By the end of this month, the Group expects to be operating 36 ships, representing over 60% of its capacity.
MIAMI – Royal Caribbean Group reported financial results for the second quarter of 2021 and provided business updates on the resumption of service.
The Group has made tremendous strides in resuming service both in the United States and globally and is encouraged by the significant improvement in demand and pricing environments for cruises.
Resumption of Sailing and Business Highlights
The resumption of service is being implemented at a very fast pace.
- Already, the Group is operating 29 ships across its five brands, representing 42% of capacity.
- By the end of this month, the Group expects to be operating 36 ships, representing over 60% of its capacity.
- The company anticipates having 80% of its capacity in service by end of year 2021.
"We're thrilled to be back on the water at accelerated speed in the US and elsewhere. After 16 months of being at a virtual standstill and another painful financial result this quarter, the flywheel is clearly picking up momentum," said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO. "Since the pandemic began, our objective has been to make our ships safer than Main Street, and today, we are proving that ambitious goal is achievable. We are also encouraged by the booking outlook especially for 2022 and beyond."
- Booked load factor for 2022 is within historical ranges. Prices for 2022 are up versus a record-setting 2019, even including the dilutive impact of future cruise credits (FCCs).
- Customer Deposits have increased $530 million from last quarter to $2.4 billion.
- The company ended the second quarter with $5.0 billion of liquidity.
Resumption of Sailing from U.S.
Since the last business update, the company has announced itineraries for 21 ships sailing by August 31, 2021, which includes 12 ships sailing from U.S. ports. This is in addition to 15 ships previously announced sailing from ports outside the U.S. In total, 36 ships from the company's five brands, or over 60% of its fleet, have either resumed sailing or announced their intention to resume sailing by August 31, 2021. The response to these announcements has been very positive, continuing to highlight the robust, pent-up demand for cruising.
Second Quarter 2021
The company reported US GAAP Net Loss for the second quarter of 2021 of $(1.3) billion or $(5.29) per share compared to US GAAP Net Loss of $(1.6) billion or $(7.83) per share in the prior year. The company also reported Adjusted Net Loss of $(1.3) billion or $(5.06) per share for the second quarter of 2021 compared to Adjusted Net Loss of $(1.3) billion or $(6.13) per share in the prior year. The Net Loss and Adjusted Net Loss for the quarter are the result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the business.
The average monthly cash burn rate for the second quarter of 2021 was approximately $330 million, slightly higher than the prior quarter as the Company returned additional ships into operation.
"As we look forward, there is very positive momentum with our ships resuming operations and a healthy demand environment" said Jason T. Liberty, Executive Vice President and CFO. "We are very optimistic with our accelerated start in the United States and globally. We anticipate 80% of our fleet to be back in service by year-end delivering the world's best vacations. That is the first step on our pathway back to delivering superior returns."
Update on Liquidity Actions and Ongoing Uses of Cash
Since the suspension of operations in March 2020, the Group has raised approximately $13 billion through a combination of bond issuances, common stock offerings and other loan facilities. These actions have positioned the Group well with current liquidity of approximately $5.0 billion.
The Group continues to take steps to improve its balance sheet and reduce its interest costs. This includes the June issuance of $650 million in senior unsecured notes at 4.25% due 2026, the proceeds of which were used to redeem in full the 7.25% senior secured bonds due 2025. This follows a $1.5 billion unsecured bond issuance in March 2021 used to refinance current and upcoming maturities
As the Group continues to ramp up operations, it expects to incur incremental spend related to bringing ships back to operating status, returning crew members to ships and implementing enhanced health and safety protocols. The Company also expects to continue to collect deposits related to those sailings and for future cruises. The decision to bring ships back into service takes into account many variables, including deployment opportunities, commercial potential, cost of operations and cash flow.
Update on Bookings
Overall booking volumes have improved, and pricing remains strong. During the second quarter the Company received about 50% more new bookings compared to the first quarter with trends improving from one month to the next. By June, the Company was receiving about 90% more bookings each week when compared to the first quarter with improvements of a similar magnitude for both 2021 and 2022 sailings.
"The surge in bookings has been extremely encouraging especially for 2022 and beyond," said Fain. "The return of cruising has been faster than anyone expected, and we are excited to gradually restart our presence in our key markets. We are watching the impact of the Delta variant and other likely variants, but overall, we remain optimistic in our mounting trajectory going forward. People also book their cruises long in advance, so we are concentrating on maintaining our price levels while growing our load factors."
Overall, the booking activity for 2021 sailings is consistent with the Company's expected capacity and occupancy ramp up, at prices that are higher than 2019. While it's too early to make any definitive conclusions of the impact of the Delta variant on bookings, the company has seen a modest impact on closer-in bookings. However, 2022 continues to remain strong; in particular the spring and summer months are performing well.
As of June 30, 2021, the company had approximately $2.4 billion in customer deposits, which has increased by $530 million from March 31, 2021. Approximately 40% of the customer deposit balance is related to FCCs, this has dropped from 45% in the prior quarter, which is a positive trend, indicating net new demand.
Liberty added, "We are very encouraged by the continued pent-up demand for cruising shown by our accelerated booking trends globally and the elevated onboard spend we are seeing from our guests on current sailings. We remain confident we are on track to resuming our trajectory of delivering superior results."
Sustainability
Despite pandemic headwinds, the company has made significant progress across key Environmental, Social, and Governance focus areas, and these efforts remain a priority during the Company's return to service.
Some of its key achievements include a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, removal of a significant amount of single use plastics from the supply chain, equipping the majority of its fleet with emissions purification systems, outfitting new ships with Selective Catalytic Reduction to reduce NOx emissions, reducing waste to landfill, outfitting ships with Advanced Wastewater Purification, and introducing Global Sustainable Tourism Council certified tours.
In addition, through ingenuity and design, the Company's next class of ships will be powered by liquefied natural gas, a cleaner burning form of fuel, and fuel cell technology, which can help reduce ship emissions. Exploring alternative fuel solutions is a major priority for the Company and our industry. The company's teams are focused on exploring decarbonization solutions while also continuing to increase our energy efficiency. These efforts have placed Celebrity Apex, which had its maiden voyage in June, on the path to achieving the international targets of 40% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 from a 2008 baseline.
The Group participated in the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board's working group to create reporting standards and metrics for our industry and is working to align our reporting to the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures, better known as TCFD. In line with our mantra of continuous improvement, we are working towards developing a new set of targets covering the reduction of carbon emissions and intensity, sustainable commodity sourcing and tourism, single use plastics and waste management.
Human capital is another important focal point for our company. Our human capital strategy is focused on key elements that include enhancing our diverse and inclusive workforce, providing opportunities for growth and development, and offering mental health support and well-being resources to our crew and shoreside employees. We have also developed an active listening strategy that gives each of our employees a voice to drive meaningful change in the workplace. We believe setting our workforce up for success through initiatives that support these elements, positions our business to excel now and into the future.
Liquidity and Financing Arrangements
As of June 30, 2021, the company's liquidity was approximately $5.0 billion, including $4.3 billion in cash and cash equivalents and a $0.7 billion commitment for a 364-day facility.
As of the date of this release, the scheduled debt maturities for the remainder of 2021 and 2022, were $21 million and $2.2 billion, respectively.
Net interest expense for the third quarter of 2021 is expected to be in the range of $265-$270M million.
Capital Expenditures and Capacity Updates
Based upon current ship orders and delivery schedules, the projected capital expenditures for the remainder of 2021 are $900 million. The company expects the delivery of Silver Dawn to the Silversea fleet during the fourth quarter which has committed financing.
Depreciation and amortization expenses for the third quarter of 2021 are expected to be in the range of $320- $325 million.
In 2022 the company has two ship deliveries scheduled, both with committed financing: Wonder of the Seas and Celebrity Beyond. Excluding the newbuild deliveries, the capital expenditures for 2022 will depend on the company's schedule to return to service.
Fuel Expense
As of June 30, 2021, the Company had hedged approximately 38%, 25% and 5% of its total projected metric tons of fuel consumption for the remainder of 2021 and for all of 2022 and 2023, respectively. The prior suspension of cruise operations and recent resumption of operations resulted in reductions to the forecasted fuel consumption. As of June 30, 2021, the company had outstanding fuel swaps of 82,500 and 14,650 metric tons maturing in 2021 and 2022, respectively, that no longer hedge the forecasted fuel consumption. For the remainder of 2021 and for all of 2022 and 2023, the annual average cost per metric ton of the fuel swap portfolio is approximately $393, $512, and $580, respectively.
2021 Outlook
The company's operations remain heavily impacted by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the company cannot reasonably estimate its financial or operational results. However, the company expects to incur a net loss on both a U.S. GAAP and adjusted basis for its third quarter and the 2021 fiscal year, the degree to which will depend on many factors including the timing and extent of the return to service.
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
