UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

 

FORM 10-Q

 

 

  

(Mark One)

xQUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the quarterly period ended June 30, 2014

 

OR

 

¨TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from                      to                     

 

Commission File Number: 001-35784

 

 

 

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE HOLDINGS LTD.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

  

 

 

Bermuda 98-0691007

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

7665 Corporate Center Drive, Miami, Florida 33126

(Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)

 

(305) 436-4000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

N/A

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

 

 

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  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted 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 and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

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

       
Large accelerated filer ¨ Accelerated filer ¨
       
Non-accelerated filer x  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) Smaller reporting company ¨

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

There were 203,203,767 ordinary shares outstanding as of July 28, 2014.

 
 
 

  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page
PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION  
     
Item 1. Financial Statements 1
     
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 14
     
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 25
     
Item 4. Controls and Procedures 26
   
PART II. OTHER INFORMATION  
     
Item 1. Legal Proceedings 27
     
Item 1A. Risk Factors 27
     
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds 27
     
Item 5. Other Information 28
     
Item 6. Exhibits 28
   
SIGNATURES 29

 

 
Table of Contents

  

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

Item 1. Financial Statements

 

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Revenue                    
Passenger ticket  $538,059   $457,619   $996,549   $816,547 
Onboard and other   227,868    186,814    433,406    355,517 
Total revenue   765,927    644,433    1,429,955    1,172,064 
Cruise operating expense                    
Commissions, transportation and other   114,712    112,985    231,522    207,564 
Onboard and other   55,467    49,316    103,391    91,687 
Payroll and related   106,352    82,809    205,418    156,848 
Fuel   77,832    75,582    156,872    148,080 
Food   42,734    33,674    80,417    63,636 
Other   73,699    66,713    139,086    115,953 
Total cruise operating expense   470,796    421,079    916,706    783,768 
Other operating expense                    
Marketing, general and administrative   83,084    74,111    166,473    159,317 
Depreciation and amortization   63,459    53,854    125,099    102,602 
Total other operating expense   146,543    127,965    291,572    261,919 
Operating income   148,588    95,389    221,677    126,377 
Non-operating income (expense)                    
Interest expense, net   (31,860)   (103,686)   (63,032)   (231,342)
Other income (expense)   (325)   429    63    1,794 
Total non-operating income (expense)   (32,185)   (103,257)   (62,969)   (229,548)
                     
Net income (loss) before income taxes   116,403    (7,868)   158,708    (103,171)
Income tax benefit (expense)   (3,124)   (1,047)   6,263    (3,244)
Net income (loss)   113,279    (8,915)   164,971    (106,415)
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest   1,663    (74)   2,088    (1,179)
Net income (loss) attributable to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.  $111,616   $(8,841)  $162,883   $(105,236)
Weighted-average shares outstanding                    
Basic   204,965,718    203,997,492    205,063,870    201,189,562 
Diluted   210,472,991    203,997,492    210,742,655    201,189,562 
Earnings (loss) per share                    
Basic  $0.54   $(0.04)  $0.79   $(0.52)
Diluted  $0.54   $(0.04)  $0.78   $(0.52)

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

  

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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)

(Unaudited)

(in thousands)

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Net income (loss)  $113,279   $(8,915)  $164,971   $(106,415)
Other comprehensive income (loss):                    
Shipboard Retirement Plan   95    117    189    234 
Cash flow hedges:                    
Net unrealized income (loss) (1)   8,797    (9,064)   (6,559)   (28,620)
Amount realized and reclassified into earnings (2)   (147)   (236)   6    (2,011)
Total other comprehensive income (loss)   8,745    (9,183)   (6,364)   (30,397)
Total comprehensive income (loss)   122,024    (18,098)   158,607    (136,812)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest   1,757    (193)   2,045    (1,788)
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.  $120,267   $(17,905)  $156,562   $(135,024)

 

(1)Net of a deferred tax benefit of $657 and $797 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively.
(2)Net of a deferred tax expense of $12 and $73 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively.

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

  

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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

(in thousands, except share data)

 

   June 30,
2014
   December 31,
2013
 
Assets          
Current assets:          
Cash and cash equivalents  $63,483   $56,467 
Accounts receivable, net   27,145    18,260 
Inventories   52,566    43,715 
Prepaid expenses and other assets   67,030    64,482 
Total current assets   210,224    182,924 
Property and equipment, net   6,305,328    5,647,670 
Goodwill and tradenames   611,330    611,330 
Other long-term assets   187,921    209,054 
Total assets  $7,314,803   $6,650,978 
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity          
Current liabilities:          
Current portion of long-term debt  $372,911   $286,575 
Accounts payable   102,755    86,788 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities   256,569    253,752 
Due to Affiliate   37,026    36,544 
Advance ticket sales   610,639    411,829 
Total current liabilities   1,379,900    1,075,488 
Long-term debt   3,129,337    2,841,214 
Due to Affiliate   36,880    55,128 
Other long-term liabilities   53,905    47,882 
Total liabilities   4,600,022    4,019,712 
Commitments and contingencies (Note 8)          
Shareholders’ equity:          
Ordinary shares, $.001 par value; 490,000,000 shares authorized; 205,685,491 and 205,160,340 shares issued at June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively   205    205 
Additional paid-in capital   2,822,208    2,822,864 
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)   (23,011)   (16,690)
Retained earnings (deficit)   (34,588)   (197,471)
Treasury shares (2,397,294 ordinary shares at cost)   (79,155)    
Total shareholders’ equity controlling interest   2,685,659    2,608,908 
Non-controlling interest   29,122    22,358 
Total shareholders’ equity   2,714,781    2,631,266 
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity  $7,314,803   $6,650,978 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

(in thousands)

 

   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013 
Cash flows from operating activities          
Net income (loss)  $164,971   $(106,415)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:          
Depreciation and amortization expense   141,228    115,946 
Gain on derivatives   (62)   (270)
Deferred income taxes, net   2,786    2,968 
Write-off of deferred financing fees       36,357 
Share-based compensation expense   5,079    19,356 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:          
Accounts receivable, net   (8,885)   (1,308)
Inventories   (8,851)   (5,748)
Prepaid expenses and other assets   (8,943)   961 
Accounts payable   15,967    17,974 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities   20,905    (14,909)
Advance ticket sales   194,913    187,868 
Net cash provided by operating activities   519,108    252,780 
Cash flows from investing activities          
Additions to property and equipment   (787,566)   (759,020)
Net cash used in investing activities   (787,566)   (759,020)
Cash flows from financing activities          
Repayments of long-term debt   (540,237)   (2,081,520)
Repayments to Affiliate   (18,521)   (98,171)
Proceeds from long-term debt   914,545    2,289,253 
Proceeds from the issuance of ordinary shares, net       473,017 
Proceeds from the exercise of share options   2,158     
Purchases of treasury shares   (79,155)    
NCLC partnership tax distributions   (3,115)    
Other   (201)   (38,999)
Net cash provided by financing activities   275,474    543,580 
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents   7,016    37,340 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   56,467    45,500 
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period  $63,483   $82,840 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity

(Unaudited)

(in thousands)

 

   Ordinary
Shares
   Additional
Paid-in
Capital
   Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
   Retained
Earnings
(Deficit)
   Treasury
Shares
   Non-
controlling
Interest
   Total
Shareholders’
Equity
 
Balance, December 31, 2012  $25   $2,327,097    $ (17,619)  $(299,185)  $   $8,466   $2,018,784 
                                     
Share-based compensation       29,336                 19    29,355 
Transactions with Affiliates, net       (51)                    (51)
Corporate Reorganization       (20,176)                20,176     
IPO proceeds, net   179    472,838                     473,017 
Other comprehensive loss            (29,788)           (609)   (30,397)
Net loss                (105,236)       (1,179)   (106,415)
Transfers to non-controlling interest       (3,767)                3,767     
Balance, June 30, 2013  $204   $2,805,277    $ (47,407)  $(404,421)  $   $30,640   $2,384,293 
                                     
Balance, December 31, 2013  $205   $2,822,864    $ (16,690)  $(197,471)  $   $22,358   $2,631,266 
                                     
Share-based compensation       5,079                     5,079 
Transactions with Affiliates, net       (59)                    (59)
NCLC partnership tax distributions                        (3,115)   (3,115)
Proceeds from the exercise of share options       2,158                     2,158 
Purchases of treasury shares                    (79,155)       (79,155)
Other comprehensive loss            (6,321)           (43)   (6,364)
Net income                162,883        2,088    164,971 
Transfers to non-controlling interest       (7,834)                7,834     
Balance, June 30, 2014  $205   $2,822,208    $ (23,011)  $(34,588)  $(79,155)  $29,122   $2,714,781 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

  

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Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

 

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references in this report to (i) the “Company,” “we,” “our,” “us” and “NCLH” refer to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries, (ii) “NCLC” refers to NCL Corporation Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries, (iii) “Norwegian Cruise Line” or “Norwegian” refers to the Norwegian Cruise Line brand and its predecessors, (iv) “Apollo” refers to Apollo Global Management, LLC and its subsidiaries and the “Apollo Funds” refers to one or more of AIF VI NCL (AIV), L.P., AIF VI NCL (AIV II), L.P., AIF VI NCL (AIV III), L.P., AIF VI NCL (AIV IV), L.P., AAA Guarantor-Co-Invest VI (B), L.P., Apollo Overseas Partners (Delaware) VI, L.P., Apollo Overseas Partners (Delaware 892) VI, L.P., Apollo Overseas Partners VI, L.P. and Apollo Overseas Partners (Germany) VI, L.P., (v) “TPG Global” refers to TPG Global, LLC, “TPG” refers to TPG Global and its affiliates and the “TPG Viking Funds” refers to one or more of TPG Viking, L.P., TPG Viking AIV I, L.P., TPG Viking AIV II, L.P., and TPG Viking AIV III, L.P. and/or certain other affiliated investment funds, each an affiliate of TPG, (vi) “Genting HK” refers to Genting Hong Kong Limited and/or its affiliates (formerly Star Cruises Limited and/or its affiliates) (Genting HK owns NCLH’s ordinary shares indirectly through Star NCLC Holdings Ltd. (“Star NCLC”)), and (vii) “Affiliate(s)” or “Sponsor(s)” refers to Genting HK, the Apollo Funds and/or the TPG Viking Funds. References to the “U.S.” are to the United States of America, “dollars” or “$” are to U.S. dollars and “euros” or “€” are to the official currency of the Eurozone.

 

1.Corporate Reorganization

 

In February 2011, NCLH, a Bermuda limited company, was formed with the issuance to the Sponsors of, in aggregate, 10,000 ordinary shares, with a par value of $.001 per share. On January 24, 2013, NCLH consummated the IPO. In connection with the consummation of the IPO, the Sponsors’ ordinary shares in NCLC were exchanged for the ordinary shares of NCLH at a share exchange ratio of 1.0 to 8.42565 and NCLH became the owner of 100% of the ordinary shares (representing a 97.3% economic interest) and parent company of NCLC (the “Corporate Reorganization”). Accordingly, NCLH contributed $460.0 million to NCLC and the historical financial statements of NCLC became those of NCLH. The Corporate Reorganization was effected solely for the purpose of reorganizing our corporate structure. NCLH had not prior to the completion of the Corporate Reorganization conducted any activities other than those incidental to its formation and to preparations for the Corporate Reorganization and IPO. The Corporate Reorganization resulted in all parties being in the same economic position immediately prior to the IPO. As the economic position of the investors did not change as part of the Corporate Reorganization it is considered a nonsubstantive merger from an accounting perspective.

 

NCLC is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and the terms of the partnership (including the economic rights with respect thereto) are set forth in an amended and restated tax agreement for NCLC. Economic interests in NCLC are represented by the partnership interests established under the tax agreement, which we refer to as “NCL Corporation Units.” The NCL Corporation Units held by NCLH (as a result of its ownership of 100% of the ordinary shares of NCLC) represent a 97.9% economic interest in NCLC as of June 30, 2014. The remaining 2.1% economic interest in NCLC as of June 30, 2014 is in the form of Management NCL Corporation Units held by management (or former management). As a result of the aforementioned transactions and the Secondary Offerings, the Sponsors owned 55.9% of NCLH’s ordinary shares as of June 30, 2014.

 

2.Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

 

Basis of Presentation

 

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are unaudited and, in our opinion, contain all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results for the periods presented.

 

Our operations are seasonal and results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year. Historically, demand for cruises has been strongest during the summer months. The interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013, which are included in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Shareholder’s Equity

 

In connection with the Corporate Reorganization, previously granted profits interests to employees were exchanged for Management NCL Corporation Units (“Units”), and the vested Unit holders gained proportionate rights to distributions of the Company and were therefore allocated a proportionate share of the Company's equity. The effect of this change was a $20.2 million increase in the non-controlling interest.

 

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During the six months ended June 30, 2014, following the effectiveness of NCLH’s registration statement on Form S-3, additional performance-based Units became eligible to participate in the earnings of NCLC, and as a result, a proportionate amount of the Company’s equity was allocated to the additional non-controlling interest.   Each Unit holder has the right, subject to the same time-based and performance-based vesting requirements of the profits interests, to exchange Units for the Company’s ordinary shares at a rate equal to one ordinary share for every Unit. When such an exchange occurs, this results in the exchange of non-controlling interest to controlling interest.  Accordingly, upon the exchange of a Unit for an ordinary share of the Company, a portion of the non-controlling interest balance is reclassified to additional paid-in capital. As of June 30, 2014, there was $7.8 million transferred to non-controlling interest.

 

As of June 30, 2014, Management NCL Corporation Unit holders were distributed cash to facilitate partnership tax payments of $3.1 million and $2.8 million of these distributions will be repaid to the Company upon exchange of each Unit holders’ Units.

 

On April 29, 2014, NCLH’s Board of Directors authorized, and NCLH announced, a three-year share repurchase program for up to $500.0 million. The share repurchases in the three months ended June 30, 2014 were made under this share repurchase program. NCLH may make repurchases in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions, in accelerated repurchase programs or in structured share repurchase programs, and any repurchases may be made pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 plans. During the three months ended June 30, 2014, NCLH repurchased approximately 2.4 million ordinary shares under its share repurchase program for $79.2 million, which shares are reflected as treasury shares at cost on the consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2014.

 

The Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the period ended June 30, 2013 has been revised for an immaterial change of approximately $1.2 million to correctly present the activities within Additional Paid-in Capital and Non-Controlling Interest, with no change in the ending balances.

 

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

 

A reconciliation between basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share was as follows (in thousands, except share and per share data):

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Net income (loss) attributable to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.  $111,616   $(8,841)  $162,883   $(105,236)
Net income (loss)  $113,279   $(8,915)  $164,971   $(106,415)
                     
Basic weighted-average shares outstanding   204,965,718    203,997,492    205,063,870    201,189,562 
Dilutive effect of awards   5,507,273        5,678,785     
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding   210,472,991    203,997,492    210,742,655    201,189,562 
Basic earnings (loss) per share  $0.54   $(0.04)  $0.79   $(0.52)
Diluted earnings (loss) per share  $0.54   $(0.04)  $0.78   $(0.52)

 

Diluted loss per share for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 did not include 6,728,789 and 6,325,138 shares, respectively, because the effect of including them would have been antidilutive.

 

Revenue and Expense Recognition

 

Revenue and expense includes taxes assessed by governmental authorities that are directly imposed on a revenue-producing transaction between a seller and a customer. The amounts included in revenue and expense on a gross basis were $44.6 million and $36.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $82.5 million and $67.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

 

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3.Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the six months ended June 30, 2014 was as follows (in thousands):

 

   Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
   Change
Related to
Cash Flow
Hedges
   Change
Related to
Shipboard
Retirement
Plan
 
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at beginning of period  $(16,690)  $(10,532)  $(6,158)
Current period other comprehensive loss before reclassifications   (6,515)   (6,515)    
Amounts reclassified   194    6(1)   188(2)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at end of period  $(23,011)   $      (17,041)(3)  $(5,970)

 

(1)We refer you to Note 7— “Fair Value Measurements and Derivatives” for the affected line items in the Consolidated Statements of Operations.
(2)Amortization of prior-service cost and actuarial loss reclassified to payroll and related expense.
(3)Includes $2.5 million of income expected to be reclassified into earnings in the next 12 months.

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the six months ended June 30, 2013 was as follows (in thousands):

 

   Accumulated
Other
Comprehensive
Income (Loss)
   Change
Related to
Cash Flow
Hedges
   Change
Related to
Shipboard
Retirement
Plan
 
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at beginning of period  $(17,619)  $(7,872)  $(9,747)
Current period other comprehensive loss before reclassifications   (28,046)   (28,046)    
Amounts reclassified   (1,742)   (1,971)(1)   229(2)
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) at end of period  $(47,407)  $(37,889)  $(9,518)

 

(1)Amount reclassified to fuel expense.
(2)Amortization of prior-service cost and actuarial loss reclassified to payroll and related expense.

 

4.Property and Equipment, Net

 

The balance as of June 30, 2014 reflects the delivery of Norwegian Getaway in January 2014.

 

5.Related Party Disclosures

 

In March 2014, the Selling Shareholders sold 15,000,000 ordinary shares of NCLH in the Secondary Offering. We did not receive any proceeds from this offering. As of June 30, 2014, the relative ownership percentages of NCLH’s ordinary shares were approximately as follows: Genting HK (28.0%), the Apollo Funds (20.0%), the TPG Viking Funds (7.9%), and public shareholders (44.1%). As of June 30, 2014, NCLH had a 97.9% economic interest in NCLC.

 

6.Income Tax Benefit (Expense)

 

NCLH is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The income tax benefit in 2014 primarily related to a change in our corporate entity structure which was completed in 2013. For the year ended December 31, 2013, the tax provision reflected an interest expense deduction based on a method supported by the information available at such time. During the first quarter of 2014, we received additional information which allowed us to elect another acceptable tax method, resulting in a tax benefit of $11.1 million which is included in the results of operations for the six months ended June 30, 2014. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, income tax expense, net was $3.2 million, which consists of a one-time expense of $4.2 million due to a change in U.S. tax status from a partnership to a corporation in connection with the IPO, a benefit of $5.0 million in connection with our prepayments of debt, and a $4.0 million expense from our U.S. operations.

 

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7.Fair Value Measurements and Derivatives

 

Fair value is defined as the price at which an orderly transaction to sell an asset or to transfer a liability would take place between market participants at the measurement date under current market conditions (that is, an exit price at the measurement date from the perspective of a market participant that holds the asset or owes the liability).

 

Fair Value Hierarchy

 

The following hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value should maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available:

 

Level 1 Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that are accessible at the measurement dates.
   
Level 2 Significant other observable inputs that are used by market participants in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from independent sources.
   
Level 3 Significant unobservable inputs we believe market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available.

  

Derivatives

 

We are exposed to market risk attributable to changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and fuel prices. We attempt to minimize these risks through a combination of our normal operating and financing activities and through the use of derivatives. We assess whether derivatives used in hedging transactions are “highly effective” in offsetting changes in the cash flow of our hedged forecasted transactions. We use regression analysis for this hedge relationship and high effectiveness is achieved when a statistically valid relationship reflects a high degree of offset and correlation between the fair values of the derivative and the hedged forecasted transaction. Cash flows from the derivatives are classified in the same category as the cash flows from the underlying hedged transaction. The determination of ineffectiveness is based on the amount of dollar offset between the cumulative change in fair value of the derivative and the cumulative change in fair value of the hedged transaction at the end of the reporting period. If it is determined that a derivative is not highly effective as a hedge, or if the hedged forecasted transaction is no longer probable of occurring, then the amount recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) is released to earnings. In addition, the ineffective portion of our highly effective hedges is recognized in earnings immediately and reported in other income (expense) in our consolidated statements of operations. There are no amounts excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness and there are no credit-risk-related contingent features in our derivative agreements.

 

We monitor concentrations of credit risk associated with financial and other institutions with which we conduct significant business. Credit risk, including but not limited to counterparty non-performance under derivatives and our revolving credit facility, is not considered significant, as we primarily conduct business with large, well-established financial institutions that we have established relationships with and that have credit risks acceptable to us or the credit risk is spread out among a large number of creditors. We do not anticipate non-performance by any of our significant counterparties.

 

The following table sets forth our derivatives measured at fair value and discloses the balance sheet location (in thousands):

  

      Asset   Liability 
   Balance Sheet location  June 30,
2014
   December 31,
2013
   June 30,
2014
   December 31,
2013
 
Fuel swaps designated as hedging instruments                  
   Prepaid expenses and other assets  $7,020   $5,024   $184   $666 
                        
   Other long-term assets   4,351    6,869    41    9 
                        
   Other long-term liabilities   14        26     
Fuel collars designated as hedging instruments                       
   Prepaid expenses and other assets   65    452    9    195 
                        
Fuel options not designated as hedging instruments                       
   Prepaid expenses and other assets           9    195 
Foreign currency options designated as hedging instruments                       

 

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      Asset   Liability 
   Balance Sheet location  June 30,
2014
   December 31,
2013
   June 30,
2014
   December 31,
2013
 
  Accrued expenses and other liabilities               9,815 
Foreign currency forward contracts designated as hedging instruments                       
   Prepaid expenses and other assets       2,624         
                        
   Other long-term assets   88             
                        
   Accrued expenses and other liabilities               6,582 
Foreign currency collar designated as a hedging instrument                       
   Prepaid expenses and other assets       12,502         
Interest rate swaps designated as hedging instruments                       
   Accrued expenses and other liabilities           3,201    1,707 
                        
   Other long-term liabilities           3,581    1,374 

  

The fair values of swap and forward contracts are determined based on inputs that are readily available in public markets or can be derived from information available in publicly quoted markets. The Company determines the value of options and collars utilizing an option pricing model based on inputs that are either readily available in public markets or can be derived from information available in publicly quoted markets. The option pricing model used by the Company is an industry standard model for valuing options and is used by the broker/dealer community. The inputs to this option pricing model are the option strike price, underlying price, risk-free rate of interest, time to expiration, and volatility. The fair value of option contracts considers both the intrinsic value and any remaining time value associated with those derivatives that have not yet settled. The Company also considers counterparty credit risk and its own credit risk in its determination of all estimated fair values. Our derivatives and financial instruments were categorized as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy, and we had no derivatives or financial instruments categorized as Level 1 or Level 3.

 

Our derivative contracts include rights of offset with our counterparties. We have elected to net certain assets and liabilities within counterparties. We are not required to post cash collateral related to our derivative instruments. The following table discloses the amounts recognized within assets and liabilities (in thousands):

 

June 30, 2014  Gross Amounts   Gross
Amounts
Offset
   Total Net
Amounts
   Gross
Amounts Not
Offset
   Net Amounts 
Assets  $11,524   $(243)  $11,281   $(88)  $11,193 
Liabilities   6,808    (14)   6,794    (6,782)   12 

 

December 31, 2013  Gross Amounts   Gross
Amounts
Offset
   Total Net
Amounts
   Gross
Amounts Not
Offset
   Net Amounts 
Assets  $27,471   $(1,065)  $26,406   $(15,126)  $11,280 
Liabilities   19,478        19,478    (19,478)    

 

Fuel Swaps

 

As of June 30, 2014, we had fuel swaps maturing through December 31, 2016 which are used to mitigate the financial impact of volatility in fuel prices pertaining to approximately 656,000 metric tons of our projected fuel purchases. The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the fuel swaps which were designated as cash flow hedges were as follows (in thousands):

 

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   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) – effective portion  $11,610   $(18,074)  $1,839   $(13,368)
Gain (loss) recognized in other income (expense) – ineffective portion   451    (320)   35    (99)
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into fuel expense   (1,218)   (736)   (1,923)   (2,999)

 

Fuel Collars and Options

 

As of June 30, 2014, we had fuel collars and options maturing through December 31, 2014 which are used to mitigate the financial impact of volatility in fuel prices pertaining to approximately 17,000 metric tons of our projected fuel purchases. The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the fuel collars which were designated as cash flow hedges were as follows (in thousands):

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) – effective portion  $15   $(1,500)  $(309)  $(1,535)
Gain (loss) recognized in other income (expense) – ineffective portion   (1)   14    107    22 
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into fuel expense   371    391    741    818 

  

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the fuel options which were not designated as hedging instruments were as follows (in thousands):

  

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Gain (loss) recognized in other income (expense)  $101   $(275)  $186   $581 

 

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts

 

As of June 30, 2014, we had a foreign currency forward contract which is used to mitigate the financial impact of volatility in foreign currency exchange rates related to a ship construction contract denominated in euros. The notional amount of our foreign currency forward contract was €20.0 million, or $27.4 million based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of June 30, 2014. The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the foreign currency forward contract which was designated as a cash flow hedge was as follows (in thousands):

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) – effective portion  $88   $8,747   $(988)  $(7,886)
Gain (loss) recognized in other income (expense) – ineffective portion       (2)   (1)   66 
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into depreciation and amortization expense   (64)   (20)   (117)   (20)

 

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the foreign currency forward contracts which were not designated as hedging instruments were as follows (in thousands):

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Gain recognized in other income (expense)  $   $   $   $20 

 

Foreign Currency Options

 

We had foreign currency options that matured through January 2014, which consisted of call options with deferred premiums. These options were used to mitigate the financial impact of volatility in foreign currency exchange rates related to our ship construction

 

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contracts denominated in euros. If the spot rate at the date the ships were delivered was less than the strike price under these option contracts, we would have paid the deferred premium and would not exercise the foreign currency options.

 

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the foreign currency options which were designated as cash flow hedges were as follows (in thousands):

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Loss recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) – effective portion  $   $(341)  $(1,157)  $(4,353)
Loss recognized in other income (expense) – ineffective portion       (22)   (241)   (320)
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into depreciation and amortization expense   329    117    608    117 

 

Foreign Currency Collar

 

We had a foreign currency collar that matured in January 2014. The collar was used to mitigate the volatility of foreign currency exchange rates related to a ship construction contract denominated in euros.

 

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the foreign currency collar which was designated as a cash flow hedge was as follows (in thousands):

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Gain (loss) recognized in other comprehensive income (loss)– effective portion  $   $1,447   $(1,588)  $(2,275)
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into depreciation and amortization expense   (91)       (151)    

 

Interest Rate Swaps

 

As of June 30, 2014, we had interest rate swap agreements to mitigate our exposure to interest rate movements and to manage our interest expense. The notional amount of outstanding debt associated with the interest rate swap agreements was $654.0 million.

 

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the interest rate swaps which were designated as cash flow hedges were as follows (in thousands):

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Loss recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) – effective portion  $(2,916)  $   $(4,356)  $ 
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into interest expense, net   526        848     

 

Long-Term Debt

 

As of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the fair value of our long-term debt, including the current portion, was $3,626.1 million and $3,146.4 million, which was $123.9 million and $18.6 million higher, respectively, than the carrying values. The difference between the fair value and carrying value of our long-term debt is due to our fixed and variable rate debt obligations carrying interest rates that are above or below market rates at the measurement dates. The fair value of our long-term debt was calculated based on estimated rates for the same or similar instruments with similar terms and remaining maturities. The calculation of the fair value of our long-term debt is considered a Level 2 input.

 

Other

 

The carrying amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheets of all financial assets and liabilities other than our long-term debt approximate fair value.

 

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8.Commitments and Contingencies

 

Ship Construction Contracts

 

As of June 30, 2014, we have two ships on order with Meyer Werft for delivery in the fall of 2015 and the spring of 2017. These Breakaway Plus Class Ships will be approximately 163,000 Gross Tons and 4,200 Berths each. The combined contract cost of these two ships is approximately €1.4 billion, or $1.9 billion based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of June 30, 2014. We have export credit financing in place that provides financing for 80% of their contract prices. We refer you to Note 9— “Subsequent Events” regarding orders for two additional Breakaway Plus Class Ships.

 

In connection with the contracts to build the ships, we do not anticipate any contractual breaches or cancellation to occur. However, if any would occur, it could result in, among other things, the forfeiture of prior deposits or payments made by us and potential claims and impairment losses which may materially impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. 

 

Litigation

 

In July 2009, a class action complaint was filed against NCL (Bahamas) Ltd. in the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, on behalf of a purported class of crew members alleging inappropriate deductions of their wages pursuant to the Seaman’s Wage Act and wrongful termination resulting in a loss of retirement benefits. In December 2010, the Court denied the plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification. In February 2011, the plaintiffs filed a Motion for Reconsideration as to the Court’s Order on Class Certification which was denied. The Court tried six individual plaintiffs’ claims, and in September 2012 awarded wages aggregating approximately $100,000 to such plaintiffs. In October 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the Court’s rulings as to the denial of Class Certification and the trial verdict. The Plaintiffs filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court seeking review of the appellate court’s decision which was denied in March 2014. We are vigorously defending this action and are not able at this time to estimate the impact of these proceedings.

 

In May 2011, a class action complaint was filed against NCL (Bahamas) Ltd. in the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, on behalf of a purported class of crew members alleging inappropriate deductions of their wages pursuant to the Seaman’s Wage Act and breach of contract. In July 2012, this action was stayed by the Court pending the outcome of the litigation commenced with the class action complaint filed in July 2009. We are vigorously defending this action and are not able at this time to estimate the impact of these proceedings.

 

In the normal course of our business, various other claims and lawsuits have been filed or are pending against us. Most of these claims and lawsuits are covered by insurance and, accordingly, the maximum amount of our liability is typically limited to our deductible amount. Nonetheless, the ultimate outcome of these claims and lawsuits that are not covered by insurance cannot be determined at this time. We have evaluated our overall exposure with respect to all of our threatened and pending litigation and, to the extent required, we have accrued amounts for all estimable probable losses associated with our deemed exposure. We are currently unable to estimate any other reasonably possible contingent losses beyond those accrued, as discovery is not complete nor is adequate information available to estimate such range of loss or potential recovery. We intend to vigorously defend our legal position on all claims and, to the extent necessary, seek recovery.

 

9.Subsequent Events

 

On July 8, 2014, we entered into agreements with Meyer Werft for two additional Breakaway Plus Class Ships for delivery in the spring of 2018 and the fall of 2019. Each ship will be approximately 164,600 Gross Tons and 4,200 Berths. The combined contract cost of these two additional ships is approximately €1.6 billion or $2.2 billion based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of July 8, 2014. We have export credit financing in place that provides financing for 80% of their contract prices.

 

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Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this report constitute forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts in this report, including, without limitation, those regarding our business strategy, financial position, results of operations, plans, prospects and objectives of management for future operations (including development plans and objectives relating to our activities), are forward-looking statements. Many, but not all of these statements can be found by looking for words like “expect,” “anticipate,” “goal,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “will,” “may,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “intend” and “future” and for similar words. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and may involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which 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:

the adverse impact of general economic conditions and related factors such as high levels of unemployment and underemployment, fuel price increases, declines in the securities and real estate markets, and perceptions of these conditions that decrease the level of disposable income of consumers or consumer confidence;
changes in cruise capacity, as well as capacity changes in the overall vacation industry;
intense competition from other cruise companies as well as non-cruise vacation alternatives which could affect our ability to compete effectively;
negative publicity surrounding the cruise industry;
changes in fuel prices and/or other cruise operating costs;
the risks associated with operating internationally, including changes in interest rates and/or foreign currency rates;
the continued borrowing availability under our credit facilities and compliance with our financial covenants;
our substantial indebtedness, including the inability to generate the necessary amount of cash to service our existing debt, and to repay our credit facilities;
our ability to incur significantly more debt despite our substantial existing indebtedness;
the impact of volatility and disruptions in the global credit and financial markets which may adversely affect our ability to borrow and could increase our counterparty credit risks, including those under our credit facilities, derivatives, contingent obligations, insurance contracts and new ship progress payment guarantees;
adverse events impacting the security of travel such as terrorist acts, acts of piracy, armed conflict and other international events;
the impact of any future changes relating to how external distribution channels sell and market our cruises;
the impact of any future increases in the price of, or major changes or reduction in, commercial airline services;
the impact of delays, costs and other factors resulting from emergency ship repairs as well as scheduled repairs, maintenance and refurbishment of our ships;
the delivery schedules and estimated costs of new ships on terms that are favorable or consistent with our expectations;
the impact of problems encountered at shipyards, as well as, any potential claim, impairment loss, cancellation or breach of contract in connection with our contracts with shipyards;
the impact of the spread of epidemics and viral outbreaks;
the uncertain political environment in countries where we operate;
the impact of weather and natural disasters;
accidents and other incidents affecting the health, safety, security and vacation satisfaction of guests or causing damage to ships, which could cause the modification of itineraries or cancellation of a cruise or series of cruises;
the impact of pending or threatened litigation and investigations;
our ability to obtain insurance coverage on terms that are favorable or consistent with our expectations;
the impact of any breaches in data security or other disturbances to our information technology and other networks;
the impact of amendments to our collective bargaining agreements for crew members and other employee relation issues;
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the continued availability of attractive port destinations;

 

our ability to attract and retain key personnel and qualified shipboard crew, maintain good relations with employee unions, maintain or renegotiate our collective bargaining agreements on favorable terms and prevent any disruptions in work;

 

changes involving the tax, environmental, health, safety, security and other regulatory regimes in which we operate;

 

increases in our future fuel costs related to implementing IMO regulations, which require the use of higher priced low sulfur fuels in certain cruising areas;

 

the implementation of regulations in the U.S. requiring U.S. citizens to obtain passports for travel to additional foreign destinations; and

 

other factors set forth under “Risk Factors” in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

The above examples are not exhaustive and new risks emerge from time to time. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates and projections regarding our present and future business strategies and the environment in which we will operate in the future. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change of events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement was based.

 

The interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2013, which are included in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.

 

Terminology

 

For further information about our non-GAAP financial measures including a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, we refer you to “Results of Operations.”

 

Unless otherwise indicated in this report, the following terms have the meanings set forth below:

 

Adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA adjusted for other income (expense) and other supplemental adjustments.

 

Adjusted EPS. Adjusted Net Income divided by the number of diluted weighted-average shares.

 

Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel. Net Cruise Cost less fuel expense adjusted for supplemental adjustments.

 

Adjusted Net Income. Net income (loss) adjusted for supplemental adjustments.

 

Berths. Double occupancy capacity per stateroom (single occupancy per studio stateroom) even though many staterooms can accommodate three or more passengers.

 

Breakaway Class Ships. Norwegian Breakaway delivered in April 2013 and Norwegian Getaway delivered in January 2014.

 

Breakaway Plus Class Ships. The next generation of ships which are similar in design and innovation to Breakaway Class Ships.

 

Breakaway Two Credit Facility. €529.8 million Breakaway Two Credit Agreement, dated as of November 18, 2010, by and among Breakaway Two, Ltd. and a syndicate of international banks and related Guarantee by NCL Corporation Ltd., as amended.

 

Business Enhancement Capital Expenditures. Capital expenditures other than those related to new ship construction and ROI Capital Expenditures.

 

Capacity Days. Available Berths multiplied by the number of cruise days for the period.

 

Charter. The hire of a ship for a specified period of time.

 

Constant Currency. A calculation whereby foreign currency-denominated revenues and expenses in a period are converted at the U.S. dollar exchange rate of a comparable period in order to eliminate the effects of the foreign exchange fluctuations.

 

Dry-dock. A process whereby a ship is positioned in a large basin where all of the fresh/sea water is pumped out in order to carry out cleaning and repairs of those parts of a ship which are below the water line.

 

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EBITDA. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

 

GAAP. Generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S.

 

Gross Cruise Cost. The sum of total cruise operating expense and marketing, general and administrative expense.

 

Gross Tons. A unit of enclosed passenger space on a cruise ship, such that one gross ton = 100 cubic feet or 2.831 cubic meters.

 

Gross Yield. Total revenue per Capacity Day.

 

IMO. International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency that sets international standards for shipping.

 

Initial Public Offering (or “IPO”). The initial public offering of 27,058,824 ordinary shares, par value $.001 per share, of NCLH, which was consummated on January 24, 2013.

 

Net Cruise Cost. Gross Cruise Cost less commissions, transportation and other expense and onboard and other expense.

 

Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel. Net Cruise Cost less fuel expense.

 

Net Revenue. Total revenue less commissions, transportation and other expense and onboard and other expense.

 

Net Yield. Net Revenue per Capacity Day.

 

Occupancy Percentage. The ratio of Passenger Cruise Days to Capacity Days. A percentage in excess of 100% indicates that three or more passengers occupied some staterooms.

 

Passenger Cruise Days. The number of passengers carried for the period, multiplied by the number of days in their respective cruises.

 

Revolving Loan Facility. $625.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility maturing on May 24, 2018.

 

ROI Capital Expenditures. Comprised of project-based capital expenditures which have a quantified return on investment.

 

Secondary Offering. Public offering in March 2014 resulting in the sale of 15,000,000 ordinary shares of NCLH by the Selling Shareholders.

 

Selling Shareholders. The Apollo Funds and Star NCLC Holdings Ltd. (“Star NCLC”). Genting HK owns NCLH’s ordinary shares indirectly through Star NCLC, its wholly-owned subsidiary.

 

Shipboard Retirement Plan. An unfunded defined benefit pension plan for certain crew members which computes benefits based on years of service, subject to certain requirements.

  

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

 

We use certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as Net Revenue, Net Yield, Net Cruise Cost, Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel and Adjusted EBITDA to enable us to analyze our performance. See “Terminology” for the definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures. We utilize Net Revenue and Net Yield to manage our business on a day-to-day basis and believe that they are the most relevant measures of our revenue performance because they reflect the revenue earned by us net of significant variable costs. In measuring our ability to control costs in a manner that positively impacts net income, we believe changes in Net Cruise Cost and Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel to be the most relevant indicators of our performance.

 

As our business includes the sourcing of passengers and deployment of vessels outside of North America, a portion of our revenue and expenses are denominated in foreign currencies, particularly euro and British Pound sterling, which are subject to fluctuations in currency exchange rates versus our reporting currency, the U.S. dollar. In order to monitor results excluding these fluctuations, we calculate certain non-GAAP measures on a Constant Currency basis whereby current period revenue and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates of the comparable period. We believe that presenting these non-GAAP measures on both a reported and Constant Currency basis is useful in providing a more comprehensive view of trends in our business.

 

We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is appropriate as a supplemental financial measure as it is used by management to assess operating performance. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure in determining the Company’s performance as it reflects certain operating drivers of the Company’s business, such as sales growth, operating costs, marketing, general and administrative expense and other operating income and expense. Adjusted EBITDA is not a defined term under GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to be a measure of liquidity or cash flows from operations or measures comparable to net income as it does not take into account certain requirements such as capital expenditures and related depreciation, principal and interest payments and tax payments and it includes other supplemental adjustments.

 

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In addition, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS are supplemental financial measures used to demonstrate GAAP net income and earnings per share excluding certain charges. We use Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS as key performance measures of our earnings performance, and we believe that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing our performance and when planning, forecasting, and analyzing future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management’s internal comparison to our historical performance. These charges vary from period to period; accordingly, our presentation of Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS may not be indicative of future adjustments or results.

 

You are encouraged to evaluate each adjustment used in calculating our non-GAAP financial measures and the reasons we consider our non-GAAP financial measures appropriate for supplemental analysis. In evaluating our non-GAAP financial measures, you should be aware that in the future we may incur expenses similar to the adjustments in our presentation. Our non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider these measures in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Our presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items. Our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to other companies. Please see a historical reconciliation of these measures to the most comparable GAAP measure presented in our consolidated financial statements below in the “Results of Operations” section.

 

Financial Presentation

 

Revenue from our cruise and cruise-related activities are categorized by us as “passenger ticket revenue” and “onboard and other revenue.” Passenger ticket revenue and onboard and other revenue vary according to the size of the ship in operation, the length of cruises operated and the markets in which the ship operates. Our revenue is seasonal based on demand for cruises, which has historically been strongest during the summer months.

 

Passenger ticket revenue primarily consists of revenue for accommodations, meals in certain restaurants on the ship, certain onboard entertainment, and includes revenue for service charges and air and land transportation to and from the ship to the extent passengers purchase these items from us.

 

Onboard and other revenue primarily consists of revenue from gaming, beverage sales, shore excursions, specialty dining, retail sales, spa services and photo. We record onboard revenue from onboard activities we perform directly or that are performed by independent concessionaires, from which we receive a share of their revenue.

  

Our cruise operating expense is classified as follows:

 

Commissions, transportation and other primarily consists of direct costs associated with passenger ticket revenue. These costs include travel agent commissions, air and land transportation expenses, related credit card fees, costs associated with service charges and certain port expenses.

 

Onboard and other primarily consists of direct costs that are incurred in connection with onboard and other revenue. These include costs incurred in connection with shore excursions, beverage sales and gaming.

 

Payroll and related consists of the cost of wages and benefits for shipboard employees.

 

Fuel includes fuel costs, the impact of certain fuel hedges and fuel delivery costs.

 

Food consists of food costs for passengers and crew.

 

Other consists of repairs and maintenance (including Dry-dock costs), ship insurance and other ship expenses.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

 

For a discussion of our critical accounting policies and estimates, see “Critical Accounting Policies” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” We have made no significant changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from those described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013.

 

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Executive Quarterly Overview

 

For the second quarter of 2014, we reported Adjusted Net Income of $121.1 million and Adjusted EPS of $0.58, which excludes $5.0 million of expenses related to non-cash compensation and $2.8 million of other supplemental adjustments (we refer you to our “Results of Operations” below for a calculation of Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS). On a GAAP basis, net income attributable to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. and diluted earnings per share were $111.6 million and $0.54, respectively.

 

Three months ended June 30, 2014 (“2014”) compared to the three months ended June 30, 2013 (“2013”)

 

Total revenue increased 18.9% to $765.9 million in 2014 compared to $644.4 million in 2013. Net Revenue in 2014 increased 23.6% to $595.7 million from $482.1 million in 2013 primarily due to an increase in Capacity Days of 19.6% and a Net Yield increase of 3.3%. The increase in Capacity Days was primarily due to the delivery of Norwegian Breakaway in April 2013 and Norwegian Getaway in January 2014. The Net Yield improvement was due to higher Occupancy Percentage, higher onboard and other revenue and benefits from initiatives to reduce our cost of sales. On a Constant Currency basis, Net Yield increased 3.0% in 2014 compared to 2013.

 

Operating income was $148.6 million in 2014 compared to $95.4 million in 2013 and Adjusted EBITDA (we refer you to our “Results of Operations” below for a calculation of Adjusted EBITDA) improved 44.0% for the same period.

 

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Results of Operations

 

The following table sets forth operating data as a percentage of total revenue:

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Revenue                    
Passenger ticket   70.2%   71.0%   69.7%   69.7%
Onboard and other   29.8%   29.0%   30.3%   30.3%
Total revenue   100.0%   100.0%   100.0%   100.0%
Cruise operating expense                    
Commissions, transportation and other   15.0%   17.5%   16.2%   17.7%
Onboard and other   7.2%   7.7%   7.2%   7.8%
Payroll and related   13.9%   12.8%   14.4%   13.4%
Fuel   10.2%   11.7%   11.0%   12.7%
Food   5.6%   5.2%   5.6%   5.4%
Other   9.6%   10.4%   9.7%   9.9%
Total cruise operating expense   61.5%   65.3%   64.1%   66.9%
Other operating expense                    
Marketing, general and administrative   10.8%   11.5%   11.6%   13.6%
Depreciation and amortization   8.3%   8.4%   8.8%   8.7%
Total other operating expense   19.1%   19.9%   20.4%   22.3%
Operating income   19.4%   14.8%   15.5%   10.8%
Non-operating income (expense)                    
Interest expense, net   (4.2)%   (16.1)%   (4.4)%   (19.8)%
Other income (expense)   %   0.1%   %   0.2%
Total non-operating income (expense)   (4.2)%   (16.0)%   (4.4)%   (19.6)%
                     
Net income (loss) before income taxes   15.2%   (1.2)%   11.1%   (8.8)%
Income tax benefit (expense)   (0.4)%   (0.2)%   0.4%   (0.3)%
Net income (loss)   14.8%   (1.4)%   11.5%   (9.1)%
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest   0.2%   %   0.1%   (0.1)%
Net income (loss) attributable to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.   14.6%   (1.4)%   11.4%   (9.0)%

 

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The following table sets forth selected statistical information:

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Passengers carried   482,837    405,646    990,109    773,656 
Passenger Cruise Days   3,394,649    2,763,358    6,470,051    5,291,550 
Capacity Days   3,074,415    2,569,525    5,970,399    4,920,824 
Occupancy Percentage   110.4%   107.5%   108.4%   107.5%

 

Net Revenue, Gross Yield and Net Yield were calculated as follows (in thousands, except Capacity Days and Yield data):

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2014
Constant
Currency
   2013   2014   2014
Constant
Currency
   2013 
Passenger ticket revenue  $538,059   $536,242   $457,619   $996,549   $995,968   $816,547 
Onboard and other revenue   227,868    228,003    186,814    433,406    433,605    355,517 
Total revenue   765,927    764,245    644,433    1,429,955    1,429,573    1,172,064 
Less:                              
Commissions, transportation and other expense   114,712    114,244    112,985    231,522    231,358    207,564 
Onboard and other expense   55,467    55,601    49,316    103,391    103,589    91,687 
Net Revenue  $595,748   $594,400   $482,132   $1,095,042   $1,094,626   $872,813 
Capacity Days   3,074,415    3,074,415    2,569,525    5,970,399    5,970,399    4,920,824 
Gross Yield  $249.13   $248.58   $250.80   $239.51   $239.44   $238.18 
Net Yield  $193.78   $193.34   $187.63   $183.41   $183.34   $177.37 

 

Gross Cruise Cost, Net Cruise Cost, Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel and Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel were calculated as follows (in thousands, except Capacity Days and per Capacity Day data):

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2014
Constant
Currency
   2013   2014   2014
Constant
Currency
   2013 
Total cruise operating expense  $470,796   $469,871   $421,079   $916,706   $915,696   $783,768 
Marketing, general and administrative expense   83,084    82,603    74,111    166,473    165,630    159,317 
Gross Cruise Cost   553,880    552,474    495,190    1,083,179    1,081,326    943,085 
Less:                              
Commissions, transportation and other expense   114,712    114,244    112,985    231,522    231,358    207,564 
Onboard and other expense   55,467    55,601    49,316    103,391    103,589    91,687 
Net Cruise Cost   383,701    382,629    332,889    748,266    746,379    643,834 
Less: Fuel expense   77,832    77,832    75,582    156,872    156,872    148,080 
Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel   305,869    304,797    257,307    591,394    589,507    495,754 
Less: Non-cash compensation   5,014    5,014        7,688    7,688    18,527 
Secondary Offering expenses               1,877    1,877     
Other(1)   2,331    2,331    1,923    2,331    2,331    1,923 
Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel  $298,524   $297,452   $255,384   $579,498   $577,611   $475,304 
Capacity Days   3,074,415    3,074,415    2,569,525    5,970,399    5,970,399    4,920,824 
                               
Gross Cruise Cost per Capacity Day  $180.16   $179.70   $192.72   $181.42   $181.11   $191.65 
Net Cruise Cost per Capacity Day  $124.80   $124.46   $129.55   $125.33   $125.01   $130.84 
Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel per Capacity Day  $99.49   $99.14   $100.14   $99.05   $98.74   $100.75 
Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel per Capacity Day  $97.10   $96.75   $99.39   $97.06   $96.75   $96.59 

 

(1)Included in the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 are expenses primarily associated with the tax restructuring and costs related to the settlement of a 2007 breach of contract claim.

 

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Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS were calculated as follows (in thousands, except share and per share data):

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Net income (loss) attributable to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.  $111,616   $(8,841)  $162,883   $(105,236)
Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interest   1,663    (74)   2,088    (1,179)
Net income (loss)   113,279    (8,915)   164,971    (106,415)
Non-cash share-based compensation related to the IPO               18,527 
Non-cash compensation   5,014    509    7,688    509 
Taxes related to changes in corporate structure and debt prepayments, net (1)   511    (2,146)   (6,174)   (770)
Expenses related to Secondary Offering           1,877     
Expenses related to debt prepayments (2)       70,068        160,573 
Other (3)   2,331    700    2,331    700 
Adjusted Net Income  $121,135   $60,216   $170,693   $73,124 
                     
Diluted weighted–average shares outstanding – Net income (loss)   210,472,991    203,997,492(4)   210,742,655    201,189,562(5)
Diluted weighted–average shares outstanding –  Adjusted Net Income   210,472,991    210,726,281    210,742,655    207,514,700 
Diluted earnings (loss) per share  $0.54   $(0.04)  $0.78   $(0.52)
Adjusted EPS  $0.58   $0.29   $0.81   $0.35 

 

(1)The six months ended June 30, 2014 includes a tax benefit of $6.2 million from a change in estimate of tax provision associated with a change in our corporate entity structure. The six months ended June 30, 2013 includes a tax benefit related to the IPO and debt prepayments.
(2)The six months ended 2013 consists of premiums, write-offs of deferred fees and other expenses related to prepayments of debt.
(3)Included in the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 are expenses primarily associated with the tax restructuring and costs related to the settlement of a 2007 breach of contract claim. Included in the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 are expenses associated with the tax restructuring.
(4)Due to a net loss, excludes 6,728,789 shares, as including these would be antidilutive.
(5)Due to a net loss, excludes 6,325,138 shares, as including these would be antidilutive.

 

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EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA were calculated as follows (in thousands):

 

   Three Months Ended
June 30,
   Six Months Ended
June 30,
 
   2014   2013   2014   2013 
Net income (loss) attributable to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.  $111,616   $(8,841)  $162,883   $(105,236)
Interest expense, net   31,860    103,686    63,032    231,342 
Income tax (benefit) expense   3,124    1,047    (6,263)   3,244 
Depreciation and amortization expense   63,459    53,854    125,099    102,602 
EBITDA   210,059    149,746    344,751    231,952 
Net income (loss) attributable to Non-controlling interest   1,663    (74)   2,088    (1,179)
Other (income) expense   325    (429)   (63)   (1,794)
Non-cash compensation   5,014    1,444    7,688    2,726 
Non-cash share-based compensation related to the IPO               18,527 
Expenses related to Secondary Offering           1,877     
Other(1)   2,331    1,648    2,331    1,863 
Adjusted EBITDA  $219,392   $152,335   $358,672   $252,095 

 

(1)Included in the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 are expenses primarily associated with the tax restructuring and costs related to the settlement of a 2007 breach of contract claim.

 

Three months ended June 30, 2014 (“2014”) compared to three months ended June 30, 2013 (“2013”)

 

Revenue

 

Total revenue increased 18.9% to $765.9 million in 2014 compared to $644.4 million in 2013. Net Revenue in 2014 increased 23.6% to $595.7 million from $482.1 million in 2013 primarily due to an increase in Capacity Days of 19.6% and a Net Yield increase of 3.3%. The increase in Capacity Days was primarily due to the delivery of Norwegian Breakaway in April 2013 and Norwegian Getaway in January 2014. The Net Yield improvement was due to higher Occupancy Percentage, higher onboard and other revenue and benefits from initiatives to reduce our cost of sales. On a Constant Currency basis, Net Yield increased 3.0% in 2014 compared to 2013.

 

Expense

 

Total cruise operating expense increased 11.8% in 2014 compared to 2013 primarily due to the increase in Capacity Days discussed above. Total other operating expense increased 14.5% in 2014 compared to 2013 primarily due to an increase in depreciation and amortization expense related to the addition of Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway. On a Capacity Day basis, Net Cruise Cost decreased 3.7% (3.9% on a Constant Currency basis) due to decreases in fuel expense and other cruise operating expense. The decrease in fuel expense was primarily the result of a 9.3% decrease in the average fuel price to $622 per metric ton in 2014 from $686 in 2013.  The decrease in other cruise operating expense is due to a decrease in expenses related to scheduled Dry-docks and cost saving initiatives. Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel per Capacity Day decreased 2.3% (2.7% on a Constant Currency basis) primarily due to the decrease in expenses discussed above.

 

Interest expense, net decreased to $31.9 million in 2014 from $103.7 million in 2013 primarily due to lower average debt outstanding and lower interest rates resulting from the benefits from the redemption of higher rate debt and refinancing transactions. In addition, 2013 included $70.1 million of expenses associated with debt prepayments.

 

Six months ended June 30, 2014 (“2014”) compared to six months ended June 30, 2013 (“2013”)

 

Revenue

 

Total revenue increased 22.0% to $1.4 billion in 2014 compared to $1.2 billion in 2013. Net Revenue in 2014 increased 25.5% to $1,095.0 million from $872.8 million in 2013 due to an increase in Capacity Days of 21.3% and Net Yield of 3.4%.The increase in Capacity Days was primarily due to the delivery of Norwegian Breakaway in April 2013 and Norwegian Getaway in January 2014. The Net Yield improvement was due to higher Occupancy Percentage, higher onboard and other revenue and benefits from initiatives to reduce our cost of sales. On a Constant Currency basis, Net Yield increased 3.4% in 2014 compared to 2013.

 

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Expense

 

Total cruise operating expense increased 17.0% in 2014 compared to 2013 primarily due to the increase in Capacity Days as discussed above. Total other operating expense increased 11.3% in 2014 compared to 2013 primarily due to an increase in depreciation and amortization expense related to the addition of Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway and certain inaugural and launch-related costs for Norwegian Getaway. On a Capacity Day basis, Net Cruise Cost decreased 4.2% (4.5% on a Constant Currency basis) due to decreases in fuel expense and general and administrative expenses. The decrease in fuel expense was primarily the result of a 6.9% decrease in the average fuel price to $633 per metric ton in 2014 from $680 in 2013. The decrease in general and administrative expense was primarily due to non-cash expenses included in 2013 which related to share-based compensation recognized upon the realization of the IPO. Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel per Capacity Day remained relatively unchanged on an as reported and Constant Currency basis.

 

Interest expense, net decreased to $63.0 million in 2014 from $231.3 million in 2013 primarily due to lower interest rates resulting from the benefits from the redemption of higher rate debt and refinancing transactions partially offset by an increase in average debt outstanding. In addition, 2013 included $160.6 million of expenses associated with debt prepayments partially offset by lower interest rates.

 

In 2014 we had an income tax benefit of $6.3 million compared to an expense of $3.2 million in the prior year. The income tax benefit in 2014 primarily related to a change in our corporate entity structure which was completed in 2013. For the year ended December 31, 2013, the tax provision reflected an interest expense deduction based on a method supported by the information available at such time. During the first quarter of 2014, we received additional information which allowed us to elect another acceptable tax method, resulting in a tax benefit of $11.1 million which includes a $6.2 million non-recurring benefit which has been excluded from Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS for the six months ended June 30, 2014. Income tax expense, net for the six months ended June 30, 2013 was $3.2 million which consists of a one-time expense of $4.2 million due to a change in U.S. tax status from a partnership to a corporation in connection with the IPO, a benefit of $5.0 million in connection with our prepayments of debt, and a $4.0 million expense from our U.S. operations.

 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

 

General

 

As of June 30, 2014, our liquidity was $605.5 million consisting of $63.5 million in cash and cash equivalents and $542.0 million available under our Revolving Loan Facility. Our primary ongoing liquidity requirements are to finance working capital, capital expenditures and debt service.

 

As of June 30, 2014, we had a working capital deficit of $1,169.7 million. This deficit included $610.6 million of advance ticket sales, which represents the passenger ticket revenue we collect in advance of sailing dates; and accordingly, are substantially more like deferred revenue balances rather than actual current cash liabilities. Our business model, along with our Revolving Loan Facility, allows us to operate with a working capital deficit and still meet our operating, investing and financing needs.

 

Sources and Uses of Cash

 

In this section, references to “2014” refer to the six months ended June 30, 2014 and references to “2013” refer to the six months ended June 30, 2013.

 

Net cash provided by operating activities was $519.1 million in 2014 as compared to $252.8 million in 2013. The change in net cash provided by operating activities reflects net income in 2014 of $165.0 million compared to a net loss in 2013 of $106.4 million, as well as timing differences in cash receipts and payments relating to operating assets and liabilities. The net loss in 2013 included fees of $124.2 million related to prepayment of debt.

 

Net cash used in investing activities was $787.6 million in 2014, primarily related to payments for delivery of Norwegian Getaway, as well as other ship improvements and shoreside projects. Net cash used in investing activities was $759.0 million in 2013, primarily related to the payments for construction of Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway and other ship improvements and shoreside projects.

 

Net cash provided by financing activities was $275.5 million in 2014, primarily due to proceeds from the Breakaway Two Credit Facility partially offset by repayments of our revolving credit facility and other borrowings. Net cash provided by financing activities was $543.6 million in 2013, primarily due to proceeds from the issuance of our $300.0 million 5% senior notes due 2018 as well as

 

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borrowings under other credit facilities. Also included are the proceeds from the issuance of ordinary shares partially offset by repayments of our $450.0 million 11.75% senior secured notes due 2016 and revolving credit facilities. Additionally, we made a payment related to the Norwegian Sky purchase agreement.

 

Future Capital Commitments

 

Future capital commitments consist of contracted commitments, including future expected capital expenditures for business enhancements and ship construction contracts. As of June 30, 2014 anticipated capital expenditures together with amounts for ship construction and related export credit financing were as follows (in thousands, based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of June 30, 2014):

 

   Remaining
Quarters
   Full Year 
   2014   2014   2015   2016 
Ship construction  $77,234   $810,496   $975,971   $116,463 
Ship financing   (45,898)   (706,328)   (771,021)   (45,898)
Ship construction net of financing  $31,336   $104,168   $204,950   $70,565 
Business Enhancement Capital Expenditures including ROI Capital Expenditures (1)(2)(3)  $56,000   $98,000   $83,000   $90,000 
Incremental ROI Capital Expenditures for exhaust gas scrubbers  $20,000   $27,000   $27,000   $10,000 

 

(1)Remaining Quarters and Full Year 2014 includes $29.0 million and $44.0 million in ROI Capital Expenditures, respectively.
(2)Remaining Quarters and Full Year 2014, 2015 and 2016 exclude amounts for exhaust gas scrubbers.
(3)Remaining Quarters and Full Year 2014 and 2015 include investment for development of our future cruise destination in Belize.

 

As of June 30, 2014, we have two ships on order with Meyer Werft for delivery in the fall of 2015 and the spring of 2017. These Breakaway Plus Class Ships will be approximately 163,000 Gross Tons and 4,200 Berths each. The combined contract cost of these two additional ships is approximately €1.4 billion, or $1.9 billion based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of June 30, 2014. We have export credit financing in place that provides financing for 80% of their contract prices. We refer you to our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements Note 9— “Subsequent Events” regarding additional ships on order.

 

In connection with the contracts to build these ships, we do not anticipate any contractual breaches or cancellation to occur. However, if any would occur, it could result in, among other things, the forfeiture of prior deposits or payments made by us, subject to certain refund guarantees, and potential claims and impairment losses which may materially impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

 

Capitalized interest for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 was $4.1 million and $9.2 million, respectively, primarily associated with the construction of the Breakaway Plus Class Ships. Capitalized interest for the three and six months ended June 30, 2013 was $5.6 million and $13.1 million, respectively, primarily associated with the construction of Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway.

 

Off-Balance Sheet Transactions

 

None.

 

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Contractual Obligations

 

As of June 30, 2014, our contractual obligations, with initial or remaining terms in excess of one year, including interest payments on long-term debt obligations, were as follows (in thousands):

 

   Total   Less than
1 year
   1-3 years   3-5 years   More than
5 years
 
Long-term debt (1)  $3,502,248   $372,911   $783,249   $1,287,858   $1,058,230 
Due to Affiliate (2)   73,906    37,026    36,880         
Operating leases (3)   41,033    6,830    12,603    11,115    10,485 
Ship construction contracts (4)   1,865,924    114,745    1,751,179         
Port facilities (5)   259,056    30,980    67,999    57,742    102,335 
Interest (6)   489,943    96,274    171,317    108,904    113,448 
Other (7)   81,576    44,181    31,526    3,938    1,931 
Total  $6,313,686   $702,947   $2,854,753   $1,469,557   $1,286,429 

 

(1)Net of unamortized original issue discount of $1.2 million. Also includes capital leases.
(2)Primarily related to the purchase of Norwegian Sky.
(3)Primarily for offices, motor vehicles and office equipment.
(4)For two Breakaway Plus Class Ships based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of June 30, 2014. Export credit financing is in place from a syndicate of banks.
(5)Primarily for our usage of certain port facilities.
(6)Includes fixed and variable rates with LIBOR held constant as of June 30, 2014.
(7)Future commitments for service and maintenance contracts.

 

Other

 

Certain of our service providers may require collateral in the normal course of our business. The amount of collateral may change based on certain terms and conditions.

 

As a routine part of our business, depending on market conditions, exchange rates, pricing and our strategy for growth, we regularly consider opportunities to enter into contracts for the building of additional ships. We may also consider the sale of ships, potential acquisitions and strategic alliances. If any of these were to occur, they may be financed through the incurrence of additional permitted indebtedness, through cash flows from operations, or through the issuance of debt, equity or equity-related securities.

 

Funding Sources

 

Our debt agreements contain covenants that, among other things, require us to maintain a minimum level of liquidity, as well as limit our net funded debt-to-capital ratio, maintain certain other ratios and restrict our ability to pay dividends. Our ships and substantially all other property and equipment are pledged as collateral for our debt. We believe we were in compliance with these covenants as of June 30, 2014.

 

We believe our cash on hand, expected future operating cash inflows, additional available borrowings under our existing credit facility and our ability to issue debt securities or raise additional equity, will be sufficient to fund operations, debt payment requirements, capital expenditures and maintain compliance with covenants under our debt agreements over the next twelve-month period. There is no assurance that cash flows from operations and additional financings will be available in the future to fund our future obligations.

 

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

 

General

 

We are exposed to market risk attributable to changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and fuel prices. We attempt to minimize these risks through a combination of our normal operating and financing activities and through the use of derivatives. The financial impacts of these derivative instruments are primarily offset by corresponding changes in the underlying exposures being hedged. We achieve this by closely matching the amount, term and conditions of the derivatives with the underlying risk being hedged. We do not hold or issue derivatives for trading or other speculative purposes. Derivative positions are monitored using techniques including market valuations and sensitivity analyses.

 

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Interest Rate Risk

 

From time to time, we consider entering into interest rate swap agreements to mitigate our exposure to interest rate movements and to manage our interest expense. As of June 30, 2014, 51% of our debt was fixed and 49% was variable which includes the effects of the interest rate swap. The notional amount of outstanding debt associated with the interest rate swap agreements as of June 30, 2014 was $654.0 million. Based on our June 30, 2014 outstanding variable rate debt balance, a one percentage point increase in annual LIBOR interest rates would increase our annual interest expense by approximately $17.3 million excluding the effects of capitalization of interest.

 

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk

 

We use foreign currency derivatives to hedge the exposure to volatility in foreign currency exchange rates related to our ship construction contracts denominated in euros. As of June 30, 2014, we had a foreign currency forward contract to hedge the foreign currency exchange rate risk on a portion of the final payments on a ship construction contract. The notional amount of our foreign currency forward contract was €20.0 million, or $27.4 million based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of June 30, 2014. The remaining payments not hedged aggregate €1,342.8 million, $1,838.5 million based on the euro/U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency denominated remaining payments. We estimate that a 10% change in the euro as of June 30, 2014 would result in a $183.9 million change in the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency denominated remaining payments.

 

Fuel Price Risk

 

Our exposure to market risk for changes in fuel prices relates to the forecasted purchases of fuel on our ships. Fuel expense, as a percentage of our total cruise operating expense, was 16.5% and 17.9% for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 and 17.1% and 18.9% for each of the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. From time to time, we use fuel derivative agreements to mitigate the financial impact of fluctuations in fuel prices. As of June 30, 2014, we had hedged approximately 76%, 59% and 37% of our remaining 2014, 2015 and 2016 projected metric tons of certain fuel purchases, respectively. We estimate that a 10% increase in our weighted-average fuel price would increase our anticipated 2014 fuel expense by $14.6 million. This increase would be partially offset by an increase in the fair value of our fuel swap agreements and fuel collars and options of $7.5 million. Fair value of our derivative contracts is derived using valuation models that utilize the income valuation approach. These valuation models take into account the contract terms such as maturity, as well as other inputs such as fuel types, fuel curves, creditworthiness of the counterparty and the Company, as well as other data points.

 

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

 

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

Our management has evaluated, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of June 30, 2014. There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures. Accordingly, even effective disclosure controls and procedures can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving their control objectives. Based upon our management’s evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of June 30, 2014 to provide reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and that it is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended June 30, 2014 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

 

Limitations on the 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 the reasonable assurance that our controls will succeed in achieving their goals under all potential future conditions.

 

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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

 

In July 2009, a class action complaint was filed against NCL (Bahamas) Ltd. in the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, on behalf of a purported class of crew members alleging inappropriate deductions of their wages pursuant to the Seaman’s Wage Act and wrongful termination resulting in a loss of retirement benefits. In December 2010, the Court denied the plaintiffs’ Motion for Class Certification. In February 2011, the plaintiffs filed a Motion for Reconsideration as to the Court’s Order on Class Certification which was denied. The Court tried six individual plaintiffs’ claims, and in September 2012 awarded wages aggregating approximately $100,000 to such plaintiffs. In October 2013, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the Court’s rulings as to the denial of Class Certification and the trial verdict. The Plaintiffs filed a petition for a writ of certiorari in the United States Supreme Court seeking review of the appellate court’s decision which was denied in March 2014. We are vigorously defending this action and are not able at this time to estimate the impact of these proceedings.

 

In May 2011, a class action complaint was filed against NCL (Bahamas) Ltd. in the United States District Court, Southern District of Florida, on behalf of a purported class of crew members alleging inappropriate deductions of their wages pursuant to the Seaman’s Wage Act and breach of contract. In July 2012, this action was stayed by the Court pending the outcome of the litigation commenced with the class action complaint filed in July 2009. We are vigorously defending this action and are not able at this time to estimate the impact of these proceedings.

 

In the normal course of our business, various other claims and lawsuits have been filed or are pending against us. Most of these claims and lawsuits are covered by insurance and, accordingly, the maximum amount of our liability is typically limited to our deductible amount. Nonetheless, the ultimate outcome of these claims and lawsuits that are not covered by insurance cannot be determined at this time. We have evaluated our overall exposure with respect to all of our threatened and pending litigation and, to the extent required, we have accrued amounts for all estimable probable losses associated with our deemed exposure. We are currently unable to estimate any other reasonably possible contingent losses beyond those accrued, as discovery is not complete nor is adequate information available to estimate such range of loss or potential recovery. We intend to vigorously defend our legal position on all claims and, to the extent necessary, seek recovery.

 

Item 1A. Risk Factors

 

We refer you to our 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of the risk factors that affect our business and financial results. There have been no material changes to those risk factors. We wish to caution the reader that the risk factors discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K, and those described elsewhere in this report or other Securities and Exchange Commission filings, could cause future results to differ materially from those stated in any forward-looking statements.

 

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

 

Share repurchase activity during the three months ended June 30, 2014 was as follows:

 

Period  Total Number of
Shares Purchased(1) 
   Average
Price Paid
per Share
   Total Number
of Shares
Purchased as
Part of a
Publicly
Announced
Program 
  

Approximate
Dollar Value of
Shares that May
Yet be
Purchased
Under the
Program
(in thousands)(1) 

 
April 1, 2014 -April 30, 2014                 $500,000 
May 1, 2014- May 31, 2014   145,698   $33.46    145,698   $495,125 
June 1, 2014- June 30, 2014   2,251,596   $32.99    2,251,596   $420,845 
                     
Total   2,397,294   $33.02    2,397,294    

 

(1)On April 29, 2014, NCLH’s Board of Directors authorized, and NCLH announced, a three-year share repurchase program for up to $500.0 million. The share repurchases in the three months ended June 30, 2014 were made under this share repurchase program. NCLH may make repurchases in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions, in accelerated repurchase programs or in structured share repurchase programs, and any repurchases may be made pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 plans. During the three months ended June 30, 2014, NCLH repurchased approximately 2.4 million ordinary shares under its share repurchase program for $79.2 million, which shares are reflected as treasury shares at cost on the consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2014.

 

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Item 5. Other Information

 

None.

 

Item 6. Exhibits

 

10.1*Addendum No. 2, dated July 9, 2013, to Shipbuilding Contract for Hull identified therein, as amended, by and among Meyer Werft GMBH, the Buyer and NCL Corporation Ltd. +
  
10.2*Addendum No. 3, dated May 22, 2014, to Shipbuilding Contract for Hull identified therein, as amended, by and among Meyer Werft GMBH, the Buyer and NCL Corporation Ltd. +
  
10.3*Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
  
31.1*Certification of the President and Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

31.2*Certification of the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

32.1**Certifications of the President and Chief Executive Officer and the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Rule 13a-14(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 1350 of Chapter 63 of Title 18 of the United States Code

 

101**The following unaudited financial statements from Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2014, formatted in Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL), as follows:

  

(i)the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013;

 

(ii)the Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013;

 

(iii)the Consolidated Balance Sheets as of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013;

 

(iv)the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013;

 

(v)the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholder’s Equity for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013; and

 

(vi)the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, tagged in summary and detail.

 

*Filed herewith
**Furnished herewith
+Confidential treatment has been requested with respect to certain portions of this exhibit. Omitted portions have been filed separately with the SEC.

 

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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.

 

 

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE HOLDINGS LTD.

(Registrant)

     
  By: /s/ Kevin M. Sheehan
  Name: Kevin M. Sheehan
  Title: President and Chief Executive Officer
    (Principal Executive Officer)
     
  By: /s/ Wendy A. Beck
  Name: Wendy A. Beck
  Title: Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
    (Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

 

Dated: July 31, 2014

 

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