Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. - Quarter Report: 2016 September (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

(Mark One)

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2016

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 227,179,962 ordinary shares outstanding as of November 3, 2016.

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

(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” refers to the Norwegian Cruise Line brand and its predecessors, (v) “Prestige” refers to Prestige Cruises International, Inc., 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 Cruises”) and Seven Seas Cruises S. DE R.L. (“Regent”) (Oceania Cruises also refers to the brand by the same name and Regent also refers to the brand Regent Seven Seas Cruises) and (vii) “Affiliate” refers to Genting Hong Kong Limited and/or its affiliates (formerly Star Cruises Limited and/or its affiliates). References to the “U.S.” are to the United States of America, “dollars” or “$” are to U.S. dollars, the “U.K.” are to the United Kingdom and “euros” or “€” are to the official currency of the Eurozone.

NCLH is a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands. We have 24 ships with approximately 46,500 Berths including Sirena, previously under a Bareboat Charter, which joined our Oceania Cruises’ fleet in April 2016 and Seven Seas Explorer which was delivered in June 2016. We will introduce four additional ships to our fleet through 2020. Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Bliss and one additional Breakaway Plus Class Ship is on order for delivery in the spring of 2017, the spring of 2018 and the fall of 2019, respectively. An Explorer Class Ship is on order for delivery in the winter of 2020. These additions to our fleet will increase our total Berths to approximately 59,000.

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 Northern Hemisphere’s summer months. The interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2015, 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 Per Share

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

Revenue and Expense Recognition

Deposits received from guests for future voyages are recorded as advance ticket sales and are subsequently recognized as passenger ticket revenue along with onboard and other revenue, and all associated direct costs of a voyage are recognized as cruise operating expenses on a pro-rata basis over the period of the voyage. Guest cancellation fees are recognized in passenger ticket revenue in the month of the cancellation. Certain of our product offerings are accounted for under the guidance included within multi-element arrangements and result in an allocation of the fair value between passenger ticket revenue and onboard and other revenue. 

Revenue and expenses include port fees and taxes. The amounts included on a gross basis are $80.3 million and $70.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and $214.3 million and $184.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Foreign Currency

The majority of our transactions are settled in U.S. dollars. We translate assets and liabilities of our foreign subsidiaries at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Gains or losses resulting from transactions denominated in other currencies are recognized in our consolidated statements of operations within other expense. We recognized losses of $1.5 million and gains of $3.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively, and losses of $1.9 million and gains of $8.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Depreciation and Amortization Expense

The amortization of deferred financing fees is included in depreciation and amortization expense in the consolidated statements of cash flows; however, for purposes of the consolidated statements of operations it is included in interest expense, net.

Goodwill

We evaluate goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently when an event occurs or circumstances change that indicates the carrying value of a reporting unit may not be recoverable. Based on the recent performance of the Oceania Cruises’ reporting unit, we performed an interim Step 1 Test which consists of a combined approach using the expected future cash flows and market multiples to determine the fair value of the reporting unit. We determined that there was no impairment of goodwill as the Step 1 Test supports the carrying value of the reporting unit. 

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-15 which amends Topic 230 (Statement of Cash Flows) to eliminate discrepancies in reporting certain items in the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and interim periods within those annual periods with early adoption permitted. The transition should be made using a retrospective approach. We do not believe that the adoption of this guidance will be material to our consolidated statements of cash flows.

In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-12 which addresses improvements to the guidance on revenue from contracts from customers regarding collectibility, noncash consideration, and completed contracts at transition. Additionally, it provides a practical expedient for contract modifications at transition and an accounting policy election related to the presentation of sales taxes and other similar taxes collected from customers. The effective date of this guidance is upon adoption of ASU No. 2014-09 which is presented below. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance to our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-11 which is a rescission of Securities and Exchange Commission guidance related to the issuance of ASU No. 2014-09 which is presented below. The effective date of this guidance is upon adoption of ASU No. 2014-09. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance to our consolidated financial statements.

In April 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-10 which does not change the core principle of the guidance in ASU No. 2014-09 but clarifies two aspects: identifying performance obligations and the licensing implementation guidance, while retaining the related principles for those areas. The effective date of this guidance is upon adoption of ASU No. 2014-09. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance to our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09 to improve multiple aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities and classification on the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and interim periods within those annual periods with early adoption permitted. We do not believe that the adoption of this guidance will be material to our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02 which sets out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e. lessees and lessors). The ASU requires lessees to recognize assets and liabilities on the balance sheet for the rights and obligations created by all leases with terms of more than 12 months. The ASU further modifies lessors’ classification criteria for leases and the accounting for sales-type and direct financing leases. The ASU will also require qualitative and quantitative disclosures designed to give financial statement users additional information on the amount, timing, and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The ASU is effective for annual reporting periods, and interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2018 with early adoption permitted. The ASU is to be applied using a modified retrospective approach.  We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance to our consolidated financial statements.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11 to simplify the measurement of inventory for all entities. This applies to all inventory that is measured using either the first-in, first-out or average cost method. The guidance requires an entity to measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value. The guidance must be applied prospectively and will be effective for our interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. We are currently evaluating the impact of the adoption of this guidance to our consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-05 to clarify a customer’s accounting for fees paid in a cloud computing arrangement. The amendments provide guidance to customers about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license or if the arrangement should be accounted for as a service contract. This guidance will impact the accounting of software licenses but will not change a customer’s accounting for service contracts. The guidance will be effective for annual periods, including interim periods within those annual periods, beginning after December 15, 2015. We have adopted this guidance and there has not been an impact to our consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09 which requires entities to recognize revenue through the application of a five-step model, including 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 August 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-14 deferring the effective date for one year. We can elect to adopt the provisions of ASU No. 2014-09 for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 including interim periods within that reporting period or we can elect to early adopt the guidance as of the original effective date. We have initiated an assessment of our systems, data and processes related to the implementation of this guidance. This assessment is expected to be completed during 2017. Additionally, we are currently evaluating the potential impact on our consolidated financial statements.

The gross carrying amounts of intangible assets included within other long-term assets, the related accumulated amortization, the net carrying amounts and the weighted-average amortization periods of the Company’s intangible assets are listed in the following table (in thousands, except amortization period): 

The aggregate amortization expense is as follows (in thousands):

The following table sets forth the Company’s estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five years below (in thousands): 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 was as follows (in thousands): 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the nine months ended September 30, 2015 was as follows (in thousands):

Property and equipment, net increased $595.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 primarily due to the delivery of Seven Seas Explorer and the refurbishment of several ships.

In June 2016, NCLC and Voyager Vessel Company, LLC, indirect subsidiaries of NCLH, entered into a Second Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (the “Amended Senior Secured Credit Facility”) with a syndicate of banks which restates the Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of October 31, 2014 (the “Existing Senior Secured Credit Facility”). The Amended Senior Secured Credit Facility amends the Existing Senior Secured Credit Facility to, among other things, (i) (a) increase the aggregate amount of commitments under the Revolving Loan Facility from $625.0 million to $750.0 million (the “New Revolving Loan Facility”) and (b) increase the aggregate principal amount outstanding under the $1.38 billion term loan facility from $1.16 billion to $1.51 billion (the “New Term Loan A Facility”) and (ii) extend the maturity of the New Term Loan A Facility and the New Revolving Loan Facility to June 2021 (the “Extended Maturity Date”). The agreement incorporates a springing maturity date for the New Term Loan A Facility and the New Revolving Loan Facility such that both mature on (A) the earlier date that is 91 days prior to the final maturity date of NCLC’s $680.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.25% senior unsecured notes due 2019 (the “5.25% Notes”) if on such date (x) the 5.25% Notes have not been repaid (or refinanced with indebtedness maturing after the Extended Maturity Date) by such date and (y) free liquidity does not exceed the aggregate principal amount of outstanding 5.25% Notes by at least $50.0 million and (B) the earlier date that is 91 days prior to the final maturity date of NCLC’s $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.625% senior unsecured notes due 2020 (the “4.625% Notes”) if on such date (x) the 4.625% Notes have not been repaid (or refinanced with indebtedness maturing after the Extended Maturity Date) by such date and (y) free liquidity does not exceed the aggregate principal amount of outstanding 4.625% Notes by at least $50.0 million. NCLC used proceeds of approximately $1.59 billion from the New Term Loan A Facility and the New Revolving Loan Facility to prepay the entire outstanding principal amount of the Revolving Loan Facility, the $1.38 billion term loan facility and a $350.0 million term loan facility.

The New Term Loan A Facility and New Revolving Loan Facility bear interest at a rate per annum of (a) an adjusted LIBOR rate or (b) a base rate determined by reference to the greatest of (i) the federal funds rate plus 0.50%, (ii) the prime rate in effect on such day and (iii) the adjusted LIBOR rate plus 1%, in each case plus an applicable margin that is determined by reference to a total leverage ratio, with an applicable margin of between 2.25% and 1.50% with respect to Eurocurrency loans and between 1.25% and 0.50% with respect to base rate loans. The initial applicable margin for borrowings is 2.25% with respect to Eurocurrency borrowings and 1.25% with respect to base rate borrowings.

The New Term Loan A Facility is required to be repaid in quarterly installments that commenced in September 2016, in a principal amount equal to (a) in the case of installments payable on or prior to June 6, 2018, 1.25% of the loans outstanding immediately after the closing date under the New Term Loan A Facility and (b) in the case of installments payable after June 6, 2018, 2.50% of the loans outstanding immediately after the closing date under the New Term Loan A Facility, with the remaining unpaid principal amount of loans under the New Term Loan A Facility due and payable in full at maturity on June 6, 2021. Principal amounts outstanding under the New Revolving Loan Facility are due and payable in full at maturity on June 6, 2021, subject to earlier repayment pursuant to the springing maturity date described above.

In addition to paying interest on outstanding principal under the borrowings, we are obligated to pay a quarterly commitment fee at a rate determined by reference to a total leverage ratio, with a maximum commitment fee of 40% of the applicable margin for Eurocurrency loans.

In June 2016, we took delivery of Seven Seas Explorer. To finance the payment due upon delivery, we had export financing in place for 80% of the contract price. The associated $373.6 million term loan bears interest at 3.43% with a maturity date of June 30, 2028. Principal and interest payments are payable semiannually.

NCLC, a subsidiary of NCLH, entered into a Supplemental Agreement, dated July 26, 2016, by and among NCLC, as guarantor, Breakaway Four, Ltd. (the “Borrower”), as borrower, NCL International Ltd., as shareholder, and KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH (“KfW”), as facility agent and lender (the “Credit Agreement Amendment”), which amends the Credit Agreement, dated as of October 12, 2012, by and among NCLC, as parent, the Borrower and KfW, as facility agent and lender (the “Existing Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement Amendment amends the Existing Credit Agreement to, among other things, increase the aggregate principal amount of commitments under the multi-draw term loan credit facility from €590.5 million to €729.9 million. Except as provided in the Credit Agreement Amendment, all other provisions of the Existing Credit Agreement remain in full force. 

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 New Revolving Loan 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 when the rights of offset exist. We are not required to post cash collateral related to our derivative instruments.

The following table discloses the gross and net amounts recognized within assets and liabilities (in thousands):

Fuel Swaps

As of September 30, 2016, we had fuel swaps maturing through December 31, 2020 which are used to mitigate the financial impact of volatility in fuel prices pertaining to approximately 1.7 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):

We had fuel swaps that matured which were not designated as cash flow hedges. These fuel swaps were previously designated as cash flow hedges and were dedesignated due to a change in our expected future fuel purchases mix.

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of the fuel swaps which were dedesignated and recognized into earnings were as follows (in thousands):

Fuel Collars

We had fuel collars that matured and 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): 

Foreign Currency Options

We had foreign currency options that matured 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 September 30, 2016, 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 denominated in euros. The notional amount of our foreign currency forward contracts was €2.3 billion, or $2.6 billion based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of September 30, 2016.

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):

We had foreign currency forward contracts that matured and were used to mitigate the volatility of foreign currency exchange rates related to financial instruments denominated in foreign currencies.

The effects on the consolidated financial statements of foreign currency forward contracts which were not designated as cash flow hedges were as follows (in thousands):

Foreign Currency Collars

We had foreign currency collars that matured and were 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):

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

Interest Rate Swaps

As of September 30, 2016, we had interest rate swap agreements to hedge 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 $339.8 million as of September 30, 2016.

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

We had an interest rate swap that matured 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 contract which was not designated as a hedging instrument was as follows (in thousands):

Long-Term Debt

As of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, the fair value of our long-term debt, including the current portion, was $6.5 billion which was $16.4 million higher and $6.6 million lower, 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 resulting in Level 2 inputs in the fair value hierarchy. Market risk associated with our long-term variable rate debt is the potential increase in interest expense from an increase in interest rates. 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 other financial assets and liabilities approximate fair value.

Share Option Awards

On March 1, 2016, we granted 1.0 million share option awards to our employees at an exercise price of $50.31 with a contractual term of ten years. The share options vest equally over three years.

The following is a summary of option activity under our share option plan for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 (excludes the impact of 364,584 previously awarded performance-based options as no grant date has been established):

Restricted Ordinary Share Awards

The following is a summary of restricted ordinary share activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2016:

Restricted Share Unit Awards

On March 1, 2016, we granted 1.2 million restricted share unit awards to our employees which vest equally over three years. 

The following is a summary of restricted share unit activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 (excludes the impact of 87,500 previously awarded performance-based restricted share units as no grant date was established):

The share-based compensation expense for the three months ended September 30, 2016 was $16.8 million of which $15.0 million was recorded in marketing, general and administrative expense and $1.8 million was recorded in payroll and related expense. The nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $48.3 million of which $42.7 million was recorded in marketing, general and administrative expense and $5.6 million was recorded in payroll and related expense.

Ship Construction Contracts

We have Norwegian Joy, Norwegian Bliss and one additional Breakaway Plus Class Ship on order with Meyer Werft shipyard for delivery in the spring of 2017, spring of 2018 and the fall of 2019, respectively. These ships will be amongst the largest in our fleet, reaching approximately 164,600 Gross Tons. The combined contract price of these three ships is approximately €2.6 billion, or $2.9 billion based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of September 30, 2016. We have export credit financing in place that provides financing for 80% of their contract prices. We have an Explorer Class Ship on order with Fincantieri shipyard with an original contract price of approximately €422.0 million, or approximately $474.1 million based on the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate as of September 30, 2016. We have export credit financing in place that provides financing for 80% of the contract price. The Explorer Class Ship is expected to be delivered in the winter of 2020.

In connection with the contracts to build these ships, we do not anticipate any contractual breaches or cancellations 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.

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. However, based on our current knowledge, we do not believe that the aggregate amount or range of reasonably possible losses with respect to these matters will be material to our consolidated results of operations, financial condition or cash flows. 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 September 30, 2016, we had no accrual balance for restructuring costs for severance and other employee-related costs. The expense of $0.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 is included in marketing, general and administrative expense.

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

For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, we had non-cash investing activities in connection with property and equipment of $22.3 million and for the nine months ended September 30, 2015, we had non-cash investing activities in connection with capital leases of $28.5 million and capital expenditures of $6.5 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 within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws 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,” “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 impact of:

The above examples are not exhaustive and new risks emerge from time to time. Such 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. We expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement 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, except as required by law.

Terminology

This report includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as Net Revenue, Net Yield, Net Cruise Cost, Adjusted Net Revenue, Adjusted Net Yield, 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:

• Acquisition of Prestige. In November 2014, pursuant to the Merger Agreement, we acquired Prestige in a cash and stock transaction for total consideration of $3.025 billion, including the assumption of debt.

• Adjusted EBITDA. EBITDA adjusted for other income (expense) and other supplemental adjustments.

• Adjusted EPS. Adjusted Net Income divided by the number of diluted weighted-average shares outstanding.

• Adjusted Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel. Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel adjusted for supplemental adjustments.

• Adjusted Net Income. Net income adjusted for supplemental adjustments.

• Adjusted Net Revenue. Net Revenue adjusted for supplemental adjustments.

• Adjusted Net Yield. Net Yield adjusted for supplemental adjustments.

• Bareboat Charter. The hire of a ship for a specified period of time whereby no crew or provisions are provided by the Company.

• Berths. Double occupancy capacity per cabin (single occupancy per studio cabin) even though many cabins can accommodate three or more passengers.

• Breakaway Class Ships. Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway.

• Breakaway Plus Class Ships. The next generation of ships which are similar in design and innovation to Breakaway Class Ships.

• Business Enhancement Capital Expenditures. Capital expenditures other than those related to new ship construction and ROI Capital Expenditures.

• Capacity Days. Available Berths multiplied by the number of cruise days for the period. 

• Constant Currency. A calculation whereby foreign currency-denominated revenue and expenses in a period are converted at the U.S. dollar exchange rate of a comparable period in order to eliminate the effects of foreign exchange fluctuations.

• Dry-dock. A process whereby a ship is positioned in a large basin where all of the fresh/sea water is pumped out in order to carry out cleaning and repairs of those parts of a ship which are below the water line.

• EBITDA. Earnings before interest, taxes, and depreciation and amortization.

• EPS. Earnings per share.

• Explorer Class Ships. Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer and a second ship on order.

• GAAP. Generally accepted accounting principles in the U.S.

• Gross Cruise Cost. The sum of total cruise operating expense and marketing, general and administrative expense.

• Gross Tons. A unit of enclosed passenger space on a cruise ship, such that one gross ton = 100 cubic feet or 2.831 cubic meters.

• Gross Yield. Total revenue per Capacity Day. 

• Management NCL Corporation Units. NCLC’s previously outstanding profits interests issued to management (or former management) of NCLC which were converted into units in NCLC. All Management NCL Corporation Units were exchanged for NCLH ordinary shares and restricted shares in the fourth quarter of 2014.

• Merger Agreement. Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of September 2, 2014, by and among Prestige, NCLH, Portland Merger Sub, Inc. and Apollo Management, L.P., as amended, for the Acquisition of Prestige.

• Net Cruise Cost. Gross Cruise Cost less commissions, transportation and other expense and onboard and other expense.

• Net Cruise Cost Excluding Fuel. Net Cruise Cost less fuel expense.

• Net Revenue. Total revenue less commissions, transportation and other expense and onboard and other expense.

• Net Yield. Net Revenue per Capacity Day. 

• New Revolving Loan Facility. $750.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility maturing on June 6, 2021, subject to an earlier springing maturity date as described in Note 6— “Long-Term Debt” in our consolidated financial statements included herein. The New Revolving Loan Facility amended and restated the Revolving Loan Facility.

• Occupancy Percentage. The ratio of Passenger Cruise Days to Capacity Days. A percentage in excess of 100% indicates that three or more passengers occupied some cabins.

• Passenger Cruise Days. The number of passengers carried for the period, multiplied by the number of days in their respective cruises.

• Revolving Loan Facility. $625.0 million senior secured revolving credit facility which was to mature on May 24, 2018 and was amended and restated in June 2016 (such amendment and restatement is referred to herein as the New Revolving Loan Facility).

• ROI Capital Expenditures. Comprised of project-based capital expenditures which have a quantified return on investment.

• Secondary Equity Offering(s). Secondary public offering(s) of NCLH’s ordinary shares in December 2015, August 2015, May 2015, March 2015, March 2014, December 2013 and August 2013.

• Shipboard Retirement Plan. An unfunded defined benefit pension plan for certain crew members which computes benefits based on years of service, subject to certain requirements.

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 the U.S., a portion of our revenue and expenses are denominated in foreign currencies, particularly British pound, Canadian dollar, euro and Australian dollar 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 our performance as it reflects certain operating drivers of our 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 Revenue and Adjusted Net Yield, which exclude certain business combination accounting entries, are non-GAAP financial measures that we believe are useful as supplemental measures in evaluating the performance of our operating business and provide greater transparency into our results of operations. Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS are non-GAAP financial measures that exclude certain amounts 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. 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. In addition, management uses Adjusted EPS as a performance measure for our incentive compensation. The amounts excluded in the presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures may vary from period to period; accordingly, our presentation of Adjusted Net Revenue, Adjusted Net Yield, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS may not be indicative of future adjustments or results. For example, for the nine months ended September 30, 2016, we incurred an $11.2 million write-off, primarily due to deferred financing fees due to the refinancing of certain credit facilities. We included the deferred financing fees as an adjustment in the reconciliation of Adjusted Net Income since these amounts are not representative of our day-to-day operations and we have included other write-offs of deferred financing fees as adjustments in prior periods.

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 Northern Hemisphere’s 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 Bareboat 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

We evaluate goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently when an event occurs or circumstances change that indicates the carrying value of a reporting unit may not be recoverable. Based on the recent performance of the Oceania Cruises’ reporting unit, we performed an interim goodwill impairment evaluation. Based on that evaluation, we determined that there was no impairment of goodwill because its fair value exceeded its carrying value. However, if the fair value of that reporting unit declines in future periods, its goodwill may become impaired at that time. As of September 30, 2016, there was $523.0 million of goodwill for the Oceania Cruises’ reporting unit.

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, 2015 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, 2015.

Quarterly Overview

Three months ended September 30, 2016 (“2016”) compared to the three months ended September 30, 2015 (“2015”)

Total revenue increased 15.6% to $1.5 billion in 2016 compared to $1.3 billion in 2015 primarily due to an increase in Capacity Days and improved pricing. Gross Yield increased 1.5%. Net Revenue in 2016 increased 17.4% to $1.1 billion from $975.2 million in 2015 due to an increase in Capacity Days of 13.9% and an increase in Net Yield of 3.1%. The increase in Capacity Days was primarily due to the delivery of Norwegian Escape in October 2015, Sirena joining our fleet in April 2016 and the delivery of Seven Seas Explorer in June 2016. The increase in Net Yield was primarily due to improved pricing.

We had net income and diluted EPS of $342.4 million in 2016 and $1.50, respectively. Operating income was $413.6 million in 2016 compared to $306.8 million in 2015. We had Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EPS of $369.3 million and $1.62, respectively, in 2016, which includes $26.9 million of adjustments primarily consisting of expenses related to non-cash compensation, severance and other fees and certain other adjustments. Adjusted EBITDA improved 22.3% in 2016 compared to 2015. We refer you to our “Results of Operations” below for a calculation of Net Revenue, Gross Yield, Net Yield, Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted EBITDA.

Results of Operations

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