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
24 December 2001
CARNIVAL CORPORATION ("CARNIVAL") OFFER FOR P&O PRINCESS CRUISES PLC
("P&O PRINCESS")
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Carnival begins US antitrust review process
Carnival announces that on 21 December 2001 it made the necessary antitrust
filings under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act with US antitrust authorities in
relation to its Offer for P&O Princess. Carnival had previously been in
communication with the Federal Trade Commission (the "FTC") and has been
providing information to assist the FTC in its investigation.
ENQUIRIES:
CARNIVAL Telephone: +1 305 599 2600
Micky Arison
Howard Frank
Terms used in this announcement have the same meaning as in the Announcement
dated 16 December 2001.
Any person who, alone or acting together with any other person(s) pursuant to an
agreement or understanding (whether formal or informal) to acquire or control
securities of P&O Princess or Carnival, owns or controls, or becomes the owner
or controller, directly or indirectly of 1% or more of any class of securities
of P&O Princess or Carnival is generally required under the provisions of Rule 8
of the City Code to notify the London Stock Exchange and the Panel of every
dealing in such securities during the period from the date of this Announcement
until the first closing date of the Offer or, if later, the date on which the
Offer becomes, or is declared, unconditional as to acceptances, or lapses.
Disclosure should be made on an appropriate form before 12 noon (London time) on
the business day following the date of the dealing transaction. These
disclosures should be sent to the Company Announcements Office of the London
Stock Exchange (fax number: +44 20 7588 6057) and to the Panel (fax number: +44
20 7256 9386).
The directors of Carnival accept responsibility for the information contained in
this announcement. To the best of the knowledge and belief of the directors of
Carnival (who have taken all reasonable care to ensure such is the case), the
information contained herein for which they accept responsibility is in
accordance with the facts and does not omit anything likely to affect the import
of such information.
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 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 Offer.
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this announcement constitute "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the 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 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 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 to publicly 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
THE OFFER. THE FORM S-4 WILL CONTAIN A PROSPECTUS AND OTHER DOCUMENTS RELATING
TO THE 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 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 OFFER CAREFULLY BEFORE
THEY MAKE ANY DECISION WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. THE FORM S-4, THE PROSPECTUS,
THE SCHEDULE TO AND ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH
THE 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 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 OFFER, CARNIVAL IS OBLIGATED TO FILE
ANNUAL, QUARTERLY AND SPECIAL 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.