Mon 23 Dec 2013, 08:33 GMT

Carnival bunker costs fall $173 million


Fuel costs decline by 7.3 percent for Carnival during the 12 months ended November 30.



Carnival Corporation & plc. reports that fuel costs decreased by US$54 million, or 9.0 percent, during the three months ended November 30, 2013 compared to last year.

Bunker fuel expenses amounted to US$549 million between September and November, having been $603 million during the corresponding period in 2012.

In the 12-month period ended November 30, 2013, fuel costs declined by US$173 million, or 7.3 percent, to US$2,208 million, down from US$2,381 million in the 12 months ended November 30, 2012.

Fuel prices fell by 6.3 percent to $671 per metric tonne in the fourth quarter of 2013, down from $716 per metric tonne during the same three-month period in 2012. The figure was also better than the company's September guidance of $687 per metric tonne.

Please find below Carnival's fuel price and fuel consumption forecast for 2014.

2014 Fuel Price and Fuel Consumption Forecast

First quarter 2014:
Fuel price per metric tonne: $643
Fuel consumption (metric tonnes): 800,000

Full Year 2014
Fuel price per metric tonne: $650
Fuel consumption (metric tonnes): 3,225,000

In its overall results for the fourth quarter of 2013, Carnival posted a non-GAAP net income of $35 million, or $0.04 diluted EPS, for the fourth quarter of 2013 compared to a non-GAAP net income for the fourth quarter of 2012 of $111 million, or $0.14 per share. U.S. GAAP net income, which included net unrealized gains on fuel derivatives of $31 million, was $66 million, or $0.08 diluted EPS. For the fourth quarter of 2012, U.S. GAAP net income was $93 million, or $0.12 diluted EPS.

Revenues for the fourth quarter of 2013 were $3.7 billion compared to $3.6 billion for the prior year.

Non-GAAP net income for the full year 2013 was $1.2 billion, or $1.58 diluted EPS, compared to non-GAAP net income of $1.5 billion, or $1.94 diluted EPS, for the prior year. Full year 2013 U.S. GAAP net income was $1.1 billion, or $1.39 diluted EPS compared to $1.3 billion, or $1.67 per share for the prior year.

Revenues for the full year 2013 were $15.5 billion compared to $15.4 billion for the prior year.

Commenting on the full year 2013 results, President and Chief Executive Officer, Arnold Donald, said: "Even in a challenging year, our company continued to produce strong cash from operations approaching $3 billion, funding our capital commitments and returning value to shareholders through regular dividend distributions of $775 million and share repurchases of $100 million."

On the issue of fuel consumption and emissions reduction technology, Carnival said: "Additionally, the company increased efficiency fleetwide, achieving an additional five percent reduction in fuel consumption per unit this year, bringing the cumulative reduction to 23 percent since 2005.

"The company also furthered its environmental efforts through the successful testing of new 'scrubber' technology and plans to install exhaust-gas cleaning scrubbers throughout the fleet. Over the next few years, the company will further refine both the scrubber design and installation process. In addition to exceeding stricter air emission standards, this technology will help mitigate higher fuel costs."

Full Year 2014 Outlook

Based on current booking trends, the company forecasts full year 2014 net revenue yields, on a constant dollar basis, to be down slightly compared to the prior year (in line with the prior year on a current dollar basis). First quarter revenue yields (constant dollars) are expected to decline 3 to 4 percent compared to the previous year and improve during the remainder of 2014 based on a recovery in ticket prices.

The company expects net cruise costs excluding fuel per ALBD for full year 2014 to be slightly higher than in 2013 on a constant dollar basis. Taking the above factors into consideration, the company forecasts full year 2014 non-GAAP diluted earnings per share to be in the range of $1.40 to $1.80, compared to 2013 non-GAAP diluted earnings of $1.58 per share.

Donald stated, "With over 100 ships and more than 10 million guests we have a scale advantage that cannot be replicated in this industry. We are aggressively seeking opportunities to leverage that scale to drive top line improvement and gain cost efficiencies. To support that effort, we have realigned our leadership team and processes to achieve greater collaboration and cooperation. We have heightened our focus on the guest experience and further exceeding guest expectations. As 2014 progresses, we will commence a number of strategic initiatives designed to fuel our earnings power, drive cash flow and improve return on invested capital over time."

First Quarter 2014 Outlook

First quarter constant dollar net revenue yields are expected to decrease 3 to 4 percent compared to the previous year. Net cruise costs excluding fuel per ALBD for the first quarter are expected to be 4.5 to 5.5 percent higher on a constant dollar basis compared to 2013, mostly due to higher advertising costs.

Based on the above factors, the company expects non-GAAP diluted losses for the first quarter 2014 to be in the range of $(0.07) to $(0.11) per share versus 2013 non-GAAP earnings of $0.09 per share.


Oriental Aquamarine vessel. HMM deploys Korea's first MR tanker with wing sail technology  

Oriental Aquamarine equipped with wind-assisted propulsion system expected to cut fuel consumption by up to 20%.

BC Ferries vessel render. ABB to supply hybrid-electric propulsion for BC Ferries' four new vessels  

Technology will enable ferries to run on biofuel or renewable diesel with battery storage.

Alternative marine fuels port graphic. LNG-fuelled boxships sustain alternative fuel orderbook share despite market slowdown  

Alternative fuels maintained 38% of gross tonnage orders in 2025, driven by container segment.

Conceptual diagram of the MOL–ITOCHU strategic alliance. MOL and ITOCHU sign MoU for cross-industry environmental attribute certificate partnership  

Japanese shipping and trading firms to promote EACs for reducing Scope 3 emissions in transport.

CPN as China's No. 1 marine biofuel supplier in 2025 graphic. Chimbusco Pan Nation delivers 170,000 tonnes of marine biofuel in China in 2025  

Supplier says volumes quadrupled year on year, with a 6,300-tonne B24 operation completed during the period.

V.Group and Njord logo side by side. V.Group acquires Njord to expand decarbonisation services for shipowners  

Maritime services provider buys Maersk Tankers-founded green technology business to offer integrated fuel-efficiency solutions.

Container vessel manoeuvring in port. Has Zhoushan just become the world's third-largest bunker port?  

With 2025 sales of 8.03m tonnes for the Chinese port, Q4 data for Antwerp-Bruges will decide which location takes third place.

Monjasa Oil & Shipping Trainee (MOST) trainees. Monjasa opens applications for global trainee programme  

Marine fuel supplier seeks candidates for MOST scheme spanning offices from Singapore to New York.

Singapore's first fully electric harbour tug. Singapore's first fully electric tug completes commissioning ahead of April deployment  

PaxOcean and ABB’s 50-tonne bollard-pull vessel represents an early step in harbour craft electrification.

Fuel for thought: Hydrogen report cover. Lloyd's Register report examines hydrogen's potential and challenges for decarbonisation  

Classification society highlights fuel's promise alongside safety, infrastructure, and cost barriers limiting maritime adoption.