Royal Caribbean Works Financing Options on 5 Ships for $250 Million

Quantum of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Cruises announced it had made changes to the export-credit backed loan facility incurred to finance Quantum of the Seas in order to incorporate the benefits of a 12-month debt holiday initiative being offered by Euler Hermes Aktiengesellschaft, the official export credit agency of Germany.

“As we have previously disclosed, the intention of this initiative is to provide interim debt service and financial covenant relief during the current global health crisis to cruise-line borrowers with respect to their Hermes-guaranteed financings,” Royal Caribbean said, in a regulatory filing.

Under the terms of the amendment, the lenders have made available to us a new tranche of the loan, the proceeds of which will be used to repay any principal amortization payments due on the facility between April 1, 2020 and March 31, 2021.

The lenders have also agreed that, during the Deferral Period, a breach of the financial covenants will not trigger a mandatory prepayment under the facility.

In addition, the company announced it had amended the export-credit backed loan facilities incurred to finance the Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Silhouette in order to incorporate the benefits of the Debt Holiday.

“Across the Quantum facility described above and these four facilities, the Debt Holiday amendments will generate approximately $250 million of incremental liquidity through April 2021. This is in addition to the $200 million of incremental liquidity previously disclosed realized in connection with the implementation of the Debt Holiday across certain other Hermes-backed facilities,” the company said.

NCLH hires Goldman Sachs as financing options are explored

Goldman Sachs applies for Tokyo banking licence | Financial Times

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has reportedly hired experts at investment bank Goldman Sachs to explore financing options on its behalf.

The parent of Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises has tasked Goldman Sachs will looking into options which could include the sale of a stake in the company, according to a report from Reuters.

It comes amid a global pause on cruise operations due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The report suggests NCLH is considering a stake sale known as private investment in public equity (PIPE), with the company said to be in talks with several private equity firms.

Goldman Sachs declined to comment and the Reuters report said NCLH did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

It comes after Carnival Corporation raised $6.25 billion by issuing new debt and equity to investors. It made a share offering to raise $3 billion and said it would issue $1.75 billion in senior convertible notes. It also commenced an underwritten public offering of $1.25 billion of shares of common stock and underwriters were being given an option purchase of up to $187.5 million additional shares.

NCLH to report first quarter results May 9

Earlier this month it was announced that Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund had acquired a minority stake in Carnival Corp. The Public Investment Fund based in Riyadh disclosed that it had taken an 8.2% shareholding in the world’s largest cruise company, estimated to be valued at around $370 million.

Royal Caribbean Cruises – parent of Royal Caribbean, Azamara, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea, also announced a $2.2 billion loan last month as it looked to shore up cash flow amid the pandemic.

On April 9, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended its ‘no sail order’ for all cruise ships for up to 100 days.