Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where is the Company incorporated?
2. In what year was the company founded?
3. When and where is the annual shareholders' meeting?
4. How large is the Company's current fleet; what are planned additions?
5. When was Celebrity Cruises acquired, and at what cost?
6. When did your stock split and what was the split?
7. How many shares of common stock are outstanding?
8. How can a ship's occupancy exceed 100%?
9. When are dividends declared and record date and payment date determined?
10. Who is the Company's stock transfer agent & Registrar? Who can I contact about replacement stock certificate? To whom do I direct address changes or any inquiries about my account that contains my Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. shares?
11. Why aren't officers' stockholdings reflected in the proxy?
12. How many employees does the Company employ?
13. Does the Company have a dividend reinvestment plan for shareholders?
14. What is the Company's common stock CUSIP Number?
15. What is the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code designation?
16. On what exchanges are shares of common stock listed?
17. Why is the Company's common stock listed on the Norwegian exchange?
18.. What is the Company's Senior debt rating?
19. When did Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. go public and at what price?
20. How does the Company protect itself against fluctuating oil prices?
21. Is there option trading on the Company's common shares?
1. Where is the Company incorporated?
The Company is incorporated in the Republic of Liberia.
2. In what year was the company founded?
The Company was founded in 1968.
3. When and where is the annual shareholders' meeting?
The annual shareholder meeting was held on Tuesday, May 17, 2005 at 9:00 a.m.
As of March 31, 2005 the Company operated a fleet of 29 cruise ships under two seperate brands: 19 under the Royal Caribbean International brand with an aggregate of 44,136 berths and 10 under the Celebrity Cruises brand with an aggregate of 16,454 berths.
| *Estimated Delivery |
Estimated Capacity |
|||||
| Fleet Expansion Projects | ||||||
| Royal Caribbean International | ||||||
|
Freedom of the Seas
|
2Q 2006 | 3,600 | ||||
|
Freedom Class II
|
2Q 2007 | 3,600 | ||||
|
Freedom Class III
|
2Q 2008 | 3,600 | ||||
|
Celebrity
|
4Q 2008 | 2,850 | ||||
| * Scheduled Delivery is generally 2-4 weeks before ships enter service. | ||||||
5. When was Celebrity Cruises acquired, and at what cost?
In July 1997, the Company acquired the outstanding stock of Celebrity Cruise
Lines Inc. for a purchase price of $515 million comprised of $245 million
in cash and 7,448,276 shares of RCL common stock.
6. When did your stock split and what was the split?
At the May 21, 1998 shareholder meeting, an amendment to the Articles of
Incorporation was approved which increased the number of authorized common
shares from 100 to 500 million. The board approved a 2-for-1 stock split on
June 23, 1998. The record date was July 10th and the payable date was July
31st.
7. How many shares of common stock are outstanding?
As of March 31, 2005, the Company had 201,841,185 shares of common stock issued and outstanding.
8. How can a ship's occupancy exceed 100%?
Occupancy can exceed 100% because cruise industry practice measures capacity
based on double occupancy per cabin, even though some cabins can accommodate
3 or 4 passengers. A percentage in excess of 100% reflects the effect of cabins
occupied by more than 2 passengers. Occupancy during the last five years has
averaged 102.4%.
9. When are dividends declared and record date and payment date determined?
The Company has no predetermined schedule for declaring dividends, or the
date upon which a shareholder must have been the owner of the shares (record
date) or the date when the dividend will actually be paid. However, the Company
anticipates continuing the practice of declaring and paying dividends quarterly.
(see dividend history on the web site).
10. Who is the Company's stock transfer agent & Registrar? Who can I contact about replacement stock certificate? To whom do I direct address changes or any inquiries about my account that contains my Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. shares?
If you are a registered shareholder (holding stock certificate) you should direct all communications regarding changes in registration or address, lost certificates, current holdings, and any other shareholder registration matters to our transfer agent: Wachovia Bank, N.A., Shareholder Services, 1525 West Wt Harris BLVD, Building 3C3, Charlotte, North Carolina 28262-1153. If you are a beneficial shareholder (shares are held in a brokerage account), you should direct all account inquiries to your stockbroker. The address information for the account statements, quarterly and annual reports, and proxies you receive are maintained by your broker.
11. Why aren't officers' stockholdings reflected in the proxy?
As a private foreign issuer of SEC registered securities, the Company is not required to disclose the individual ownership of its directors.
12. How many employees does the Company employ?
As of December 31, 2004, we employed approximately 3,670 full-time and 600 part-time employees worldwide in our shoreside operations. We also employed approximately 34,600 crew and staff for our vessels. As of December 31, 2004, approximately 78% of our shipboard employees were covered by collective bargaining agreements.
13. Does the Company have a dividend reinvestment plan for shareholders?
The Company does not have a dividend reinvestment plan.
14. What is the Company's common stock CUSIP Number?
The Company's common stock CUSIP number is V77 80T 103.
15. What is the Standard Industry Classification (SIC) code designation?
The SIC classification number is 4481.
16. On what exchanges are shares of common stock listed?
The Company's common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
(Primary listing) and the Oslo Stock Exchange (OSE) (secondary listing) under
the symbol "RCL". The company's LYON's is traded on the New York
Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol (RCL 0 2/02/21)
17. Why is the Company's common stock listed on the Norwegian exchange?
The Company wanted to make its shares more accessible to European investors
who do not normally invest through the NYSE. The Oslo borse was selected as
the listing exchange due to the Company's historic links to Norway and the
particular focus of Norwegian investors on the shipping/cruise industry.
18. What is the Company's Senior debt rating?
The Company's Senior Unsecured Notes and Debentures are rated BB+ by Standard & Poor's and Ba1 by Moody's Investors.
19. When did Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. go public and at what price?
The Company's initial public offering (IPO) was in April 1993. The price
to the public was $9.00 per share on a post-split basis and 11.5 million shares
were initially issued.
20. How does the Company protect itself against fluctuating oil prices?
The Company limits its exposure to fluctuating oil prices through the use
of forward, option and swap contracts. As a result of these hedge programs,
the company does not realize the full advantages of drops in oil prices, nor
is it subjected to serious financial consequences when oil prices rise.
21. Is there option trading on the Company's common shares?
There is option trading in the Company's common shares. Options are traded
on the CBOE, AMEX and Pacific Coast exchanges.