Norwegian Q3: Company Charges into 2016 and Beyond

2016 is booking well ahead of 2015, according to Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, with higher pricing across all three brands and an extended booking curve.

Booking pattern improvements outstrip capacity increases, added Del Rio, who spoke on Tuesday’s third quarter earnings call.

The Escape is out-performing the pace of Getaway and Breakaway bookings, said Del Rio, while at the same time garnering double-digit yield premiums compared to other ships on similar itineraries.

A strong Q3 was driven by performance in the Caribbean, Bermuda and Alaska, which offset certain Europe itineraries, which had seen some softness. On a GAAP basis, net income was $251.8 million for the quarter, or $1.09 per share compared to $201.1 million or $0.97 per share in the prior year.

Ticket revenue improved from $650 million in 2014 to $948 million in the third quarter for 2015, mostly attributed to the combination of Oceania and Regent into the company.

The big news is in the company’s international expansion (read more about Norwegian in China here) , with an office in Australia and recent sales and marketing offices opened in Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai ahead of the newbuild Norwegian is sending to China in 2017.

Del Rio said with the growth of the Chinese market, it had changed from a discussion of if to send a ship, to when.

For Q1 (2016), the company warned of not only softness on European itineraries for the Epic, but also pointed to a number of anticipated drydockings.

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