P&O Princess Cruises PLC
Chantiers de l'Atlantique options expire
As previously reported, P&O Princess has options with Chantiers
de l'Atlantique, for delivery in 2005 and 2006, for two repeat
2000 berth vessels of the same innovative design as the Coral
Princess. The final exercise date for these options was the end
of September 2002.
Chantiers de l'Atlantique has advised P&O Princess that it is not
in a position to further extend these options which were
initially granted at the end of 1999. Accordingly they have
lapsed.
Nevertheless, P&O Princess remains favourably disposed to
acquiring further vessels for its North American brand Princess
Cruises and believes that it has a number of attractive
alternatives for doing so including ordering further vessels from
Chantiers de l'Atlantique with whom it continues to have
excellent relations.
- Ends -
For further information contact:
P&O Princess Cruises plc
Caroline Keppel-Palmer +44 20 7805 1214
07730 732015
Brunswick
Sophie Fitton +44 20
7404 5959
Website www.poprincesscruises.com
P&O Princess
P&O Princess Cruises plc is a leading international cruise
company with some of the strongest cruising brand names: Princess
Cruises in North America; P&O Cruises, Swan Hellenic and Ocean
Village in the UK; AIDA and A'ROSA in Germany; and P&O Cruises in
Australia. It is a leading provider of cruises to Alaska, the
Caribbean, Europe, the Panama Canal and other Exotic
destinations. The current complement of 19 ships and two river
boats offering 31,130 berths is set to grow in the next two years
with six new ocean cruise ships and one river boat on order.
P&O Princess Cruises has approximately 20,000 employees worldwide
and carried over one million passengers in 2001, generating a
revenue of approximately $2.5 billion (approximately GBP1.7
billion). Headquartered in London, P&O Princess Cruises' ordinary
shares are quoted on the London Stock Exchange and as ADSs on the
New York Stock Exchange (under the symbol "POC").