Filing under Rule 425 under
the Securities Act of 1933
and deemed filed under Rule 14d-2
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Filing by: Carnival Corporation
Subject Company: P&O Princess Cruises plc.
SEC File No. of Princess: 001-15136
NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO
AUSTRALIA, CANADA OR JAPAN
19 JUNE 2002
CARNIVAL CORPORATION
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CARNIVAL WELCOMES CLEARANCE OF ROYAL CARIBBEAN /
P&O PRINCESS COMBINATION BY THE UK SECRETARY OF
STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY
The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in the UK today announced the
clearance of the proposed merger between Royal Caribbean and P&O Princess.
Carnival notes that the DTI's decision states that "The existence of a wider
holiday market, and the availability of cruises of types other than those
operated by POPC and RCCL, constrained those companies' actions and commercial
freedom, whether or not they were regarded as being in the same market."
Carnival has maintained throughout the process that as the whole European cruise
market represents less than one per cent. of the European leisure travel market
and less than 4.0 per cent. and 1.2 per cent. of the UK and German leisure
travel markets respectively, neither of these deals should raise competitive
concerns in Europe.
The Royal Caribbean/P&O Princess combination has now been cleared in both the UK
and Germany. These are the only two countries examined in the European
Commission's review and both the Carnival and Royal Caribbean combinations are
similarly positioned in these countries. Carnival therefore believes that there
is no reason why its combination with P&O Princess should not gain European
regulatory approval, consistent with the EU's policy to support national
competition authorities and to ensure the equal application of competition law
across the EEA.
Both transactions also remain under review by the Federal Trade Commission in
the US, with decisions expected on a similar timetable to the European
Commission's review.
"We have said all along that both of these deals should be cleared in all
jurisdictions," said Micky Arison, CEO of Carnival Corporation. "From a
regulatory perspective they are similarly placed and the UK decision today
confirms that our offer for P&O Princess should be cleared by the European
Commission. When all regulatory approvals have been obtained, I look forward to
taking this deal back to the ultimate decision makers, the P&O Princess
shareholders."
ENQUIRIES:
CARNIVAL Telephone: +1 305 599 2600
Micky Arison
Howard Frank
FINANCIAL DYNAMICS Telephone: +44 20 7831 3113
Nic Bennett
APCO EUROPE
Tom Brookes Telephone: +32 2 645 9834
Terms used in this announcement have the same meaning as in the announcement
dated 7 February 2002.
Merrill Lynch International and UBS Warburg Ltd., a subsidiary of UBS AG, are
acting as joint financial advisors and joint corporate brokers exclusively to
Carnival and no-one else in connection with the Increased Offer and will not be
responsible to anyone other than Carnival for providing the protections afforded
to clients respectively of Merrill Lynch International and UBS Warburg Ltd. as
the case may be or for providing advice in relation to the Increased Offer.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this announcement constitute "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the US Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Carnival has tried, wherever possible, to identify such statements by using
words such as "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan" and
words and terms of similar substance in connection with any discussion of future
operating or financial performance. These forward-looking statements, including
those which may impact the forecasting of Carnival's annual cost savings that
underlie estimates of synergies and one time costs to implement synergies, net
revenue yields, booking levels, price, occupancy or business prospects, involve
known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause
Carnival's actual results, performances or achievements to be materially
different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or
implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others,
the following: general economic and business conditions which may impact levels
of disposable income of consumers and the net revenue yields for Carnival's
cruise products; consumer demand for cruises and other vacation options; other
vacation industry competition; effects on consumer demand of armed conflicts,
political instability, terrorism, the availability of air service and adverse
media publicity; increases in cruise industry and vacation industry capacity;
continued availability of attractive port destinations; changes in tax laws and
regulations; Carnival's ability to implement its brand strategy, Carnival's
ability to implement its shipbuilding program and to continue to expand its
business outside the North American market; Carnival's ability to attract and
retain shipboard crew; changes in foreign currency rates, security expenses,
food, fuel, insurance and commodity prices and interest rates; delivery of new
ships on schedule and at the contracted prices; weather patterns; unscheduled
ship repairs and dry-docking; incidents involving cruise ships; impact of
pending or threatened litigation; and changes in laws and regulations applicable
to Carnival.
Carnival cautions the reader that these risks may not be exhaustive. Carnival
operates in a continually changing business environment, and new risks emerge
from time to time. Carnival cannot predict such risks nor can it assess the
impact, if any, of such risks on its business or the extent to which any risk,
or combination of risks may cause actual results to differ from those projected
in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements
should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Carnival undertakes
no obligation publicly to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
CARNIVAL PLANS TO FILE A REGISTRATION STATEMENT ON FORM S-4 AND A STATEMENT ON
SCHEDULE TO WITH THE US SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION IN CONNECTION WITH
COMMENCEMENT OF THE INCREASED OFFER. THE FORM S-4 WILL CONTAIN A PROSPECTUS AND
OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING TO THE INCREASED OFFER. CARNIVAL PLANS TO MAIL THE
PROSPECTUS CONTAINED IN THE FORM S-4 TO SHAREHOLDERS OF P&O PRINCESS WHEN THE
FORM S-4 IS FILED WITH THE SEC. THE FORM S-4, THE PROSPECTUS AND THE SCHEDULE TO
WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CARNIVAL, P&O PRINCESS, THE INCREASED
OFFER AND RELATED MATTERS. INVESTORS AND STOCKHOLDERS SHOULD READ THE FORM S-4,
THE PROSPECTUS, THE SCHEDULE TO AND THE OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN
CONNECTION WITH THE INCREASED OFFER CAREFULLY BEFORE THEY MAKE ANY DECISION WITH
RESPECT TO THE INCREASED OFFER. THE FORM S-4, THE PROSPECTUS, THE SCHEDULE TO
AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE INCREASED
OFFER WILL BE AVAILABLE WHEN FILED FREE OF CHARGE AT THE SEC'S WEB SITE, AT
WWW.SEC.GOV. IN ADDITION, THE PROSPECTUS AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE
SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE INCREASED OFFER WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE TO INVESTORS
FREE OF CHARGE BY WRITING TO TIM GALLAGHER AT CARNIVAL CORPORATION, CARNIVAL
PLACE, 3655 N.W. 87 AVENUE, MIAMI, FLORIDA, 33178-2428, US.
IN ADDITION TO THE FORM S-4, PROSPECTUS, THE SCHEDULE TO AND THE OTHER DOCUMENTS
FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH THE INCREASED OFFER, CARNIVAL IS OBLIGATED
TO FILE ANNUAL, QUARTERLY AND CURRENT REPORTS, PROXY STATEMENTS AND OTHER
INFORMATION WITH THE SEC. PERSONS MAY READ AND COPY ANY REPORTS, STATEMENTS AND
OTHER INFORMATION FILED WITH THE SEC AT THE SEC'S PUBLIC REFERENCE ROOM AT 450
FIFTH STREET, N.W., WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549. PLEASE CALL THE SEC AT
1-800-SEC-0330 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE PUBLIC REFERENCE ROOM. FILINGS
WITH THE SEC ALSO ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FROM COMMERCIAL DOCUMENT-RETRIEVAL
SERVICES AND AT THE WEB SITE MAINTAINED BY THE SEC AT WWW.SEC.GOV.