RCL, §1A diff (2019 → 2020)

Item 1A. Risk Factors The risk factors set forth below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are important factors that could cause actual results to differ from expected or historical results. It is not possible to predict or identify all such risks. There may be additional risks that we consider not to be material, or which are not known, and any of these risks could have the effects set forth below. The ordering of the risk factors set forth below is not intended to reflect any Company indication of priority or likelihood. See Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations for a cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements. COVID-19 and Financial Risks The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and will continue to have, a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations. The global spread of COVID-19 and the unprecedented responses by governments and other authorities to control and contain the disease, has caused significant disruptions, created new risks, and exacerbated existing risks to our business. We have been, and will continue to be, negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including impacts that resulted from actions taken in response to the outbreak. Examples of these include, but are not limited to: travel bans and cruising advisories and the resulting temporary suspension of our Global Brands' operations, which is expected to continue through at least April 30, 2021, for most of our cruise operations; restrictions on the movement and gathering of people; social distancing measures; shelter-in-place/stay-at-home orders; and disruptions to businesses in our supply chain. In addition to the imposed restrictions affecting our business, the extent, duration, and magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the economy and consumer demand for cruising and travel is still rapidly fluctuating and difficult to predict. As such, these impacts may persist for an extended period of time or even become more pronounced, even after we are permitted to and/or begin to resume operations. The COVID-19 pandemic also has elevated risks affecting significant parts of our business: • Operations: Due to the global public health circumstances, we have decided to extend the suspension of sailings of our Global Brands' fleet through at least April 30, 2021, for most of our cruise operations. It is uncertain as to whether we will need to suspend additional sailings and to what extent, and upon the conclusion of such suspensions, we expect a gradual return to normal sailings. The suspension of sailings and the expected reduction in demand for future cruising once we resume sailing has led to a significant decline in our revenues and cash inflows, which has required us to take cost and capital expenditure containment actions. Consequently, we have reduced and furloughed our workforce, with approximately 23% of our U.S. shoreside employee base being impacted and, except for the minimum safe manning shipboard crew required to operate the ships during the suspension of operations, our shipboard crew were notified that their contracts would end early and they would be notified about new assignments when operations resume in the future. As a result of these actions, we may be challenged in rebuilding our workforce which could further delay our return to service. In addition, we have reduced our planned capital spending through 2021, which may negatively impact our execution of planned growth strategies, particularly as it relates to investments in our ships, technology, and our expansion of land-based developments. Furthermore, we have taken actions to monitor and mitigate changes in our supply chain, and port destination availability, which may strain relationships with our vendors and port partners. On September 21, 2020, the HSP submitted its report on recommendations to the CDC, which includes more than 70 detailed recommendations to protect the public health and safety of guests, crew and the communities where cruise ships call. On October 30, 2020, the CDC issued the Conditional Order, which replaced the “no sail” order that expired on October 31, 2020. 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 required to resume operations will be further determined based on public health considerations, including the trajectory of the pandemic and the ability of the Company and other cruise ship operators to successfully employ measures that mitigate the risk of COVID-19. In addition, the Conditional Order contains requirements that could negatively impact our results of operations, such as: laboratory testing of crew members and guests; simulated voyages; and the certification process, including implementing the required testing protocols, the prohibition on 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. Our ability to meet the requirements under the Conditional Order will determine the timing and implementation of our plans to return to service which we expect to be gradual. We are currently reviewing and assessing the uncertainties relating to the Conditional Order’s requirements and are in dialogue with the CDC. Based on our assessment of these conditions or for other reasons, we may determine it necessary to extend our voluntary suspension of our Global Brands’ cruise sailings which currently extends through at least April 30, 2021, for most of our cruise operations. It is difficult to predict our ability to meet the requirements of the Conditional Order and the costs associated with compliance, some of which could be significant. If we are unable to satisfy the requirements of the Conditional Order our operations may be negatively impacted and we could be exposed to reputational and legal risks. Due to the unprecedented and uncertain nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and CDC or Department of State guidance, it is difficult to predict the impact of further disruptions and their magnitude. The impact of further disruptions may depend on how they coincide with the timing of when we seek to resume sailing. In addition, we have never previously experienced a complete cessation of our cruising operations, and as a consequence, our ability to predict the impact of such a cessation on our brands and future prospects is limited and such impact is uncertain. •Results of Operations: Our suspensions of sailings have materially impacted the results of our operations. We have incurred and will continue to incur significant costs associated with cancellations as we accommodate passengers with refunds and future cruise credits; as well as continuing to assist our crew with their return home, food, housing, and medical needs. In addition, although cruise operations are currently suspended, we have incurred and will likely continue to incur significant overhead costs associated with layup of our fleet and enhanced COVID-19 related sanitation procedures. As we cannot control adverse media coverage and we cannot predict exactly when we will resume sailing operations, we are experiencing and may continue to experience weak demand for cruising for an indeterminable length of time and we cannot predict when we will return to pre-outbreak demand or fare pricing or if we will return to such levels in the foreseeable future. In turn, these negative impacts to our financial performance have resulted and may continue to result in impairments of our long-lived and intangible assets, which has influenced our decision making relating to early disposal, sale or retirement of assets. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, we incurred impairment charges and credit losses of $1.6 billion related to the impairment of goodwill and trademarks and trade names attributable to our Silversea Cruises reporting unit, and long-lived assets as well as credit losses on mostly receivables related to our sale of property and equipment. Following the resumption of operations, our Global Brands and our Partner Brands may be subject to the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our Partner Brands, TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, resumed limited cruise operations outside of the U.S. in July 2020 with cruises of short durations, with reduced occupancies and with limited or no ports of call. Additionally, any future profitability will be impacted by increased debt service costs as a result of our liquidity actions. •Liquidity: The suspension of our sailings and the reduction in demand for future cruising has adversely impacted our liquidity as we have experienced a significant increase in refunds of customer deposits while cash inflows from new or existing bookings on future sailings has reduced sharply. As a result, we have taken actions to increase our liquidity through a combination of capital and operating expense reductions and financing activities. During the year ended December 31, 2020, we executed and amended various financing arrangements, which have resulted in $10.2 billion of incremental liquidity, including: ◦a $0.6 billion increase in the capacity available under our revolving credit facilities; ◦additional liquidity of $6.7 billion through the issuance of new debt, net of repayments, and the securing of a one-year $700 million commitment for a 364-day term loan facility; ◦£300.0 million, or $409.9 million, based on exchange rates as of December 31, 2020, of available and issued liquidity under an unsecured government commercial paper program with the Bank of England; ◦the deferral of $0.9 billion of existing debt amortization under our export-credit backed ship debt facilities through April 2021; and ◦the issuance of 22.6 million shares of common stock for approximately $1.6 billion We also agreed with certain of our lenders that we will not pay dividends or engage in stock repurchases until the end of the third quarter of 2022. Thereafter, in the event we declare a dividend or engage in stock repurchases we will need to repay the amounts deferred under our export credit facilities. 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+. On August 24, 2020, Moody’s also downgraded the Silversea Notes from Baa3 to Ba2 and on August 31, 2020, S&P downgraded Silversea Cruises' Notes from BBB- to BB and, as a result, certain covenants of the indenture governing the Silversea Notes have been reinstated. These downgrades reduce our ability to incur secured indebtedness by reducing the amount of indebtedness that we are permitted to secure, and may negatively impact our access to, and cost of debt financing. On February 25, 2021, S&P Global further downgraded our senior unsecured rating from B+ to B, and downgraded our $3.32 billion Senior Secured Notes and Silversea Notes from BB to BB-. This downgrade has no further impact on the terms of the notes. As of December 31, 2020, we obtained an interim debt service deferral and financial covenant holiday under certain of our export-credit backed loan facilities to generate a cumulative $0.9 billion of incremental liquidity during the 12 month period ended April 2021 which is to be repaid over a period of four years after the 12-month deferral period. During the first quarter of 2021, we amended our export credit facilities to defer $0.8 billion of amortization payments due under these export facilities. The deferred amounts will be repayable semi-annually over a five-year period starting in April 2022. Our ability to raise additional financing, whether or not secured, could be limited if our credit rating is further downgraded, and/or if we fail to comply with applicable covenants governing our outstanding indebtedness, and/or if overall financial market conditions worsen. Additionally, due to the complexity of the pandemic’s impact to the economy and uncertainty of its duration, we cannot guarantee that assumptions used to project our liquidity needs will be correct, which may result in the need for additional financing and/or may result in the inability to satisfy covenants required by our current credit facilities. If we continue to raise additional funds through equity or convertible debt issuances, our shareholders could experience dilution of their ownership interest, and these securities could have rights, preferences, and privileges that are superior to that of holders of our ordinary shares. If we raise additional funds by issuing debt, we may be subject to additional limitations on our operations due to restrictive covenants, which may be more restrictive than the covenants in our existing debt agreements, and we may be required to further encumber our assets. Also, as a result of our additional debt issuances, we will require a significant amount of cash to service our debt and sustain operations. Our ability to generate cash depends on factors beyond our control and we may be unable to repay or repurchase debt at maturity. If adequate funds are not available on acceptable terms, or at all, we may be unable to fund our operations, or respond to competitive pressures, any of which could negatively affect our business. There is no guarantee that financing will be available in the future or that such financing will be available with similar terms or terms that are commercially acceptable to us. Further, if any government agrees to provide us with disaster relief assistance, or other assistance due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we determine it is beneficial to seek such government assistance, it may impose restrictions on executive compensation, share buybacks, dividends, prepayment of debt and other restrictions until the aid is repaid or redeemed in full, which could significantly limit our corporate activities and adversely impact our business and operations. We cannot assure you that any more such disaster relief would be available to us. We may not be able to obtain sufficient financing or capital for our needs or may not be able to do so on terms that are acceptable or consistent with our expectations. To fund our capital expenditures (including new ship orders), operations and scheduled debt payments, we have historically relied on a combination of cash flows provided by operations, drawdowns under available credit facilities, the incurrence of additional indebtedness and the sale of equity or debt securities in private or public securities markets. Any circumstance or event which leads to a decrease in consumer cruise spending, such as worsening global economic conditions or significant incidents impacting the cruise industry, including the COVID-19 pandemic, negatively affects our operating cash flows and currently, we have no cash flows from operations. In the case of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting suspension of our operations, these circumstances have also resulted in credit rating downgrades. See “-Adverse worldwide economic or other conditions could result in prolonged reduction in the demand for cruises and passenger spending, adversely impacting our operating results, cash flows and financial condition including potentially impairing the value of our goodwill, ships, trademarks and other assets and potentially affecting other critical accounting estimates where the change may be material to our operating results” and “-Incidents on ships, at port facilities, land destinations and/or affecting the cruise vacation industry in general, and the associated negative media coverage and publicity, could affect our reputation and impact our sales and results of operations” for more information. Our ability to access additional funding as and when needed, our ability to timely refinance and/or replace our outstanding debt securities and credit facilities on acceptable terms and our cost of funding will depend upon numerous factors including, but not limited to, the strength of the financial markets, our recovery and financial performance, the recovery and performance of our industry in general and the size, scope and timing of our financial needs. In addition, even where financing commitments have been secured, significant disruptions in the capital and credit markets could cause our banking and other counterparties to breach their contractual obligations to us or could cause the conditions to the availability of such funding not to be satisfied. This could include failures of banks or other financial service companies to fund required borrowings under our loan agreements or to pay us amounts that may become due or return collateral that is refundable under our derivative contracts for hedging of fuel prices, interest rates and foreign currencies or other agreements. If any of the foregoing occurs for a prolonged period of time it will have a long-term negative impact on our cash flows and our ability to meet our obligations cannot be guaranteed. Our substantial debt could adversely affect our financial condition. We have a substantial amount of debt and significant debt service obligations. As of December 31, 2020, we had total debt of $18.9 billion. Our substantial debt could have important negative consequences for us. For example, our substantial debt could require us to dedicate a large portion of our cash flow from operations to service debt and fund repayments on our debt, thereby reducing the availability of our cash flow to fund working capital, capital expenditures and other general corporate purposes; increase our vulnerability to adverse general economic or industry conditions; limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business or the industry in which we operate; place us at a competitive disadvantage compared to our competitors that have less debt; make us more vulnerable to downturns in our business, the economy or the industry in which we operate, including the current downturn related to COVID-19; limit our ability to raise additional debt or equity capital in the future to satisfy our requirements relating to working capital, capital expenditures, development projects, strategic initiatives or other purposes; restrict us from making strategic acquisitions, introducing new technologies or exploiting business opportunities; limit or restrict our ability to obtain and maintain performance bonds to cover our financial responsibility requirements in various jurisdictions for non-performance of guest travel, casualty and personal injury; make it difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our debt; and increase our exposure to the risk of increased interest rates as certain of our borrowings are (and may be in the future) at a variable rate of interest. Despite our leverage, we may incur more debt, which could adversely affect our business. We may incur substantial additional debt in the future. Except for the restrictions under the indentures governing our Secured Notes (as defined below) and our 9.125% Senior Guaranteed Notes due 2023 (the “Unsecured Notes”) and certain of our other debt instruments, including our unsecured bank and export credit facilities, we are not restricted under the terms of our debt instruments from incurring additional debt. Although the indentures governing the Secured Notes, the Unsecured Notes, and certain of our other debt instruments, including our unsecured bank and export credit facilities, contain restrictions on the incurrence of additional debt, these restrictions are subject to a number of significant qualifications and exceptions, and under certain circumstances the amount of debt that could be incurred in compliance with these restrictions could be substantial. Our debt instruments do not and will not prevent us from incurring liabilities that do not constitute “Indebtedness” as defined therein. In the event that we execute and borrow under the $700M Liquidity Facility, the credit agreement that would govern the $700M Liquidity Facility would impose substantially similar restrictions (including the related qualifications and exceptions) as are set forth in the indenture governing the Unsecured Notes. If new debt is added to our existing debt levels, the related risks that we now face would increase. As of December 31, 2020, we have commitments for approximately $11.6 billion of debt to finance the purchase of 11 ships on order by our Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises brands, 10 of which are guaranteed by the export credit agencies in the countries in which the ships are being built. The ultimate size of each facility will depend on the final contract price (including change orders and owner’s supply) as well as fluctuations in the EUR/USD exchange rate. The terms of existing debt financing gives, and any future preferred equity or debt financing may give, holders of any preferred securities or debt securities rights that are senior to rights of our common shareholders or impose more stringent operating restrictions on our company. The holders of our existing debt have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock in the event of liquidation. If we incur additional debt or raise equity through the issuance of preferred stock or convertible securities, the terms of the debt or the preferred stock issued may give the holders rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock, particularly in the event of liquidation. The terms of the debt may also impose additional and more stringent restrictions on our operations. If we raise funds through the issuance of additional equity, the ownership percentage of our existing shareholders would be diluted. Debt or equity financing may not be available to us on acceptable terms. We will require a significant amount of cash to service our debt and sustain our operations. Our ability to generate cash depends on many factors beyond our control, and we may not be able to generate cash required to service our debt. Our ability to make scheduled payments on our debt service obligations or refinance our debt depends on our future operating and financial performance and ability to generate cash. This will be affected by our ability to successfully implement our business strategy, as well as general economic, financial, competitive, regulatory and other factors beyond our control, such as the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. If we cannot generate sufficient cash to meet our debt service obligations or fund our other business needs, we may, among other things, need to refinance all or a portion of our debt, obtain additional financing, delay planned capital expenditures or sell assets. We cannot assure you that we will be able to generate sufficient cash through any of the foregoing. If we are not able to refinance any of our debt, obtain additional financing or sell assets on commercially reasonable terms or at all, we may not be able to satisfy our obligations with respect to our debt. We are subject to restrictive debt covenants that may limit our ability to finance future operations and capital needs and to pursue business opportunities and activities. In addition, if we fail to comply with any of these restrictions, it could have a material adverse effect on us. Certain of our debt instruments, including our indentures and our unsecured bank and export credit facilities, limit our flexibility in operating our business. For example, certain of our loan agreements and indentures restrict or limit our and our subsidiaries’ ability to, among other things: incur or guarantee additional indebtedness; pay dividends or distributions on, or redeem or repurchase capital stock and make other restricted payments; make investments; consummate certain asset sales; engage in certain transactions with affiliates; grant or assume certain liens; and consolidate, merge or transfer all or substantially all of our assets. 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%. Refer to Note 9. Debt to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements for further discussion on our covenants and existing waivers. On August 24, 2020, Moody’s downgraded the Silversea Notes from Baa3 to Ba2 and on August 31, 2020, S&P Global downgraded Silversea Cruises' Notes from BBB- to BB and as a result, certain covenants of the indenture governing the Silversea Notes have been reinstated, the application of which had been previously suspended unless and until any such downgrade occurred. The reinstated covenants include, among other things, limitations on the ability of Silversea Cruises and its restricted subsidiaries to incur indebtedness, enter into transactions with affiliates (including Royal Caribbean and its subsidiaries that are not restricted subsidiaries of Silversea Cruises) and pay dividends and make other distributions from Silversea Cruises to Royal Caribbean, each of which may limit our ability to obtain funding and may decrease our operational and financial flexibility, including the ability to make upstream payments from Silversea Cruises and to provide funding support to Silversea Cruises. On February 25, 2021, S&P Global further downgraded the Silversea Cruises’ Notes from BB to BB-, which had no further impact with respect to the Silversea Cruises’ Notes. The Silversea Notes are guaranteed by the Company on a senior unsecured basis. Any event of default or acceleration of the indebtedness under the Silversea Notes could cause the borrowings under other of our debt instruments that contain cross-default provisions to be accelerated or become payable on demand. All of these limitations are subject to significant exceptions and qualifications. Despite these exceptions and qualifications, we cannot assure you that the operating and financial restrictions and covenants in certain of our debt instruments will not adversely affect our ability to finance our future operations or capital needs or engage in other business activities that may be in our interest. Any future indebtedness may include similar or other restrictive terms. In addition, our ability to comply with these covenants, and restrictions may be affected by events beyond our control. These include prevailing economic, financial and industry conditions. If we breach any of these covenants or restrictions, we could be in default under such indebtedness and certain of our other debt instruments and the relevant debt holders or lenders could elect to declare the debt, together with accrued and unpaid interest and other fees, if any, immediately due and payable and proceed against any collateral securing that debt. If the debt under certain of our debt instruments that we enter into were to be accelerated, our liquid assets may be insufficient to repay in full such indebtedness. Borrowings under other debt instruments that contain cross-default provisions also may be accelerated or become payable on demand. In these circumstances, our assets may not be sufficient to repay in full that indebtedness and our other indebtedness then outstanding. In addition, our ability to maintain our credit facilities may also be impacted by changes in our ownership base. More specifically, we may be required to prepay our bank financing 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. 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, which would require us to offer to repurchase our public debt securities in the event of such change of control. If we elect to settle conversions of our convertible notes, if any, in shares of our common stock or a combination of cash and shares of our common stock, conversions of our convertible notes may result in substantial dilution for our existing shareholders. In 2020, we issued an aggregate principal amount of $1.725 billion in convertible notes. The notes are convertible into shares of our common stock, cash, or a combination of common stock and cash, at our election. The initial conversion rate per $1,000 principal amount of the convertible notes is 13.8672 and 12.1212 shares of our common stock for our June and October 2020 issuances of convertible notes, respectively, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $72.11 and $82.50 per share, respectively, subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. In connection with certain corporate events or if we issue a notice of tax redemption, we will, under certain circumstances, increase the conversion rate for holders of the convertible notes who convert their convertible notes in connection with such corporate event or whose convertible notes are called for tax redemption and who convert their convertible notes during the relevant redemption period. Prior to March 15 and August 15, 2023, the June and October convertible notes, respectively, will be convertible at the option of holders during certain periods only upon satisfaction of certain conditions. Beyond those dates, the convertible notes will be convertible at any time until the close of business on the second scheduled trading day immediately preceding their maturity date. If we elect to settle conversions of our convertible notes, if any, in shares of our common stock or a combination of common stock and cash, conversions of our convertible notes may result in significant dilution to our shareholders. We did not declare dividends on our common stock in the quarters ended June 30, 2020, September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2020 and do not expect to pay dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future. No cash dividends were declared on our common stock during the quarters ended June 30, 2020, September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2020. We expect that any income received from operations will be devoted to our future operations and recovery. We do not expect to pay cash dividends on our common stock for the foreseeable future due to our agreement with certain of our lenders not to pay dividends until the end of the third quarter 2022. In addition, in the event we thereafter declare a dividend, we will need to repay our Debt Deferral. Payment of dividends would, in any case, depend upon our profitability at the time, cash available for those dividends, and other factors as our board of directors may consider relevant. Our variable rate indebtedness subjects us to interest rate risk, which could cause our debt service obligations to increase significantly A portion of our indebtedness bears interest at variable rates that are linked to changing market interest rates. As a result, an increase in market interest rates would increase our interest expense and our debt service obligations. As of December 31, 2020, we had approximately $7.1 billion of indebtedness that bears interest at variable rates. This amount represented approximately 35.5% of our total indebtedness. As of December 31, 2020, a hypothetical 1% increase in prevailing interest rates would increase our forecasted 2021 interest expense by approximately $59.4 million. In addition, on July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), announced that it will no longer persuade or compel banks to submit LIBOR rates after 2021. Also in 2017, the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, a steering committee comprised of, among other entities, large U.S. financial institutions, selected the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as the rate recommended to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR ("USD LIBOR"). SOFR measures the cost of borrowing cash overnight, backed by U.S. Treasury securities. SOFR is observed and backward-looking, which stands in contrast with LIBOR under the current methodology, which is an estimated forward-looking rate and relies, to some degree, on the expert judgment of submitting panel members. On December 4, 2020, ICE Benchmark Administration, the administrator of LIBOR, released a consultation disclosing its intent to cease publication of one-week and two-month USD LIBOR after December 31, 2021, but continue to publish the remaining tenors of USD LIBOR for an additional 18 months, through June 30, 2023. These remaining tenors of USD LIBOR-overnight, one-month, three-month, six-month and 12-months-encompass the tenors referenced in our borrowings and interest rate swaps. U.S. regulators continue to encourage banks to cease entering into new contracts that use USD LIBOR as a reference rate by December 31, 2021. However, uncertainty remains as many market participants await the development of term SOFR products, i.e., forward-looking rates, and benchmark providers are developing indices that might co-exist with SOFR. If LIBOR ceases to exist, the level of interest payments on the portion of our indebtedness that bears interest at variable rates would be affected, which may materially impact the amount of our interest payments under such debt. Further, if we, the agent or the lenders holding a majority of the outstanding loans or commitments under such indebtedness determine that a LIBOR rate is no longer available, that a specific date has been announced after which a LIBOR rate will no longer be made available, or that syndicated loans are being executed or amended to adopt a replacement rate, then the terms of such indebtedness will allow us and the applicable agent to amend such indebtedness to implement a replacement rate, subject to the negative consent of the lenders holding a majority of the outstanding loans or commitments. Such replacement rate will give due consideration to any evolving or then-existing conventions for similar credit facilities, which may result in different than expected interest payments. Macroeconomic, Business, Market and Operational Risks Adverse worldwide economic or other conditions could reduce the demand for cruises and passenger spending, adversely impacting our operating results, cash flows and financial condition including impairing the value of our goodwill, ships, trademarks and other assets and potentially affecting other critical accounting estimates where the change may be material to our operating results. In addition to health and safety concerns, demand for cruises is affected by international, national, and local economic conditions. Weak or uncertain economic conditions may impact consumer confidence and pose a risk as vacationers postpone or reduce discretionary spending. This, in turn, may result in cruise booking slowdowns, decreased cruise prices and lower onboard revenues, even after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended and/or related health and safety concerns are reduced. Given the global nature of our business, we are exposed to many different economies and our business could be hurt by challenging conditions in any of our markets. Any significant deterioration of international, national, or local economic conditions, including those resulting from geopolitical events and/or international disputes and the current economic and employment impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in countries where many of our customers reside could result in a prolonged period of booking slowdowns, depressed cruise prices and/or reduced onboard revenues, even after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended and/or related health and safety concerns are reduced. Additionally, the continued impact of COVID-19 on the financial markets is complicated and we cannot predict its effect on geopolitical events and/or international trade policies as countries attempt to mitigate the impact of the pandemic and as they re-open their economies or re-implement lockdown measures. Additionally, uncertainties resulting from the United Kingdom’s recent exit from the European Union may impact our business. Our operating costs could increase due to market forces and economic or geopolitical factors beyond our control. Our operating costs, including fuel, food, payroll and benefits, airfare, taxes, insurance, and security costs, are all subject to increases due to market forces and economic or geopolitical conditions or other factors beyond our control, including as a result of rerouting itineraries due to ports closing or not accepting passengers in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic. Increases in these operating costs could adversely affect our future profitability when an economic recovery begins. Any further impairment of our goodwill, long-lived assets, equity investments and notes receivable could adversely affect our financial condition and operating results. We evaluate goodwill for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently when circumstances indicate that the carrying value of a reporting unit may not be recoverable. A challenging operating environment, such as is currently being experienced under the impact of COVID-19, impacts affecting consumer demand or spending, the deterioration of general macroeconomic conditions, or other factors could result in a change to the future cash flows we expect to derive from our operations. Reductions of cash flows used in the valuation analyses may result in the recording of an impairment charge to a reporting unit’s goodwill. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2020, we recognized a Silversea Cruises’ goodwill impairment loss of $576.2 million. See Note 5. Goodwill to our consolidated financial statements under Item 1. Financial Statements for further information. Price increases for commercial airline service for our guests or major changes or reduction in commercial airline service and/or availability could adversely impact the demand for cruises and undermine our ability to provide reasonably priced vacation packages to our guests. Many of our guests depend on scheduled commercial airline services to transport them to or from the ports where our cruises embark or disembark. Increases in the price of airfare would increase the overall price of the cruise vacation to our guests, which may adversely impact demand for our cruises. In addition, changes in the availability and/or regulations governing commercial airline services, including those resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, have adversely affected and could continue to adversely affect our guests’ ability to obtain air travel, as well as our ability to transfer our guests to or from our cruise ships, which could adversely affect our results of operations. Fears of terrorist attacks, war, and other hostilities could have a negative impact on our results of operations. Events such as terrorist attacks, war (or war-like conditions), conflicts (domestic or cross-border), civil unrest and other hostilities, including an escalation in the frequency or severity of incidents, and the resulting political instability, travel restrictions and advisories, and concerns over safety and security aspects of traveling or the fear of any of the foregoing have had, and could have in the future, a significant adverse impact on demand and pricing in the travel and vacation industry. In view of our global operations, we are susceptible to a wide range of adverse events. These events could also result in additional security measures taken by local authorities which may potentially impact access to ports and/or destinations. Disease outbreaks and an increase in concern about the risk of illness could adversely impact our business and results from operations. Disease outbreaks and increased concern related to illness when travelling to, from, and on our ships could cause a drop in demand for cruises, guest cancellations, travel restrictions, an unavailability of ports and/or destinations, cruise cancellations, ship redeployments and an inability to source our crew, provisions or supplies from certain places. Due to the complex and evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic we cannot predict the duration of the effect of the current pandemic, and the magnitude is dependent on the development of future events and responses from governments, other authorities, and individual consumers. Our industry, including our passengers and crew, may be subject to enhanced health and safety requirements in the future which may be costly and take a significant amount of time to implement across our fleet and we may be subject to concerns that cruises are susceptible to the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. For example, local governments may establish their own set of rules for self-quarantines and/or require proof of individuals health status prior to or upon visiting. These effects may extend beyond any resolution of the current COVID-19 pandemic through the development of a vaccine or effective therapeutic treatment, and the impact of any of these factors could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. In addition, the new operating protocols we are developing and any other health protocol we may develop or that may be required by law in the future in response to COVID-19 or other infectious diseases may be costly to implement and less effective than we expected in reducing the risk of infection and spread of such disease on our cruise ships, which will negatively impact our operations and expose us to reputational and legal risks. Incidents on ships, at port facilities, land destinations and/or affecting the cruise vacation industry in general, and the associated negative media coverage and publicity, could affect our reputation and impact our sales and results of operations. The ownership and/or operation of cruise ships, private destinations, port facilities and shore excursions involves the risk of accidents, illnesses, mechanical failures, environmental incidents and other incidents which may bring into question safety, health, security and vacation satisfaction and can negatively impact our sales, operations and reputation. Incidents involving cruise ships, and, in particular the safety, health and security of guests and crew and the media coverage thereof, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, have impacted and could continue to impact demand for our cruises and pricing in the industry. In particular, we cannot predict the impact on our financial performance and our cash flows required for cash refunds of deposits as a result of the pause in our global fleet cruise operations, which may be prolonged, and the public’s concern regarding the health and safety of travel, especially by cruise ship, and related decreases in demand for travel and cruising. Moreover, our ability to attract and retain guests and crew depends, in part, upon the perception and reputation of our company and our brands and the public’s concerns regarding the health and safety of travel generally, as well as regarding the cruising industry and our ships specifically. Our reputation and our business could also be damaged by continued or additional negative publicity regarding the cruise industry in general, including publicity regarding the spread of contagious disease such as COVID-19, over-tourism in key ports and destinations and the potentially adverse environmental impacts of cruising. The considerable expansion in the use of social and digital media over recent years has compounded the potential scope and reach of any negative publicity. In addition, incidents involving cruise ships may result in additional costs to our business, increasing government or other regulatory oversight and, in certain cases, potential litigation. Significant weather, climate events and/or natural disasters could adversely impact our business and results from operations. Natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes, volcanos, wild fires), weather and/or climate events (including hurricanes and typhoons) could impact our source markets and operations resulting in travel restrictions, guest cancellations, an inability to source our crew or our provisions and supplies from certain places. We are often forced to alter itineraries and occasionally cancel a cruise or a series of cruises or to redeploy our ships due to these types of events, which could have an adverse effect on our sales, operating costs and profitability in the current and future periods. Increases in the frequency, severity or duration of these types of events could exacerbate their impact and cause further disruption to our operations or make certain destinations less desirable or unavailable impacting our revenues and profitability further. Any of the foregoing could have an adverse impact on our results of operations and on industry performance. Our reliance on shipyards, their subcontractors and our suppliers to implement our newbuild and ship upgrade programs and to repair and maintain our ships exposes us to risks which, if realized, could adversely impact our business. We rely on shipyards, their subcontractors and our suppliers to effectively construct our new ships and to repair, maintain, and upgrade our existing ships on a timely basis and in a cost effective manner; and there are a limited number of shipyards with the capability and capacity to build, repair, maintain and/or upgrade our ships. As such, any disruptions effecting the newbuild or fleet modernization supply chain will adversely impact our business as there are limited substitutes. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to suspensions and/or slowdowns of work at certain shipyards, which impacts our ability to construct new ships when and as planned, our ability to timely and cost-effectively procure new capacity, and our ability to execute scheduled drydocks and/or fleet modernizations. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the shipyards, their subcontractors, and our suppliers have resulted in delays in our previously scheduled ship deliveries, which are currently under discussion with the shipyards. Variations from our plan could have a significant negative impact on our business operations and financial condition. Building, repairing, maintaining and/or upgrading a ship is sophisticated work that involves significant risks. In addition, the prices of labor and/or various commodities that are used in the construction of ships can be subject to volatile price changes, including the impact of fluctuations in foreign exchange rates. Shipyards, their subcontractors, and/or our suppliers may encounter financial, technical or design problems when doing these jobs. If materialized, these problems could impact the timely delivery or costs of new ships or the ability of shipyards to repair and upgrade our fleet in accordance with our needs or expectations. In addition, delays, mechanical faults and/or unforeseen incidents may result in cancellation of cruises, or, in more severe situations, delays of new ship orders, or necessitate unscheduled drydocks. Such events could result in lost revenue, increased operating expenses, or both, and thus adversely affect our results of operations. An increase in capacity worldwide or excess capacity in a particular market could adversely impact our cruise sales and/or pricing. Although our ships can be redeployed, cruise sales and/or pricing may be impacted by the introduction of new ships into the marketplace, reductions in cruise capacity, overall market growth and deployment decisions of ourselves and our competitors. As of December 31, 2020, a total of 105 new ships with approximately 217,600 berths were on order for delivery through 2027 in the cruise industry, including 15 ships currently scheduled to be delivered to us. The further net growth in capacity from these new ships and future orders, without an increase in the cruise industry’s demand and/or share of the vacation market, could depress cruise prices and impede our ability to achieve yield improvement. Additionally, due to our global suspension of operations and the suspension of operations by other cruise operators, cruise prices and yield improvement are further at risk depending on how, when, and where global operations resume. In addition, to the extent that we or our competitors deploy ships to a particular itinerary/region and the resulting capacity in that region exceeds the demand, we may lower pricing and profitability may be lower than anticipated. This risk exists in emerging cruise markets, where capacity has grown rapidly over the past few years and in mature markets where excess capacity is typically redeployed. Any of the foregoing could have an adverse impact on our results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, including potentially impairing the value of our ships and other assets. Unavailability of ports of call may adversely affect our results of operations. We believe that port destinations are a major reason why guests choose to go on a particular cruise or on a cruise vacation. The availability of ports and destinations is affected by a number of factors, including industry demand and competition for key ports and destinations, existing capacity constraints, constraints related to the size of certain ships, security, financial limitations on port development, exclusivity arrangements that ports may have with our competitors, geopolitical developments and local governmental regulations; and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, port availability could also be subject to immediate change depending on local and/or onboard disease outbreaks or other government restrictions as well as limited availability when sailing resumes. In addition, higher fuel costs may adversely impact the destinations we choose to call upon on certain of our itineraries as they become too costly to include. Increased demand and competition for key ports of call or destinations, limitations on the availability or feasibility of use of specific ports of call and/or constraints on the availability of shore excursions and other service providers at such ports or destinations could adversely affect our results of operations. We may lose business to competitors throughout the vacation market. We operate in the vacation market and cruising is one of many alternatives for people choosing a vacation. We therefore risk losing business not only to other cruise lines, but also to other vacation operators, which provide other leisure options, including hotels, resorts, internet-based alternative lodging sites and package holidays and tours. We face significant competition from other cruise lines on the basis of cruise pricing, travel agent preference and also in terms of the nature of ships, services and destinations that we offer to guests. Our principal competitors within the cruise vacation industry include Carnival Corporation & plc, which owns, among others, Aida Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Seabourn; Disney Cruise Line; MSC Cruises; and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, which owns Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises. Our revenues are sensitive to the actions of other cruise lines in many areas including pricing, scheduling, capacity and promotions, which can have a substantial adverse impact not only on our revenues, but on overall industry revenues. In the event that we do not effectively market or differentiate our cruise brands from our competitors or otherwise compete effectively with other vacation alternatives and new or existing cruise companies, our results of operations and financial position could be adversely affected. If we are unable to appropriately balance our cost management and capital allocation strategies with our goal of satisfying guest expectations, it may adversely impact our business success. Our goals call for us to provide high quality products and deliver high quality services. There can be no assurance that we can successfully balance these goals with our cost management and capital allocation strategies. Our business also requires us to make capital allocation decisions across a broad scope of investment options with varying return profiles and time horizons for value realization. These include significant capital investment decisions such as ordering new ships, upgrading our existing fleet, enhancing our technology and/or data capabilities, and expanding our portfolio of land-based assets, based on expected market preferences, competition and projected demand. There can be no assurance that our strategies will be successful, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, our ownership and operation of older tonnage, in particular during the business disruption caused by COVID-19, has resulted in impaired asset values due to expected returns that we will not be able to recover. Our attempts to expand our business into new markets and new ventures may not be successful. We opportunistically seek to grow our business through, among other things, expansion into new destinations or source markets and establishment of new ventures complementary to our current offerings. These attempts to expand our business increase the complexity of our business, require significant levels of investment and can strain our management, personnel, operations and systems. In addition, we have been unable to execute our attempts to expand our business as a result of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, as described elsewhere herein. There can be no assurance that these business expansion efforts will develop as anticipated or that we will succeed, and if we do not, we may be unable to recover our investment, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Risks associated with our development and operation of key land-based destination projects may adversely impact our business or results of operations. We have invested, either directly or indirectly through joint ventures and partnerships, in a growing portfolio of key land-based projects including port and terminal facilities, private destinations and multi-brand destination projects. These investments can increase our exposure to certain key risks depending on the scope, location, and the ownership and management structure of these projects. These risks include susceptibility to weather events, exposure to local political/regulatory developments and policies, logistical challenges and human resource and labor risks; in addition to location-specific safety, environmental, and health risks, including challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects locally where we have these projects and relationships. Our reliance on travel agencies to sell and market our cruises exposes us to certain risks which, if realized, could adversely impact our business. We rely on travel agencies to generate the majority of bookings for our ships. Accordingly, we must ensure that our commission rates and incentive structures remain competitive. If we fail to offer competitive compensation packages or fail to maintain our relationships, these agencies may be incentivized to sell cruises offered by our competitors to our detriment, which could adversely impact our operating results. Our reliance on third-party sellers is particularly pronounced in certain markets. In addition, the travel agent industry is sensitive to economic conditions that impact discretionary income of consumers. Significant disruptions, such as those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, or contractions in the industry could reduce the number of travel agencies available for us to market and sell our cruises, which could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, the strength of our recovery from suspended operations could be delayed if we are not aligned and partnered with key travel agencies. Business activities that involve our co-investments with third parties may subject us to additional risks. Partnerships, joint ventures and other business structures involving our co-investments with third parties generally include some form of shared control over the operations of the business and create additional risks, including the event that other investors in such ventures become bankrupt or otherwise lack the financial resources to meet their obligations, or could have or develop business interests, policies or objectives that are inconsistent with ours. In addition to financial risks, our co-investment activities have also presented managerial and operational risks and expose us to reputational or legal concerns. These or other issues related to our co-investments with third parties could adversely impact our operations or liquidity. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Pullmantur S.A. filed for reorganization under the terms of the Spanish insolvency laws. In addition, with the exception of limited sailings outside of the U.S. starting in July 2020, TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises have, for the most part, suspended sailings and their operations, results of operations and liquidity have been and will continue to be adversely materially impacted. The Company may be required to continue to provide funding for these affiliated entities and it is unclear when and to what extent these entities will fully resume operations and our ability to provide such funding will be limited by the level and terms of our outstanding indebtedness. Further, due to the arrangements we have in place with our partners in these ventures, we are limited in our ability to control the strategy of these ventures if and when they resume operations, or their use of capital and other key factors to their results of operation which could adversely affect our investments and impact our results of operations. Past or pending business acquisitions or potential acquisitions that we may decide to pursue in the future carry inherent risks which could adversely impact our financial performance and condition. The Company, from time to time, has engaged in acquisitions (e.g., our Silversea Cruises acquisition) and may pursue acquisitions in the future, which are subject to, among other factors, the Company’s ability to identify attractive business opportunities and to negotiate favorable terms for such opportunities. Accordingly, the Company cannot make any assurances that potential acquisitions will be completed timely or at all, or that if completed, we would realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisition. Acquisitions also carry inherent risks such as, among others: (1) the potential delay or failure of our efforts to successfully integrate business processes and realizing expected synergies; (2) difficulty in aligning procedures, controls and/or policies; and (3) future unknown liabilities and costs that may be associated with an acquisition. In addition, acquisitions may also adversely impact our liquidity and/or debt levels, and the recognized value of goodwill and other intangible assets can be negatively affected by unforeseen events and/or circumstances, which may result in an impairment charge. Any of the foregoing events could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. We rely on supply chain vendors and third-party service providers who are integral to the operations of our businesses. These vendors and service providers are also affected by COVID-19 and may be unable or unwilling to deliver on their commitments or may act in ways that could harm our business. We rely on supply chain vendors to deliver key products to the operations of our businesses around the world. Any event impacting a vendor’s ability to deliver goods of the expected quality at the location and time needed could negatively impact our ability to deliver our cruise experience. Events impacting our supply chain could be caused by factors beyond the control of our suppliers or us, including inclement weather, natural disasters, increased demand, problems in production or distribution and/or disruptions in third-party logistics or transportation systems, including those caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any such interruptions to our supply chain could increase our costs and could limit the availability of products critical to our operations. In order to achieve cost and operational efficiencies, we outsource to third-party vendors certain services that are integral to the operations of our global businesses, such as our onboard concessionaires, certain of our call center operations and operation of a large part of our information technology systems, which are also affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. We are subject to the risk that certain decisions are subject to the control of our third-party service providers and that these decisions may adversely affect our activities. A failure to adequately monitor a third-party service provider’s compliance with a service level agreement or regulatory or legal requirements could result in significant economic and reputational harm to us. There is also a risk the confidentiality, privacy and/or security of data held by third parties or communicated over third-party networks or platforms could become compromised. The potential unavailability of insurance coverage, an inability to obtain insurance coverage at commercially reasonable rates or our failure to have coverage in sufficient amounts to cover our incurred losses may adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations. We seek to maintain appropriate insurance coverage at commercially reasonable rates. We normally insure based on the cost of an asset rather than replacement value and we also elect to self-insure, co-insure, or use deductibles in certain circumstances for certain risks such as loss of use of a ship or other business interruption. The limits of insurance coverage we purchase are based on the availability of the coverage, evaluation of our risk profile and cost of coverage. We do not carry business interruption insurance and accordingly we have no insurance coverage for loss of revenues or earnings from our ships or other operations. Accordingly, we are not protected against all risks and we cannot be certain that our coverage will be adequate for liabilities actually incurred which could result in an unexpected decrease in our revenue and results of operations in the event of an incident. We are members of four Protection and Indemnity (“P&I”) clubs, which are part of a worldwide group of 13 P&I clubs, known as the International Group of P&I Clubs (the “IG”). P&I coverage provided by the clubs is on a mutual basis and we are subject to additional premium calls in the event of a catastrophic loss incurred by any member of the 13 P&I clubs, whereby the reinsurance limits purchased by the IG are exhausted. We are also subject to additional premium calls based on investment and underwriting shortfalls experienced by our own individual insurers. Certain liabilities, costs, and expenses associated with COVID-19 cases identified on or traced to our vessels are eligible for insurance coverage under our participation in these P&I clubs. We cannot be certain that insurance and reinsurance coverage will be available to us and at commercially reasonable rates in the future or at all or, if available, that it will be sufficient to cover potential claims. Additionally, if we or other insureds sustain significant losses, the result may be higher insurance premiums, cancellation of coverage, or the inability to obtain coverage. The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, depending on its on-going scope, and duration and the associated insurance claims volumes driven by the pandemic, may potentially impact the insurance markets we rely on for coverage and could adversely impact both the coverage options available to us in the future as well as the premium costs we are required to pay for those coverages. Such events could adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations. Disruptions in our shoreside or shipboard operations or our information systems may adversely affect our results of operations. Our principal executive office and principal shoreside operations are located in Florida, and we have shoreside offices throughout the world. Actual or threatened natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes/typhoons, earthquakes, tornadoes, fires or floods), municipal lockdowns, curfews, quarantines, or similar events in these locations may have a material impact on our business continuity, reputation and results of operations. For instance, all Company shoreside operations are working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has posed increased technological risks. In addition, substantial or repeated information system failures, computer viruses or cyber attacks impacting our shoreside or shipboard operations could adversely impact our business. We do not generally carry business interruption insurance for our shoreside or shipboard operations or our information systems. As such, any losses or damages incurred by us could have an adverse impact on our results of operations. Provisions of our Articles of Incorporation, By-Laws and Liberian law could inhibit others from acquiring us, prevent a change of control, and may prevent efforts by our shareholders to change our management. Certain provisions of our Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws and Liberian law may inhibit third parties from effectuating a change of control of the Company without approval from our board of directors which could result in the entrenchment of current management. These include provisions in our Articles of Incorporation that prevent third parties, other than A. Wilhelmsen AS and Cruise Associates and their permitted transferees, from acquiring beneficial ownership of more than 4.9% of our outstanding shares without the consent of our board of directors. Compliance and Regulatory Risks Changes in U.S. or other countries’ foreign travel policy may affect our results of operations. Changes in U.S. foreign policy could result in the imposition of travel restrictions or travel bans on U.S. persons to certain countries or result in the imposition of U.S. travel advisories, warnings, rules, regulations or legislation that could expose us to penalties or claims of monetary damages. The timing and scope of these changes are unpredictable, and they could cause us to cancel scheduled sailings, possibly on short notice, or could result in possible litigation against us. This, in turn, could decrease our revenue, increase our operating costs and otherwise impair our profitability. For instance, in June 2019, the U.S. government announced that cruise ships would no longer be allowed to travel between the U.S. and Cuba. This required us to change our high yielding Cuba sailings on short notice, which impacted our earnings. Moreover, in May 2019, the U.S. government activated Title III of the Cuban Liberty and Solidarity (Libertad) Act of 1996, popularly known as the Helms-Burton Act. This allowed certain individuals whose property was confiscated by the Cuban government to sue in U.S. courts anyone who “traffics” in the property in question. The activation of Title III has resulted in litigation against us and others in the tourism industry. Additionally, in the first quarter of 2020, the U.S. Department of State, along with other governments, including Canada, issued travel advisories warning against cruise travel as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently imposed restrictions on those entering the U.S. and many nations imposed strict temporary restrictions on international travel. This, combined with other factors, ultimately lead to the company voluntarily suspending the sailings of our fleet globally and may limit or slow our ability to resume operations in the near term. In addition to the loss of revenues, our financial condition is affected by refund requests, future cruise credit issuances, and other costs associated with returning passengers and crew home safely. Furthermore, many countries have adopted restrictions against U.S. travelers and we currently cannot predict when those restrictions will be eased. Growing anti-tourism sentiments and environmental concerns related to cruising could adversely impact our operations. Certain ports and destinations are facing a surge of both cruise and non-cruise tourism which, in certain cases, has fueled anti-tourism sentiments and related countermeasures to limit the volume of tourists allowed in these destinations. In certain destinations, countermeasures to limit the volume of tourists are being contemplated and/or put into effect, including proposed limits on cruise ships and cruise passengers. Potential restrictions in ports and destinations such as Venice, Barcelona or Key West, could limit the itinerary and destination options we can offer our passengers going forward. Some environmental groups have also generated negative publicity about the environmental impact of the cruise vacation industry and are advocating for more stringent regulation of ship emissions at berth and at sea. These anti-tourism sentiments and growing environmental scrutiny of the cruise industry and any related countermeasures could adversely impact our operations and financial results and subject us to increasing compliance costs. Environmental, labor, health and safety, financial responsibility and other maritime regulations could affect operations and increase operating costs. The U.S. and various state and foreign government or regulatory agencies have enacted or may enact environmental regulations or policies, such as requiring the use of low sulfur fuels (e.g. IMO 2020), that could increase our direct cost to operate in certain markets, increase our cost for fuel, limit the supply of compliant fuel, cause us to incur significant expenses to purchase and/or develop new equipment and adversely impact the cruise vacation industry. While we have taken and expect to continue to take a number of actions to mitigate the potential impact of certain of these regulations, there can be no assurances that these efforts will be successful over the long term. There is increasing global regulatory focus on climate change, greenhouse gas and other emissions. These regulatory efforts, both internationally and in the U.S. are still developing, and we cannot yet determine what the final regulatory programs or their impact will be in any jurisdiction where we do business. However, such climate change-related regulatory activity in the future may adversely affect our business and financial results by requiring us to reduce our emissions, purchase allowances or otherwise pay for our emissions. Such activity may also impact us by increasing our operating costs, including fuel costs. In addition, we are subject to various international, national, state and local laws, regulations and treaties that govern, among other things, discharge from our ships, safety standards applicable to our ships, treatment of disabled persons, health and sanitary standards applicable to our guests, security standards on board our ships and at the ship/port interface areas, and financial responsibilities to our guests. These issues are, and we believe will continue to be, an area of focus by the relevant authorities throughout the world. This could result in the enactment of more stringent regulation of cruise ships that could subject us to increasing compliance costs in the future. A change in our tax status under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, or other jurisdictions, may have adverse effects on our income. We and a number of our subsidiaries are foreign corporations that derive income from a U.S. trade or business and/or from sources within the U.S. In connection with the year end audit, each year, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP, our U.S. tax counsel, delivers to us an opinion, based on certain representations and assumptions set forth in it, to the effect that this income, to the extent derived from or incidental to the international operation of a ship or ships, is excluded from gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to Section 883 of the Internal Revenue Code. We believe that most of our income (including that of our subsidiaries) is derived from or incidental to the international operation of ships. Our ability to rely on Section 883 could be challenged or could change in the future. Provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, including Section 883, are subject to legislative change at any time. Moreover, changes could occur in the future with respect to the identity, residence or holdings of our direct or indirect shareholders, trading volume or trading frequency of our shares, or relevant foreign tax laws of Liberia or Bahamas, such that they no longer qualify as equivalent exemption jurisdictions, that could affect our eligibility for the Section 883 exemption. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that we will continue to be exempt from U.S. income tax on U.S. source shipping income in the future. If we were not entitled to the benefit of Section 883, we and our subsidiaries would be subject to U.S. taxation on a portion of the income derived from or incidental to the international operation of our ships, which would reduce our net income. Additionally, portions of our business are operated by companies that are within the United Kingdom tonnage tax regime. Further, some of our operations are conducted in jurisdictions where we rely on tax treaties to provide exemption from taxation. To the extent the United Kingdom tonnage tax laws change or we do not continue to meet the applicable qualification requirements or if tax treaties are changed or revoked, we may be required to pay higher income tax in these jurisdictions, adversely impacting our results of operations. As budgetary constraints continue to adversely impact the jurisdictions in which we operate, increases in income tax regulations, tax audits or tax reform affecting our operations may be imposed. We are not a U.S. corporation and our shareholders may be subject to the uncertainties of a foreign legal system in protecting their interests. Our corporate affairs are governed by our Articles of Incorporation and By-Laws and by the Business Corporation Act of Liberia. The provisions of the Business Corporation Act of Liberia resemble provisions of the corporation laws of a number of states in the U.S. However, there are very few judicial cases in Liberia interpreting the Business Corporation Act of Liberia. While the Business Corporation Act of Liberia provides that it is to be applied and construed to make the laws of Liberia, with respect of the subject matter of the Business Corporation Act of Liberia, uniform with the laws of the State of Delaware and other states with substantially similar legislative provisions, there have been few Liberian court cases interpreting the Business Corporation Act of Liberia and we cannot predict whether Liberian courts would reach the same conclusions as United States courts. The right of shareholders to bring a derivative action in Liberian courts may be more limited than in U.S. jurisdictions. There may also be practical difficulties for shareholders attempting to bring suit in Liberia and Liberian courts may or may not recognize and enforce foreign judgments. Thus, our public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests with respect to actions by management, directors or controlling shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a U.S. jurisdiction. General Risk Factors Conducting business globally may result in increased costs and other risks. We operate our business globally, which exposes us to a number of risks, including increased exposure to a wider range of regional and local economic conditions, volatile local political conditions, potential changes in duties and taxes, including changing and/or uncertain interpretations of existing tax laws and regulations, required compliance with additional laws and policies affecting cruising, vacation or maritime businesses or governing the operations of foreign-based companies, currency fluctuations, interest rate movements, difficulties in operating under local business environments, port quality and availability in certain regions, U.S. and global anti-bribery laws or regulations, imposition of trade barriers and restrictions on repatriation of earnings. Our future growth strategies increasingly depend on the growth and sustained profitability of international markets. Factors that will be critical to our success in these markets include our ability to continue to raise awareness of our products and our ability to adapt our offerings to best suit rapidly evolving consumer demands. This risk is further heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, as authorities in many of these markets have implemented numerous measures to contain the spread and impact of COVID-19, such as travel bans and restrictions, shelter-in-place/stay-at-home orders, and other limitations on business activity, including business closures. In addition, these measures could change unpredictably and/or could be scaled up or down in response to evolving intensity or resurgence of COVID-19 in or around these markets. The execution of our planned growth strategies is dependent on meeting the governmental and regulatory measures and policies in each of these markets. Our ability to realize our future growth strategy is highly dependent on our ability to satisfy country-specific policies and requirements in order to return to service, as well as meeting the needs of region specific consumer preferences as services come back online. These factors may cause us to reevaluate some of our international business strategies. Operating globally also exposes us to numerous and sometimes conflicting legal, regulatory and tax requirements. In many parts of the world, including countries in which we operate, practices in the local business communities might not conform to international business standards. These legal and regulatory requirements and standards may change in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and there may be greater uncertainty as to the interpretation and enforcement of applicable laws and regulations, including those introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We cannot guarantee consistent interpretation, application, and enforcement of rules and regulations put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which could place limits on our operations or increase our costs, as well as negatively impact our future growth strategies in our key growth markets. We must adhere to policies designed to promote legal and regulatory compliance as well as applicable laws and regulations. However, we might not be successful in ensuring that our employees, agents, representatives and other third parties with whom we associate throughout the world properly adhere to them. In addition, we may be exposed to the risk of penalties and other liabilities if we fail to comply with all applicable legal and regulatory requirements introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which may be subject to frequent and rapid change. Failure by us, our employees or any of these third parties to adhere to our policies or applicable laws or regulations could result in penalties, sanctions, damage to our reputation and related costs, which in turn could negatively affect our results of operations and cash flows. As a global operator, our business also may be impacted by changes in U.S. policy or priorities in areas such as trade, immigration (including any continuation of any of the immigration policies put in place by the U.S. government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic) and/or environmental or labor regulations, among others. Depending on the nature and scope of any such changes, they could impact our domestic and international business operations. Any such changes, and any international response to them, could potentially introduce new barriers to passenger or crew travel and/or cross border transactions, impact our guest experience and/or increase our operating costs. If we are unable to address these risks adequately, our financial position and results of operations could be adversely affected, including impairing the value of our ships and other assets. Fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, fuel prices and interest rates could affect our financial results. We are exposed to market risk attributable to changes in foreign currency exchange rates, fuel prices and interest rates. Significant changes in any of the foregoing could have a material impact on our financial results, net of the impact of our hedging activities and natural offsets. Our operating results have been and will continue to be impacted, often significantly, by changes in each of these factors. The value of our earnings in foreign currencies is adversely impacted by a strong U.S. dollar. In addition, any significant increase in fuel prices could materially and adversely affect our business as fuel prices not only impact our fuel costs, but also some of our other expenses, such as crew travel, freight, and commodity prices. Mandatory fuel restrictions, may also create uncertainty related to the price and availability of certain fuel types potentially impacting operating costs and the value of our related hedging instruments. Also, a significant increase in interest rates could materially impact the cost of our floating rate debt. The loss of key personnel, our inability to recruit or retain qualified personnel, or disruptions among our shipboard personnel due to strained employee relations could adversely affect our results of operations. Our success depends, in large part, on the skills and contributions of key executives and other employees, and on our ability to recruit, develop and retain high quality personnel as well as having adequate succession plans and back-up operating plans for when critical executives are unable to serve. As demand for qualified personnel in the industry grows, we must continue to effectively recruit, train, motivate and retain our employees, both shoreside and on our ships, in order to effectively compete in our industry, maintain our current business and support our projected global growth. In addition, we may experience difficulties in recruiting and retaining qualified personnel if we reduce the levels of fixed or variable compensation that we offer (including equity compensation impacted by the trading price of our equity), whether in response to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic or otherwise. As of December 31, 2020, approximately 89% of our shipboard employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements. A dispute under our collective bargaining agreements could result in a work stoppage of those employees covered by the agreements. We may not be able to satisfactorily renegotiate these collective bargaining agreements when they expire. In addition, existing collective bargaining agreements may not prevent a strike or work stoppage on our ships. We may also be subject to or affected by work stoppages unrelated to our business or collective bargaining agreements. Any such work stoppages or potential work stoppages could have a material adverse effect on our financial results, as could a loss of key employees, our inability to recruit or retain qualified personnel or disruptions among our personnel. If we are unable to keep pace with developments in technology or technological obsolescence, including technology in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our operations or competitive position could become impaired. Our business continues to demand the use of sophisticated technology and systems. These technologies and systems require significant investment and must be proven, refined, updated, upgraded and/or replaced with more advanced systems in order to continue to meet our customers’ demands and expectations. If we are unable to do so in a timely manner or within reasonable cost parameters or if we are unable to appropriately and timely train our employees to operate any of these new systems, our business could suffer. We also may not achieve the benefits that we anticipate from any new technology or system, which could result in higher than anticipated costs or impair our operating results. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a search for technology to accurately detect, either directly or indirectly, whether an individual is or has been infected with the virus or has been exposed to someone who is or might be infected. While this technology is in the early stages, as this technology continues to develop we may be faced with decisions regarding what technology to adopt for testing our passengers and employees, and what safety procedures to adopt for future sailings. We may be unable to obtain appropriate technology in a timely manner or at all or we may incur significant costs in doing so. A failure to adopt the appropriate technology, a failure or obsolescence in the technology that we do adopt, or a failure in our safety procedures could adversely affect our results of operations. We are exposed to cyber security attacks and data breaches, including the risks and costs associated with protecting our systems and maintaining integrity and security of our business information, as well as personal data of our guests, employees and business partners. We are subject to cyber security attacks. These cyber attacks can vary in scope and intent from attacks with the objective of compromising our systems, networks and communications for economic gain to attacks with the objective of disrupting, disabling or otherwise compromising our maritime and/or shoreside operations. The attacks can encompass a wide range of methods and intent, including phishing attacks, illegitimate requests for payment, theft of intellectual property, theft of confidential or non-public information, installation of malware, installation of ransomware and theft of personal or business information. The breadth and scope of these attacks, as well as the techniques and sophistication used to conduct these attacks, have grown over time. A successful cyber security attack may target us directly, or it may be the result of a third party’s inadequate care. In either scenario, the Company may suffer damage to its systems and data that could interrupt our operations, adversely impact our reputation and brand and expose us to increased risks of governmental investigation, litigation, fines and other liability, any of which could adversely affect our business. Furthermore, responding to such an attack and mitigating the risk of future attacks could result in additional operating and capital costs in systems technology, personnel, monitoring and other investments. In addition, we are also subject to various risks associated with the collection, handling, storage and transmission of sensitive information. In the course of doing business, we collect large volumes of employee, customer and other third-party data, including personally identifiable information and individual credit data, for various business purposes. We are subject to federal, state and international laws (including the European Union General Data Protection Regulation), as well as industry standards, relating to the collection, use, retention, security and transfer of personally identifiable information and individual credit data. In many cases, these laws apply not only to third-party transactions, but also to transfers of information between the Company and its subsidiaries, and among the Company, its subsidiaries and other parties with which the Company has commercial relations. Several jurisdictions have passed laws in this area, and other jurisdictions are considering imposing additional restrictions. These laws continue to develop and may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Complying with emerging and changing international requirements has caused, and may cause us to incur substantial costs or require us to change our business practices. If we fail to comply with the various applicable data collection and privacy laws, we could be exposed to fines, penalties, restrictions, litigation or other expenses, and our business could be adversely impacted. While we continue to evolve our cyber security practices in line with our business’ reliance on technology and the changing external threat landscape, and we invest time, effort and financial resources to secure our systems, networks and communications, our security measures cannot provide absolute assurance that we will be successful in preventing or responding to all cyber security attacks. There can be no assurance that any breach or incident will not have a material impact on our operations and financial results. Any breach, theft, loss, or fraudulent use of guest, employee, third-party or company data, could adversely impact our reputation and brand and our ability to retain or attract new customers, and expose us to risks of data loss, business disruption, governmental investigation, litigation and other liability, any of which could adversely affect our business. Significant capital investments and other expenditures could be required to remedy the problem and prevent future breaches, including costs associated with additional security technologies, personnel, experts and credit monitoring services for those whose data has been breached. Further, if we or our vendors experience significant data security breaches or fail to detect and appropriately respond to significant data security breaches, we could be exposed to government enforcement actions and private litigation. Litigation, enforcement actions, fines or penalties could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations and/or damage our reputation. Our business is subject to various U.S. and international laws and regulations that could lead to enforcement actions, fines, civil or criminal penalties or the assertion of litigation claims and damages. In addition, improper conduct by our employees, agents or joint venture partners could damage our reputation and/or lead to litigation or legal proceedings that could result in civil or criminal penalties, including substantial monetary fines. In certain circumstances it may not be economical to defend against such matters and/or our legal strategy may not ultimately result in us prevailing in a matter. Such events could lead to an adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations. In addition, we have experienced, and may continue to experience, increases in litigation pertaining to the COVID-19 crisis, including potential claims for non-refundable cash deposits. We cannot predict the quantum or outcome of any such proceedings and the impact that they will have on our financial results, but any such impact may be material. While some of these claims are covered by insurance, we cannot be certain that all of them will be, which could have an adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations. Item 1B.