Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Long-Term Debt

v3.20.1
Long-Term Debt
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Long-term Debt, Unclassified [Abstract]  
Long-Term Debt

8.   Long-Term Debt

As of March 31, 2020, NCLC had borrowed $875 million under its existing Revolving Loan Facility maturing on January 2, 2024. As of March 31, 2020 borrowings under the Revolving Loan Facility bear interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 1.25%.

In March 2020, NCLC entered into a $675 million revolving credit facility (“Epic Credit Facility”) maturing on March 4, 2021, with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent and as collateral agent, and certain other lenders party thereto. NCLC has borrowed $675 million under the facility, which bears interest at LIBOR plus a margin of 0.80%. The facility is secured by Norwegian Epic, Ltd. In April 2020, NCLC entered into an incremental assumption agreement, which supplements the Epic Credit Facility. The incremental assumption agreement extended the maturity date of the revolving facility commitments under the Epic Credit Facility to March 3, 2022 following the consummation of the successful debt and equity financing, which resulted in aggregate gross proceeds greater than the amount required for the extension. The revolving facility loans will accrue interest at a per annum rate based on LIBOR plus a margin of 1.75% in the case of Eurocurrency loans or at a per annum rate based on the base rate plus a margin of 0.75% in the case of base rate loans.

In April 2020, NCLC amended $386 million of export credit backed facilities that finance Norwegian Breakaway, Norwegian Getaway, Norwegian Escape, Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Encore to incorporate the terms of a 12-month debt holiday initiative offered to the cruise industry by Euler Hermes Aktiengesellschaft (“Hermes”), the official export credit agency of Germany. The debt holiday was initiated to provide interim debt service and financial covenant relief for borrowers during the current global COVID-19 pandemic with respect to their Hermes guaranteed financings. The amended agreements provide that, among other things, (a) amortization payments due from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021 (the “Deferral Period”) on the loans will be deferred and (b) the principal amounts so deferred will constitute separate tranches of loans under the facilities. The separate tranches of loans will accrue interest at a floating rate per annum based on six-month LIBOR plus a margin as follows:

Margin

€529.8 million Breakaway one loan (Norwegian Breakaway)

0.90

%  

€529.8 million Breakaway two loan (Norwegian Getaway)

1.20

%  

€590.5 million Breakaway three loan (Norwegian Escape)

1.50

%  

€729.9 million Breakaway four loan (Norwegian Joy)

1.50

%  

€710.8 million Seahawk 1 term loan (Norwegian Bliss)

1.00

%  

€748.7 million Seahawk 2 term loan (Norwegian Encore)

1.00

%  

After the end of the Deferral Period, the deferred amounts will amortize in eight equal semiannual installments.

Also, in April 2020, NCLC amended the $230 million credit agreement, dated as of January 10, 2019, with Nordea Bank ABP, New York Branch, as administrative agent, and certain other lenders. The amendment extends the maturity date of the term loan by one year to January 10, 2022. From January 10, 2021 to January 10, 2022, the loan shall accrue interest at a per annum rate based on LIBOR plus a margin of 1.75% in the case of Eurocurrency loans or at a per annum rate based on the base rate plus a margin of 0.75% in the case of base rate loans.

In May 2020, NCLC amended its $260 million credit agreement, dated as of May 15, 2019, with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent and collateral agent, and certain other lenders. The amendment provides that (a) amortization payments due through May 1, 2021 will be deferred following the consummation of the successful debt and equity financing, which resulted in aggregate gross proceeds greater than the amount required for the extension and (b) the principal amount so deferred will constitute a separate tranche of loans under the facility (the “Deferred Jewel Loans”). The Deferred Jewel Loans will accrue interest at a per annum rate based on LIBOR plus a margin of 2.50% in the case

of Eurocurrency loans or at a per annum rate based on the base rate plus a margin of 1.50% in the case of base rate loans. After the end of the deferral period, the deferred loan payments will amortize in an aggregate principal amount equal to 25% per annum in semiannual installments, and in the case of such payment due on the maturity date, an amount equal to the then unpaid principal amount of the Deferred Jewel Loans outstanding.

In addition, in May 2020, NCLH and NCLC entered into an investment agreement with an affiliate of L Catterton (the “Private Investor”), pursuant to which NCLC agreed to sell and issue to the Private Investor (the “Private Exchangeable Notes Transaction”) up to $400 million in aggregate principal amount of exchangeable senior notes due 2026 (the “Private Exchangeable Notes”). The Private Exchangeable Notes Transaction is expected to close no later than May 29, 2020 upon the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions. The Private Exchangeable Notes will accrue interest at a rate of 7.0% per annum for the first year post-issuance (which will accrete to the principal amount), 4.5% per annum interest (which will accrete to the principal amount) plus 3.0% per annum cash interest for the following four years and 7.5% per annum in cash interest for the final year prior to maturity. The Private Investor will have certain registration rights in respect of NCLH’s ordinary shares underlying the Private Exchangeable Notes and be subject to certain customary transfer, voting and standstill restrictions.

The Private Exchangeable Notes will be guaranteed by NCLH on a senior basis. Holders may exchange their Private Exchangeable Notes at their option into redeemable preference shares of NCLC. Upon exchange, the preference shares will be immediately and automatically exchanged, for each $1,000 principal amount of exchanged Private Exchangeable Notes, into a number of NCLH’s ordinary shares based on the exchange rate. The exchange rate will initially be approximately 82.6446 ordinary shares per $1,000 principal amount of Private Exchangeable Notes (equivalent to an initial exchange price of $12.10 per ordinary share), subject to future adjustment. NCLC has the right to redeem all or a portion of the Private Exchange Notes at any time after the third anniversary of the issuance date at a price equal to 100% of the accreted principal amount thereof if the market closing price of NCLH’s ordinary shares has been at least 250% of the per share price implied by the exchange rate then in effect for at least 20 trading days during any 30 consecutive trading day period.

In May 2020, NCLC conducted a private offering of $675.0 million aggregate principal amount of 12.25% senior secured notes due 2024 (the “Senior Secured Notes”) at 99% original issue discount and a private offering of $862.5 million aggregate principal amount of 6.00% exchangeable senior notes due 2024 (the “Exchangeable Notes”). The Exchangeable Notes will be guaranteed by NCLH on a senior basis. Holders may exchange their Exchangeable Notes at their option into redeemable preference shares of NCLC. Upon exchange, the preference shares will be immediately and automatically exchanged, for each $1,000 principal amount of exchanged Exchangeable Notes, into a number of NCLH’s ordinary shares based on the exchange rate. The exchange rate will initially be 72.7273 ordinary shares per $1,000 principal amount of Exchangeable Notes (equivalent to an initial exchange price of approximately $13.75 per ordinary share), subject to adjustment.

The Senior Secured Notes will pay interest at 12.25% per annum, semiannually on May 15 and November 15 of each year, commencing on November 15, 2020, to holders of record at the close of business on the immediately preceding May 1 and November 1, respectively. NCLC may redeem the Senior Secured Notes, in whole or part, at any time prior to February 15, 2024, at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date and a “make-whole premium.” NCLC may redeem the Senior Secured Notes, in whole or in part, on or after February 15, 2024, at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date. At any time on or prior to February 15, 2022, NCLC may choose to redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the Senior Secured Notes at a redemption price equal to 112.25% of the principal amount of the Senior Secured Notes redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date, so long as at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the Senior Secured Notes issued remains outstanding following such redemption.

The Senior Secured Notes will be secured by first-priority interests in, among other things and subject to certain agreed security principles, shares of capital stock in certain subsidiary guarantors, two of our vessels, our material intellectual property and two islands that we use in the operations of our cruise business. The Senior Secured Notes will also be guaranteed by our subsidiaries that own the property that will secure the Senior Secured Notes as well as certain additional subsidiaries whose assets will not secure the Senior Secured Notes. The indenture governing the Senior

Secured Notes will include requirements that will, among other things and subject to a number of qualifications and exceptions, restrict the ability of NCLC and its restricted subsidiaries, as applicable, to (i) incur or guarantee additional indebtedness; (ii) pay dividends or distributions on, or redeem or repurchase, equity interests and make other restricted payments; (iii) make investments; (iv) consummate certain asset sales; (v) engage in certain transactions with affiliates; (vi) grant or assume certain liens; and (vii) consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of our assets.

NCLC entered into a Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of May 8, 2020, with a subsidiary of NCLC, as co-borrower and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as administrative agent, and lenders holding 87.57% of the term loans outstanding. This revised facility provides that, among other things, (a) amortization payments due within the first year after effectiveness will be deferred and (b) the principal amount so deferred will constitute a separate tranche of loans (the “Deferred Term A Loans”). The Deferred Term A Loans will accrue interest (x) in the case of Eurocurrency loans, at a per annum rate based on LIBOR plus a margin of 2.50% or (y) in the case of base rate loans, at a per annum rate based on the base rate plus a margin of 1.50%. After the end of the deferral period, the Deferred Term A Loans will amortize in an aggregate principal amount equal to 25% per annum of the Deferred Term A Loans, in quarterly installments, and in the case of such payment due on the maturity date, an amount equal to the then unpaid principal amount of the Deferred Term A Loans outstanding. The Term A Loans (other than the Deferred Term A Loans) shall constitute a separate class of loans (the “Legacy Term A Loans), with the same terms as the Term A Loans under the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, except that the amortization payments on the Legacy Term A Loans shall be deferred during the deferral period.

As a result of the aforementioned executed amendments, including those with contingent conditions that were satisfied on May 8, 2020, we have reclassified $1.4 billion of debt which was originally classified as a current liability based on the contractual maturities outstanding at March 31, 2020 to long-term debt. The following are scheduled principal repayments on long-term debt including finance lease obligations as of March 31, 2020 for each of the next five years (in thousands):

Year

    

Amount

April 1, 2020 - March 31, 2021

$

173,797

April 1, 2021 - March 31, 2022

 

1,742,815

April 1, 2022 - March 31, 2023

 

872,491

April 1, 2023 - March 31, 2024

 

2,819,592

April 1, 2024 - March 31, 2025

 

1,147,007

Thereafter

 

1,996,325

Total

$

8,752,027

We are in the process of seeking consents to amend our export credit backed facilities to incorporate the terms of a 12-month debt holiday initiative offered to the cruise industry by Servizi Assicurativi del Commercio Estero (“SACE”), the official ECA of Italy, to refinance the amortization payments on such facilities, but we cannot guarantee the outcome of that process.

At March 31, 2020, we were in compliance with all of our debt covenants. Subsequent to March 31, 2020, as part of the Hermes debt holiday we have obtained lender consents to waive financial covenants for the Deferral Period. If we do not continue to remain in compliance with our covenants, we would have to seek additional amendments to our covenants. However, no assurances can be made that such amendments would be approved by our lenders. Generally, if an event of default under any debt agreement occurs, then pursuant to cross default and/or cross acceleration clauses, substantially all of our outstanding debt and derivative contract payables could become due, and all debt and derivative contracts could be terminated, which could have a material adverse impact to our operations and liquidity.