UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (date of earliest event reported) July 7, 2025

| Carnival Corporation | Carnival plc | |
| (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) | (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) | |
| Republic of Panama | England and Wales | |
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | |
| 001-9610 | 001-15136 | |
| (Commission File Number) | (Commission File Number) | |
| 59-1562976 | 98-0357772 | |
| (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
|
3655 N.W. 87th Avenue Miami, Florida 33178-2428 |
Carnival House, 100 Harbour Parade, Southampton SO15 1ST, United Kingdom |
|
|
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code) |
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code) |
|
| (305) 599-2600 | 011 44 23 8065 5000 | |
| (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) | (Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) | |
| None | None | |
| (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.) | (Former name or former address, if changed since last report.) |
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrants under any of the following provisions:
| ☐ | Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) |
| ☐ | Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) |
| ☐ | Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||
| Common Stock ($0.01 par value) | CCL | New York Stock Exchange, Inc. | ||
| Ordinary Shares each represented by American Depositary Shares ($1.66 par value) Special Voting Share, GBP 1.00 par value and Trust Shares of beneficial interest in the P&O Princess Special Voting Trust | CUK | New York Stock Exchange, Inc. | ||
| 1.000% Senior Notes due 2029 | CUK29 | New York Stock Exchange LLC |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrants are emerging growth companies as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2) of this chapter).
Emerging growth companies ☐
If emerging growth companies, indicate by check mark if the registrants have elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
| Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
Indenture
On July 7, 2025, Carnival plc (the “Company”) closed its previously announced private offering (the “Notes Offering”) of €1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 4.125% senior unsecured notes due 2031 (the “Notes”). The Notes were issued pursuant to an indenture, dated as of July 7, 2025 (the “Indenture”), among the Company, Carnival Corporation, the subsidiary guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank Trust Company, National Association, as trustee. The Company will use the proceeds from the Notes Offering to fully repay the borrowings under Carnival Corporation’s first-priority senior secured term loan facility maturing in 2027 and to repay a portion of the borrowings under Carnival Corporation’s first-priority senior secured term loan facility maturing in 2028.
The Notes will mature on July 15, 2031 unless earlier redeemed or repurchased. Interest on the Notes will accrue from July 7, 2025 and is payable annually in arrears on July 15 of each year, commencing on July 15, 2026, at a rate of 4.125% per year.
The Notes are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by Carnival Corporation and certain of the Company’s and Carnival Corporation’s subsidiaries (the “Subsidiary Guarantors”) that also guarantee certain of the Company’s existing first-priority secured indebtedness, certain of its unsecured notes and its convertible notes. In the future, each of the Company’s and Carnival Corporation’s subsidiaries that becomes an issuer, borrower, obligor or guarantor of certain other indebtedness for borrowed money of the Company, Carnival Corporation or any Subsidiary Guarantor will be required to guarantee the Notes, subject to certain exceptions.
Prior to April 15, 2031, the Company may redeem the Notes at its option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes redeemed, plus a “make whole” premium and accrued and unpaid interest. On or after April 15, 2031, the Company may redeem the Notes at its option, in whole at any time or in part from time to time, at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest.
The Indenture contains certain restrictions on liens, mergers, consolidations and transfers of substantially all of the Company’s or Carnival Corporation’s assets. Additionally, upon the occurrence of specified change of control triggering events, the Company will be required to offer to repurchase the Notes at 101% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the purchase date.
The Indenture sets forth certain events of default after which the Notes may be declared immediately due and payable and sets forth certain types of bankruptcy or insolvency events of default after which the Notes become automatically due and payable.
The Notes were offered only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or to non-U.S. investors in reliance on Regulation S under the Securities Act. The Notes were not, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state laws.
| Item 2.03 | Creation of a Direct Financial Obligation or an Obligation under an Off-Balance Sheet Arrangement of a Registrant. |
The information in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K is incorporated by reference in this Item 2.03.
| Item 7.01 | Regulation FD Disclosure. |
On July 7, 2025, the Company issued a press release announcing the closing of the Notes Offering. A copy of the press release is furnished hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated by reference herein. The press release includes forward-looking statements. See “Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements” within the press release for additional information.
The Company is furnishing the information in Item 7.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K, including Exhibit 99.1 hereto, to comply with Regulation FD. Such information shall not be deemed to be “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, and shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any of the Company’s filings under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, whether made before or after the date hereof and regardless of any general incorporation language in such filings, except to the extent expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits. |
(d) Exhibits
| Exhibit No. | Description | |
| 99.1 | Press release of Carnival Corporation and Carnival plc dated July 7, 2025. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded with the Inline XBRL document). |
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, each of the registrants has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| CARNIVAL CORPORATION | CARNIVAL PLC | |||
| By: | /s/ David Bernstein | By: | /s/ David Bernstein | |
| Name: | David Bernstein | Name: | David Bernstein | |
| Title: | Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer | Title: | Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer | |
Date: July 7, 2025 |
Date: July 7, 2025 |
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EXHIBIT 99.1
Carnival Corporation & plc Announces Closing of €1.0 Billion 4.125% Senior Unsecured Notes Offering
Proceeds from the offering of senior unsecured notes to be used to repay borrowings under senior secured term loan facilities
MIAMI, July 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK) today announced that Carnival plc (the “Company”) has closed its previously announced private offering (the “Notes Offering”) of €1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 4.125% senior unsecured notes due 2031 (the “Notes”). The Company will use the proceeds from the Notes Offering to fully repay the borrowings under Carnival Corporation’s first-priority senior secured term loan facility maturing in 2027 (the “2027 Term Loan Facility”) and to repay a portion of the borrowings under Carnival Corporation's first-priority senior secured term loan facility maturing in 2028. In conjunction with the Company’s prepayment of $450.0 million on June 27, 2025 towards the 2027 Term Loan Facility, this transaction builds on its continuing efforts to deleverage, reduce interest expense, simplify its capital structure and manage its maturity profile. In addition, the indenture that governs the Notes has investment grade-style covenants.
“We continue to opportunistically access the capital markets,” said David Bernstein, Chief Financial Officer. “We are just one notch away from an investment grade credit rating and this successful transaction puts us further down that path.”
The Notes will pay interest annually on July 15 of each year, beginning on July 15, 2026, at a rate of 4.125% per year. The Notes will be unsecured and will mature on July 15, 2031. The Notes will be fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis, jointly and severally, by Carnival Corporation and certain of the Company’s and Carnival Corporation’s subsidiaries that also guarantee certain of our first-priority secured indebtedness, certain of our other unsecured notes and our convertible notes.
The Notes were offered only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in reliance on Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and outside the United States, only to non-U.S. investors pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act.
The Notes were not, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state laws.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase the Notes or any other securities and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
About Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc is the largest global cruise company, and among the largest leisure travel companies, with a portfolio of world-class cruise lines - AIDA Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Seabourn.
Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release constitute forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to, among other things, the financing transactions described herein, future results, operations, outlooks, plans, goals, reputation, cash flows and liquidity and other events which have not yet occurred. Forward-looking statements reflect management’s current expectations and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in those forward-looking statements. Factors that could affect our results include, among others, those discussed under the caption “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as well as our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), copies of which may be obtained by visiting the Investor Relations page of our website at www.carnivalcorp.com/investors/ or the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements in this release, which are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc
Carnival Corporation & plc Media Contact: Jody Venturoni, Carnival Corporation, jventuroni@carnival.com, (469) 797-6380
Carnival Corporation & plc Investor Relations Contact: Beth Roberts, Carnival Corporation, eroberts@carnival.com, (305) 406-4832