Parent of Oceania and Regent files for $250M IPO

By Tom Stieghorst

Prestige Cruise International Inc., a holding company that controls Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises, has filed a registration statement with the Securities & Exchange Commission to sell up to $250 million in stock to the public.

The company, now known as Prestige Cruise Holdings, is controlled by private equity fund Apollo Global Management. Apollo also controls Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which went public in early 2013.

Prior to the offering, Apollo owns 59% of Prestige, the filing says.

Financial data in the filing shows that Prestige had revenue of $1.17 billion in the 12 months ended Sept. 30 and net income of $18.7 million.

It also shows the company reported net losses in 2010, 2011 and 2012 of $62.1 million, $69.7 million and $2.6 million, respectively.

The balance sheet shows long-term debt of $1.6 billion on Sept. 30.

The filing lists occupancy for the 12 months ended Sept. 30 at 94%, with a net per diem of $400 and net yield of $376.

In the prospectus, Prestige said it has more than 300,000 households in its loyalty program, and that past guests accounted for 41% of its passengers in the nine months ended Sept. 30.

Prestige said that its sales effort through travel agents is complemented by other programs, including an outbound call center in Miami with 34 sales agents focused on optimizing leads created by other marketing programs.

The filing says Prestige CEO Frank Del Rio’s base salary was $1.6 million in 2013 and will rise to $1.75 million this year.

Prestige Cruise said it intends to use proceeds from the stock offering to pay down debt.

Norwegian Cruise Line has no plans for brand expansion

Norwegian Cruise Line has no plans for brand expansion

By Tom Stieghorst
2013CruiseWorld_logo200x115FORT LAUDERDALE — Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings will stick with its core competencies and not acquire or start brands other than its flagship Norwegian brand, CEO Kevin Sheehan said at the CruiseWorld event on Friday.

Sheehan said he looked at several acquisitions after he came to Norwegian in 2008 but decided against them.

“I don’t want to create distractions for our team,” Sheehan said. “We have so many opportunities with our brand.”

In addition, Sheehan told travel agents that Norwegian is a variety of brands under one name. The Haven ship-within-a-ship luxury areas on Norwegian ships function as a luxury line, he said.

CruiseWorld 2013 Kevin Sheehan and Arnie WeissmannHe also cited a focus on solo cabins, family programs with Nickelodeon and the Pride of America ship in Hawaii as other brand-like experiences within Norwegian Cruise Line.

Sheehan said he is working hard to keep Norwegian focused on its own long-term future and goals, now that the company has become publicly traded. He said he would have preferred to go public later, but the private-equity owners needed some “affirmation” for their investors.

“I have always said to our investors, I know you are watching the next quarter, but I’m watching the next five years,” Sheehan said.

The next big event on Norwegian’s horizon is the arrival of Norwegian Getaway, which will sail from Miami year-round. Norwegian last had a ship sail seven-day cruises year-round from Miami 10 years ago.

Sheehan said he has tried to keep Norwegian’s ships consistently positioned to provide stability for travel agents, and that a limited number of ships left Miami as a seasonal market, until now.

Getaway is in the final stages of construction and is expected to arrive in New York in early February for a week’s duty as the Bud Light Hotel at the Super Bowl before coming to Miami for its maiden voyage.

Sheehan pointed out that Norwegian started the modern cruise industry in Miami 45 years ago.

“It’s just getting back to where we should have been all along,” he said.

Sheehan was the third cruise CEO to address CruiseWorld attendees, following talks by Carnival Corp. CEO Arnold Donald and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. CEO Richard Fain.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s profit up 33% in Q3

Norwegian Cruise Line’s profit up 33% in Q3

By Tom Stieghorst
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings said it earned $170.9 million in the third quarter, up from $128.4 million a year earlier.

Revenue grew 18% to $797.8 million, up from $674.4 million.

“Improved ticket pricing and onboard spend, along with better-than-expected results from business-improvement initiatives drove incremental earnings in the quarter,” CEO Kevin Sheehan said in a prepared statement.

Norwegian forecast that it will earn between $276 million and $286 million for the year.

The company has scheduled a conference call to discuss the results at 10 a.m. Oct. 29.