MIAMI, May 05, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NCL Corporation Ltd., a subsidiary of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH), announced a private placement of up to $400 million in aggregate principal amount of exchangeable senior notes due 2026 to an affiliate of L Catterton.

“We are pleased to execute this agreement with L Catterton, the largest and most global consumer-focused private equity firm in the world,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. “L Catterton is the ideal partner for our Company as they recognize the remarkable resilience the cruise industry has demonstrated over the past 50 years, appreciate the long-term global demand for cruise vacations, and value our Company’s long track record of growth, execution and success. We look forward to working with their highly experienced team and broad collection of portfolio companies to identify and capture additional value across a range of strategic and operational levers.”

Scott Dahnke, Global co-CEO of L Catterton, said, “The cruise industry has been very resilient over a long period of time, driven by strong secular tailwinds and a high level of guest satisfaction. People enjoy cruising, with many guests taking multiple voyages over time. The industry has overcome numerous challenges in the past, and we expect that the industry will rebound and prosper with even further enhancements to their already rigorous health and safety protocols in place in the future. Within the industry, the three brands of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings have carved out distinctive leadership positions in their respective markets, guided capably by Frank Del Rio and his exceptional management team. We couldn’t be more excited to support the team at Norwegian as they work through this suspension of travel and begin to commence operations after their voluntary suspension of voyages.”

The Private Exchangeable Notes will be general senior unsecured obligations of NCLC, guaranteed by NCLH, and will be exchangeable at the holder’s option at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the maturity date into Series A Preference Shares of NCLC, which shall be automatically exchangeable into a number of ordinary shares of NCLH.

Material Terms:

• The Private Exchangeable Notes will accrue payment-in-kind interest at a rate of 7.0% per annum for the first year post-issuance, 4.5% per annum payment-in-kind interest plus 3.0% per annum cash interest for the following four years post issuance and 7.5% in cash for the final year prior to maturity;
• L Catterton will be entitled to nominate one member to the Company’s board of directors so long as a minimum ownership threshold is met, as well as one observer to the Company’s board of directors;
• The closing of the Private Exchangeable Notes is expected to occur upon the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions, including a condition that the Company raises at least $1.0 billion in proceeds (net of underwriting discounts and repaid indebtedness) in the aggregate from other offerings;
• L Catterton will have certain registration rights in respect of the ordinary shares underlying the Private Exchangeable Notes and will be subject to certain customary transfer, voting and standstill restrictions, including a one-year lock-up agreement.

Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as placement agent to the Company.

About Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: NCLH) is a leading global cruise company which operates the Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises brands. With a combined fleet of 28 ships with approximately 59,150 berths, these brands offer itineraries to more than 490 destinations worldwide. The Company will introduce nine additional ships through 2027.

About L Catterton

With approximately $20 billion of equity capital across seven fund strategies in 17 offices globally, L Catterton is the largest consumer-focused private equity firm in the world. L Catterton's team of more than 190 investment and operating professionals with management teams around the world to implement strategic plans to foster growth, leveraging deep category insight, operational excellence, and a broad thought partnership network. Since 1989, the firm has made over 200 investments in leading consumer brands. L Catterton was formed through the partnership of Catterton, LVMH, and Groupe Arnault. For more information about L Catterton, please visit www.lcatterton.com.