Royal Caribbean Newbuild Outlook: ‘Market Underpenetrated’

Royal Caribbean Group and its portfolio of cruise brands will launch 11 new ships between 2023 and 2026, culminating in the third Icon Class ship in 2026 being delivered from Meyer Turku to Royal Caribbean International, and a newbuild for TUI Cruises from Fincantieri, according to the cruise ship orderbook.

In the near term, Jason Liberty, president and CEO, said that the business would grow capacity by 10 per cent in 2024, 5 per cent in 2025 and 6 per cent in 2026.

“I think the first thing to point out is, that’s not just one brand in one market, in one destination,” he said. “So this reflects our three wholly owned brands and how they’re going to grow in their different segments and also for these ships to be in other parts of the world.

“If you look at the orderbook, as you get into ’27 and ’28, it’s lighter orderbook. We believe that at Royal Caribbean that the addressable market is underpenetrated, especially in all the different markets in which we operate. We work very hard to create global brands that attract guests from all over the world and build revenue management systems to effectively harvest that quality demand. And we think that apparatus more than supports our expected supply growth over the coming years.”

Royal Caribbean Proposes Refinancing on High-Interest Debt

Independence of the Seas in Southampton, Photo credit Spacejunkie2 (Flickr)

Royal Caribbean Cruises Toady announced that it has commenced a private offering of senior guaranteed notes due 2029 for an aggregate principal amount of $1.0 billion and a concurrent private offering of senior secured notes due 2029, for an aggregate principal amount of $1.0 billion.

The Company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the Senior Guaranteed Notes and the Senior Secured Notes, together with cash on hand, to redeem all its outstanding 9.125% Priority Guaranteed Notes due 2023 and 10.875% Senior Secured Notes due 2023, respectively, concurrently with the respective closing of the Senior Guaranteed Notes and Senior Secured Notes offerings (including to pay fees and expenses in connection with such redemptions).

The Senior Guaranteed Notes will be guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by RCI Holdings LLC, which owns 100% of the equity interests of certain of the Company’s wholly-owned vessel-owning subsidiaries.

The Senior Secured Notes will be guaranteed by Celebrity Cruises Inc., Celebrity Cruises Holdings Inc. and certain of the Company’s wholly-owned vessel-owning subsidiaries. The Senior Secured Notes and the related guarantees will be secured by 26 of the Company’s vessels and material intellectual property of the Company in an amount not to exceed permitted capacity under the Company’s existing indebtedness.

The closing of each offering is not contingent upon the closing of the other offering.

Royal Caribbean Upsizes Fundraising, $1.25 Billion at 11.625 Percent

Independence of the Seas in Southampton View Independence photos click here, photo credit Spacejunkie2 Flickr

Royal Caribbean Group today announced that it has priced its private offering of $1,250,000,000 aggregate principal amount (up from the previously announced $1 billion) of 11.625% senior unsecured notes due 2027 (the “Notes”).

The Notes will mature on August 15, 2027. The Notes are expected to be issued on or around August 18, 2022, subject to customary closing conditions.

According to a press release, the Company intends to use the proceeds from the sale of the Notes to repay principal payments on debt maturing in 2022 and/or 2023 (including to pay fees and expenses in connection with such repayments). Pending such uses, the Company may temporarily apply the proceeds to repay borrowings under its revolving credit facilities or other borrowings.