that any system of controls, however well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, and not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the system will be met. In addition, the design of any control system is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events. Because of these and other inherent limitations of control systems, there is only reasonable assurance that our controls will succeed in achieving their goals under all potential future conditions.

None.

PART III

Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance; Executive Compensation; Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters; Certain Relationships and Related Transactions; and Director Independence and Principal Accountant Fees and Services.

Except for information concerning executive officers (called for by Item 401(b) of Regulation S-K), which is included in Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the information required by Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 is incorporated herein by reference to certain sections of the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Definitive Proxy Statement relating to our 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the "Proxy Statement") to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the close of the fiscal year. Please refer to the following sections in the Proxy Statement for more information: "Corporate Governance"; "Proposal 1—Election of Directors"; "Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions"; "Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance"; "Executive Compensation"; "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management"; and "Proposal 3—Ratification of Principal Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm." Copies of the Proxy Statement will become available when filed through our Investor Relations website at www.rclcorporate.com (please see "Financial Reports" under "Financial Information"); by contacting our Investor Relations department at 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, Florida 33132—telephone (305) 982-2625; or by visiting the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that applies to all of our employees, including our executive officers, and our directors. A copy of the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics is posted in the corporate governance section of our website at www.rclcorporate.com and is available in print, without charge, to shareholders upon written request to our Corporate Secretary at Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., 1050 Caribbean Way, Miami, Florida 33132. Any amendments to the code or any waivers from any provisions of the code granted to executive officers or directors will be promptly disclosed to investors by posting on our website at www.rclcorporate.com. None of the websites referenced in this Annual Report on Form 10-K or the information contained therein is incorporated herein by reference.

PART IV

(a)(1) Financial Statements

Our Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data and are included beginning on page F-1 of this report.

(1)Financial Statement Schedules

None.

(1)Exhibits

Exhibits 10.90 through 10.111 represent management compensatory plans or arrangements.

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None.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

February 26, 2021

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities indicated on February 26, 2021.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISES LTD.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

F-1

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.

Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and its subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive (loss) income, shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020, including the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). We also have audited the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2020 and 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2020 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the COSO.

Change in Accounting Principle

As discussed in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed the manner in which it accounts for leases in 2019.

Basis for Opinions

The Company's management is responsible for these consolidated financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting appearing under Item 9A. Our responsibility is to express opinions on the Company’s consolidated financial statements and on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB) and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audits of the consolidated financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.

Emphasis of Matter

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the impact to the Company’s global bookings resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to have a material negative impact on the Company’s results of operations and liquidity. Further, in April 2022, approximately $1.0 billion of long- term debt will need to be refinanced or extended should the commence

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