Carnival Corporation & plc reported record net income of $353 million, or $0.43 diluted EPS, on revenues of $2.6 billion for its fourth quarter ended November 30, 2005. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2004 was $294 million, or $0.36 diluted EPS, on revenues of $2.2 billion.
Net income for the year ended November 30, 2005 was $2.3 billion, or $2.70 diluted EPS, on revenues of $11.1 billion, compared to net income of $1.9 billion, or $2.24 diluted EPS, on revenues of $9.7 billion for the same period in 2004.
Fourth quarter revenues increased by 14.4 percent driven by both a 9.1 percent increase in cruise capacity and a significant increase in cruise revenue yields (revenue per available lower berth day), partially offset by a stronger U.S. dollar relative to the euro and sterling. Net revenue yields for the fourth quarter of 2005 increased 5.9 percent compared to the prior year. Net revenue yields as measured on a local currency basis (“constant dollar basis”) increased 6.8 percent over the same period last year, primarily due to higher cruise ticket prices and onboard revenues. Gross revenue yields increased 4.5 percent.
For the 2005 year, net revenue yields increased 6.5 percent (6.1 percent on a constant dollar basis). Gross revenue yields increased 4.9 percent.
Net cruise costs per available lower berth day (“ALBD”) for the fourth quarter of 2005 were up 3.8 percent compared to costs for the same period last year. On a constant dollar basis, net cruise costs per ALBD increased 4.9 percent from the same period last year primarily due to an approximate 50 percent increase in fuel prices. Excluding higher fuel costs, the company’s 2005 fourth quarter net cruise costs per ALBD were approximately equal to the same period last year on a constant dollar basis. Gross cruise costs per ALBD increased 2.5 percent compared to the prior year.