Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
The discussion under this caption "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and elsewhere in this document includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, business and industry prospects or future results of operations or financial position, made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are forward-looking. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "goal," "intend," "look to," "may," "plan," "project," "seek," "should," "will," "driving" and similar expressions are intended to further identify any of these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations but they are based on judgments and are inherently uncertain. Furthermore, they are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that 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, those discussed in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and, in particular, the risks discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in Part II, Item 1A herein.
All forward-looking statements made in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q speak only as of the date of this document. Given these risks and uncertainties, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Overview
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is organized to present the following:
• a review of our financial presentation, including discussion of certain operational and financial metrics we utilize to assist us in managing our business;
• a discussion of our results of operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 and nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the same periods in 2019;
• a discussion of our business outlook; and
• a discussion of our liquidity and capital resources, including our future capital and contractual commitments and potential funding sources.
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Critical Accounting Policies
Valuation of Goodwill, Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets and Long-Lived Assets
The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in an unprecedented global response to contain the spread and control the resurgence of the disease. These global efforts have resulted in travel restrictions and created significant uncertainty regarding worldwide port closures and availability. As part of the global containment effort, the Company previously announced a voluntary suspension of its Global Brands' cruise operations through at least December 31, 2020, excluding sailings from Singapore. Celebrity Cruises also suspended their full 2020/21 Winter program in Australia and Asia. Additionally, Azamara suspended their 2020/21 Winter sailings throughout Australia and New Zealand, South Africa and South America. On and effective as of October 30, 2020, the CDC issued a Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (the “Conditional Order”) that will conditionally permit cruise ship passenger operations in U.S. waters under certain conditions and using a phased approach. We are currently reviewing the Conditional Order and assessing the uncertainties relating to the Conditional Order’s requirements. Based on our initial assessment of these conditions or for other reasons, we may determine it necessary to further extend our voluntary suspension of our Global Brands’ cruise sailings which currently extends through at least December 31, 2020. Continued disruptions to travel and port operations in various regions may result in further suspensions. Refer to Note 1. General to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements for further information regarding COVID-19 and its impact to the Company.
As a result of these developments, we performed interim impairment evaluations on certain of our goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets in 2020 in connection with the preparation of our quarterly financial statements as further discussed below.
When performing the goodwill impairment test, the fair value of the reporting unit is determined and compared to the carrying value of the net assets allocated to the reporting unit. We typically estimate the fair value of our reporting units using a probability-weighted discounted cash flow model, which may also include a combination of a market-based valuation approach. The estimation of fair value utilizing discounted expected future cash flows includes numerous uncertainties which require our significant judgment when making assumptions of expected revenues, operating costs, marketing, selling and administrative expenses, interest rates, ship additions and retirements as well as assumptions regarding the cruise vacation industry's competitive environment and general economic and business conditions, among other factors. The principal assumptions we use in the discounted cash flow model are projected operating results, weighted average cost of capital, revenue base, revenue growth rate and terminal rate. The discounted cash flow model uses the most current projected operating results for the upcoming fiscal year as a base. To that base, we add future years' cash flows assuming multiple revenue and expense scenarios that reflect the impact of different global economic environments beyond the base year on the reporting unit. We discount the projected cash flows using rates specific to the reporting unit based on its weighted-average cost of capital. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying value, no write-down of goodwill is required. As amended by ASU No. 2017-04, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350) – Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment , if the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value of its net assets, an impairment is recognized based on the amount by which the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to such reporting unit.
For further discussion of our critical accounting policies, refer to Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations within our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as updated by our Current Report on Form 8-K dated May 13, 2020. For further discussion on impairment losses recorded in the nine months ended September 30, 2020, refer to Note 3. Impairment and Credit Losses to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1 . Financial Statements .
Royal Caribbean International Reporting Unit
We performed interim impairment evaluations of Royal Caribbean International’s goodwill in connection with the preparation of our quarterly financial statements for the periods ended March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020. As a result of the tests, we determined that the fair value of the Royal Caribbean International reporting unit exceeded its carrying value as of March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020 by approximately 30% and 8%, respectively, resulting in no impairment to the Royal Caribbean International goodwill in either period. We estimated the fair value of the Royal Caribbean International reporting unit using a probability-weighted discounted cash flow model in combination with a market based valuation approach. Significant assumptions used in these valuations include the weighted average cost of capital discount factor, revenue base, revenue growth rate and terminal rate. We did not perform an interim impairment evaluation of Royal Caribbean International's goodwill during the quarter ended September 30, 2020 as no triggering events were identified. As of September 30, 2020, the carrying amount of goodwill attributable to our Royal Caribbean International reporting unit was $296.6 million.
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Silversea Cruises Reporting Unit
We performed an interim impairment evaluation of Silversea Cruises’ goodwill and trade name in connection with the preparation of our financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. As a result of this analysis, we determined that the carrying value of the Silversea Cruises reporting unit exceeded its fair value. Similarly, we determined that the carrying value of Silversea Cruises’ trade name exceeded its fair value. Accordingly, upon the completion of the impairment test, we recognized impairment charges of $576.2 million and $30.8 million for goodwill and the trade name, respectively, during the quarter ended March 31, 2020. We estimated the fair value of the Silversea Cruises reporting unit using a probability-weighted discounted cash flow model in combination with a market based valuation approach. Significant assumptions used in these valuations include the weighted average cost of capital discount factor, revenue growth rates and royalty rate. We did not perform an interim impairment evaluation of Silversea Cruises' reporting unit during the quarters ended June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020 as no triggering events were identified. As of September 30, 2020, the carrying amount of goodwill attributable to our Silversea Cruises reporting unit was $508.6 million.
Long-lived Assets
During the quarter ended March 31, 2020, we identified that the undiscounted cash flows of certain long-lived assets, consisting of 8 ships and certain right-of-use assets, were less than their carrying values. Events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the expected undiscounted cash flows of these assets. As a result of this determination, we evaluated these assets pursuant to our long-lived asset impairment test, which resulted in an impairment charge of $463.0 million to write down these assets to their estimated fair values during the quarter ended March 31, 2020.
During the quarter ended June 30, 2020, Monarch, Horizon and Sovereign , the three ships that we chartered to Pullmantur Holdings prior to the filing of the Pullmantur reorganization, met accounting criteria to be classified as held for sale which resulted in related impairment charges of $15.2 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2020 to adjust the carrying value of the assets held for sale to their fair value, less cost to sell. During the quarter ended March 31, 2020, an impairment charge of $156.1 million, included in the $463.0 million impairment charge to write down certain long-lived assets, was recorded for these ships. During the quarter ended September 30, 2020, we sold the ships to third parties for amounts approximating their carrying values and no further impairment was recorded.
Due to the continuing effect of COVID-19, we also updated our undiscounted cash flows analysis for other long-lived assets during the quarter ended June 30, 2020 and identified that the undiscounted cash flows for some of those assets, consisting of 2 ships and one right-of-use asset, were less than their carrying values. Based on our evaluation, we determined that an additional impairment charge of $49.7 million was required to write down these assets to their estimated fair values during the quarter ended June 30, 2020.
We performed undiscounted cash flow recoverability evaluations for three ships with a combined net book value of approximately $400.0 million in connection with the preparation of our financial statements during the three months ended September 30, 2020. As a result of these recoverability evaluations, it was determined the carrying value of these three ships to be recoverable at September 30, 2020. Our assessment applied probability scenario cash flows by using a 50% weighting to undiscounted cash flows through the remaining life of the ships and 50% to cash flows assuming disposal of the ships. In the event that our intent to continue to operate the ships changes, or the probability of disposing increases to 75%, the vessels would need to be fair valued and we expect that a material impairment charge would be recorded. We will continue to monitor these ships and our intent to use these ships in light of the COVID-19 environment. For the quarter ended September 30, 2020, we had no further indication of impairment to the carrying amount of our other ships and our right-of-use assets .
During the quarter ended September 30, 2020, we determined that certain construction in progress projects would be reduced in scope or would no longer be completed as a result of capital cost containment measures due to the impact COVID-19 has had on our operations. This led to the impairment of $83.9 million of construction in progress assets previously reported in Property and equipment, net .
The combined impairment charges of $83.9 million and $1.3 billion primarily related to our goodwill, trademarks and trade names, vessels and right-of-use assets were recognized in earnings during the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, and are reported within Impairment and credit losses within our consolidate d statements of comprehensive income (loss). For further information on the impairment losses and the fair value measurements used to estimate the fair value of these assets, refer to Note 3. Impairment and Credit Losses and Note 13. Fair Value Measurements and Derivative Instruments t o our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements .
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These impairment assessments and the resulting charges were determined based on management’s current estimates and projections using information through the time of the issuance of these financial statements. The adverse impact COVID-19 will continue to have on our business, operating results, cash flows and overall financial condition is uncertain and may result in changes to the assumptions used in the impairment tests discussed above, which may result in additional impairments of our goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets in the future. Refer to Risk Factors in Part 2, Item 1A. for further discussion on risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Seasonality
Our revenues are seasonal based on demand for cruises. Demand has historically been strongest for cruises during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer months and holidays. In order to mitigate the impact of the winter weather in the Northern Hemisphere and to capitalize on the summer season in the Southern Hemisphere, our brands have focused on deployment to the Caribbean, Asia and Australia during that period.
Financial Presentation
Description of Certain Line Items
Revenues
Our revenues are comprised of the following:
• Passenger ticket revenues , which consist of revenue recognized from the sale of passenger tickets and the sale of air transportation to and from our ships; and
• Onboard and other revenues , which consist primarily of revenues from the sale of goods and/or services onboard our ships not included in passenger ticket prices, cancellation fees, sales of vacation protection insurance, pre- and post-cruise tours and fees for operating certain port facilities. Onboard and other revenues also include revenues we receive from independent third-party concessionaires that pay us a percentage of their revenues in exchange for the right to provide selected goods and/or services onboard our ships, as well as revenues received for our bareboat charter, procurement and management related services we perform on behalf of our unconsolidated affiliates.
Cruise Operating Expenses
Our cruise operating expenses are comprised of the following:
• Commissions, transportation and other expenses , which consist of those costs directly associated with passenger ticket revenues, including travel agent commissions, air and other transportation expenses, port costs that vary with passenger head counts and related credit card fees;
• Onboard and other expenses , which consist of the direct costs associated with onboard and other revenues, including the costs of products sold onboard our ships, vacation protection insurance premiums, costs associated with pre- and post-cruise tours and related credit card fees, as well as, the minimal costs associated with concession revenues, as the costs are mostly incurred by third-party concessionaires, and costs incurred for the procurement and management related services we perform on behalf of our unconsolidated affiliates;
• Payroll and related expenses , which consist of costs for shipboard personnel (costs associated with our shoreside personnel are included in Marketing, selling and administrative expenses );
• Food expenses , which include food costs for both guests and crew;
• Fuel expenses , which include fuel and related delivery, storage and emission consumable costs and the financial impact of fuel swap agreements; and
• Other operating expenses , which consist primarily of operating costs such as repairs and maintenance, port costs that do not vary with passenger head counts, vessel related insurance, entertainment and gains and/or losses related to the sale of our ships, if any.
We do not allocate payroll and related expenses, food expenses, fuel expenses or other operating expenses to the expense categories attributable to passenger ticket revenues or onboard and other revenues since they are incurred to provide the total cruise vacation experience.
Selected Operational and Financial Metrics
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We utilize a variety of operational and financial metrics which are defined below to evaluate our performance and financial condition. As discussed in more detail herein, certain of these metrics are non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures are provided along with the related GAAP financial measures as we believe they provide useful information to investors as a supplement to our consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. The presentation of non-GAAP financial information is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for, or superior to, the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP.
Adjusted (Loss) Earnings per Share ("Adjusted EPS") represents Adjusted Net (Loss) Income attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. divided by weighted average shares outstanding or by diluted weighted average shares outstanding, as applicable. We believe that this non-GAAP measure is meaningful when assessing our performance on a comparative basis.
Adjusted Net (Loss) Income represents net (loss) income less net income attributable to noncontrolling interest excluding certain items that we believe adjusting for is meaningful when assessing our performance on a comparative basis. For the periods presented, these items included (i) asset impairment and credit losses recorded in 2020 as a result of the impact of COVID-19; (ii) equity investment impairment charges recorded in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the impact of COVID-19; (iii) currency translation losses recognized in connection with the ships that were previously chartered to Pullmantur; (iv) the estimated cash refund expected to be paid to Pullmantur guests and other expenses incurred as part of the Pullmantur S.A reorganization; (v) restructuring charges incurred in relation to the reduction in our U.S. workforce in 2020 and the reorganization of our global sales and marketing structure and other initiatives expenses; (vi) the amortization of non-cash debt discount on the $1.15 billion convertible notes; (vii) loss on the extinguishment of debt; (viii) the amortization of the Silversea Cruises intangible assets resulting from the 2018 Silversea Cruises acquisition; (ix) the noncontrolling interest adjustment to exclude the impact of the contractual accretion requirements associated with the put option held by Heritage Cruise Holding Ltd. ("Heritage"), prior to the July 2020 noncontrolling interest purchase; (x) the change in fair value in the Silversea Cruises contingent consideration; (xi) net insurance recoveries or costs related to the collapse of the drydock structure at the Grand Bahama Shipyard involving Oasis of the Seas; (xii) transaction costs related to the 2018 Silversea Cruises acquisition.
Available Passenger Cruise Days ( “APCD” ) is our measurement of capacity and represents double occupancy per cabin multiplied by the number of cruise days for the period, which excludes canceled cruise days and drydock days. We use this measure to perform capacity and rate analysis to identify our main non-capacity drivers that cause our cruise revenue and expenses to vary.
Occupancy , in accordance with cruise vacation industry practice, is calculated by dividing Passenger Cruise Days by APCD. A percentage in excess of 100% indicates that three or more passengers occupied some cabins.
Passenger Cruise Days represent the number of passengers carried for the period multiplied by the number of days of their respective cruises.
Although discussed in previous periods, we did not report nor reconcile our Gross Yields, Net Revenues, Net Yields, Gross Cruise Costs, Net Cruise Costs and Net Cruise Costs Excluding Fuel, as defined in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, or for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2020. Historically, we have utilized these financial metrics to measure relevant rate comparisons to other periods. However, our 2020 reduction in capacity and revenues and the shift in the nature of our running costs due to the suspension of our operations do not allow for a meaningful comparison to the 2019 metrics and as such these metrics have been excluded from this report.
Recent Developments: COVID-19
The disruptions to our operations resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic (“COVID-19”) have had, and continue to have, a material negative impact on our financial condition and results of operations. The outbreak of COVID-19 has resulted in an unprecedented global response to contain the spread of the disease. These global efforts have resulted in travel restrictions and created significant uncertainty regarding worldwide port closures and availability. As part of the global containment effort, the Company previously announced a voluntary suspension of its Global Brands' cruise operations beginning March 13, which has been extended through at least December 31, 2020, excluding sailings from Singapore. Celebrity Cruises also suspended their full 2020/21 Winter program in Australia and Asia. Additionally, Azamara suspended their 2020/21 Winter sailings throughout Australia and New Zealand, South Africa and South America. Containment efforts as a result of the disease and continued disruptions to travel and port operations in various regions may result in further suspensions.
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We continue to work with government and health authorities across the globe to address the unique public health challenges posed by COVID-19 and expect to re-start our global cruise operation in a phased manner. Notably, we resumed limited cruise operations outside of the U.S. in July with TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd, which are now operating three and two vessels, respectively, and in September, for a limited period, with one Silversea ship. Recently, we also received approval from the Singaporean Government. As a result, we anticipate that Quantum of the Seas , a ship from the Royal Caribbean International fleet, will resume cruising from Singapore in December 2020. These initial cruises are and will most likely take place with reduced guest occupancy, modified itineraries and enhanced health protocols developed in collaboration with governments and health authorities.
Update on Healthy Sail Panel Recommendations
On September 21, 2020, the Healthy Sail Panel ("HSP") submitted its recommendations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) in response to a CDC request for public comment that will be used to inform future public health guidance and preventative measures relating to travel on cruise ships. The HSP’s 65-plus-page report includes 74 recommendations to protect the public health and safety of guests, crew and the communities where cruise ships call. Recommendations include testing, the use of face coverings, and enhanced sanitation procedures on ships and in terminals.
The HSP identified five areas of focus every cruise operator should address to improve health and safety for guests and crew, and reduce the risk of infection and spread of COVID-19 on cruise ships:
1. Testing, Screening and Exposure Reduction
2. Sanitation and Ventilation
3. Response, Contingency Planning and Execution
4. Destination and Excursion Planning
5. Mitigating Risks for Crew Members
In each category, the HSP created practical and actionable recommendations to address specific safety concerns. Among the recommendations are key strategies such as:
◦ Taking aggressive measures to prevent COVID-19 from entering a ship through robust education, screening and testing of both crew and guests prior to embarkation;
◦ Reducing transmission via air management strategies and enhanced sanitation practices;
◦ Implementing detailed plans to address positive infection on board, including contingencies for onboard treatment, isolation and rapid evacuation and repatriation;
◦ Closely controlling shore excursions; and
◦ Enhanced protection for crew members.
CDC Framework for Conditional Sailing Order
On and effective as of October 30, 2020, the CDC issued a Framework for Conditional Sailing Order (the “Conditional Order”) that will conditionally permit cruise ship passenger operations in U.S. waters under certain conditions and using a phased approach. The Conditional Order replaces the CDC’s No Sail Order that expired on October 31, 2020 and shall remain in effect until the earlier of (1) the expiration of the Secretary of Health and Human Services’ declaration that COVID-19 constitutes a public health emergency, (2) the CDC Director rescinds or modifies the Conditional Order based on specific public health or other considerations, or (3) November 1, 2021.
The phases outlined in the Conditional Order include:
◦ Establishment of laboratory testing of crew and guests onboard cruise ships in U.S. waters and upon embarkation and disembarkation;
◦ Simulated voyages designed to test a cruise ship operators’ ability to mitigate COVID-19 on cruise ships;
◦ Meeting and maintaining requirements for a Conditional Sailing Certificate, which include, among other things, implementing the required testing protocols, a prohibition on offering itineraries longer than seven days, and the demonstration at each port where a ship intends to dock of approval with U.S. port and local health authorities, which requires medical care agreements addressing evacuation to onshore hospitals, housing agreements with onshore facilities for isolation and quarantine of COVID-19 cases, and port agreements to limit the number of cruise ships at any single port; and
◦ A return to passenger voyages in a manner that mitigates the risk of COVID-19 introduction, transmission, or spread among passengers and crew onboard ships and ashore to communities.
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While the Conditional Order represents an important step in our return to service, many uncertainties remain as to the specifics and timing of implementation, administration and costs of the requirements of the Conditional Order, some of which may be significant. Further, the Conditional Order contemplates that the CDC may issue additional requirements through technical instructions or orders as needed and that the phases described above will be further determined based on public health considerations, including the trajectory of the pandemic and the ability of cruise ships operators to successfully employ measures that mitigate the risk of COVID-19.
We will continue to work closely with both the CDC and the HSP as we make our plans to implement a comprehensive set of health and safety measures at every step of the guest journey with rigorous protocols, while continuing to deliver on our brands’ leading vacation experiences. We are also designing itineraries where we will be able to control the vacation experience in compliance with the health and safety protocols contained in the Conditional Order.
Beyond these health and safety protocols, our resumption of operations will include a staggered return of the fleet to service which will include bringing the fleet from layup status to fully operational; bringing crew back to an appropriate staffing level and expected reduced load factors for a period of time; and implementation of the health and safety protocols on ships as they resume operations and while protocols are required. However, we are currently reviewing the Conditional Order and assessing the uncertainties relating to the Conditional Order’s requirements. Based on our initial assessment of these conditions or for other reasons, we may determine it necessary to further extend our voluntary suspension of our Global Brands’ cruise sailings which currently extends through at least December 31, 2020.
Update on Bookings
Booking activity for the first half of 2021 is aligned with our anticipated staggered resumption of cruises. The cumulative booked position for our sailings in the second half of 2021 is within historical ranges with prices that are down slightly year-over-year when including the negative yield impact of bookings made with future cruise credits (“FCCs”) and about flat when excluding them. Since our last business update, more than 65% of the 2021 bookings are new and the rest are due to the redemption of FCCs and the “Lift & Shift” program. We continue to provide guests who were booked on a suspended sailing with the option to request a refund, to receive an FCC, or to “lift and shift” their booking to the following year.
As of September 30, 2020, we had $1.8 billion in customer deposits of which approximately 50% are FCCs and $180 million correspond to fourth quarter 2020 sailings. Approximately 50% of the guests booked on cancelled sailings have requested cash refunds.
Update on Recent Liquidity Actions and Ongoing Uses of Cash
As of September 30, 2020, we had liquidity of approximately $3.7 billion in the form of cash and cash equivalents of $3.0 billion and a $0.7 billion one-year commitment for a 364-day term loan facility . As of September 30, 2020, our revolving credit facilities were fully utilized through a combination of amounts drawn and letters of credit issued under the facilities. Given the current environment, we continue to prioritize and bolster liquidity through significant cost and capital reductions, cash conservation and additional financing sources, as described below, to ensure that we are well positioned for recovery .
Reduced Operating Expenses
We have taken significant actions to reduce operating expenses during the suspension of our global cruise operations. In particular, we:
• significantly reduced ship operating expenses, including crew payroll, food, fuel, insurance and port charges;
• further reduced operating expenses as the Company’s ships are currently transitioning into various levels of layup with several ships in the fleet transitioning into cold layup;
• eliminated or significantly reduced marketing and selling expenses for the remainder of 2020;
• reduced and furloughed our workforce, with approximately 23% of our US shoreside employee base being impacted; and
• suspended travel for shoreside employees and instituted a hiring freeze across the organization.
We may seek to further reduce our average monthly expenses under a further prolonged non-revenue scenario and during the restart of operations. This includes consideration of additional vessels heading to cold layup as well as further assessment of our U.S. shoreside workforce, including those coming back from furlough.
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Reduced Capital Expenditures
Since the start of February 2020, we have identified approximately $4.2 billion of total capital expenditure reductions or deferrals in 2020 and 2021. The reductions or deferrals of capital expenditures comprise of the following:
• $1.4 billion of non-newbuild, discretionary capital expenditures; and
• $2.8 billion in reduced spend or deferred installment payments for newbuild related payments which we are currently finalizing.
COVID-19 has impacted shipyard operations which have and will result in delays of our previously contracted ship deliveries as noted below. Of the six ships originally scheduled for delivery between July 2020 and December 2021, Silver Moon was delivered in October 2020 and we expect that Silver Dawn and Odyssey of the Seas will be delivered within the remaining time frame, with the shift of the Odyssey of the Seas expected delivery into early 2021. The exact duration of the ship delivery delays are currently under discussion with the impacted shipyards.
Debt Maturities, New Financings and Other Liquidity Actions
Since the start of February 2020, we have taken several additional actions to further improve our liquidity position and manage cash flow. In particular, we:
• increased the capacity under our unsecured revolving credit facilities by $0.6 billion, and fully drew on both facilities;
• entered into a $2.35 billion 364-day senior secured loan agreement with an option to extend the maturity for an additional 364 days. The senior secured loan balance was repaid with proceeds from the $3.32 billion Senior Secured Notes discussed below;
• issued $3.32 billion in Senior Secured Notes, of which $1.0 billion is due in 2023 and $2.32 billion is due in 2025. The previously mentioned $2.35 billion, 364-day senior secured loan was repaid in its entirety with a portion of the proceeds of these notes. The Senior Secured Notes are unconditionally guaranteed by Celebrity Cruises Holdings Inc., Celebrity Cruises Inc. and certain of our wholly-owned vessel-owning subsidiaries. $1.66 billion of the obligations under the Senior Secured Notes and the related guarantees are secured by first priority security interests in collateral, which includes certain of our material intellectual property, a pledge of 100% of the equity interests of certain of our vessel-owning subsidiaries and mortgages on the 28 vessels owned by such subsidiaries;
• secured deferrals of existing debt amortization under our export-credit backed debt facilities which increased the Company’s liquidity by an additional $0.9 billion;
• issued $1.0 billion senior guaranteed notes maturing 2023;
• issued $1.15 billion and $575.0 million senior convertible notes maturing 2023;
• qualified for a government commercial paper program by the Bank of England and issued £300.0 million, or approximately $387.9 million, of unsecured commercial paper thereunder;
• secured a commitment for a $700.0 million 364 day term loan facility available for draw any time prior to August 12, 2021;
• issued 9.6 million shares of common stock for approximately $575 million; and
• agreed with certain of our lenders that we will not pay dividends or engage in stock repurchases for so long as our debt covenant waivers are in effect.
Expected debt maturities for the remainder of 2020 and 2021 are $0.3 billion and $1.3 billion, respectively. We estimate our cash burn to be, on average, in the range of approximately $250 million to $290 million per month during a prolonged suspension of operations. This range includes all interest expenses, ongoing ship operating expenses, administrative expenses, hedging costs, expected necessary capital expenditures (net of committed financings in the case of newbuilds) and excludes cash refunds of customer deposits, commissions, debt obligations and cash inflows from new and existing bookings.
When we start returning our fleet into service, we will incur incremental spend as we bring the ships out of their various levels of layup, return the crew to our vessels, take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the recommended protocols and restart our sales and marketing activities.
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The total cash spend for the third quarter was approximately $1.1 billion, mainly driven by ship operating expenses. These expenses sequentially declined each month within the quarter as the fleet achieved the desired levels of layup by end of August 2020. Our cash burn rate for the quarter was consistent with our previously announced range when excluding cash refunds of customer deposits, commissions, debt obligations, cash inflows from new and existing bookings and fees and collateral postings related to our financing and hedging activities.
The Company continues to identify and evaluate further actions to improve its liquidity. These include and are not limited to further reductions in capital expenditures, operating expenses and administrative costs and additional financings.
Furthermore, both our export credit facilities and non-export credit bank facilities contain covenants that require us, among other things, to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 1.25x and limit our net debt-to-capital ratio to no more than 62.5%, and under certain facilities, to maintain minimum shareholders' equity. In the second quarter of 2020, the requisite lenders under such facilities agreed to waive the requirement to comply with such financial covenants through and including the first quarter of 2021. In certain of these facilities, we agreed to additional covenants during the covenant waiver period, including unrestricted cash and cash equivalents to be tested monthly, and that we are not permitted during the covenant waiver period, subject to limited exceptions, to pay cash dividends or make share repurchases unless we would have been compliant with our fixed charge coverage ratio at such time. In the third quarter of 2020, we further amended our export facilities and certain of our non-export credit facilities, to extend the financial covenant waiver through and including, the fourth quarter of 2021. In connection therewith, the minimum liquidity requirement was $500.0 million as of September 30, 2020; however, this amount was subsequently reduced to $350.0 million upon completion of our capital raising activities in October 2020.
Results of Operations
Summary
Net Loss and Adjusted Net Loss attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. for the third quarter of 2020 were $1.3 billion and $1.2 billion, or $6.29 and $5.62 per share on a diluted basis, respectively, reflecting the impact of our suspension of global fleet sailings starting in mid-March, compared to Net Income and Adjusted Net Income attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. of $883.2 million and $896.8 million, or $4.20 and $4.27 per share on a diluted basis, respectively, for the third quarter of 2019.
Net Loss and Adjusted Net Loss to attributable Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 were $4.4 billion and 2.8 billion, or $21.01 and $13.26 per share on a diluted basis, respectively, compared to Net Income and Adjusted Net Income attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. of $1.6 billion and $1.7 billion, or $7.65 and $8.12 per share on a diluted basis, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2019.
Significant items for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2020 include:
• Total revenues, excluding the effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, decreased $3,221.0 million and $6,235.8 million for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same periods in 2019, reflecting the volume impact of our cancelled sailings during 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates related to our passenger ticket and onboard and other revenue transactions, denominated in currencies other than the United States dollar, resulted in an increase in total revenues of $0.4 million for the quarter and a decrease of $22.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the same periods in 2019.
• Total cruise operating expenses, excluding the effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates, decreased $1,315.3 million and $2,068.0 million for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same periods in 2019 due to the suspension of operations during the full quarter ended September 30, 2020.
• The effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates related to our cruise operating expenses, denominated in currencies other than the United States dollar, resulted in an increase in total operating expenses of $0.9 million and a decrease of $13.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the same periods in 2019.
• During the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2020, as a result of the current and expected ongoing impact of COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and cash flows, we recorded total impairment and credit losses of $89.9 million and $1.4 billion, respectively. The impairment charges related to our goodwill, trademarks and trade names, long-lived assets, including right-of-use assets, and credit losses related to our notes receivable.
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• Our consolidated results of operations include Silversea Cruises’ results of operations on a three-month reporting lag from April 1, 2020 through June 30, 2020 for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 and from October 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. Refer to Note 1. General to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements for further information on this three-month reporting lag.
• In March 2020, we increased the capacity of our $1.7 billion and $1.2 billion unsecured revolving credit facilities due in 2024 and 2022, by $200 million and $400 million, respectively.
• In March and June 2020, we took delivery of Celebrity Apex and Silver Origin , respectively. To finance the purchase of Celebrity Apex , we borrowed $722.2 million under a previously committed unsecured term loan.
• In March 2020, we borrowed $2.2 billion pursuant to a 364-day senior secured term loan agreement. Subsequently, the term loan was increased to $2.35 billion and was repaid in May 2020.
• In May 2020, we issued $3.32 billion in Senior Secured Notes. $1.0 billion of the notes accrue interest at 10.875% and mature in 2023. The remaining $2.32 billion of the notes accrue interest at a fixed rate of 11.5% and mature in 2025.
• In May 2020, we qualified for a U.K. government commercial paper program providing £300.0 million of available liquidity and issued £300.0 million, or approximately $387.9 million, of unsecured commercial paper thereunder.
• In June 2020, we issued $1.0 billion in senior unsecured notes which accrue interest at 9.125% and mature in 2023.
• In June 2020, we issued $1.15 billion in convertible notes which accrue interest at 4.25% and mature in 2023. The notes are convertible into shares of common stock of the Company, cash, or a combination of common stock and cash, at our election.
• In August 2020, we secured a commitment for a $700.0 million 364-day term loan facility available for draw any time prior to August 12, 2021.
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Operating results for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019 are shown in the following table (in thousands, except per share data):
Quarter Ended September 30,
2020 2019
% of Total
Revenues % of Total
Revenues
Passenger ticket revenues $ 3,204 (9.5) % $ 2,344,779 73.6 %
Onboard and other revenues (36,892) 109.5 % 842,071 26.4 %
Total revenues (33,688) 100.0 % 3,186,850 100.0 %
Cruise operating expenses:
Commissions, transportation and other (3,321) 9.9 % 488,921 15.3 %
Onboard and other 6,036 (17.9) % 200,656 6.3 %
Payroll and related 119,213 (353.9) % 263,993 8.3 %
Food 5,640 (16.7) % 149,621 4.7 %
Fuel 53,815 (159.7) % 177,677 5.6 %
Other operating 127,226 (377.7) % 342,170 10.7 %
Total cruise operating expenses 308,609 (916.1) % 1,623,038 50.9 %
Marketing, selling and administrative expenses 246,779 (732.5) % 352,725 11.1 %
Depreciation and amortization expenses 317,139 (941.4) % 320,295 10.1 %
Impairment and credit losses 89,899 (266.9) % — — %
Operating (Loss) Income (996,114) 2,956.9 % 890,792 28.0 %
Other (expense) income:
Interest income 5,017 (14.9) % 5,625 0.2 %
Interest expense, net of interest capitalized (259,349) 769.9 % (102,038) (3.2) %
Equity investment (loss) income (78,013) 231.6 % 103,654 3.3 %
Other expense (10,853) 32.2 % (7,668) (0.2) %
(343,198) 1,018.8 % (427) — %
Net (Loss) Income (1,339,312) 3,975.6 % 890,365 27.9 %
Less: Net Income attributable to noncontrolling interest 7,444 (22.1) % 7,125 0.2 %
Net (Loss) Income attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $ (1,346,756) 3,997.7 % $ 883,240 27.7 %
Diluted (Loss) Earnings per Share $ (6.29) $ 4.20
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Nine Months Ended September 30,
2020 2019
% of Total
Revenues % of Total
Revenues
Passenger ticket revenues $ 1,487,077 68.4 % $ 6,072,599 72.0 %
Onboard and other revenues 687,590 31.6 % 2,360,649 28.0 %
Total revenues 2,174,667 100.0 % 8,433,248 100.0 %
Cruise operating expenses:
Commissions, transportation and other 342,632 15.8 % 1,279,010 15.2 %
Onboard and other 151,333 7.0 % 510,255 6.1 %
Payroll and related 693,480 31.9 % 799,094 9.5 %
Food 154,439 7.1 % 436,002 5.2 %
Fuel 327,275 15.0 % 519,772 6.2 %
Other operating 830,689 38.2 % 1,037,113 12.3 %
Total cruise operating expenses 2,499,848 115.0 % 4,581,246 54.3 %
Marketing, selling and administrative expenses 944,087 43.4 % 1,144,546 13.6 %
Depreciation and amortization expenses 961,226 44.2 % 924,180 11.0 %
Impairment and credit losses 1,354,514 62.3 % — — %
Operating (Loss) Income (3,585,008) (164.9) % 1,783,276 21.1 %
Other (expense) income:
Interest income 15,757 0.7 % 21,751 0.3 %
Interest expense, net of interest capitalized (571,149) (26.3) % (313,757) (3.7) %
Equity investment (loss) income (140,258) (6.4) % 170,393 2.0 %
Other expense (127,537) (5.9) % (34,537) (0.4) %
(823,187) (37.9) % (156,150) (1.9) %
Net (Loss) Income $ (4,408,195) (202.7) % $ 1,627,126 19.3 %
Less: Net Income attributable to noncontrolling interest 22,332 1.0 % 21,375 0.3 %
Net (Loss) Income attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $ (4,430,527) (203.7) % $ 1,605,751 19.0 %
Diluted (Loss) Earnings per Share $ (21.01) $ 7.65
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Adjusted Net (Loss) Income attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd and Adjusted (Loss) Earnings per Share attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd were calculated as follows (in thousands, except per share data):
Quarter Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019
Net (Loss) Income attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $ (1,346,756) $ 883,240 $ (4,430,527) $ 1,605,751
Adjusted Net (Loss) Income attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (1,204,350) 896,838 (2,797,335) 1,705,420
Net Adjustments to Net (Loss) Income attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $ 142,406 $ 13,598 $ 1,633,192 $ 99,669
Adjustments to Net (Loss) Income attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.:
Impairment and credit losses (1) $ 89,899 $ — 1,354,514 $ —
Equity investment impairment (2) — — 39,735 —
Currency translation adjustment losses (3) — — 69,044 —
Pullmantur reorganization settlement (4) — — 21,637 —
Restructuring charges and other initiatives expense (5) 5,720 — 50,745 —
Convertible debt amortization of debt discount (6) 17,750 — 21,934 —
Loss on extinguishment of debt (7) 774 — 41,109 6,326
Amortization of Silversea Cruises intangible assets resulting from the 2018 Silversea Cruises acquisition (8) 3,069 3,069 9,207 9,207
Noncontrolling interest adjustment (9) 25,715 8,508 72,331 43,082
Change in fair value of the Silversea contingent consideration (8) (521) — (45,126) 10,700
Net insurance recoveries of Oasis of the Seas incident (10) — 2,021 (1,938) 29,168
Transaction costs related to the 2018 Silversea Cruises acquisition (8) — — — 1,186
Net Adjustments to Net (Loss) Income attributable to Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. $ 142,406 $ 13,598 $ 1,633,192 $ 99,669
Basic:
(Loss) Earnings per Share $ (6.29) $ 4.21 $ (21.01) $ 7.67
Adjusted (Loss) Earnings per Share $ (5.62) $ 4.28 $ (13.26) $ 8.14
Diluted:
(Loss) Earnings per Share $ (6.29) $ 4.20 $ (21.01) $ 7.65
Adjusted (Loss) Earnings per Share $ (5.62) $ 4.27 $ (13.26) $ 8.12
Weighted-Average Shares Outstanding:
Basic 214,163 209,575 210,894 209,477
Diluted 214,163 210,121 210,894 210,032
(1) Represents asset impairment and credit losses recorded in 2020 as a result of the impact of COVID-19.
(2) Represents equity investment asset impairment, primarily for our investment in Grand Bahama Shipyard, recorded in the first quarter of 2020 as a result of the impact of COVID-19.
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(3) Represents currency translation losses recognized in connection with the ships classified as assets held-for-sale and subsequently sold that were previously chartered to Pullmantur. Refer to Note 6. Other Assets to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements for further information.
(4) Represents estimated cash refunds expected to be paid to Pullmantur guests and other expenses incurred as part of the Pullmantur S.A reorganization.
(5) Represents restructuring charges incurred in relation to the reduction in our U.S. workforce in 2020 and the reorganization of our international sales and marketing structure and other initiatives expenses.
(6) Represents the amortization of non-cash debt discount on the $1.15 billion convertible notes.
(7) In 2020, represents the loss on the extinguishment of the $2.2 billion Senior Secured Term Loan. In 2019, represents the loss on the extinguishment of the $700 million 364-day loan related to the 2018 Silversea Cruises acquisition and the remaining balance of the unsecured term loan originally incurred in 2010 to purchase Allure of the Seas .
(8) Related to the 2018 Silversea Cruises acquisition.
(9) Adjustment made to exclude the impact of the contractual accretion requirements associated with the put option held by the Silversea Cruises noncontrolling interest prior to the July 2020 noncontrolling interest purchase.
(10) Amount includes net insurance recoveries related to the collapse of the drydock structure at the Grand Bahama Shipyard involving Oasis of the Seas.
Selected statistical information is shown in the following table (1):
Quarter Ended September 30, Nine months ended September 30,
2020 2019 2020 2019
Passengers Carried 1,230 1,728,997 1,261,075 4,926,123
Passenger Cruise Days 5,424 11,863,189 8,653,799 33,746,534
APCD 5,424 10,733,254 8,437,003 31,031,274
Occupancy 100.0 % 110.5 % 102.6 % 108.8 %
(1) ) Due to the three-month reporting lag, we include Silversea Cruises' result of operations from April 1 through June 30 for the quarters ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 and from October 1 through June 30 for the nine months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019. Refer to Note 1. General to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements for more information on the three-month reporting lag.
2020 Outlook
On March 10, 2020, we withdrew our full-year 2020 guidance due to the heightened impact and uncertainty of changes in the magnitude, duration and geographic reach of COVID-19. The magnitude, duration and speed of COVID-19 and related disruptions remain uncertain. As a consequence, the Company cannot reasonably estimate the impact of COVID-19 on its business, financial condition or near or longer-term financial or operational results with reasonable certainty. The adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our revenues, consolidated results of operations, cash flows and financial condition has been and will continue to be material in 2020. We expect to incur a net loss on both a US GAAP and adjusted basis for our fourth quarter and the 2020 fiscal year. See Recent Developments: COVID-19 – Update on Bookings for further indication of the booking environment for 2021.
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Quarter Ended September 30, 2020 Compared to Quarter Ended September 30, 2019
In this section, references to 2020 refer to the quarter ended September 30, 2020 and references to 2019 refer to the quarter ended September 30, 2019.
Revenues
Total revenues for 2020 decreased $3,220.5 million, or 101.1%, from 2019.
Passenger ticket revenues for 2020 decreased by $2,341.6 million, or 99.9%, from 2019. The decrease was due to a 99.9% decrease in capacity, which decreased Passenger ticket revenues by $2,344.3 million, driven by our cancelled sailings resulting from the suspension of our global fleet operations in mid-March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Onboard and other revenues decreased $879.0 million, or 104.4%, to $(36.9) million in 2020 from $842.1 million in 2019. Onboard and other revenues for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 includes a charge of $67.9 million to correct cancellation revenue, for certain immaterial bookings, that was incorrectly recognized during the six months ended June 30, 2020. The charge is offsetting cancellation and other revenue recognized during the quarter ended September 30, 2020 and is considered immaterial to our financial statements.
Onboard and other revenues included concession revenues of $0.4 million in 2020 and $91.5 million in 2019.
Cruise Operating Expenses
Total Cruise operating expenses for 2020 decreased $1,314.4 million, or 81.0%, to $0.3 billion from $1.6 billion in 2019. The majority of the decrease was due to our cancelled sailings as follows:
• a $492.2 million decrease in Commissions, transportation and other primarily due to lower commission and variable passenger tax expenses; During the three months ended September 30, 2020, we recognized income in Commissions transportation and other as a result of rebates received from various ports for past sailings.
• a $194.6 million decrease in Onboard and other expenses mostly due to lower shore excursion costs and beverage costs;
• a $144.0 million decrease in Food expenses;
• a $144.8 million decrease in Payroll and related expenses resulting from reduced onboard staffing levels;
• a $123.9 million decrease in Fuel expenses; and
• a $214.9 million decrease in Other operating expenses mostly due to lower port fees and a decrease in ship maintenance and consumable costs.
Marketing, Selling and Administrative Expenses
Marketing, selling and administrative expenses for 2020 decreased $105.9 million, or 30.0%, to $246.8 million from $352.7 million in 2019. The decrease was due to a reduction and deferral of global sales and marketing activities due to the suspension of our operations.
Depreciation and Amortization Expenses
Depreciation and amortization expenses for 2020 decreased $3.2 million, or 1.0%, to $317.1 million from $320.3 million in 2019. The decrease was primarily due to the reclassification of the Silversea Cruises Silver Explorer lease to an operating lease from a finance lease, based on modification of the terms of the lease during the second quarter of 2020, and a net reduction in long lived assets due to impairments in 2020, partially offset by additions associated with our 2019 ship modernization projects, shoreside projects and the addition of Celebrity Apex and Silver Origin in the first and second quarters of 2020.
Impairment and Credit Losses
During the quarter ended September 30, 2020, as a result of the current and expected ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and cash flows, we recorded total impairment and credit losses of $89.9 million primarily related to construction in progress projects that were reduced in scope or determined to no longer be completed as a result of cost containment measures due to the impact COVID-19 has had on our operations.
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Other Income (Expense)
Interest expense, net of interest capitalized for 2020 increased $157.3 million, or 154.2%, to $259.3 million from $102.0 million in 2019. The increase was primarily due to new debt issuances in 2020 and a higher average balance on our revolver facilities.
Equity investment (loss) income in 2020 was loss of $78.0 million compared to income of $103.7 million in 2019. The decrease of $181.7 million was primarily due to losses reported by our equity investments as a result of the adverse impact of COVID-19 on their operations and earnings.
Other expense in 2020 was $10.9 million compared to $7.7 million in 2019. The increase of $3.2 million in Other expense was primarily due to the recognition of $12.7 million in higher losses on mostly fuel swap derivative instruments that are marked to market and the recognition of higher net losses on remeasurement of our foreign monetary assets by $8.6 million in 2020, offset by a decrease in net tax expense mostly attributable to the suspension in our operations of $19.5 million.
Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income
Other comprehensive income (loss) in 2020 was income of $82.1 million compared to loss of $293.2 million in 2019. The increase in income of $375.3 million was primarily due to Gain on cash flow derivative hedges in 2020 of $66.1 million compared to a Loss on cash flow derivative hedges in 2019 of $(265.2) million. The increase in cash flow derivative hedge income in 2020 was primarily due to an increase in the fair value of our foreign currency forwards in 2020 compared to a decrease in the fair value of these foreign currency forwards in 2019 due to changes in market rates.
Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 Compared to Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
In this section, references to 2020 refer to the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and references to 2019 refer to the nine months ended September 30, 2019
Revenues
Total revenues for 2020 decreased $6.3 billion, or 74.2%, to $2.2 billion from $8.4 billion in 2019.
Passenger ticket revenues comprised 68.4% of our 2020 total revenues. Passenger ticket revenues for 2020 decreased by $4.6 billion, or 75.5%, from 2019. The decrease was due to a 73% decrease in capacity driven by our cancelled sailings resulting from the suspension of our global fleet operations since mid-March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Passenger ticket revenues were also decreased by $15.7 million due to the unfavorable effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates related to our revenues in currencies other than the United States dollar.
The remaining 31.6% of 2020 total revenues was comprised of Onboard and other revenues , which decreased $1,673.1 million, or 70.9% to $687.6 million in 2020 from $2.4 billion in 2019. The decrease in Onboard and other revenues was primarily due to the 73% decrease in capacity related to cancelled sailings noted above.
Onboard and other revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 also includes a charge of $67.9 million recorded in the quarter ended September 30, 2020 to correct cancellation revenue, for certain immaterial bookings, that was incorrectly recognized during the six months ended June 30, 2020. The charge is considered immaterial to our financial statements. Additionally, Onboard and other revenues includes, to a much lesser extent, the unfavorable effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates related to our onboard and other revenues denominated in currencies other than the United States dollar of $7.0 million.
Onboard and other revenues included concession revenue of $75.1 million in 2020 and $276.0 million in 2019.
Cruise Operating Expenses
Total cruise operating expenses for 2020 decreased $2.1 billion, or (45.4)%, to $2.5 billion from $4.6 billion in 2019. The majority of the decrease was due to the 73% decrease in capacity noted above as a result of our cancelled sailings as follows:
• a $936.4 million decrease in Commissions, transportation and other primarily due to lower commission and variable passenger tax expenses;
• a $358.9 million decrease in Onboard and other expenses mostly due to lower shore excursion costs and beverage costs;
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• a $281.6 million decrease in Food expenses;
• a $206.4 million decrease in Other operating expenses mostly due to lower port fees and a decrease in ship maintenance and consumable costs.
• a $192.5 million decrease in Fuel expenses;
• a $105.6 million decrease in Payroll and related expenses resulting from reduced onboard staffing levels; and
• the favorable effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates related to our expense transactions denominated in currencies other than the United States dollar of $13.4 million.
Marketing, Selling and Administrative Expenses
Marketing, selling and administrative expenses decreased $200.5 million, or 17.5%, to $944.1 million from $1.1 billion in 2019. The decrease was due to the reduction and deferral of global sales and marketing activities due to the suspension of our operations.
Depreciation and Amortization Expenses
Depreciation and amortization expenses for 2020 increased $37.0 million, or 4.0%, to $961.2 million from $924.2 million in 2019. The increase was primarily due to the additions of Celebrity Apex and Silver Origin in the first and second quarters of 2020, respectively. Additionally, the increase is also attributable to new shipboard additions in 2019 associated with our ship modernization projects and additions related to our shoreside projects.
Impairment and Credit Losses
For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, as a result of the current and expected ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our operations and cash flows, we recorded total impairment and credit losses of $1.4 billion, most of which was recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2020, related to the impairment of goodwill, intangibles, long-lived assets and credit losses related to the sale of our property and equipment.
Other Income (Expense)
Interest expense, net of interest capitalized , for 2020 increased $257.4 million, or 82.0%, to $571.1 million from $313.8 million in 2019. The increase was primarily due to new debt issuances in 2020, a higher average balance on our revolver and a loss on extinguishment of the $2.35 billion senior secured term loan of $41.1 million recorded mostly during the three months ended June 30, 2020.
Equity investment (loss) income decreased $310.7 million, or 182.3%, to a loss of $140.3 million in 2020 from income of $170.4 million in 2019 mainly due to losses reported by our equity investments as a result of the adverse impact of COVID-19 on their operations and earnings and a $39.7 million impairment charge of equity investments, recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2020, primarily for our investment in Grand Bahama Shipyard.
Other expense was $127.5 million in 2020 compared to $34.5 million in 2019. The $93.0 million increase in expense includes recognition of a deferred currency translation adjustment loss of $69.0 million in the quarter ended June 30, 2020 related to the 2016 sale of our majority interest in the Pullmantur brand. We recognized the deferred currency translation loss as we no longer have significant involvement in Pullmantur's operations. In June 2020, we terminated the agreements chartering our ships to the Pullmantur brand as a result of its reorganization filing under Spanish law. We also recognized $21.6 million of expense during the second quarter of 2020, approximating the estimated total cash refund expected to be paid to Pullmantur guests and other expenses incurred as part of a settlement agreement with our joint venture partner as part of the brand's reorganization and a net $87.5 million loss related to the change in fair value of mostly fuel swap derivative instruments with no hedge accounting. These expenses were partially offset by income of $55.8 million for the change in contingent consideration payable in 2020 to Heritage and a decrease in net tax expense mostly attributable to the suspension in our operations of $35.7 million.
Other Comprehensive (Loss)
Other comprehensive loss in 2020 was $71.4 million compared to other comprehensive loss of $318.6 million in 2019. The change of $247.2 million, or (77.6)%, was primarily due to a loss on cash flow derivative hedges in 2020 of $110.1 million, compared to a loss on cash flow derivative hedges of $288.1 million in 2019. The reduction in cash flow derivative hedge loss in 2020 was primarily due to an increase in the fair value of our foreign currency forwards in 2020 compared to a decrease in the fair value of these foreign currency forwards in 2019 due to changes in market rates.
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Future Application of Accounting Standards
Refer to Note 2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements for further information on Recent Accounting Pronouncements.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Sources and Uses of Cash
As a result of the COVID-19 impact on our business, including the suspension of global sailings, we have experienced a decrease in bookings and an increase in customer deposit refunds since the first quarter of 2020 which has significantly affected our liquidity and cash flow.
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities decreased $6.0 billion to cash used of $2.9 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to cash provided of $3.1 billion for the same period in 2019. The current disruptions to our business led to a decrease in collections from our guests as well as an increase of refunds to guest for cancelled sailings during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019.
Net cash (used in) investing activities decreased $613.7 million to $1.8 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to $2.4 billion for the same period in 2019. The decrease in investing activities was primarily attributable to a decrease in capital expenditures of $768.7 million.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $7.5 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to Net cash used in financing activities of $0.7 billion for the same period in 2019. The change was primarily attributable to an increase in debt proceeds of $9.6 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to the same period in 2019, partially offset by net repayments of commercial paper of $1.1 billion during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared to net borrowings of commercial paper of $0.1 billion during the same period in 2019. The increase in debt proceeds was primarily due to the $2.2 billion 364-day Senior Secured Term Loan which was repaid in May 2020, the $3.32 billion Senior Secured Notes issued in May 2020, issuance of $1.0 billion senior unsecured notes, issuance of $1.15 billion convertible notes, the $0.7 billion unsecured term loan borrowed to finance Celebrity Apex , and higher drawings on our revolving credit facilities, resulting in a fully utilized balance, during the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019.
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Future Capital Commitments
Capital Expenditures
As of September 30, 2020, our Global Brands and our Partner Brands have 16 ships on order. Their original contractual delivery dates and their approximate berths are listed below. COVID-19 has impacted shipyard operations which have and will result in delays of our previously contracted ship deliveries as noted below. Of the six ships originally scheduled for delivery between July 2020 and December 2021, Silver Moon was delivered in October 2020 and we expect that Silver Dawn and Odyssey of the Seas will be delivered within the remaining time frame, with the shift of the Odyssey of the Seas expected delivery into early 2021. The exact duration of the ship delivery delays are currently under discussion with the impacted shipyards:
Ship Shipyard Contractual Delivery Date Approximate
Berths
Royal Caribbean International —
Oasis-class:
Wonder of the Seas Chantiers de l'Atlantique 2nd Quarter 2021 5,700
Unnamed Chantiers de l'Atlantique 4th Quarter 2023 5,700
Quantum-class:
Odyssey of the Seas Meyer Werft 4th Quarter 2020 4,200
Icon-class:
Unnamed Meyer Turku Oy 2nd Quarter 2022 5,600
Unnamed Meyer Turku Oy 2nd Quarter 2024 5,600
Unnamed Meyer Turku Oy 2nd Quarter 2025 5,600
Celebrity Cruises —
Edge-class:
Celebrity Beyond Chantiers de l'Atlantique 4th Quarter 2021 3,250
Unnamed Chantiers de l'Atlantique 4th Quarter 2022 3,250
Silversea Cruises —
Muse-Class:
Silver Moon (1)
Fincantieri 3rd Quarter 2020 550
Silver Dawn Fincantieri 4th Quarter 2021 550
Evolution Class:
Unnamed Meyer Werft 1st Quarter 2022 600
Unnamed Meyer Werft 1st Quarter 2023 600
TUI Cruises (50% joint venture) —
Mein Schiff 7 Meyer Turku Oy 2nd Quarter 2023 2,900
Unnamed Fincantieri 3rd Quarter 2024 4,100
Unnamed Fincantieri 1st Quarter 2026 4,100
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises (50% joint venture) —
Hanseatic Spirit VARD 2nd Quarter 2021 230
Total Berths 52,530
(1) In October 2020, we took delivery of Silver Moon .
In April 2019, we entered into an agreement with Chantiers de l’Atlantique to build the fifth Edge-class ship for Celebrity Cruises. The ship is expected to have an aggregate capacity of approximately 3,200 berths. The order with Chantiers de l’Atlantique is contingent upon completion of conditions precedent and financing.
Our future capital commitments consist primarily of new ship orders. As of September 30, 2020, the aggregate cost of our ships on order presented in the table above, excluding any ships on order by our Partner Brands, was $14.1 billion, of which we had deposited $770.7 million. Approximately 64.4% of the aggregate cost was exposed to fluctuations in the Euro exchange
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rate at September 30, 2020. Refer to Note 13. Fair Value Measurements and Derivative Instruments to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements .
Decreased demand for cruising as a result of concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic has had, and is expected to continue to have, a material impact on our cash flows, liquidity and financial position. In order to preserve liquidity throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we deferred a significant portion of our planned 2020 and 2021 capital expenditures. As of September 30, 2020, we anticipate overall full year capital expenditures, based on our existing ships on order, will be approximately $0.6 billion for 2020 and $1.8 billion for 2021. These amounts do not include any ships on order by our Partner Brands.
Contractual Obligations
As of September 30, 2020, our contractual obligations were as follows (in thousands):
Payments due by period
Less than 1-3 3-5 More than
Total 1 year years years 5 years
Operating Activities:
Operating lease obligations(1) $ 863,516 $ 125,300 $ 219,666 $ 84,186 $ 434,364
Interest on debt(2) 3,842,616 893,146 1,573,354 836,295 539,821
Other(3) 620,741 200,123 373,183 24,083 23,352
Investing Activities: 0
Ship purchase obligations(4) 11,304,988 3,023,432 4,291,486 3,990,070 —
Financing Activities: 0
Commercial paper(5) 386,683 386,683 — — —
Debt obligations(6) 18,286,811 823,514 8,122,072 6,417,986 2,923,239
Finance lease obligations(7) 216,953 46,513 29,479 10,914 130,047
Other(8) 13,765 5,647 6,861 1,257 —
Total $ 35,536,073 $ 5,504,358 $ 14,616,101 $ 11,364,791 $ 4,050,823
(1) We are obligated under noncancelable operating leases primarily for preferred berthing arrangements, real estate and shipboard equipment. Amounts represent contractual obligations with initial terms in excess of one year.
(2) Long-term debt obligations mature at various dates through fiscal year 2032 and bear interest at fixed and variable rates. Interest on variable-rate debt is calculated based on forecasted debt balances, including the impact of interest rate swap agreements using the applicable rate at September 30, 2020. Debt denominated in other currencies is calculated based on the applicable exchange rate at September 30, 2020.
(3) Amounts primarily represent future commitments with remaining terms in excess of one year to pay for our usage of certain port facilities, marine consumables, services and maintenance contracts. Included in the 1-3 year figure is estimated cash collateral of $181.1 million that we are required to deliver on or before July 18, 2021 in connection with our Port of Miami terminal operating lease. See Note 8. Leases to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements for further information on the collateral requirement.
(4) Amounts are based on contractual installment and delivery dates for our ships on order. Included in these figures are $9.3 billion in final contractual installments, which have committed financing. COVID-19 has impacted shipyard operations which have and will result in delays for our previously contracted ship deliveries. The exact duration of the ship delivery delays are currently under discussion with the impacted shipyards. Amounts do not include potential obligations which remain subject to cancellation at our sole discretion or any agreements entered for ships on order that remain contingent upon completion of conditions precedent. Additionally, amounts do not include activity related to Silversea Cruises, including ships placed on order, if any, during the three-month reporting lag period.
(5) Refer to Note 7. Debt to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements for further information.
(6) Amounts represent debt obligations with initial terms in excess of one year. Debt denominated in other currencies is calculated based on the applicable exchange rate at September 30, 2020. In addition, debt obligations presented above are net of debt issuance costs of $315.7 million as of September 30, 2020.
(7) Amounts represent finance lease obligations with initial terms in excess of one year, net of imputed interest.
(8) Amounts represent fees payable to sovereign guarantors in connection with certain of our export credit debt facilities and facility fees on our revolving credit facilities.
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Please refer to Funding Needs and Sources for discussion on the planned funding of the above contractual obligations.
As a normal part of our business, depending on market conditions, pricing and our overall growth strategy, we continuously consider opportunities to enter into contracts for the building of additional ships. We may also consider the sale of ships or the purchase of existing ships. We continuously consider potential acquisitions and strategic alliances. If any of these were to occur, they would be financed through the incurrence of additional indebtedness, the issuance of additional shares of equity securities or through cash flows from operations.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
TUIC has entered into various ship construction and credit agreements that include certain restrictions on each of our and TUI AG’s ability to reduce our current ownership interest in TUIC below 37.55% through May 2033.
Some of the contracts that we enter into include indemnification provisions that obligate us to make payments to the counterparty if certain events occur. These contingencies generally relate to changes in taxes, increased lender capital costs and other similar costs. The indemnification clauses are often standard contractual terms and are entered into in the normal course of business. There are no stated or notional amounts included in the indemnification clauses and we are not able to estimate the maximum potential amount of future payments, if any, under these indemnification clauses. We have not been required to make any payments under such indemnification clauses in the past and, under current circumstances, we do not believe an indemnification obligation is probable.
We have a residual value guarantee associated with our operating lease of a terminal at Port of Miami in Miami, Florida that approximates a percentage of cost of the asset as of the inception of the lease. We consider the possibility of incurring costs associated with the residual value guarantee to be remote. Also in connection with the Port of Miami terminal operating lease, we are required to deliver on or before July 18, 2021, cash collateral in an amount equal to the lesser of our residual value guarantee or the aggregate balance of the lessors' terminal construction debt, estimated at $181.1 million as of September 30, 2020. The collateral is to be issued to an escrow agent and pledged to the benefit of the terminal construction debt lenders until all amounts due by us under the lease have been paid in full.
On August 24, 2020, Moody’s downgraded our senior unsecured rating from Ba2 to B2, and on August 31, 2020, S&P Global downgraded our senior unsecured rating from BB to B+. Our access to, and cost of debt financing is negatively impacted by the downgrades.
Certain of our credit card processing agreements that govern the terms to advance passenger ticket deposits, require under certain circumstances, including existence of a material adverse change, excessive chargebacks and other triggering events, that we maintain a reserve which could be satisfied by posting collateral. We have executed amendments to these agreements, such that certain covenant and collateral requirements are waived for a period through December 2021. Based on the triggers in the various agreements, we do not believe any incremental collateral will be required, although the maximum additional collateral or reserves we could potentially need to provide under these agreements in the next twelve months is approximately $75 million.
Certain of our surety agreements with third party providers for the benefit of certain agencies and associations that provide travel related bonds allow the surety to request collateral in the form of cash or letters of credit. Several of these agreements are currently up for renewal. We expect that our current and/or new providers will request collateral in the amount of approximately $80 million based on the exchange rate at September 30, 2020.
As of September 30, 2020, other than the items described above, we are not party to any other off-balance sheet arrangements, including guarantee contracts, retained or contingent interest, certain derivative instruments and variable interest entities, that either have, or are reasonably likely to have, a current or future material effect on our financial position.
Funding Needs and Sources
Historically, we relied on a combination of cash flows provided by operations, draw downs under our available credit facilities, the incurrence of additional debt and/or the refinancing of our existing debt and the issuance of additional shares of equity securities to fund our obligations. The impact of COVID-19 resulted in our previously announced voluntary suspension of Global Brands' cruise operations from March 13, 2020 which has been extended through at least December 31, 2020, excluding sailings from Singapore. Celebrity Cruises will also be suspending their full 2020/21 Winter program in Australia and Asia. Additionally, Azamara will be suspending their 2020/21 Winter sailings throughout Australia & New Zealand, South Africa and South America. This suspension of operations has strained our sources of cash flow and liquidity, causing us to take actions resulting in reductions in our operating expenses, reductions in our capital expenses and new financings and other liquidity actions.
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The Company continues to identify and evaluate further actions to improve its liquidity. These include, and are not limited to, further reductions in capital expenditures, operating expenses and administrative costs and additional financings. See further discussion on these liquidity actions at Recent Developments - COVID-19.
We have significant contractual obligations of which our debt service obligations and the capital expenditures associated with our ship purchases represent our largest funding needs. As of September 30, 2020, we had $11.3 billion of committed financing for our ships on order.
As of September 30, 2020, we had $5.5 billion in contractual obligations due through September 30, 2021, of which approximately $0.8 billion relates to debt maturities, $0.9 billion relates to interest on debt and $3.0 billion relates to progress payments on our ship orders and the final installments payable due upon the delivery of Silver Moon, Odyssey of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas , based on their contractual delivery dates.
As of September 30, 2020, we had liquidity of $3.7 billion, consisting of cash and cash equivalents of $3.0 billion and a $0.7 billion one-year commitment for a 364-day term loan facility . As of September 30, 2020, our revolving credit facilities were fully utilized through a combination of amounts drawn and letters of credit issued under the facilities. In connection with our debt covenant waiver extensions, we agreed with certain of our lenders not to pay dividends or engage in stock repurchases. Refer to Note 11 . Shareholders' Equity to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements for further information.
Based on our assumptions and estimates and our financial condition, we believe that the liquidity resulting from the actions mentioned above will be sufficient to fund our liquidity requirements over at least the next twelve months from the issuance of these financial statements. However, there is no assurance that our assumptions and estimates are accurate due to possible unknown variables related this unprecedented suspension of our operations and, as such, there is inherent uncertainty in our ability to predict future liquidity requirements.
Under certain of our agreements, the contractual interest rate, facility fee and/or export credit agency fee vary with our debt rating. On August 24, 2020, Moody’s downgraded our senior unsecured rating from Ba2 to B2, and on August 31, 2020, S&P Global downgraded our senior unsecured rating from BB to B+, thereby increasing the contractual interest rate, facility fee and export credit agency fee across various facilities.
If any person acquires ownership of more than 50% of our common stock or, subject to certain exceptions, during any 24-month period, a majority of our board of directors is no longer comprised of individuals who were members of our board of directors on the first day of such period, we may be obligated to prepay indebtedness outstanding under our credit facilities, which we may be unable to replace on similar terms. Our public debt securities also contain change of control provisions that would be triggered by a third-party acquisition of greater than 50% of our common stock coupled with a ratings downgrade. If this were to occur, it would have an adverse impact on our liquidity and operations.
Debt Covenants
Both our export credit facilities and our non-export credit facilities contain covenants that require us, among other things, to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of at least 1.25x and limit our net debt-to-capital ratio to no more than 62.5%, and under certain facilities, to maintain a minimum level of shareholders' equity. The fixed charge coverage ratio is calculated by dividing net cash from operations for the past four quarters by the sum of dividend payments plus scheduled principal debt payments in excess of any new financings for the past four quarters. Our minimum net worth and maximum net debt-to-capital calculations exclude the impact of Accumulated other comprehensive loss on Total shareholders’ equity .
During the second quarter of 2020, we amended our export credit facilities and our non-export credit facilities and certain of our credit card processing agreements which contain financial covenants to suspend the testing of these covenants through and including the first quarter of 2021. Certain of these amendments imposed a new monthly-tested minimum liquidity covenant of $300 million for the duration of the waiver period. Pursuant to these amendments, we have also agreed that we will not pay cash dividends or effectuate share repurchases during the wavier period unless we are in compliance with the fixed charge coverage ratio covenant as of the end of the most recently completed quarter. During the third quarter of 2020, we further amended our export credit facilities, certain of our non-export credit facilities and our credit card processing agreements to extend the financial covenant waiver through and including, the fourth quarter of 2021. In connection therewith, we increased the minimum liquidity covenant to $500 million, as applicable, subject to reduction in the event of further capital raises, and extended the dividend and share repurchase restrictions through the extended waiver period. As of September 30, 2020 and the date of these financial statements, we were in compliance with the minimum liquidity covenant as amended. Subsequent to September 30, 2020, the minimum liquidity covenant was reduced to $350.0 million due to our capital raising activities in October 2020.
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In addition to the above, during the quarter ended June 30, 2020, we amended our Port of Miami Terminal "A" operating lease agreement to increase the lien basket in line with our debt facilities and obtain a financial covenant waiver to the first quarter of 2021. As of September 30, 2020, we were in compliance with the amended covenants under the lease agreement.
Any further covenant waivers may lead to increased costs, increased interest rates, additional restrictive covenants and other available lender protections as may be agreed with our lenders. There can be no assurance that we would be able to obtain additional waivers in a timely manner, or on acceptable terms. If we require additional waivers and are not able to obtain them or repay the debt facilities, this would lead to an event of default and potential acceleration of amounts due under all of our outstanding debt and derivative contracts. If we require additional waivers on the credit card processing agreements and are not able to obtain them, this could lead to the termination of these agreements or the trigger of reserve requirements.
Dividends
During the first quarter of 2020, we declared a cash dividend on our common stock of $0.78 per share, which was paid in April 2020. During the first quarter of 2020, we also paid a cash dividend on our common stock of $0.78 per share, which was declared during the fourth quarter of 2019. Subsequent to March 31, 2020, we agreed with certain of our lenders not to pay dividends for so long as our debt covenant waivers are in effect. Accordingly, we did not declare a dividend in the second and third quarters of 2020.
During the first quarter of 2019, we declared a cash dividend on our common stock of $0.70 per share, which was paid in April 2019. During the first quarter of 2019, we also paid a cash dividend on our common stock of $0.70 per share, which was declared during the fourth quarter of 2018.