Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. - Quarter Report: 2015 March (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended March 31, 2015

OR

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission File Number: 001-35784

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE HOLDINGS LTD.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

7665 Corporate Center Drive, Miami, Florida 33126

(Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)

(305) 436-4000

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

N/A

(Former name, former address and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company (See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ¨    No  x

There were 229,727,479 ordinary shares outstanding as of April 30, 2015.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. Financial Statements

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

(in thousands, except share and per share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

  Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)

(Unaudited)

(in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

(in thousands, except share data)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

(in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

  Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity

(Unaudited)

(in thousands)

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

Unless otherwise indicated or the context otherwise requires, references in this report to (i) the “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to NCLH (as defined below) and its subsidiaries (including Prestige (as defined below), except for periods prior to the consummation of the Acquisition of Prestige (as defined below)), (ii) “NCLC” refers to NCL Corporation Ltd., (iii) “NCLH” refers to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., (iv) “Norwegian Cruise Line” or “Norwegian” refers to the Norwegian Cruise Line brand and its predecessors, (v) “Prestige” refers to Prestige Cruises International, Inc., a Panamanian corporation, together with its consolidated subsidiaries, (vi) “PCH” refers to Prestige Cruise Holdings, Inc., Prestige’s direct wholly-owned subsidiary, which in turn is the parent of Oceania Cruises, Inc. (“Oceania”) and Seven Seas Cruises S. DE R.L. (“Regent”). Oceania also refers to the brand Oceania Cruises and Regent also refers to the brand Regent Seven Seas Cruises, (vii) “Apollo” refers to Apollo Global Management, LLC, its subsidiaries and the affiliated funds it manages and the “Apollo Funds” refers to one or more of AIF VI NCL (AIV), L.P., AIF VI NCL (AIV II), L.P., AIF VI NCL (AIV III), L.P., AIF VI NCL (AIV IV), L.P., AAA Guarantor – Co-Invest VI (B), L.P., Apollo Overseas Partners (Delaware) VI, L.P., Apollo Overseas Partners (Delaware 892) VI, L.P., Apollo Overseas Partners VI, L.P., Apollo Overseas Partners (Germany) VI, L.P., AAA Guarantor — Co-Invest VII, L.P., AIF VI Euro Holdings, L.P., AIF VII Euro Holdings, L.P., Apollo Alternative Assets, L.P., Apollo Management VI, L.P. and Apollo Management VII, L.P., (viii) “TPG Global” refers to TPG Global, LLC, “TPG” refers to TPG Global and its affiliates and the “TPG Viking Funds” refers to one or more of TPG Viking, L.P., TPG Viking AIV I, L.P., TPG Viking AIV II, L.P., and TPG Viking AIV III, L.P. and/or certain other affiliated investment funds, each an affiliate of TPG, (ix) “Genting HK” refers to Genting Hong Kong Limited and/or its affiliates (formerly Star Cruises Limited and/or its affiliates) and owns NCLH’s ordinary shares indirectly through Star NCLC Holdings Ltd. and (x) “Affiliate(s)” or “Sponsor(s)” refers to Genting HK, the Apollo Funds and/or the TPG Viking Funds. References to the “U.S.” are to the United States of America, “dollars” or “$” are to U.S. dollars, “U.K.” are to the United Kingdom and “euros” or “€” are to the official currency of the Eurozone.

In February 2011, NCLH, a Bermuda limited company, was formed with the issuance to the Sponsors of, in aggregate, 10,000 ordinary shares, with a par value of $.001 per share. On January 24, 2013, NCLH consummated its initial public offering (“IPO”). In connection with the consummation of the IPO, the Sponsors’ ordinary shares in NCLC were exchanged for the ordinary shares of NCLH at a share exchange ratio of 1.0 to 8.42565 and NCLH became the owner of 100% of the ordinary shares and parent company of NCLC (the “Corporate Reorganization”). Accordingly, NCLH contributed $460.0 million to NCLC and the historical financial statements of NCLC became those of NCLH. The Corporate Reorganization was effected solely for the purpose of reorganizing our corporate structure. NCLH had not prior to the completion of the Corporate Reorganization conducted any activities other than those incidental to its formation and to preparations for the Corporate Reorganization and IPO. The Corporate Reorganization resulted in all parties being in the same economic position as they were immediately prior to the IPO. As the economic position of the investors did not change as part of the Corporate Reorganization it is considered a nonsubstantive merger from an accounting perspective.

As a result of the Corporate Reorganization, NCLC was treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and the terms of the partnership (including the economic rights with respect thereto) are set forth in an amended and restated tax agreement for NCLC. Economic interests in NCLC were represented by the partnership interests established under the tax agreement, which we refer to as “NCL Corporation Units.” The NCL Corporation Units held by NCLH (as a result of its ownership of 100% of the ordinary shares of NCLC) represented a 97.3% economic interest in NCLC as of the consummation of the IPO. The remaining 2.7% economic interest in NCLC as of the consummation of the IPO was in the form of Management NCL Corporation Units held by management (or former management).

In the fourth quarter of 2014, all Management NCL Corporation Units were exchanged for NCLH ordinary shares and restricted shares. NCLH became the sole member and 100% owner of the economic interests in NCLC and the non-controlling interest no longer exists. Accordingly, NCLC is now treated as a disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. No new NCLC profits interests or Management NCL Corporation Units will be issued; however, NCLH has granted, and expects to continue to grant to our management team, options to acquire its ordinary shares under its long-term incentive plan.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements are unaudited and, in our opinion, contain all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair statement of the results for the periods presented.

Our operations are seasonal and results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results for the entire fiscal year. Historically, demand for cruises has been strongest during the summer months. The interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014, which are included in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Reclassification

Certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

Earnings (Loss) Per Share

A reconciliation between basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share was as follows (in thousands, except share and per share data):

Revenue and Expense Recognition

Revenue and expense includes taxes assessed by governmental authorities that are directly imposed on a revenue-producing transaction between a seller and a customer. The amounts included in revenue and expense on a gross basis were $51.9 million and $37.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” ASU No. 2014-09 requires entities to recognize revenue through the application of a five-step model, which includes identification of the contract, identification of the performance obligations, determination of the transaction price, allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligation and recognition of revenue as the entity satisfies the performance obligations. Entities have the option of using either a full retrospective or a modified approach to adopt the guidance. In April 2015, the FASB decided to propose a one-year delay in the effective date of the new revenue accounting standard (extending it to 2018). Entities will be allowed to early adopt the guidance as of the original effective date (2017). We are currently evaluating the guidance to determine the potential impact of adopting ASU No. 2014-09 on our results of operations, cash flows and financial position.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03 which was issued to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs. The guidance requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. The recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by these amendments. This guidance should be applied on a retrospective basis, wherein the balance sheet of each individual period presented should be adjusted to reflect the period-specific effects of applying the new guidance. The guidance will be effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. We are currently evaluating the impact, if any, of the adoption of this newly issued guidance to our consolidated financial statements.

On November 19, 2014, we completed the Acquisition of Prestige. Consideration for the Acquisition of Prestige includes a cash payment of up to $50 million upon achievement of certain 2015 revenue milestones. The contingent consideration is valued using various projected 2015 revenue scenarios weighted by the likelihood of each scenario occurring. The probability-weighted payout is then discounted at an appropriate discount rate commensurate for the risk of meeting the probabilistic cash flows. As the fair value is measured based upon significant inputs that are unobservable in the market, it was classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. Level 3 consists of significant unobservable inputs we believe market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available. The significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurement of the Company’s contingent consideration are the estimated annual Net Revenue and the probabilities associated with attaining the threshold and target Net Revenue as defined by the Agreement and Plan of Merger. A significant increase in the estimated Net Revenue or an increase in the probability associated with reaching the target would result in a significantly higher fair value measurement, with the maximum fair

value not able to exceed $50 million. The $9.1 million fair value adjustment recognized in the three months ended March 31, 2015 is included in marketing, general and administrative expense.

The following table summarizes the change in fair value of the contingent consideration liability (in thousands):

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was as follows (in thousands):

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the three months ended March 31, 2014 was as follows (in thousands):

In March 2015, the Selling Shareholders sold 12,500,000 ordinary shares of NCLH in a Secondary Equity Offering. The Company did not receive any proceeds from this offering. As of March 31, 2015, the relative ownership percentages of NCLH’s ordinary shares were as follows: Genting HK (22.0%), the Apollo Funds (23.8%), the TPG Viking Funds (4.3%), and public shareholders (49.9%).

In March 2015, we entered into an agreement with SWB Yankees, LLC related to sponsorship of and advertising with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, a Minor League Baseball team. Pursuant to the agreement, we will pay an annual fee to SWB Yankees, LLC of $200,000. Mr. David M. Abrams, one of our directors, is the co-managing partner of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

NCLH is treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In 2015, we had an income tax expense of $0.7 million compared to an income tax benefit of $9.4 million for 2014. The benefit for 2014 includes a $6.7 million non-recurring benefit associated with the election of a tax method to calculate deductible interest expense.

Fair value is defined as the price at which an orderly transaction to sell an asset or to transfer a liability would take place between market participants at the measurement date under current market conditions (that is, an exit price at the measurement date from the perspective of a market participant that holds the asset or owes the liability).

Fair Value Hierarchy

The following hierarchy for inputs used in measuring fair value should maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs by requiring that the most observable inputs be used when available:

Derivatives

We are exposed to market risk attributable to changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and fuel prices. We attempt to minimize these risks through a combination of our normal operating and financing activities and through the use of derivatives. We assess whether derivatives used in hedging transactions are “highly effective” in offsetting changes in the cash flow of our hedged forecasted transactions. We use regression analysis for this hedge relationship and high effectiveness is achieved when a statistically valid relationship reflects a high degree of offset and correlation between the fair values of the derivative and the hedged forecasted transaction. Cash flows from the derivatives are classified in the same category as the cash flows from the underlying hedged transaction. The determination of ineffectiveness is based on the amount of dollar offset between the cumulative change in fair value of the derivative and the cumulative change in fair value of the hedged transaction at the end of the reporting period. If it is determined that a derivative is not highly effective as a hedge, or if the hedged forecasted transaction is no longer probable of occurring, then the amount recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) is released to earnings. In addition, the ineffective portion of our highly effective hedges is recognized in earnings immediately and reported in other income (expense) in our consolidated statements of operations. There are no amounts excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness and there are no credit-risk-related contingent features in our derivative agreements.

We monitor concentrations of credit risk associated with financial and other institutions with which we conduct significant business. Credit risk, including but not limited to counterparty non-performance under derivatives and our revolving credit facility, is not considered significant, as we primarily conduct business with large, well-established financial institutions that we have established relationships with and that have credit risks acceptable to us or the credit risk is spread out among a large number of creditors. We do not anticipate non-performance by any of our significant counterparties.

The following table sets forth our derivatives measured at fair value and discloses the balance sheet location (in thousands):

The fair values of swap and forward contracts are determined based on inputs that are readily available in public markets or can be derived from information available in publicly quoted markets. The Company determines the value of options and collars utilizing an option pricing model based on inputs that are either readily available in public markets or can be derived from information available in publicly quoted markets. The option pricing model used by the Company is an industry standard model for valuing options and is used by the broker/dealer community. The inputs to this option pricing model are the option strike price, underlying price, risk free rate of interest, time to expiration, and volatility. The fair value of option contracts considers both the intrinsic value and any remaining time value associated with those derivatives that have not yet settled. The Company also considers counterparty credit risk and its own credit risk in its determination of all estimated fair values. Our derivatives and financial instruments were categorized as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy, and we had no derivatives or financial instruments categorized as Level 1 or Level 3.

Our derivative contracts include rights of offset with our counterparties. We have elected to net certain assets and liabilities within counterparties. We are not required to post cash collateral related to our derivative instruments. The following table discloses the amounts recognized within the balance sheets (in thousands):

Fuel Swaps

As of March 31, 2015, we had fuel swaps maturing through December 31, 2018 which are used to mitigate the financial impact of volatility in fuel prices pertaining to approximately 1.2 million metric tons of our projected fuel purchases.

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the fuel swaps which were designated as cash flow hedges were as follows (in thousands):

Fuel Collars and Options

We had fuel collars and fuel options maturing through December 2014, which were used to mitigate the financial impact of volatility in fuel prices of our fuel purchases.

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the fuel collars which were designated as cash flow hedges were as follows (in thousands):

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the fuel options which were not designated as hedging instruments were as follows (in thousands):

Foreign Currency Options

We had foreign currency options that matured through January 2014, which consisted of call options with deferred premiums. These options were used to mitigate the financial impact of volatility in foreign currency exchange rates related to our ship construction contracts denominated in euros. If the spot rate at the date the ships were delivered was less than the strike price under these option contracts, we would have paid the deferred premium and would not exercise the foreign currency options.

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the foreign currency options which were designated as cash flow hedges were as follows (in thousands):

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts

As of March 31, 2015, we had foreign currency forward contracts which are used to mitigate the financial impact of volatility in foreign currency exchange rates related to our ship construction contracts and forecasted Dry-dock payments denominated in euros. The notional amount of our foreign currency forward contracts was €888.5 million, or $953.4 million based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of March 31, 2015.

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the foreign currency forward contracts which were designated as cash flow hedges were as follows (in thousands):

Foreign Currency Collar

We had a foreign currency collar that matured in January 2014, which was used to mitigate the volatility of foreign currency exchange rates related to our ship construction contracts denominated in euros.

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the foreign currency collar which was designated as a cash flow hedge was as follows (in thousands):

As of March 31, 2015, we had a foreign currency collar which is used to mitigate the financial impact of volatility in foreign currency exchange rates related to a ship construction contract. The notional amount of our foreign currency collar was €274.4 million, or $294.5 million based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of March 31, 2015.

The effect on the consolidated financial statements of the foreign currency collar contract which was not designated as a cash flow hedge was as follows (in thousands):

Interest Rate Swaps

As of March 31, 2015, we had interest rate swap agreements to mitigate our exposure to interest rate movements and to manage our interest expense. The notional amount of outstanding debt associated with the interest rate swap agreements was $1.2 billion.

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the interest rates swaps which were designated as cash flow hedges were as follows (in thousands):

We had an interest rate swap that matured in January 2015, which was used to mitigate our exposure to interest rate movements and to manage our interest expense.

The effect on the consolidated financial statements of the interest rate swap which was not designated as a cash flow hedge was as follows (in thousands):

Long-Term Debt

As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the fair value of our long-term debt, including the current portion, was $6,025.1 million and $6,229.1 million, which was $67.2 million and $45.0 million higher, respectively, than the carrying values. The difference between the fair value and carrying value of our long-term debt is due to our fixed and variable rate debt obligations carrying interest rates that are above or below market rates at the measurement dates. The fair value of our long-term debt was calculated based on estimated rates for the same or similar instruments with similar terms and remaining maturities. The calculation of the fair value of our long-term debt is considered a Level 2 input.

Other

The carrying amounts reported in the consolidated balance sheets of all financial assets and liabilities other than our long-term debt approximate fair value.

Share Option Awards

The following is a summary of option activity under our share option plan for the three months ended March 31, 2015:

The total intrinsic value of options exercised during the three months ended March 31, 2015 was $44.8 million and total cash received by the Company from options exercised was $51.8 million. Share-based compensation expense for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was $12.0 million, which includes $8.2 million related to the acceleration of certain equity awards of the former President and Chief Executive Officer, and was recorded in marketing, general and administrative expense.

Restricted Share Awards

The following is a summary of restricted share activity for the three months ended March 31, 2015:

Other Employee Matters

On January 8, 2015, Kevin M. Sheehan resigned as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, together with all of his positions and offices with the Company and its subsidiaries or affiliates, effective immediately. In connection with Mr. Sheehan’s resignation from the Company, Mr. Sheehan and the Company entered into a Separation Agreement and Release (the “Separation Agreement”). The Separation Agreement sets forth the terms of Mr. Sheehan’s resignation from the Company, including, among other things, a general release of claims in favor of the Company and certain non-competition, non-solicitation, confidentiality and cooperation undertakings. The Separation Agreement also provides that Mr. Sheehan will receive (i) all of his accrued and unpaid base salary (and accrued and unpaid vacation time) through January 8, 2015 (the “Effective Date”), (ii) his previously approved bonus payment for fiscal year 2014 of $1,627,500, (iii) a one-time cash separation payment in an amount equal to his base salary and target bonus and (iv) vesting of a portion of his outstanding unvested equity-based awards as of the Effective Date, and all remaining unvested equity-based awards shall immediately terminate, expire and be forfeited as of the Effective Date. This resulted in a total severance expense of $13.4 million of which $8.2 million was due to the acceleration of the equity-based awards which was recorded in marketing, general and administrative expense in January 2015.

Effective as of January 8, 2015, Frank J. Del Rio, was appointed President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Ship Construction Contracts

We have four Breakaway Plus Class Ships on order with Meyer Werft shipyard for delivery in the fall of 2015, spring of 2017, spring of 2018 and fall of 2019. These ships will be the largest in our fleet, reaching approximately 164,600 Gross Tons and up to 4,200 Berths each and will be similar in design and innovation to our Breakaway Class Ships. The combined contract price of these four ships is approximately €3.1 billion, or $3.3 billion based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of March 31, 2015. We have export credit financing in place that provides financing for 80% of their contract prices. We also have a contract with Fincantieri shipyard to build a luxury cruise ship to be named Seven Seas Explorer. The contract price of the ship is approximately €343.0 million, or approximately $368.1 million based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of March 31, 2015. We have export credit financing in place that provides financing for 80% of the ship’s contract price. Seven Seas Explorer is expected to be delivered in the summer of 2016.

In connection with the contracts to build the ships, we do not anticipate any contractual breaches or cancellation to occur. However, if any would occur, it could result in, among other things, the forfeiture of prior deposits or payments made by us and potential claims and impairment losses which may materially impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Litigation

In the normal course of our business, various claims and lawsuits have been filed or are pending against us. Most of these claims and lawsuits are covered by insurance and, accordingly, the maximum amount of our liability is typically limited to our deductible amount. Nonetheless, the ultimate outcome of these claims and lawsuits that are not covered by insurance cannot be determined at this time. We have evaluated our overall exposure with respect to all of our threatened and pending litigation and, to the extent required, we have accrued amounts for all estimable probable losses associated with our deemed exposure. We are currently unable to estimate any other potential contingent losses beyond those accrued, as discovery is not complete nor is adequate information available to estimate such range of loss or potential recovery. We intend to vigorously defend our legal position on all claims and, to the extent necessary, seek recovery.

Due to the Acquisition of Prestige, a number of employee positions were consolidated. As of March 31, 2015, we had an accrual balance of $11.1 million for restructuring costs for severance and other employee-related costs. The current period expense of $4.7 million is included in marketing general and administrative expense.

The following table summarizes changes in the accrual (in thousands):

For the three months ended March 31, 2015 we had non-cash investing activities in connection with a capital lease of $27.6 million.

Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this report constitute forward-looking statements intended to qualify for the safe harbor from liability established by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained, or incorporated by reference, in this report, including, without limitation, those regarding our business strategy, financial position, results of operations, plans, prospects and objectives of management for future operations (including development plans and objectives relating to our activities), are forward-looking statements. Many, but not all, of these statements can be found by looking for words like “expect,” “anticipate,” “goal,” “project,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “will,” “may,” “forecast,” “estimate,” “intend” and “future” and similar words. Forward-looking statements do not guarantee future performance and may involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Examples of these risks, uncertainties and other factors include, but are not limited to:

The above examples are not exhaustive and new risks emerge from time to time. Our forward-looking statements are based on our current beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates and projections regarding our present and future business strategies and the environment in which we will operate in the future. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made. Except as required by law, we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change of events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement was based.

The interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014, which are included in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Terminology

This report includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as Net Revenue, Net Yield, Net Cruise Cost, Adjusted Net Yield, Adjusted Net Revenue, Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS. Definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures are included below. For further information about our non-GAAP financial measures including detailed adjustments made in calculating our non-GAAP financial measures and a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, we refer you to “Results of Operations” below.

Unless otherwise indicated in this report, the following terms have the meanings set forth below:

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

We use certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as Net Revenue, Adjusted Net Revenue, Net Yield, Adjusted Net Yield, Net Cruise Cost, Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS, to enable us to analyze our performance. See “Terminology” for the definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures. We utilize Net Revenue and Net Yield to manage our business on a day-to-day basis and believe that they are the most relevant measures of our revenue performance because they reflect the revenue earned by us net of significant variable costs. In measuring our ability to control costs in a manner that positively impacts net income, we believe changes in Net Cruise Cost and Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel to be the most relevant indicators of our performance.

As our business includes the sourcing of passengers and deployment of vessels outside of North America, a portion of our revenue and expenses are denominated in foreign currencies, particularly euro and British Pound sterling, which are subject to fluctuations in currency exchange rates versus our reporting currency, the U.S. dollar. In order to monitor results excluding these fluctuations, we calculate certain non-GAAP measures on a Constant Currency basis whereby current period revenue and expenses denominated in foreign currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates of the comparable period. We believe that presenting these non-GAAP measures on both a reported and Constant Currency basis is useful in providing a more comprehensive view of trends in our business.

We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is appropriate as a supplemental financial measure as it is used by management to assess operating performance. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is a useful measure in determining the Company’s performance as it reflects certain operating drivers of the Company’s business, such as sales growth, operating costs, marketing, general and administrative expense and other operating income and expense. Adjusted EBITDA is not a defined term under GAAP. Adjusted EBITDA is not intended to be a measure of liquidity or cash flows from operations or a measure comparable to net income as it does not take into account certain requirements such as capital expenditures and related depreciation, principal and interest payments and tax payments and it includes other supplemental adjustments.

In addition, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS are non-GAAP financial measures that exclude certain charges and are used to supplement GAAP net income and EPS. We use Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS as key performance measures of our earnings performance, and we believe that both management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing our performance and when planning, forecasting, and analyzing future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management’s internal comparison to our historical performance. The charges excluded in the presentation of Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS may vary from period to period; accordingly, our presentation of Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS may not be indicative of future adjustments or results.

You are encouraged to evaluate each adjustment used in calculating our non-GAAP financial measures and the reasons we consider our non-GAAP financial measures appropriate for supplemental analysis. In evaluating our non-GAAP financial measures, you should be aware that in the future we may incur expenses similar to the adjustments in our presentation. Our non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider these measures in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. Our presentation of our non-GAAP financial measures should not be construed as an inference that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or non-recurring items. Our non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to other companies. Please see a historical reconciliation of these measures to the most comparable GAAP measure presented in our consolidated financial statements below in the “Results of Operations” section.

Financial Presentation

Revenue from our cruise and cruise-related activities are categorized by us as “passenger ticket revenue” and “onboard and other revenue.” Passenger ticket revenue and onboard and other revenue vary according to product offering, the size of the ship in operation, the length of cruises operated and the markets in which the ship operates. Our revenue is seasonal based on demand for cruises, which has historically been strongest during the summer months.

Passenger ticket revenue primarily consists of revenue for accommodations, meals in certain restaurants on the ship, certain onboard entertainment, and includes revenue for service charges and air and land transportation to and from the ship to the extent guests purchase these items from us. Onboard and other revenue primarily consists of revenue from gaming, beverage sales, shore excursions, specialty dining, retail sales, spa services, photo services as well as certain Charter revenue. We record onboard revenue from onboard activities we perform directly or that are performed by independent concessionaires, from which we receive a share of their revenue.

Our cruise operating expense is classified as follows:

Critical Accounting Policies

For a discussion of our critical accounting policies and estimates, see “Critical Accounting Policies” included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 under the caption “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” We have made no significant changes to our critical accounting policies and estimates from those described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Quarterly Overview

For the first quarter of 2015, on a GAAP basis, net loss and diluted loss per share were $(21.5) million and $(0.10), respectively. We reported Adjusted Net Income of $62.6 million and Adjusted EPS of $0.27, which primarily excludes $13.5 million of expenses related to non-cash compensation, $10.4 million of expenses related to severance expenses, $21.2 million of a deferred revenue adjustment, $18.1 million related to the amortization of intangible assets, $9.1 million of contingent consideration adjustment and $29.0 million related to a derivative fair value adjustment.

In March 2015, the Selling Shareholders sold 12,500,000 ordinary shares of NCLH in a Secondary Equity Offering. We did not receive any proceeds from this offering.

Three months ended March 31, 2015 (“2015”) compared to the three months ended March 31, 2014 (“2014”)

Total revenue increased 41.3% to $938.2 million in 2015 compared to $664.0 million in 2014. Net Revenue in 2015 increased 41.7% to $707.7 million from $499.3 million in 2014 due to an increase in Capacity Days of 22.8% and Net Yield of 15.4%.The increase in Capacity Days was primarily due to the Acquisition of Prestige and the operation of Norwegian Getaway for the full quarter.

Operating income was $60.3 million in 2015 compared to $73.1 million in 2014 and Adjusted EBITDA (we refer you to our “Results of Operations” below for a calculation of Adjusted EBITDA) improved 41.6% for the same period.

Results of Operations

The following table sets forth operating data as a percentage of total revenue:

The following table sets forth selected statistical information:

Net Revenue, Adjusted Net Revenue, Gross Yield, Net Yield and Adjusted Net Yield were calculated as follows (in thousands, except Capacity Days and Yield data):  

Gross Cruise Cost, Net Cruise Cost, Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel and Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel were calculated as follows (in thousands, except Capacity Days and per Capacity Day data):

Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS were calculated as follows (in thousands, except share and per share data):

EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA was calculated as follows (in thousands):

Three months ended March 31, 2015 (“2015”) compared to three months ended March 31, 2014 (“2014”)

Revenue

Total revenue increased 41.3% to $938.2 million in 2015 compared to $664.0 million in 2014. Net Revenue in 2015 increased 41.7% to $707.7 million from $499.3 million in 2014 due to an increase in Capacity Days of 22.8% and Net Yield of 15.4%.The increase in Capacity Days was primarily due to the Acquisition of Prestige and the operation of Norwegian Getaway for the full quarter. The increase in Net Yield was due to an increase in passenger ticket pricing and higher onboard and other revenue. Adjusted Net Revenue includes a deferred revenue fair value adjustment of $21.2 million related to the Acquisition of Prestige. On a Constant Currency basis, Net Yield and Adjusted Net Yield increased 16.4% and 19.9%, respectively, in 2015 compared to 2014.

Expense

Total cruise operating expense increased 39.9% in 2015 compared to 2014 primarily due to the increase in Capacity Days as discussed above. Total other operating expense increased 75.2% in 2015 compared to 2014 primarily due to an increase in marketing general and administrative expenses primarily related to the Acquisition of Prestige including certain restructuring and severance costs, the adjustment for the contingent consideration related to the Acquisition of Prestige as well as amortization expense related to the intangible assets and depreciation related to the Prestige ships. On a Capacity Day basis, Net Cruise Cost increased 22.3% (22.7% on a Constant Currency basis) due to an increase in marketing general and administrative expenses as discussed above and certain crew related expenses partially offset by the decrease in fuel expense which was primarily the result of a 18.2% decrease in the average fuel price to $526 per metric ton in 2015 from $643 per metric ton in 2014. Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel per Capacity Day increased 28.7% (29.3% on a Constant Currency basis) primarily due to the increase in expenses discussed above.

Interest expense, net increased to $51.0 million in 2015 from $31.2 million in 2014 primarily due to an increase in average debt outstanding in connection with the Acquisition of Prestige. Other income (expense) was $(30.1) million in 2015 primarily related to the derivative fair value adjustment for a foreign exchange collar which does not receive hedge accounting treatment.

In 2015 we had an income tax expense of $0.7 million. In 2014 we had an income tax benefit of $9.4 million. During the fourth quarter of 2013, we completed the implementation of a global tax platform, which had a favorable impact on the amount of income subject to U.S. corporate tax. This favorable impact continued through calendar year 2014. In addition, during the first quarter of 2014, we received information which allowed us to elect a tax method to calculate deductible interest expense resulting in a tax benefit of $11.1 million including a $6.7 million non-recurring benefit that has been excluded from Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS for the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

General

As of March 31, 2015, our liquidity was $685.4 million consisting of $121.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and $564.0 million available under our Revolving Loan Facility. Our primary ongoing liquidity requirements are to finance working capital, capital expenditures and debt service.

As of March 31, 2015, we had a working capital deficit of $2.0 billion. This deficit included $1.1 billion of advance ticket sales, which represents the passenger ticket revenue we collect in advance of sailing dates, and accordingly, are substantially more like deferred revenue balances rather than actual current cash liabilities. Our business model, along with our Revolving Loan Facility, allows us to operate with a working capital deficit and still meet our operating, investing and financing needs.

Sources and Uses of Cash

In this section, references to “2015” refer to the three months ended March 31, 2015 and references to “2014” refer to the three months ended March 31, 2014.

Net cash provided by operating activities was $299.2 million in 2015 as compared to $228.1 million in 2014. The change in net cash provided by operating activities reflects a net loss in 2015 of $21.5 million compared to net income in 2014 of $51.7 million. The net cash provided by operating activities included timing differences in cash receipts and payments relating to operating assets and liabilities.

Net cash used in investing activities was $58.6 million in 2015, primarily related to payments for our Breakaway Plus Class Ships and ship improvements and shoreside projects. Net cash used in investing activities was $746.3 million in 2014, primarily related to the payments for delivery of Norwegian Getaway and other ship improvements and shoreside projects.

Net cash used in financing activities was $204.1 million in 2015, primarily due to repayments of our Revolving Loan Facility and other loan facilities. Net cash provided by financing activities was $526.5 million in 2014, primarily due to proceeds from the Breakaway Two Credit Facility.

Future Capital Commitments

Future capital commitments consist of contracted commitments, including ship construction contracts, and future expected capital expenditures necessary for operations. As of March 31, 2015, anticipated capital expenditures were $1.1 billion for the remainder of 2015, and $0.9 billion and $1.0 billion for each of the years ending December 31, 2016 and 2017, respectively, of which we have export credit financing in place for the expenditures related to ship construction contracts of $0.7 billion for the remainder of 2015, $0.5 billion for 2016 and $0.6 billion for 2017.

We have four Breakaway Plus Class Ships on order with Meyer Werft shipyard for delivery in the fall of 2015, spring of 2017, spring of 2018 and fall of 2019. These ships will be the largest in our fleet, reaching approximately 164,600 Gross Tons and up to 4,200 Berths each and will be similar in design and innovation to our Breakaway Class Ships. The combined contract price of these four ships is approximately €3.1 billion, or $3.3 billion based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of March 31, 2015. We have export credit financing in place that provides financing for 80% of their contract prices. We also have a contract with Fincantieri shipyard to build a luxury cruise ship to be named Seven Seas Explorer. The contract price of the ship is approximately €343.0 million, or approximately $368.1 million based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of March 31, 2015. We have export credit financing in place that provides financing for 80% of the ship’s contract price. Seven Seas Explorer is expected to be delivered in the summer of 2016.

In connection with the contracts to build these ships, we do not anticipate any contractual breaches or cancellation to occur. However, if any would occur, it could result in, among other things, the forfeiture of prior deposits or payments made by us, subject to certain refund guarantees, and potential claims and impairment losses which may materially impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Capitalized interest for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was $7.7 million primarily associated with the construction of our Breakaway Plus Class Ships and for the three months ended March 31, 2014 was $5.1 million associated with the construction of Norwegian Getaway.

Off-Balance Sheet Transactions

None.

Contractual Obligations

As of March 31, 2015, our contractual obligations, with initial or remaining terms in excess of one year, including interest payments on long-term debt obligations, were as follows (in thousands):

The table above does not include $11.2 million of unrecognized tax benefits.

Other

Certain of our service providers may require collateral in the normal course of our business. The amount of collateral may change based on certain terms and conditions.

As a routine part of our business, depending on market conditions, exchange rates, pricing and our strategy for growth, we regularly consider opportunities to enter into contracts for the building of additional ships. We may also consider the sale of ships, potential acquisitions and strategic alliances. If any of these were to occur, they may be financed through the incurrence of additional permitted indebtedness, through cash flows from operations, or through the issuance of debt, equity or equity-related securities.

Funding Sources

Our debt agreements contain covenants that, among other things, require us to maintain a minimum level of liquidity, as well as limit our net funded debt-to-capital ratio, maintain certain other ratios and restrict our ability to pay dividends. Our ships and substantially all other property and equipment are pledged as collateral for our debt. We believe we were in compliance with these covenants as of March 31, 2015.

We believe our cash on hand, expected future operating cash inflows, additional available borrowings under our existing credit facility and our ability to issue debt securities or raise additional equity, will be sufficient to fund operations, debt payment requirements, capital expenditures and maintain compliance with covenants under our debt agreements over the next twelve-month period. There is no assurance that cash flows from operations and additional financings will be available in the future to fund our future obligations.

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

General

We are exposed to market risk attributable to changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and fuel prices. We attempt to minimize these risks through a combination of our normal operating and financing activities and through the use of derivatives. The financial impacts of these derivative instruments are primarily offset by corresponding changes in the underlying exposures being hedged. We achieve this by closely matching the amount, term and conditions of the derivatives with the underlying risk being hedged. We do not hold or issue derivatives for trading or other speculative purposes. Derivative positions are monitored using techniques including market valuations and sensitivity analyses.

Interest Rate Risk

As of March 31, 2015, we had interest rate swap agreements to mitigate our exposure to interest rate movements and to manage our interest expense. As of March 31, 2015, 54% of our debt was fixed and 46% was variable, which includes the effects of the interest rate swaps. The notional amount of outstanding debt associated with the interest rate swap agreements as of March 31, 2015 was $1.2 billion. Based on our March 31, 2015 outstanding variable rate debt balance, a one percentage point increase in annual LIBOR interest rates would increase our annual interest expense by approximately $27.5 million excluding the effects of capitalization of interest.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Risk

As of March 31, 2015, we had foreign currency derivatives to hedge the exposure to volatility in foreign currency exchange rates related to our ship construction contracts denominated in euros. These derivatives hedge the foreign currency exchange rate risk on a portion of the final payments on our ship construction contracts. The payments not hedged aggregate €2.1 billion, or $2.2 billion based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of March 31, 2015. We estimate that a 10% change in the euro as of March 31, 2015 would result in a $224.6 million change in the U.S. dollar value of the foreign currency denominated remaining payments.

Fuel Price Risk

Our exposure to market risk for changes in fuel prices relates to the forecasted purchases of fuel on our ships. Fuel expense, as a percentage of our total cruise operating expense, was 14.0% and 17.7% for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. We use fuel derivative agreements to mitigate the financial impact of fluctuations in fuel prices and as of March 31, 2015, we had hedged approximately 74%, 53%, 37% and 11% of our 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 projected metric tons of fuel purchases, respectively. We estimate that a 10% increase in our weighted-average fuel price would increase our anticipated 2015 fuel expense by $19.4 million. This increase would be partially offset by an increase in the fair value of our fuel swap agreements of $11.8 million. Fair value of our derivative contracts is derived using valuation models that utilize the income valuation approach. These valuation models take into account the contract terms such as maturity, as well as other inputs such as fuel types, fuel curves, creditworthiness of the counterparty and the Company, as well as other data points.

Item 4. Controls and Procedures

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Our management has evaluated, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of March 31, 2015. There are inherent limitations to the effectiveness of any system of disclosure controls and procedures, including the possibility of human error and the circumvention or overriding of the controls and procedures. Accordingly, even effective disclosure controls and procedures can only provide reasonable assurance of achieving their control objectives. Based upon our management’s evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of March 31, 2015 to provide reasonable assurance that the information required to be disclosed by us in the reports we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission, and that it is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended March 31, 2015 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

Limitations on the Effectiveness of Controls

It should be noted that any system of controls, however well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, and not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the system will be met. In addition, the design of any control system is based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events. Because of these and other inherent limitations of control systems, there is only the reasonable assurance that our controls will succeed in achieving their goals under all potential future conditions.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. Legal Proceedings

In the normal course of our business, various claims and lawsuits have been filed or are pending against us. Most of these claims and lawsuits are covered by insurance and, accordingly, the maximum amount of our liability is typically limited to our deductible amount. Nonetheless, the ultimate outcome of these claims and lawsuits that are not covered by insurance cannot be determined at this time. We have evaluated our overall exposure with respect to all of our threatened and pending litigation and, to the extent required, we have accrued amounts for all estimable probable losses associated with our deemed exposure. We are currently unable to estimate any other potential contingent losses beyond those accrued, as discovery is not complete nor is adequate information available to estimate such range of loss or potential recovery. We intend to vigorously defend our legal position on all claims and, to the extent necessary, seek recovery.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

We refer you to our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of the risk factors that affect our business and financial results. There have been no material changes to those risk factors. We wish to caution the reader that the risk factors discussed in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K, and those described elsewhere in this report or other Securities and Exchange Commission filings, could cause future results to differ materially from those stated in any forward-looking statements.

Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds

Share Repurchase Program

On April 29, 2014, NCLH’s Board of Directors authorized, and NCLH announced, a three-year share repurchase program for up to $500.0 million. NCLH may make repurchases in the open market, in privately negotiated transactions, in accelerated repurchase programs or in structured share repurchase programs, and any repurchases may be made pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 plans. There was no share repurchase activity during the three months ended March 31, 2015 and as of March 31, 2015 $418.0 million remained available for repurchases of our outstanding ordinary shares under the share repurchase program.

Item 6. Exhibits

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Dated: May 8, 2015